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FREEMAN JACKSON of
Enterprise Recalls Early Days on Farm Kingston Whig Standard July 25 1931 On the 3rd of July last, Mr.
Freeman Jackson, one of the oldest remaining residents of this community,
celebrated his eighty-seventh birthday. Born on the old homestead near which
he still lives, Mr. Jackson has spent the whole of his life a respected
citizen of the Enterprise district. In spite of his
many years, Mr. Jackson’s memory is very clear and he can relate many
interesting happenings of his early days. His ancestors on both his father’s
and mother’s side were United Empire Loyalists, leaving the United States
after the Declaration of Independence and settled on the shores of Hay Bay in
South Fredericksburgh. His grandfather on his mother’s side (William Wagar),
at the time of the War of 1812, was the only man in the vicinity in which he
lived on Hay Bay to own a team of horses. Horses being in great demand for
war purposes in transporting soldiers and supplies, the team was
requisitioned by the Government. Mr. Wagar was permitted to go along as a
driver with wages which privilege he accepted. At the close of the war Mr. Wagar was
called to Kingston where he received pay for his horses and for the time he
had served. With the money thus acquired he bought six farms of 100 acres
each in the township of Camden in the vicinity of Enterprise. The farms are
occupied by Bert Jackson, Arthur Brown, Alonzo Wagar, Milo Jackson, Chester Clark and Elmore Jackson. For many years Mr. Jackson with several of
his brothers was engaged in the lumber business and well remembers when the
finest of pine lumber sold for $15 per thousand and lower grade for $3 per
thousand. He also with his brothers did considerable road building throughout
the township. Mr. Jackson brings to memory when there was only one small log
house in what is now Enterprise; this home was situated near where the Royal
Bank now stands. Part of the drive house on the farm on
which Mr. Jackson has lived for so many years is the first frame building
that was built this side of Centreville and is well over one hundred years
old. He has also had the unique experience in his life of ploughing in the
early days with oxen, then horses later on and last year with a tractor. Mr. Jackson well remembers when the
farmers had what was called a community threshing floor, where the grain was
drawn to a central spot prepared for the purpose and was threshed with
flails. He has been a witness to the progress from threshing with flails to
horse power, steam and gasoline tractors. Mr. Jackson attended school in a little
log school house near Mike Wagar’s premises at the turn of the road on the
way to Centreville and remembers when church was held in the school house by
travelling clergymen and that the settlers with their family would attend the
services, coming for miles around on sleds drawn by oxen. He brings to mind the first buggy that
appeared in the settlement and which caused more excitement than the first
automobile or aeroplane caused in later years. He recalls when a potash works was
operated on the banks of what was then known as Dunn’s Creek and which is
just west of town on the highway leading to Tamworth. The settlers drew their
ashes and cordwood to the works receiving for maple cord wood the sum of
$1.00 per cord Later the works were moved to the village and were operated by
Robert Thompson on the lot now owned by B.N. Parks near the general store of
O.B. Jackson. Mr. Jackson remembers when his father built the house on the
farm on which he was born and recalls that the wages paid the carpenter were
sixty cents a day. |
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WILLIAM JOYCE An Octogenarian Napanee Beaver Mar 26 1897 Mr. William Joyce, of North
Fredericksburgh, now in the eighty-fourth year of his age, though not a
native of this county, has spent so many years as one of its active residents
that he may well be classed among our pioneers. He was born in County Armagh, Ireland, on
the 11th of June, 1814. His father,
George Joyce, owned a valuable farm and was among the well known farmers of
his native county. He patriotically
served his King in the Yeomanry during the rebellion in Ireland in 1798 under
Col. Bleaker, of Carick Bleaker. The command was 300 strong. The family emigrated to Canada in
1842. Crossing the Atlantic over half
a century ago was a very different matter from doing so today. They sailed from Belfast on the 10th of May
and experienced a tedious and boisterous voyage of seven weeks and three
days, attended with the many privations and discomforts of a sailing voyage
of those times. Among the members of
their company were the parents, William, the subject of this sketch, his
brother George Joyce, now of Richmond township, four sisters, Mr. and Mrs.
