HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-00025"PICKERING TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PATHMASTER
SPRING/SUMMER EDITION VOLUME 4 NUMBERS 3&4
WHAT'S INSIDE
The little hamlet of Altona, named for a city in Germany, lies in the far northwest corner of the
City of Pickering. The area was first settled by Mennonites from Pennsylvania. Many of the area's
current residents are descendants of those original Mennonite pioneers.
The hamlet itself got its start in the year 1850 with the erection of three public buildings and the
planing of another. Entrepreneurs Abraham Reesor, Joseph Monkhouse, and William Cooper
built a mill, a store, and an inn, while the Mennonites set in motion plans for the building of a new
meetinghouse.
To relate the history of the hamlet we include here items dating back as far as 1884 and as current
as this year. The area has changed over the years, but with a little effort its rich heritage can be
maintained.
In her travels about southern Ontario, photographer Laura Sawodny has discovered some unusual
mailboxes created by lovers of folk art.
FOCUS ON ALTONA
Illustrations:
- Looking North along Sideline 30 towards the Pickering Uxbridge Townline, cl900.
The tallest building is the ""China Hall""
- Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse and ""China Hall"" in 1913.
- Looking North along Sideline 30 towards the Pickering-Uxbridge Townline, 2002. In view are the
former Altona Inn and the Mennonite meetinghouse.
- Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse, 1998."
"All About Altona
by Traveller [Ross Johnston]
Ross Johnston was a travelling salesman for the Whitby Chronicle.
In the years 1883-1884 he wrote a series of articles about his adventures in the villages and
hamlets of Pickering Township under the heading ""Our Town and County."" He signed himself
simply as ""Traveller."" This item on Altona first appeared on 12 December 1884.
Illustration: Reesor Mills from the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario
(Toronto: Beers, 1877).
All about Altona—' Traveller' taken for a medicine man by a vinegary virago—Men, Mennonite and
mills— 'Traveller' burns the mid-night oil.
Whitby, Dec 9th. — Last letter left me hurrying along on the town line between Pickering and
Uxbridge on the way to Altona.
When at a considerable distance therefrom (I will not say how far as I do not wish to locate the
exact position) I met with the first rebuff experienced in my travels. It was getting towards evening,
and a drifting snow storm had set in which proved anything but agreeable, especially with the wind
in my face. Thinking it wise to take shelter a while, I called at a house by the wayside, when after
repeated knocking the door was opened about three or four inches and a female face of doubtful
age, not the most inviting ever beheld, peered out at me and demanded my business there.
Putting on my blandest
smile I replied 'May I come in awhile.' 'Can't come in here' came the answer sharp and shrill.
'You might at least show common courtesy to a stranger, I only wish to stay a few minutes till the
storm blows over,' was my apologetic reply. 'No room here, house full already' was hissed out from
between the thin lips and the door closed with a bang, leaving Traveller to face the storm as best
he could. Learned afterwards that the 'house full already' was all a sham as I expected at the time.
Too much vinegar in the atmosphere to allow of a houseful. Don't think a baby could live there
without having fits. Hold on, this is too severe. I take half of it back again. The fact is, I had on an
old rubber overcoat, buttoned up to the chin, one hand supported an umbrella, and in the other
was my constant travelling companion, my satchel which make up probably gave me the
appearance of a perambulating medicine man.
Alas the medicine man of this particular type, however worthy of honour, does not in this country
and age receive the homage paid him in less civilized communities. Civilization you see does
not necessarily mean civility. The treatment of a medicine man in the wigwams of the untutored
Indians would have been much less rude than that accorded me as above stated;
but let us not forget that the circumstances are different. Might enlarge on this head but will
pass on. Had a good laugh all to myself as I pursued my solitary way. Found no such difficulty at
my next calling place, as I was not only kindly received but invited to remain to ten, which I gladly
did.
