ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 51, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada L7G 4T1 www.esquesinghistoricalsociety.ca A Tour of the West This exceedingly pretty Village is charmingly situated on a beautiful flat at one of the heads of the Credit. The village is on one side of the stream, overlooked by majestic pines, which proudly lift their stalwart heads to Heaven, alike in defiance of summer's smile as winter's frown; - on the other side a neat and commodious place of worship, surmounted by a glistening spire, looks down on the village like a guardian angel, while the beautiful river, like a stream of molten silver, gracefully flows over a gravelly bed, through the centre of the village. The tout ensemble forms a perfect scene of rural felicity. The village contains 500 inhabitants, a post office, one grist mill, with two run of stone; one sawmill, one distillery, an oatmeal mill, two stones; one Church of England, one Presbyterian Church, and last though by no means least, four Orange Lodges. - LETTERS BY VIATOR FOR THE BRITISH WHIG – Kingston, C.W.: 1847 The Rev. Dr. Richard Ruggle will speak on the history of St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Wednesday 13 January 2010 at Knox Presbyterian Church, Georgetown. To Walk a Country Mile Reflections by Mary Elizabeth Maxwell St. Paul’s Anglican Church is the oldest structure, built in 1845-1846 of pine… At St. Paul’s, between resident Rectors, Divinty students would fill in for the services, and one of them, the Rev’d Russell Smith, wrote about his trips to Norval: “Like all the other students going out to Norval I used to stay with Mrs. Collins who lived beside the cemetery. She was an Anglican of the old school, glad to offer hospitality to everyone, especially of the clergy. She had two beds, one for students and one for a Bishop and students were not allowed to sleep in the Bishop’s bed. I can recall many a bitterly cold winter morning being wakened in the darkness at 5 a.m. by Mrs. Collin’s musical alarm clock playing “Home Sweet Home” and me with the prospect of a two-mile walk through the snow to catch the 7a.m. train at Norval station.” The old Anglican Vestry notes reveal the names of many men in public life in the village: Sir Peter Adamson, who gave the land on which the Church was built, Colonel Clay, the first Postmaster in 1836, and the Pettigrew men. As a boy, Henry Pettigrew helped in carrying stones to build the foundation of the church. The baptismal font in St. Paul’s was dedicated as a memorial to Mima Collins, who taught Sunday School there for years. The Rev’d R.S. Boyd, Rector in the late 1920s, kept a goat in the little Rectory stable. The goat visited all the neighbours so often that she wore out her welcome. Mr. Boyd called the goat “Misery”, as in “misery likes company”. He finally, regretfully, had to part with her. In the late 1940s and all through the 1950s, under the guidance of the Rev’d Jim Maxwell, extensive renovations were made in St. Paul’s. A proper basement and a new furnace went in, a new chimney was built by Bud Carter, the stucco was renewed by the men of the church, the interior and exterior were painted, the ceiling was lowered, the old vestry was removed to the basement, the altar rail was rebuilt and a hardwood floor was laid in the chancel. An electronic organ replaced the old pump organ, and a cross was erected on the church steeple by Warwick Coupland. In 1925 the Vestry of St. Paul’s discussed the need for working space and for other events in the life of the church. A Parish Hall would fill that need. Mr. Walter Brain said he would donate the lumber, (which was standing in Walter’s bush!) and C.W. Coupland agreed to head the building committee. The money for the building was raised within the congregation, and the building was almost totally erected by the men of St. Paul’s. The work involved was considerable; just getting the logs in the bush cut and hauled to Archie Fuller’s sawmill on the fourth line, Chinguacousy, all by team, took about a month. However, in 1927, the lumber was ready, the foundations had been well and truly laid, the erection of the building proceeded, and in January, 1928, St. Paul’s Parish hall was dedicated by Archdeacon Scovil of Guelph, the Rev’d R.S. Boyd, Rector and his guest, the Rev’d Neil McKinnon of Norval United Church. This year, 1997, marks the 70th anniversary of the completion of the Parish Hall. Dr. and Mrs. Webster donated the piano and the beautiful scenery for the back of the stage. The Church Parish Hall has played the part of a Community Hall ever since it was built, serving as a location for so many good times, concerts, dances, plays, parties, receptions, all kinds of church activities, bazaars, meetings, Sunday School projects, church sponsored youth groups, Scouts, Guides and Young Peoples’ Associations. The hall filled a vital need for St. Paul’s and was of great benefit to the community. May it long continue to serve its good purpose. -excerpt from To Walk a Country Mile by Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, Norval:1997 Mary Maxwell, a former member