Photo from Rose Mary’s book-Rose Mary Sarsfield December 8 at 8:02 PM · There are still a few copies of my book available for those who haven’t gotten a copy yet, or as a Christmas gift to someone with ties to Clayton. They are available at the Clayton Store, the Lanark Era office or from me. rose@sarsfield.ca
We extend congratulations to Mr. Wm. J. Drynan who celebrated his 82nd birthday on Monday, Dec. 12th. Mr. Drynan is enjoying fairly good health and was out in hunting season to try his luck in getting a deer.
Service in St. George’s Church on Sunday, Dec. 18th, will be in the morning at 10.30. There will be no service in the United Church on Sunday, Dec. 18th.
We are glad to report Mr. Joseph Ladouceur somewhat improved following an operation on his knee. Mrs. J. Kirk has gone to spend some time in Almonte.
The many friends of Mr. Gordon Currie were sorry to hear of his illness, and hope he will soon be his usual self again. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Drynan and sons, Robert and Boss, of Smiths Falls, visited with Mr. Wm. J. Drynan on his birthday.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Curran and family of Smiths Falls spent Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. McGee. A large number attended the Lafrance-Cameron wedding in the community hall on Friday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Alden Jones and family of Ottawa spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Virgin.
The W.A. of St. George’s Church held their December meeting at the home of Mrs. Ernie Moulton, with a good attendance. During the afternoon, a quilt was quilted for the bale. The ladies also made plans for the annual Christmas entertainment.
Mrs. A. Nolan has gone to spend the winter with Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Loynes in Ottawa.
Mr. and Mrs. H. McCreary spent Saturday evening with Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Virgin.
Mr. and Mrs. Austin Rathwell and Frances of Perth spent Sunday with Mr. Wm. J. Drynan and George. Mr. Kenneth McGee left on Monday for Petawawa, after spending a week at his home here.
Friends here received word of the death of Mr. Ben Code at Bounty, Sask.
The monthly meeting of the W.A. of the United Church was held on Thursday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Thomas Price, with a good attendance. The meeting was opened with a Tiymn and Scripture reading. Mrs. J. Currie and Mrs. McIntosh thanked the members for cards that had been sent. Mrs. Price vacated the chair for the election of officers, and Mrs Robertson presided. It was decided that all the officers remain the same for 1956. At the close of the’ meeting, lunch was served and a half hour enjoyed by all.
The annual joint Christmas tree and entertainment held on Thursday night by St. George’s Church and the United Church Sunday Schools, was a decided su c c e ss . There was a large attendance. Hev. M. M. Hawley acted as chairman, and the various schools in the district put on a very interesting program which opened with choruses by all the children. There were a couple of short plays, _ “The Two Santas,” by No. 6 School, and “ Without A Name,” by Hall’s Mills school; monologues by Heather Thompson and Gloria Ireton; Service in the United Church On Sunday* Jan. 1st, will be in the morning at 11 o’clock, and will be communion service. ’ Mr. Kenneth Bolger of St. Catharines spent Christmas and the holiday with friends here and in Almonte. The schools in this district all closed on Thursday for the holiday.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Benford Allan and Charlene of London spent this week with their many friends “here and in Almonte.
Mr. and Mrs. Keith McMunn and Mr. and Mrs. D. Caldwell Were guests on Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Linton Johnston and family of Pakenham district.
Mrs. F. Paterson, Gary, Wayne and Heather, of Ottawa, and Mr. and Mrs. Willard Kellough spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kellough.
Guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Hudson for Christmas were Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Erskine of Almonte, Mr. and Mrs. C. Stanley, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hudson and’ Gary.
Miss Mary Stewart, Reg. N., of Smiths Falls, spent the holiday at her home here.
A family gathering was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Drynan on Christmas Day. Visitors at the home of Mr. Edward Shane and Mr. and Mr recitations were given by Norma Munro, Helen Miller, Eunice Rath, Charlie Rath, Leonard Watt and Elaine Rath; songs by the Drynan children, Gladys Munro, Mildred Cameron, Doris Munro, Norma Munro, Beverley Robertson, Jackie Munro, Willard Rath, Rose Mary Richards, Mary McIntosh, Evaleen McIntosh aiid Dorothy Drynan; a chorus by No. 6 school; duet by Anne and Ethel McArthur. Those presiding at the piano throughout the program were Mrs. H. Rath, Mrs. Gordon Drynan, Mrs. John James and Margaret Cochran.
At the close of the entertainment, Santa arrived and distributed gifts and candy to all the children from a beautifully decorated tree. Service in St. George’s Church on Sunday, Jan. 1st, will be in the morning at 10.30
James Shane on Christmas Day.were Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Shane and baby, Barbara Jean, and Mr. and Mrs. N. Patifie and Doreen of Ottawa.