William Bell, now old and well known residents of Tyendinaga, the parents of
Thomas and Lewis Bell, now well known residents of North Fredericksburgh,,
and Mrs. M. Nolan. The survivors of that company have still
reasons for a vivid remembrance of some of their experiences in connection
with that trip. When off the Banks of
Newfoundland, they encountered a very severe storm which lasted 24 hours,
during which their ship appeared at times to lie helpless amidst the
mountain-like waves. The captain
ordered all the passengers, 213 in number, down below for safety and there
they remained the long hours not knowing which one might be their last. At Quebec, they all changed for a steamer
to Montreal, and the change seemed an agreeable one indeed. They left Montreal in a canal boat, in tow
of the steam tug, "Shamrock" and just here they escaped a very
serious danger indeed which appeared specially
providential. The tug had a canal boat
lashed on each side and the vessel in which they were was towed behind. Just after starting the Captain sighted
Captain Neilson coming up stream with a steamboat for Kingston, and ordered
on all steam so as to get ahead. In the sudden start the cable broke and
left the canal boat quite in the rear.
Before the Shamrock had gone very far, a loud report was heard and a
cry of terror went up. The steam
boiler had burst, destroying the vessel so that it sank on end in a few
minutes. All the passengers on the tug
and the two accompanying boats were either killed or badly scalded and the
three boats sank together. Capt.
Neilson hurried to the rescue, to help those who were now trying to help
themselves, but most of the unfortunates sank with the boats. Capt. Neilson took the remaining boat in
tow and brought them on to Kingston.
The party soon found their way to North Fredericksburgh, where
Valentine Joyce, the oldest brother, who came out the year before, had
already settled. Valentine was well
known for many years in the township; he died February 7th, 1893, an old man,
and several members of his family are still residing in that locality. The newly arrived family purchased Lot 11
in the 4th concession of Fredericksburgh and became permanent residents. There, the subject of this sketch still
lives, though now unable, because of age and physical infirmities to carry on
business. His nephew, Thomas Bell, now
conducts the farm. His father died in
November, 1862, and had the satisfaction before that time of seeing all his
family comfortably settled. The farm
on which they located was at that time, like nearly all the others around it,
still in a wild and uncultivated state, with very little clearings. The roads, back in the forties, were yet in
a very rough state, with here and there barely enough clearing for teams to
pass, and in the spring and fall all but impassable at times. The young people of today have little idea of the mud, the corduroy, the stumps and the stones found even in some of the best roads
of the township at that time. Maple
sugar making which was a very important part of farming at that time, was a
novelty indeed to the new settlers, but they soon became initiated into its
mysteries. Wolves were still plentiful
and were frequently seen, and it was difficult to keep sheep, in consequence
of their depredations. Deer, foxes and other small animals, were plentiful for years
after. Mr. Joyce has still pleasant remembrances
of his trips to Napanee, to mill or market, with a yoke of oxen and the
common ox-cart of those times. Many of
the farmers made their trips to town that way at that time, their wives or
daughters perhaps riding in the cart, and they themselves walking the entire
distance at the head of the oxen.
Travelling at the rate of three or four miles an hour was considered
making fairly good time. Napanee was
only a small village then, and visits were seldom made to it. Schools and churches at that time were
very small and few. There was not then
a church of any kind in the entire township, with the single exception of the
old Lutheran church, miles away on the Big Creek. The Methodists had regular preaching places
in the school houses here and there, but mostly on weekevenings,
and seldom oftener than once in a fortnight, or even monthly. That was before the "Parke's
Chapel" was built, which became old and was torn away three years ago,
giving place to a modern new one. That
was, we believe, the first Methodist church erected in the township. Mr. Joyce has been a faithful member of the
Methodist church for more than half a century, taking an active interest in
the promotion of all its interests. He
was one of the pioneer Sunday school teachers of the township, and in these
early efforts he was much encouraged and assisted by the now venerable Milo
Parks, who is now about the only survivor of the co-workers of that
time. They also secured much
encouragement and assistance from the Rev. David Wilson, who first came among
them as "the young preacher" about that time, and who has ever
since been a faithful teacher and friend--but not another of the preachers of
those days is now left remaining. Mr. Joyce had a good early education and
for a term was a successful school teacher in his neighbourhood, teaching in
the old long school house near the Hay Bay shore--now only a remembrance
among the oldest of the inhabitants.