of the Esquesing Historical Society, died in August 2009 in her 95th year. HISTORIC PLAQUE MARKS ST. PAUL’S CEMETERY It is believed that services may have been held by travelling missionaries in the Norval area as early as 1830. At a Vestry meeting in 1845 it was decided that a church should be built. The meeting was held in the school-house, but the following year the meeting took place in the church, so construction must have taken place during 1845-1846. St. Paul's has been associated with several other churches in the area over the years. Its latest association was with St. Albans, Glen Williams. Wording on Plaque:  General Peter Adamson was born 23 September 1779 in Dundee, Scotland, and was honoured with the "Knight of Tower and Sword" for his service in the Peninsular War against Napoleon Bonaparte.  He was settled in Norval by 1838 and gave the land for St. Paul's Anglican Church and cemetery.  The Anglican church was built in 1845.  In June 2007, Bishop Ralph Spence unveiled a plaque to mark the cemetery on the northern boundaries of the Norval Public Cemetery. ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS Wed. 13 Jan. 2010 Wed. 10 Feb. 2010 Wed. 10 March 2010 St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Norval – Join Rev. Richard Ruggle, former vicar of ST. Paul’s and local historian, as he explores the history of the Anglicans in Norval since 1830, the building of the Church in 1846 and its role in the 21st century. KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Main and Church Sts, Georgetown,7:30 p.m. Huron and Mississauga Residents of Halton and Peel – Who were here before the European settlers? Explore this corner of the Aboriginal world from pre-contact to the days of Upper Canada with local historian John Mark Rowe. KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Main and Church Sts, Georgetown,7:30 p.m. TBA 2010 ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE! Refreshments served from 7:00 p.m. Interested in History? Time to give back to your Community? The Esquesing Historical Society needs new Executive members and we’re hoping you might join us! The executive meets once per month and decides on meetings, Archival management, newsletters, publications, advertising, new projects, public displays, refreshments at meetings, letter writing, membership and research. The election is in February and the term is for one year. We’d love to have you! Society Notes INTERNET CONNECTIONS The Esquesing Historical Society has an official web site on the World Wide Web. Send your e-mail to mrowe6@sympatico.ca or dawn.livingstone@sympatico.ca EHS NEWSLETTER John Mark Rowe prepared this newsletter with assistance from Karen Hunter and Dawn Livingstone. Submissions welcome. You may opt to receive your newsletter sent electronically to an e-mail address you provide. MEMBERSHIP Our 2009 memberships stand at 97. We need to beat this number with more memberships in 2010. It is time to renew your 2010 membership. The individual membership rate is $10. The family or institution rate is $12. Cheques payable to the Society can be mailed to our post box. Membership runs until February. Marj Allen, membership secretary, will accept your 2010 fee at the meetings. ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO www.archives.gov.on.ca ARCHIVES Our webpage has been rearranged to provide easier access to more items. Please have a look and send your comments to any of the EHS executive. We would like to thank Ron Raffan for his work on our website, which presented many surprises for him! A microfilm copy of the Georgetown Leader newspaper is now available to search at the Library. HALTON-PEEL OGS Four Corners Branch Library, 65 Queen St., Brampton @ 2p.m. Call Ann Logan at 905-845-7755 Jan. 24 - Fawne Stratford-Devai, author "Leaving Ontario – Sources for Tracing Ontario Migrants" Feb. 28- Richard Collins, "The Harris Family of Benares. Oakville STREETSVILLE HIST. SOCIETY PO box 598, Streetsville, ON L5M 2C1 Our General meetings are held, opposite the Leslie Log House, at the Specialty Care, 4350 Mississauga Rd. S. on the 2nd Thurs. of the month (Feb, Apr, Oct, Dec,) at 7:30 Contact: Ann Holmes Ph: (905) 826-3183 or e-mail abholmes@sympatico.ca BRAMPTON HIST. SOCIETY The Society meets at Heart Lake Presbyterian Church, 25 Ruth Ave. at 7:15 on the third Thursday of the month. Jan. 21 – Cathy Crinnion, archaeologist with the Toronto Conservation Authority. February 18 - Rob Gilligan St. Paul's United Church Restoration. MILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY The Society meets at the Waldie Blacksmith Shop at 16 James Street at 8p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. NASAGIWEYA HIST. SOCIETY The Nasagiweya Historical Society meets the second Tuesday of each month at Nassagaweya Presbyterian Church in Haltonville at 7 p.m. President Audrey Allison 905-854-2378 March 9: Annual Irish Stew dinner with live entertainment. OAKVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY For a list of walking tours and ghost tours of Oakville visit www.oakvillehistory.org and click on EVENTS or phone 905-844-2695. Feb. 18 – "Heritage Matters" by Michael Seaman - manager of heritage for the Town of Oakville @7:30 at Knox Presbyterian Church, 89 Dunn Street TRAFALGAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY February 3rd - J. Brian Gilchrist, Reference Archivist and noted Canadian Genealogist. http://www.trafalgartownshiphistory.ca EXECUTIVE MEMBERS NEEDED The executive of the Esquesing Historical Society is in need of new members. Please consider joining our group to run the Society, which includes determining meeting topics and local heritage. Elections are in February. Contact a member of our executive listed on page 3. FALLBROOK FARM DESIGNATED The Town of Halton Hills followed the recommendation of Heritage Halton Hills and designated a trio of historic sites at Fallbrook Farm, part of the Silver Creek Conservation Area, in December 2009. The place has been recognized as an early industrial site known as McClure saw mill and McClure log cabin. After fire destroyed the mill, the current arch bridge was built using stone salvaged from the mill. The retaining wall in front of the house was also built with the same stone. ARMENIAN HERITAGE Following a presentation by the Armenian National Committee of Toronto, Heritage Halton Hills is preparing a recommendation for Council to designate the Bradley farmhouse, Cedarvale community centre and the Artisans’ cottage in Cedarvale Park. All are associated with the Armenian Farm School located there from 1923 to 1927. HALTON HILLS SPORTS MUSEUM After four years of work, Finn Poulstrup, president of the Halton Hills Heritage Museum declared the facility open on Sunday 15 November. Located in an upstairs meeting room of the Mold-Masters Complex, the hard work of the Board was unveiled. Curator Bruce Andrews, himself a “Hall of Famer”, consulted with the Halton Region Museum and the Esquesing Historical Society to put together a very professional and interesting display. Budget cuts stonewall kiln restoration by Dan O’Reilly A historic, but fragile, remnant of Ontario’s industrial past is being preserved with almost surgical-like precision by specialty contractor Roof Tile Management. Its’ small group of heritage stonemasons are carrying out the laborious and painstaking work required to save a long abandoned draw kiln in the Limehouse Conservation Area just outside of Georgetown. “At this point it’s more stabilization than restoration,” says Pieter Chung, vice-president of the Mississauga-based firm. The goal is to stop the ongoing deterioration of the stone structure to ensure it doesn’t collapse. One of the first priorities of the second phase in July, was to rebuild a collapsed ramp which had been used to feed wood and later coal into the kiln. Other work has included rebuilding brick fireboxes on both sides of the kiln using a combination of salvageable and reclaimed bricks that were carefully chosen to match the original ones. Stone masons are now rebuilding a stone arch and further stabilizing the kiln and should wrap up by November. There are financial challenges as well, says Mary Shier, president of the Limehouse Kiln Society. While it obtained two previous Trillium grants, future funding is not guaranteed and that means further restoration is on hold, she says. Daily Commercial News and Construction Record Online http://dcnonl.com/article/id35941 30 October 2009 Natives of Halton – PEEL The Native people who continued to live here, some of whom married sons and daughters of the settlers, described the westerly portion of this newly surveyed land as “land of Many Waters,” the centre portion as “Land of the Tall Pines,” while the easterly portion, that of Upper Peel County, was “Flat or clay Plains.”... The first settlers to grow corn are believed to have grown it here in Esquesing and there is no doubt this was done with the guidance of native people farming here, since some of the settlers were tradesmen and manufacturers, with little or no knowledge of farming. But for the kindness of the native people in supplying food, more often without payment, and their help in showing settlers how to provide for themselves, many would not have survived the severity of our Canadian climate. The Native People’s knowledge of the food and medicinal value of wild plants, was invaluable to newcomers in Esquesing so remote from the help of a doctor. There were only two or three qualified doctors in the whole of Upper Canada in 1819, the year Esquesing was officially opened to settlers. ...They were traditionally gifted orators and although their speeches usually were at great length, the speakers would always be allowed to continue without interruption, a fine example of good manners. There were two known locations where the meetings were held, one being in the village of Esquesing [Stewarttown], the other at Lot 15E 5th Line. Another is believed to have been on the banks of a tributary of the Esquesing River at Lot 18W Trafalgar Road, above what is now Maple Ave. West, not far from another of their cemeteries. ...There were only Indian Trails from Dundas Road to Esquesing ...Alexander Ross, had built his cabin close to this trail and when his wife