Those spending Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Virgin were Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Stewart and family of Almonte, Mr. and Mrs. F. Hamilton and children of Appleton District and Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Virgin and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Rath of Toronto spent Christmas and the holiday with their many friends here.
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Giles and Jimmie and Clark Fraser of Cedar Hill visited on Friday evening with Miss Mary A. Giles.
Those spending Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Halpenny were Mrs. O. M. Montgomery and Miss Ann Halpenny of Almonte, Mr. N. Halpenny and Albert of Halpenny district and Mr. A. Ireton. Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Virgin spent Christmas and the holiday with Mr. and Mrs. Alden Jones and family in Ottawa, and with Mr. and Mrs. Garwood Warren and family at Chantry.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bobertson of Hespeler visited on Christmas Day with Mr. and Mrs. Roy Robertson.
Mr. and Mrs. H. W. McGee and sons, Kenneth, Harry and Clarence, spent Christmas with Mr, and Mrs. Len Curran at Smiths Falls.
A family gathering was held on Christmas Day at the home of Mr. and Mrs; James Rath.
Mr. and Mrs. Keith McMunn and Mr. and Mrs. George Bolger visited on Christmas Day with Mr. and Mrs. T. McMunn in Carleton Place.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hudson and Gary were guests on Friday evening at a dinner given by Mrs. M. Richards in Carleton Place.
Mr. and, Mrs. Keith Stanley and Glen of Toronto spent Christmas and the holiday with friends here.
Members of the Almonte Cricket Club in front of the current lawn bowling clubhouse. Date, members and occasion unknown. The Millstone
‘The Almonte cricketers played their scheduled game at Arnprior with the club of that town on Saturday. Our club won easily, the score being 108 for Almonte, and 49 for Arnprior.
Mr. Robert Barnett is paying a visit to his old home and friends in this neighborhood. He is now a prosperous builder in Duluth. Rumor says he will be accompanied on his return by one of Ramsay’s fairest daughters.
Another old Almontor, dame rumour says, will shortly come from Kansas, and another from the far Northwest, on the same errand.
Washburn’s circus, which exhibited here lately, was a poor affair, but the sharpers connected with it found the usual number of fools around town ready to part with their money.
Mrs. Coates and her daughter Birdie returned home a few days ago from California, after a sojourn of two years in the Golden State.
Miss Minnie McDonald, who has for some time been engaged in *mission work in British Columbia, returned last week in very feeble health. In California for some months, the climate did not agree with her, and so she was obliged to return home.
The new train arrangements on the C.P.R. are not as good as the people would like to see, However, one redeeming feature is that it brings us the “Citizen” at a very early hour in the day.
Mr. Edward Leyden left here for Sherbrooke.where he has secured a good position in the large woollen mill.
Mission work-The earliest reserves in Canada appear to have been established on seigneurial holdings by Catholic missionary orders and private persons
Almonte Cricket Club
Cricket was very popular and evidence of the Almonte Cricket Club dates to 1862. The Express, predecessor of the Gazette, our local newspaper, reported numerous cricket related details:
May 9th 1862 Express
Almonte Cricket Club rolling and sodding of the pitch with play to be held twice a week, invitation to new members opening game of the season to be May 17, 1862. Also an advertisement for a meeting of the Almonte Cricket Club.
The cricket grounds were at that time located at the rear of the B&O Railway Depot (Brockville and Ottawa Line)
Friday May 30th 1862 Express
“The Queen’s Birthday – Saturday last was generally observed in this village as a public holiday… About 10 o’clock a.m., the Cricket Club turned out for a practice on the cricket ground where they remained until noon. At 2 o’clock pm they returned, but having no other club to play against them, not even the “All England Eleven”. Sides were chosen and a match was played between themselves, creating a good deal of excitement and amusement among the large number of spectators on the ground.”
Friday May 28th, 1870 Almonte Gazette
“The 24th – Queen’s Birthday – A greater crowd went to Arnprior where a great deal was to see. A procession of firearms, games, footraces and free whiskey made the morning interesting. While the afternoon was filled by lacrosse, cricket and the “TERRIBLES”. Altogether the celebration in Arnprior was very creditable to the managers.
On Friday December 4, 1891 a shanty man was caught on train going north through Almonte. He caught the eye of Conductor Reynolds and realizing he was going to be out on his ear he attempted to have his lunch early. The shanty man decided to bite Mr. Reynolds thumb off and refused to leave the train car. Mr. Reynolds was heard using language that this paper cannot repeat and the man found his way down the stairs to the outdoors to find his own transportation.
