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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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ANDREW JOHNSTON A Remarkable Man Daily British Whig Apr 22 1870
Mr. Andrew Johnston died this week in the Township of Sidney and the
Belleville Ontario published the
following curious history of his life: - At
the time the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence of Great Britain a
man named Johnston was living in the upper part of Central New York. He
declared in favor of the Royal cause, and did his king good and faithful
service during the whole of that long struggle as a scout and guide, between
the British forces in Canada and those farther south. At the close of the
Revolution he followed the Royal Standard to Montreal and ultimately settled
at Bath, when that now ancient village was a wilderness. Johnston
had five sons and two daughters; the eldest, Andrew, was ten years old at the
declaration of Independence and he died last Sunday at the house of his son,
Mr. William Johnston, on the Front of Sidney. The old man, whose memory
extended back beyond the birth of the great nation at the south of us,
retained his faculties to the last, remembering and loving to dwell upon the
scenes of his early life. – He kept a tavern in Bath for over forty years, in
the days of good old Jamaica rum and “regulation spirits,” and yet, strange
to tell, never tasted strong drink in his life. His table was famous for its
good cheer among all wayfarers between Little York and Kingston and yet he never
tasted meat; he, however, confessed to a great weakness for chicken.
Mr. Johnson, in the war of 1812 – then a man approaching fifty –
carried despatches and mails between Kingston and
York on foot, coming up through Adolphustown, crossing a ferry at the Stone
Mills and so along Prince Edward shore to the Carrying Place. He crossed the
then unbridged streams by improvised rafts; slept
where night overtook him, in the rude cabin of the settler, or in the woods.
He was a famous pedestrian in those days, and on one occasion left Kingston
with a companion who was well mounted and who for a day or two left him out
of sight, but he overhauled the jaded horse somewhere about where Whitby now
stands and beat him and his rider into York by five hours.
Mr. Johnson was a life-long member of the Church of England, and for
many years led the responses in the old Bath Church, in the days of the Rev.
Mr. Langhorn, the clergyman of whom it is told that every morning of the year
he took his plunge into the bay; in the winter of course through a hole in
the ice.
While keeping tavern in Bath, he became acquainted with everybody on
the bay, as in those days they had to go to mill at Kingston with their boats
and his house standing near the water was a favorite stopping place. Kingston too, divided the honors of the law
with Adolphustown and many a boat load of suitors and jurors have sat beside
Johnson’s cheerful fire and related the court news, or hazarded wise opinions
on the law. Mr. Johns then, did not come among strangers, when he moved about
the time of the rebellion to Picton, where he lived till about 15 years ago,
when his son, William, took him home to his own house, where he remained till
his death. On the Thursday before his death he said to his daughter-in-law, “Mammy,
you and William have taken good care of me for many years, but I shall not be
here much longer.” It
is very gratifying to his friends to know that he died in the full serene
hope of a Christian. The Rev. Mr. Campbell preached his funeral sermon, and
he was buried in the Meyer’s burying ground on that beautiful mound
overlooking the Bay of Quinte, on whose waters he had looked almost every day
for nearly a century.
Mr. Johnson was the brother and was ten years the senior of the
celebrated “Bill” Johnson, of thousand Island fame. His brother’s course was
a matter of keen regret to the loyal old man, but he knew circumstances which
went far in explanation if not in extenuation of the fierce rage which the
valiant outlaw entertained for Canada. It is an interesting fact that “Bill”
Johnson was buried on the Sunday just seven weeks before the death of his
brother, Andrew. He died at Clayton, the same place which was the scene of
most daring exploits, and where he has left a large and very respectable
family, one of them being Collector of Customs at that port. |
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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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CALVIN LEE
Kingston
Whig Standard June 3 1931 Calvin
Lee of Yarker, Aged 95 Born
in Camden Township – Member Orange Lodge 79 Years Ninety-five years of age, in good health
and able to read without glasses is the proud boast of Calvin Lee, who is the
oldest resident of this village. And these are not the only good points that
have been achieved by Mr. Lee. For seventy-nine years he has been a member of
the Orange Lodge, and all his life has been a staunch member of the
Conservative party. Mr. Lee was born in the Township of Camden on January 3rd,
1836, and during these ninety-five years has resided within fifteen miles of
this village. His grand-parents were Mr. and Mrs. William Lee, who were
residents of the United States and at the outbreak of the war, like many
others, came from the State of Vermont and settled in this country. They were
the real United Loyalist stock. Mr. Lee’s father was Nicholas Lee and his
mother was Margaret Davy. The latter was born in Holland. Mr. Lee well recalls the days when he was
a boy. His father after coming to this part of the country erected a shanty
which was made of logs, and mud and moss were used for mortar. Yarker in the
early days was called High Falls, and the subject of this sketch remembers
when Camden was practically a wilderness. With the aid of oxen, Mr. Lee
helped to clear the land and the work was very difficult and arduous. In
those days maple syrup was made in pot ash cans, and there were many maple
trees in Camden. Mr. Lee had eight brothers and one sister, of whom there are
two brothers living. With the exception of one brother, all have lived past
the three score and ten mark. One brother, Chas.
Lee, is 84 years of age, and the other brother, Jesse Lee, is 87 years of
age. The former resides in Colebrooke and the latter at Shibley’s Corners. In the year 1852, Mr. Lee joined what was
then known as the Yarker Loyal Orange Lodge, and which is known today as the
Colebrooke Lodge. It is doubtful if this record can be duplicated in the
Province. Mr. Lee was a personal friend of the great Conservative chieftain,
the late Sir John A. Macdonald, and was an unswerving supporter of his
policies. Only last year he and his two brothers in company with nine others
in this district who were intimate friends of Sir John, had a group photo
taken at Colebrooke, and he is very proud of the photo. For the past three
years he has resided in Yarker with his son Manson Lee. His occupation was
farming and his church was Methodist (now United_. One son, Alex, has passed
away and one son Manson resides here. There are three daughters, Mrs. Harriet
Warner of Yarker, Mrs. C.N. Peters of Kingston and Mrs. Hester Bradshaw of
Utica, N.Y. There are nine grand-children and nine
great-grand-children. He is very active, enjoys a conversation, likes to talk
of the olden days, remarks on the improvements of the present age, and it is
the wish of his many friends that he may live to see more birthdays, and
continued good health. |
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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. |