Elizabeth had pies cooling on the windowsill, Native People passing by, would indicate their awareness of the tantalizing aroma, but would continue on their way. -A History of St. John’s Anglican Church, Stewarttown, Ontario, Lucy Emslie. Settlement The Mississauga developed a partnership with unlicensed French fur traders at the mouth of a waterway known as Rivi?re du Crédit. The lower Credit R valley remained the domain of the Mississauga until British authorities purchased the surrounding land in 1805. In the following year, Loyalists as well as American and British immigrants began to settle along Dundas Street and along the lakeshore west of the Credit River. The steady influx of farmers into the area by 1818 prompted the colonial administration to purchase the remainder of the Mississauga Tract, which included the northern part of Toronto Township. By 1826 the Mississauga had been resettled on a reserve north of the mouth of the Credit where they remained until 1847 when the provincial government moved them to the Grand River Reserve. _______________________________________ The Canadian Encyclopedia Plus Copyright © 1996 by McClelland & Stewart Inc. The early history of Streetsville begins with the Indians who in 1806 had undisputed possession of all land for one mile on each side of the Credit River and in reality owned the river as well. This strip of land reached from Port Credit to the Lower Base Line. It was primeval forest where wild animals roamed and was an ideal hunting ground. They moved at will along the river and their wigwams were dotted along its banks. ...The Indians hunted and fished along its banks and he [Colonel Ingersoll] established a trading post at the mouth of the river and bartered with them. At certain seasons of the year they would not have enough furs to trade for necessary supplies and he would give them credit until such time as they would bring in sufficient furs to pay, hence the name Credit was applied to the river and the trading post as Port Credit. In 1806 the Indians were being pushed back as the white man settled and later gave up their rights and moved north to the Saugeen River. There were a few stragglers left and they had a village on the banks of the river where the Mississauga Golf Club now stands.... -Through a Century with Streetsville, Streetsville Centennial Committee, 1959, p15 & 16 EMMERSON SPRINGS VILLAGE UNCOVERED Archeological digs at Scotsdale Farm at Lot 9, Concession 9, Esquesing have revealed glimpses of a village associated with the early inhabitants of this area. Small digs beginning in 1984 and concluding in 2006 have slowly uncovered a small village related to the Iroquoian speaking (Neutral) peoples that inhabitated this area about the year 1550. The analysis of pottery, pipes for smoking tobacco, chert and quartz tools, flora and fauna remains all paint a picture of life in North Halton before the arrival of Europeans. It is interesting to note what they ate. The predominant food was white-tailed deer followed by domestic dog. Other remains identified belong to black bear, wapiti, raccoon, grey squirrel, marten, mink and fox. They also ate birds such as passenger pigeon and wild turkeys and consumed various fish and box turtles. Futher details about the early inhabitants of Halton and Peel will be explored by John Mark Rowe at the February meeting. Castellated pot with oblique incisions on the interior and exterior rims found at Emmerson Springs in 2006. Treasured Ontario Rural Histories to be Formatted for Online Access Posted 23 November 2009 By Fraser Dunford, Ontario Genealogical Society Provincial Office Joy Trimble, President of the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario and Don Hinchley, President of the Ontario Genealogical Society, signed an agreement on Nov. 19, 2009 to digitize and place on line the rural histories known as the Tweedsmuir Histories. Since 1920 the Ontario Branches of the Women's Institute have been gathering local history and preserving it in book form. Because the WI is largely a rural organization, these are histories of small communities. There are about a thousand of them, comprising an estimated half million pages of local Ontario history. They are one-of-a-kind and only a few have been photocopied or digitized. Many are in delicate condition and so are at-risk documents. The project will take at least three years. As they are prepared, the digitized Histories will be placed in the OGS e-Library where anyone can borrow and read them. There will be a small borrowing fee; the money will go to the maintenance of the original Histories and to the operation of the lending system. The project will identify, conserve, preserve, and digitize all available Ontario Tweedsmuir Histories. Tweedsmuir Histories The Women's Institute has been interested in local history since 1920. In the late 1940s, Lady Tweedsmuir (wife of a former Governor-General of Canada and an active participant in the WI) encouraged the creation of local histories by each WI Branch. Of the then 1 500 WI Branches, 989 are known to have created a local history of their area. The books include a