Making a fresh start I pushed on westward and finally reached the Altona Hotel kept by
Mr. Andrew Brown.
Tired enough was I, as the roads were getting heavy.
Andrew keeps a quiet comfortable house and does his best to make his guests feel at home.
He professed to be a law-abiding citizen, and is therefore unlikely to give the License Inspector
much trouble. He has been 20 years in business here and elsewhere, and is very fond of
gardening. Mr. Thos. Monkhouse (brother of the much respected Reeve of Pickering) is the
Post-Master and mercantile man of the place, and keeps a fine variety of goods embracing all
lines needed in a country store. He is evidently doing an excellent business here.
The business was established in 1850 by his brother Joseph, who carried it on for 15 years,
since which time it has been conducted by Thomas. Can any mercantile house in the township
show a longer record? Of church buildings there are two, both brick. The first, or oldest,
is a small building owned by the Mennonites, of which body I understand Mr. Samuel
18"
"Illustrations:
- Plan of Altona, surveyed by George McPhillips for David Reesor, 1857.
Hoover is the present minister. This church has been in existence here for many years.
The other building is much larger, and was as I learned erected on union principles about 25
years ago, and is still so held, the Reformed Mennonites owning the largest share.
A Union Sunday School is held here of which Mr. D. Barkey is the worthy superintendent.
The village school is also brick and was built in 1858, the old school house having been built in
1834 when the school section was first formed. Mr. Jas. E. Forfar is the present highly esteemed
teacher. I am told that five out of six of his pupils who tried passed successfully the intermediate
examination. Just come over with me and have a look thorough the 'Altona Mills' close by on the
south side. Here we are, and here too is Mr. Abram Reesor the occupant, busy making repairs in
the mill-race. Building frame, three and a half stories, water power, old process, machinery
complete, mill been running about 20 years, capacity about 40 bbls. a day. Three run of stones,
business chiefly gristing and chopping at present, but intention is to do more extensive business
by and by. You have our best wishes Mr. Reesor for the success both of yourself and your mill.
Then close by is Mr. Flavius Reesor, also a miller, and thresher as well. His mill is a cider mill,
and there is no lack of grists this season. He also runs a steam thresher, termed 'Sawyer's Grain
Saver.' These Reesors work into each other's hands you see. The one threshes the grain and
the other grinds it. Now, although through with the 'Altona Mills,' I am not through with the mills of
Altona. There is quite a difference between a horse chestnut and a chestnut horse.
We will now take a run down further south and see the Altona woolen mills. A fine stream of
water is the propelling power by which the machinery is kept in motion. But water-power and the
best machinery would not accomplish much without brain-power, and that finds its embodiment in
Mr. Thos. Waterhouse, the wide-awake Englishman who runs this establishment.
The late partnership between him and Mr. Farlane, has been dissolved and Mr. Waterhouse
has the business in his own hands. Went all through the mill, but having already described two
other woolen mills I will save myself and readers the infliction of a third attempt in that line.
Mr. Waterhouse manufactures yarns, flannels,
sheetings, horse-blankets (in which he challenges anything in the trade),blankets,
tweeds &c. &c. The machinery is very complete, and the work turned out of excellent quality.
Traveller would gladly have purchased tweed for a good suit had he seen his way clear for
getting it home. There is a large amount of local trade done in addition to heavy shipments to
Toronto and Montreal. There, I must shut off steam for the present as the old clock has struck the
noon of night, and I must be up and off in the morning.
In 1890 the Stouffville Free Press ran this item about the Monkhouse store:
* * *
The place is noted because of Mr. Monkhouse's store. The store is noted not only because of its
large stock of dry goods and groceries, but especially because it carries the largest stock of
delf [sic] ware in this district. The whole of the upper flat of the large building
(erected about twenty-five years ago) is transformed into a veritable China Hall.