On the 13th of December 1897 a big scare was created in town at midnight with the vigorous ringing of the Almonte fire alarm bell. When the local citizens rushed to the fire station asking where the fire was they were told a couple of skaters had been drowned up the river. Meantime, the relatives got very anxious, felt sure an accident had befallen the absent ones, and began to talk of arranging a search party when the thoughtless young men rang the alarm in older to rouse a crowd and arrange to search for the bodies!
The action of those who rang the alarm were condemned on all sides as an unwarranted proceeding under the circumstances. Had Mr. Tosh, the caretaker, not been ill in bed he would not have allowed it. The facts are that a couple of the young folks were skating on the river, and, the afternoon being fine and the ice good, they glided along till Appleton was reached; then went to Carleton Place and, being too late for the evening train, came home on the Winnipeg Express.
November 21, 1873 – On Wednesday a fine young lad, a son of Oliver Jackson, a painter in the employ of James Kearnes of Glen Tay, was drowned while skating on the Tay at the village. The body was recovered the next day.
On Saturday last Mr. R.L. Bond made himself useful in town as a fire extinguisher. At seven o’clock in the morning he was called across to the town hall and found a blaze beneath the floor of the council chamber in the same spot as threatened to destroy the hall by fire on a previous occasion.
It caught from the pipe leading· from the furnace and had made some headway before the floor was torn up and the fire extinguished without difficulty. The town property committee have taken action to prevent a repetition of the occurrence, which, had it taken place at night, might have. caused the destruction of the hall.
On Friday last Greg McUnton was brought before Squire Smith charged with committing a petty trespass upon the property of Ellen McCarthy. It seems Mr. McCarthy left for Uncle Sam’s domain and before departing leased the land in question to McUnton for a
period of three years. Trial evidence ,brought out the fact that McCarthy had, with
her four little children been left penniless arid with no means whatever of earning a living.
At the urging of McCarthy’s lawyer, McUnton agreed to throw up the lease saying had he known the facts of the case he never would have leased the land, as he had no desire to do anything unkind towards Mrs. McCarthy and her children.
Clayton Ontario History —–Kenny Barr as a young boy, Mick Murray, Arthur Barr, Phyllis Barr with her back turned, and Granny Barr. Photo Thanks to Tony Robinson and his mom Mary Murray Robinson.
Clayton News 1901 Mx. Thos. Currie arrived home from the North-West on Monday. Mrs. Jas. Angus, of Cobden, is visiting friends in this vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. J. Stevenson and Miss A. Blair visited friends in Perth on Saturday. Mf. J. Banning, of Arnprior, and Mrs. R. Lee, of Burk’s Falls, visited friends here for a few days this week. Do not fail to attend the picnic under the auspices of the ladies’ aid. of the Presbyterian church on Saturday, Sept. 21st, in Mr. J. F. Drummond’s grove. A good time is expected.
Almonte Gazette January 1901
Mr. and Mrs. John Scott and family, of South River, Ont., are spending a few days with friends here. Mr. Scott spent his boyhood days in this place.- Some twenty-five years ago he left to seek his fortune in Western Ontario, and has only visited the old home once during that period. Mr. Scott has a good position with the Massey-Harris Co., and reports business prosperous in the west. The social event of this week in this section was the marriage on Wednesday evening, at the home of Mr. W. H. James, of that gentleman’s daughter, Miss Mary Ethel James, and Mr. Wm. J. Rothwell, of Ferguson’s Falls. Rev. J. Fairburn, L.Th., was the officiating clergyman, and about one hundred relatives and friends of the contracting parties graced the occasion with their presence. Miss N’. James, sister of the bride, was bridesmaid, and Mr. J. Pepper, of Lanark, aided the groom through the solemn drama. The bride was attired in rich white organdie, and her* maid in, white muslin, both I presenting an appearance befitting the [ joyous celebration. The bride was given away by her father. The gifts were numerous and costly, attesting the worth, of the principals in the circles in which they move. The wedding supper was on an elaborate scale, and was much enjoyed ay the large company. Mr., and Mrs. Rothwell were escorted to Carleton Place, where they took the night train for an extended tour west, and will take in the Pan-American ere they return. The countryside is a unit in extending good wishes
Beckwith Councilor Faye Campbell added: Just wanted to tell you that Robert Presley, who operated the saw mill in the Village of Ashton, was my great grandfather
This Findlay Family photograph 1916 depicts William Findlay (Bill’s grandfather and son of the Findlay Foundry founder, David Findlay) along with his wife and four children.
Seated in the front is Mr. William Findlay, his wife, Mrs Annie Shaw Cram Findlay, and their youngest daughter, Rosamund. Standing behind them are their three oldest children, William Fraser (Bill’s father), David Douglas, and Dorothy.