Several of the present grandfathers of that locality may, per chance,
still remember receiving their first threshings
from his faithful school-rod. Those
were the days when Solomon's wise admonition was always kept in remembrance:
"Spare the rod and spoil the child." In these degenerate days the popular
translation appears to be the "spoil the rod and spare the child." The near neighbours at that time were
William Barragar, Jonathan C. Jackson, Billyat Outwaters, Peter Parks, Jacob Hermance, Peter
Woodcock and others, all of whom have passed over to the great majority. The old man, now having served his day and
generation, is calmly awaiting the Master's call, in confident hope of
hearing the "Well done, good and faithful servant", in common with
many of his former co-labourers. Mr. Joyce has never married, as he felt it
his duty to remain at home in care of his aged parents. He has, by his honest industry, always
succeeded in making a comfortable home and making ample provision against old
age. He has been a life long
temperance man, and of regular and industrious habits and now reaps the
advantages in his old age. With the
exception of a severe injury in consequence of a bad fall a year ago, he
feels but lightly the burdens of his eighty-three years. He can still see to read without
glasses. His hearing is good and his
memory is unimpaired. He has been very
fond of reading and is therefore a man of excellent intelligence. As an evidence of his rare good judgment in
reading matter, we may here remark he has been one of the reliable
subscribers and regular readers of the Napanee Beaver almost ever since it
was first established, and would now deprive himself of a good many comforts
sooner than be deprived of its regular weekly visits. R.B.A.
Special thanks to Linda Corupe
for transcribing “An Octogenarian” |
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DENIS LAKE, ESQ.
Journal
of Education for Ontario 1874
Denis Lake was born in the year 1808, on lot 22, on the 4th
concession of Ernestown; and the house
in which he was born, though a frame one, is still standing and occupied.
When about 25 years of age he settled in Portland, where he continued
to reside till last fall. When he went
there that part of the country was almost a wilderness, although now it is
one of the finest sections about Kingston.
By industry, strict economy, and good judgment, he succeeded in his
vocation, and soon becoming an extensive and model farmer, he was enable to secure a large quantity of land, which, under
his management and good taste, became one of the finest country homesteads in
the Province.
Mr. Lake furnishes a good example to young men, by showing that one
can go into the woods with his axe on his shoulder, and a determination to
succeed, as his only stock in trade, and in the course of
a lifetime become one of the wealthiest men of his locality and times. - Kingston News. |
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MAJOR ARTHUR B. LOYST
Napanee Beaver
Major Loyst Is Interviewed For Historical Society Mr. Alkenbrack then
interviewed Major Loyst, and the interview was tape-recorded. Major Arthur Loyst has
been farmer, cavalryman and school trustee. He also
took part in municipal politics as reeve of South Fredericksburgh Township,
served four years in county council and was warden of the county in 1911. He
is the oldest living ex-warden of Lennox and Addington. When Major Loyst joined
B Squadron of the 4th Hussars 70 years ago at the age of 16, his regimental
sergeant-major was John Magee, father of Bert Magee, Sandhurst. His wages
were 50 cents a day, with an added $1 for his horse when at camp. The
cavalrymen had to look after the horses at the summer training camp and clean
the stables. At that time the officer's pay ranged from $1.50 to $4 a day
depending on his rank. Major Loyst took command of his regiment in 1909. On his father's farm
was a large wood lot. As a young lad, he helped to clear this and drew lumber
to Gibbard's furniture factory in Napanee. Barley
was grown extensively in the Hay Bay area and sold for $1 a bushel.
Storehouses were built along the bay shore at Hayburn, Parks' and Woodcock's.
Two-masted schooners sailed into Hay Bay to ship out the barley. This trade
ceased when the price of barley dropped to 30 cents. Ferries were operated to
provide transportation across the bay. Woodcock's ferry was a one-horse tread
ferry; Brooks later operated it as a
gasoline-powered ferry. A two-horse
ferry operated between Hayburn and what now is known as Wilson's Island. This
ferry was built by some Napanee people to encourage the farmers of Hay Bay
area to trade in Napanee. Major Loyst is quite familiar with Hay Bay; he has
fished its waters, and on his 80th birthday he skated across the bay. |