The visitor's attention is first arrested by counter after counter covered with handsome
Dinner and Tea sets. This large assortment is found in a variety of colors in print and enamel,
with plain gold or spangle. Under these counters are arranged scores of Toilet Sets from the
comparatively plain to those of the most handsome design and superior quality. Next in order
are arranged large counters of glassware, plain and in colors. On both side of the building run
wide counters the full length, covered with a bewildering variety of fancy china. Much of this stock
comes by direct importation from Europe. This fact is indicative of prices at ""China Hall.""
No one in this vicinity need go to Toronto to buy fine table ware.
- From Pickering News, 1 December 1882
Market Hotel, corner of Front and George Sts., Toronto,
TERMS ONE DOLLAR PER DAY. This first-class Market Hotel having been leased by
Mr. Andrew Brown, (late of Altona, Uxbridge,)is the best dollar-a-day stay house around the
market. Soliciting a call from my old friends and the surrounding country, who I feel sure will find
themselves at home. Andrew Brown, Prop.
- From The Constitution (York), 6 September 1837
Land for Sale. Part of Lots No. 28 and 29, 9th oncessionof Pickering, containing 125 acres,
50 of which are under cultivation. There are on the Land a good Frame Dwelling House and
Barns, a young orchard anbd an excellent Mill sSite. The land is of the first quality, and will be
sold low for cash. For further information. For further imformation enquire at the Subscribers.
Pickering, June 27.
19
"
"Atha and Altona Pioneers
by Mrs. Thomas Dunkeld
This article by Mrs. Dunkeld was published under the heading ""Local History of Atha and
Altona Pioneers"" in Stouffville's The Tribune on 27 February 1947. Atha lies just to the south of
Altona on the Eighth Concession Road. All that remains of the former hamlet is the schoolhouse.
Illustrations:
- Joseph Monkhouse's farm, Con. 9, Lot 32, as pictured in the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the
County of Ontario (Toronto: Beers, 1877).
- Joseph Monkhouse
The year 1830 marks the beginning of a new era in the history of Upper Canada. It is
estimated that 34 000 settlers entered the province in 1831 and during the next four years fully
160 000 were added to the population. Pickering Township had its growing time in this period.
It was during this time that the communities of which we are interested namely Atha and Altona
had their beginning.
ATHA
The first settler to come to the eighth concession of Pickering was Nathan Bently who came in
1831 and purchased the bush farm, which Mrs. Carruthers now owns. Mr. and Mrs. Bently lived
there till his death in 1874. One of his daughters Mrs. C. McAvoy remained on the farm until the
death of her husband. They had one son Otto.
On this farm was the first school house built in the southwest corner in 1811. It was a cottage type
and was a fine school in its day. My father went to that school. The desks were all around the wall
the children facing the wall. The playground was the King's highway and as much woods as they
wished to play in.
The present school house was built in 1864, opened on Jan. 1st 1865.
The Lehman family were one of the next to come. Daniel Lehman came in 1839 from
Pennsylvania, bought the south half of lot 35, con 8. In 1835 he and his bride settled on the farm.
Before he brought his bride he cleared a few acres of land and built a log house.
In the three years he rode the same horse nine times to Pennsylvania and back.
When he brought his bride they came on horseback. He erected a sawmill,
which continued in busy and successful operation as long as he lived.
After his death in 1867 one of his sons Abraham (my father) continued to operate the sawmill.
He also had a shingle and lath machine. We elder children many a day packed shingles
all day. The mill was later transformed into a chopping mill run with a stone finder.
The mill at this time is torn down. The property still remains in the Lehman name,
Eli being the present owner.
John Bell a native of Dumfriesshire, Scotland came to Canada with his wife in 1834 and
settled on lot 28, con 7. One of his sons John M. Bell married and remained on the homestead
making stock raising a prominent feature of his farming activities.
His daughter Mrs. Peter Stewart and her two sons John and Peter lived there until the death of
their mother. Then John married Mary Duncan and farmed for some time. After John's death the
property was sold to Fred Byer.