Bill Crawford-– Thank you for your memories I see a few names on this list that I recognize from growing up in CP in the ’50’s & 60’s. Staunton Stansel was an early neighbour on Charles Street. I remember riding on the back of his flat bed delivery truck. Harry McKittrick was a neighbour of ours on the Town Line. Olive Powell taught me in high school. These people were passing from primer to first in 1916, which was 40 to 50 years before I knew them! Also on the list were Earl Cooke (from Cooke’s shore of the big lake,) who was a family friend, and Mac Williams, who was a wonderful man & a fixture for many years with his pharmacy on Bridge St. across from the old Central School (which was located where the current Post Office now stands
Another gem from Tom Edwards- “These pictures are in a book. They are glued into the book so I can’t see anything on the back. Top Left says Caldwells Mills Appleton. Top Right says Caldwells Mills Appleton. Bottom Left says SS# 11 Ramsay and Bottom Right says CPR Station Bedell. There are more pics in this book. The date on a few of them are 1920” Author’s note–In 1886 Bedell was known as Kemptville Junction. It was renamed Kemptn in 1912 and then renamed again to Bedell Crossing in 1919.
This photo depicts a woman (Miss. Bellamine) with an unnamed young man on what appears to be an early bicycle at first glance. However, upon inspection this is actually a Coventry Rotary Quadracycle from 1885. When bicycles were just starting to take off, stability was a very big issue. In response to this, tricycles and quadracycles (4 wheels) gained momentum quickly in North America. This model is of note as it was one of the earliest quadracycles to incorporate bicycle-like foot pedals instead of foot levers.
Although it is not visible from this angle, there is a fourth wheel extending behind the machine, providing added stability. As bicycles became more stable, the quadracycle largely fell to disuse, however this photo from 1930 shows that if not as practical as they once were, quadracycles were still fun!
Jack and Isobel Collie constructed their house between 1946 and 1947–NLRM
-Arnprior exhibition on the 18th and on the 19th September.
-Mrs. Preno, of Prescott, lately deceased,was 109 years of age.
-Plums are selling at 25 cents a pail in Arnprior. Ditto in Almonte.
-Perth wants a steam fire engine. Cause of agitation: the latest fire.
-The Renfrew County Model School opened at Renfrew on the 29th.
-Mrs. Geo. Vallelie, Arnprior, while getting over a fence fell and broke her leg.
-Almonte provision Court was held on Tuesday last, Judge Deacon presiding.
-Code’s factory, Carleton Place, will be offered for sale by auction in a few days. (Hawthorne Mill)
-A picnic will be held in Gillies’ grove, 1st con. Beckwith, on Thursday, 11th inst.
-Large quantities of lumbar have been shipped from the Carleton Place lumber yards.
-Alex. Stewart, of Beckwith, has returned home from Dakota, where he owns a fine home.
-The Montague Agricultural Society will hold its show on the 7th and 8th of October.
-The “ Janet” has discontinued her regular daily trips to Arnprior because of no traffic.
-The Perth Infantry Company was inspected on Wednesday by Lieut.-Col. Jackson.
-Ira Morgan, Esq., M.P.P., has recovered from the effects of the accident and is now going about business.
-The fruit trees in the garden of Mr. John Bromley, Renfrew, were lately hacked by some criminal.
-Dr. Pickup, D.D.G.M., Ottawa District, has been visiting the Masonic lodges on official business.
-The harvest in the north of Renfrew county and in Fitzroy is several weeks later than last year.
-Mr. J . Templeton will represent the Smith’s Falls Templars at the Grand Lodge to be held in Hamilton.
-Mr. Donald McDonald, lawyer, Renfrew, has been appointed a Commissioner in and for the County of Renfrew.
-The Perth Rifle Association matches will take place on the 8th and 9th Sept. $150 in prizes will be given. Some of our Almonte sharpshooters should attend.
-Lance Ledgerwood, residing near Arnprior, is one of the heirs to a fortune in Scotland. He has received a letter from the Sheriff of Glasgow, giving particulars.
-The Arnprior O.Y.B. band picnic netted $60. The F.M.T.A. band, to show their good will, joined with them and paraded the town together.
-Geo. Russell won the half mile foot race, beating two Almonte participants.
-The voters’ lists for 1879 are an improvement on previous lists. They contain two additional columns, giving the post office address of each voter, and indicate whoare qualified to serve as jurors. {From our own Correspondent.)
-The funeral of the late Mr. Robert Jakes took place on Sunday afternoon last, and was largely attended.
-Mr. P. Anderson is back in his old place in the drug store.
-Messrs. Easton, of Merrickville, have in the docks a vessel which when completed will cost $6,000. It will be finished and running early.
The old and popular hotel known for many years as the McFarlane Hotel— has been re~fitted and re-furnished and is now operated the accommodation of guests. The bar well supplied. Good stabling and shed room, and convenient to the mills and business.
lindaseccaspina 