history of the local settlers in the area, the agricultural practices and industries that formed the basis of the local economy, the social institutions such as churches, schools and community centres, and local personalities. For many tiny communities, the Tweedsmuir History is the only history created. Copyright to the Tweedsmuir Histories is owned by the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario. The Tweedsmuirs are used by researchers. Laurentian University History Professor Dr. Linda Ambrose stated: "Tweedsmuir History Books are one of the most important resources we have for studying Ontario history at the local level." The Tweedsmuirs have won prizes: from the American Association for State and Local History in 1949, a certificate of merit to the Women's Institute from the Canadian Historical Association in 1962, the Scadding Award of Excellence to the WI Tweedsmuir Curators from the Ontario Historical Society in 2004. Women's Institute The first Women's Institute was established in Stoney Creek, Ontario in 1897 and has grown to be an international organization. The provincial body for the WI Branches is the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), a not-for-profit charitable organization with affiliations around the world, working with and for women in rural and small-town Ontario. Through the network of Branches, they offer educational programming and community support; advocate for social, environmental and economic change; and work towards the personal growth of all women, for home and country. Originally set up to provide training and education to women and to address concerns in rural communities, the WI now offers women a mutual support structure as well as an opportunity to advocate on important issues close to its members' hearts. The WI has become a fundamental part of many women's lives throughout the world. It is committed to developing women's talents and today has links with over 8 million women in some 60 countries. The FWIO has about 6 000 Members in Ontario. Ontario Genealogical Society The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) is a registered charity, founded in 1961 with the mandate "To encourage, assist and bring together all those interested in the pursuit of family history". It has slightly less than 5 000 Members, most living in Ontario although a significant number live elsewhere. The OGS has 30 Branches in all parts of Ontario and two Special Interest Groups. The OGS operates a scanning project named "Keeping and Valuing Ontario's Heritage" which enables it, in partnership with Ontario's heritage organizations such as archives, museums and libraries, to digitize and place on the OGS website considerable quantities of material of genealogical value. The project has been underway for six months and is still in the data-gathering stage. The Tweedsmuir Histories will be a significant component of this project. The project has received core funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Cultural Strategic Investment Fund of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and the Jackman Foundation. Additional funding is being sought for the conservation and preservation of the Tweedsmuir Histories and to fund the salaries of interns to help train future professionals in the conservation, preservation, and digitization of paper documents. Esquesing Historical Society – J.M. Rowe The Limehouse Women’s Institute disbanded in March 2009 and deposited their Tweedsmuir Histories in the Archives of the Esquesing Historical Society at the Georgetown branch of Halton Hills Public Libraries. The library scanned the books and full-page images can be accessed at Halton Images as part of the collection of the Esquesing Historical Society. It is important to note that Tweedsmuir Histories are often scattered in several different places, especially after the Women’s Institute has been disbanded. An excellent sampling of Esquesing based Tweedsmuir Histories are available on microfilm at the Georgetown branch library. The Esquesing Historical Society currently has on deposit some or all of the Tweedsmuir Histories for the Women’s Institutes of Halton District, Acton, Ashgrove, Bannockburn, Dublin, Esquesing, Georgetown, Limehouse, Norval, Silver-Wood and Terra Cotta. *********************************** SYD SILVER FORMALS CLOSE! It was announced December 23rd that Syd Silver Formal Rentals of Toronto would close. The business was opened by Sid Silver in 1927, the same year his father Hyman Silver moved his family to Georgetown. Silver’s Clothing opened in rented premises in 1929 on Main Street. He built his own store in 1930 and doubled it in 1933. That building now houses Young’s Pharmacy. Hymen Silver (1889-1951) retired in 1942 and the business was taken over by Sid Silver. He was responsible for building the SidMac building and the offices beside the TD Bank. The Georgetown store was closed in 1976. Sid Silver died in 1978 and the business has been run by son Michael Silver. They filed for bankruptcy on 8 December and will close its 17 stores. 1 “To collect, preserve and publicize the history of Esquesing”