Michael Nighswander and his bride came in 1838 and located on lot 34, con 7. In 1845 he also
erected a sawmill on the farm in which he did a good business for 45 years.
Their family numbered ten, two sons. Michael and Tillman, lived on the homestead until their
death. The property was sold to Mr. Kirton. Tillman had one son Otto. Mrs. Nighswander is still
living and Mrs. Ralph Nighswander lives on the townline.
The Whitson family also came from Scotland in 1839 settling on lot 28, con 8 and since the
death of their parents the two daughters Misses Ella and Georgie still reside on the farm with
Mr. Fred Draper as manager. Robert Whitson owned the next farm east of his brother's with his
two sis-
20"
"Illustration: The ""China Hall"" probably in the 1930s.
ters Janny and Margaret. They had the post office till the rural route came from Claremont.
Abraham Hoover with his wife came from Markham purchased lot 39. con 8, in Oct. 1843.
A house having been built and ten acres cleared. As 'time went by he owned 400 acres of land.
His sons Sam, Noah, Elsie and Jacob took possession of the farms. The farms are now owned
by Mr. Tran, Mrs. Louis Hoover, Mrs. MacDonald, and Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lehman.
Adam Spears, a native of Scotland, settled on lot 29, con 7, in 1840 and also built a sawmill.
The lumber was teamed to Frenchman's Bay. The mill was continued in operation by his son
James until about fifty years ago. The farm was sold and his son Adam lives in Whitevale.
Other pioneer names familiar arc Lapp, Burks, Lott, Harrison, Hisey, but they are all gone and
others have taken their places.
Mr. Joe Brown came to the eighth in 1830 and in 1889 the Dunkelds bought the farm.
The father died soon after. The mother Lizzie and the three boys James,
William and Thomas took over till their death, then Murray Dunkeld bought the farm.
I can't recall when the Byers came from Markham but I remember Mr. Joe Byers' grandmother
so well. She was a kind lady. I worked there when she died and recall Joe Byers' sister passed
away the same day.
The only church near Atha was erected by the Baptist denomination and was opened on Sunday
August 1835. The services were held there for 35 years. Only the cemetery remains on the
Frank Gostick farm. The minister was Rev. I.D. Gostick. He came to Canada in 1832 from
England and was always in his place on the sabbath. After it closed the Sunday School for
awhile was held in the Atha school house. There was once a store and blacksmith at Atha
corners managed by Mr. and Mrs. Beattie.
ALTONA
At Altona the Mennonites were the first to erect a church built in 1850. The church still stands
and services are held there by the Mennonites. The ministers are Mr. Thomas Reesor,
Mr. Fred Nighswander, Mr. A. Smith.
The union church, Mennonite and Christian, situated on the Abram Reesor property was built in
1872, Daniel Barkey being the promoter. He farmed east of Altona, his grandson Charlie Barkey
now lives on the farm. The same denomination still hold their Sunday School and church services
there. The present ministers are Mr. Hallman and Mr. G. Brown.
A name familiar to the Altona people was Joseph Monkhouse who came from Cumberland,
England in 1849 and married Christena Reesor. He built the Altona store and people came
from miles around to make purchases. After his death his son Willis took over the store.
He now lives in Stouffville. Fletcher Goudie now occupies the store building.
The homes of Mr. White and Mr. McChancy belonged to the Millard family, the land having been
purchased from the crown at the time. The Morris farm belonged to the same family.
A number will remember the old blacksmith shop where Mr. Boothby worked from morn till night
shoeing horses and doing repair work. On the corner was a hotel kept by Mr. Brown where
Mr. 0. Madill now has a general store.
One of the earliest settlers to come to Altona district was the Daniel Yake family who came from
Germany in 1804. It took fourteen weeks to cross. He buried his wife and four children at sea.
