Have you Ever Seen the Praying Station? The Buchanan Scrapbooks

They say, and I have never seen it there is a little praying station nestled in the trees in Ferguson Falls. Inside there is a statue of the Virgin Mary with her hands folded together. Now anyone might wonder why in the world a station such as this would be out in the middle of nowhere.

Apparently, its history goes back decades and was an important part of Ferguson Falls heritage. At one time the area around Ferguson Falls was Roman Catholic and the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church was built in 1856, the first church in town in Ferguson Falls. Read-The Littlest Church in Ferguson Falls

One day a number of people who were outside their homes saw lights shining on a spot along the country road. It was believed by those families to be a sign from heaven and a little praying station and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected in that spot.

For years they would come and pray at that station until one day a thunderstorm split the tree in which the statue stood. The area residents were very upset and one of the families (The Quinns) took the statue home to try and repair it. Mr Quinn was able to put the statue together with exception of her one hand which had to be molded again. This time the statue was painted and put back in her station, which was now placed on a large log fence. Spring and summer flowers would appear and people would stop by and say a little prayer.

UPDATE with thanks

Doris Quinn–A lot of this is not correct. There was a statue there. Not in Ferguson’s Falls but in Quinn Settlement. It was struck by lightening and fixed by a family who lived near the Quinn’s . The Quinn family used it as a place to go and pray. It has not been there for many years.

With files from The Keeper of the Scrapbooks — Christina ‘tina’  Camelon Buchanan — Thanks to Diane Juby— click here..

Have you read?

The Preaching Rock of Lanark County

The size of a Minivan Sitting 30 Feet Offshore— The Big Rock of Carleton Place

The Mystery of the Masonic Rock – Pakenham

The Littlest Church in Ferguson Falls

The ‘DUDEronomy’ Scam In Carleton Place

In  May of 1905 there were some unscrupulous people wandering through the streets of Carleton Place. During a short period of time a  large amount of money was scammed from the hands of the innocent townsfolk. It didn’t take much for two scalawags posing as theological students from the Victoria College in Toronto to con the religious folk with their seemingly good deals on subscriptions to the Christian Herald.

If you paid just a single dollar, you would get not only a subscription, but a handsome leather bound bible as a bonus. To those who paid their hard earned money, it was to be a long wait. Not one Bible turned up on any of the doorsteps in Carleton Place. All they were left with were identical receipts saying,

“Received from Mrs. Rae, the sum of one dollar for one year. Signed A Munroe”

Police magistrate J.S. L McNeely reported the two gents high tailed it out of town after people caught on faster than you can say, “Save me Jesus”. The gentlemen were said to be about 5′ 7” tall, neatly dressed, wearing dark suits, and having light complexions.
Word up and down the street was they stole over $400 from the Town of Carleton Place.  No need to say this but, G.J Jones and his partner A. Munroe’s whereabouts are still unknown to this day. Now why didn’t early 20th century bible salesmen wind up in the history books?  Especially those who liked to pick a pocket or two?