He came to Canada from Pennsylvania with the rest of his family with their little effects and three
cattle. Of the children only Michael remained in Pickering. In 1816 he married Jane VanZant.
They had twelve children. One of his daughters Poly married Mr. Jones and she spent all her
long life on the farm where Ralph and Mare reside.
Robert Scott, John Scott's father, came from Cumberland, England in 1868. In 1874 he married
Alice Jones, a daughter of Mrs. Jones, and mother of Mrs. Bunker.
There are many more who lived in Altona, the Whites. Stouffers, Reesors, Hoovers.
The Nighswander history was in the Tribune a few weeks ago.
The land at that time was nearly all bushland. They cut trees, the best of maple, piled the logs
and burnt them, thousands of feet of the best timber, to clear the land. A tree at that time was of
no value. In the spring they could tap any number of Maple trees, made their own wooden sap
spiles and troughs for the sap, boiled it in iron kettles down to sugar. They made a year's supply
of sugar and used it for all kinds of sweetening purposes. A day's work from sunrise to sunset
for 50c a day or take as pay wheat and apples. They also had sheep and used the wool for
socks, mitts, and took it to Cliff's mill at Altona to be made into cloth and yarn.
The cloth was made into men's shirts and boys' suits and overcoats, underwear and dresses.
Altona Mennonite Meeting- House
Illustration: Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse, c1974.
Commentary by Ralph Greenhill, Ken Macpherson, and Douglas Richardson in Ontario Towns.
(Oberon Press, 1974, plate 37).
In 1853 the Society of Mennonites built this lovely little church in the hamlet of Altona.
It is built in the delicately-coloured local brick of a shade between oatmeal and salmon-pink.
This characteristic Mennonite church is not unlike a Quaker meetinghouse. But while the
Mennonites segregated the congregation four ways—men, women, boys and girls—
they did not insist upon separate entrances for men and women, as did the Quakers.
Here, the door in the centre provides direct access to the church proper, and the other door
leads to a vestibule across the end of the building. The interior of this church is particularly
well-preserved and the churchyard contains many interesting stones.
21"
"Post Box Ontario
Photographs by Laura Sawodny
"
"A Brief History of Altona
by Joseph Nighswander
Local Mennonite historian Joseph Nighswander has written before for Pathmaster on the Altona
Mennonite Meetinghouse (1,2 (1998), p. 19), on the Nighswander Cider Mill (1,4
(1998), pp. 29-30), and on School Section #17 (3,1 (1999), p. 3). This overall history of the
hamlet of Altona was originally given as an address at an annual dinner of the Pennsylvania-
German Folklore Society of Ontario. It was then published as part of a collection of More
Pioneer Hamlets of York, Canadian-German Folklore (Vol. 9, pp. 21-28) in 1985.
Reprinted with permission. A few minor changes have been made at Mr. Nighswander's
suggestion.
Illustration: Photos of Reesor Mills, probably early 20th century.
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honour and a privilege for my wife and I to be
here this evening and share with you a little bit of the history of the hamlet of Altona.
In case not everyone here is aware where to find Altona, it is located two miles east and a little
south of Stouffville, on the Pickering Uxbridge townline.
Altona has been at the geographical centre of all of my life so far. I was born and lived for the
first 25 years of my life in the home of my parents at Lot 31, Concession 9, Pickering.
The house, built in 1851 by William Feaster, is situated at the southern limits of Altona.
This farm was purchased in 1838 by my great great grandfather, Martin Nighswander.
His father, Abraham, came into Ontario around 1807, and lived with his second wife Susannah
Hoover on the farm now occupied by the Markham Fair grounds. It is thought they lie buried on
that property.
In 1948, when my wife and I were married, we lived on what was called the Johnson farm at
Lot 31, Concession 9, within a mile of Altona. In 1970, when I began a second career,
we moved to Lot 34, Concession 9, still within one mile of Altona.
In the cemetery at the old Mennonite Church are buried my great great grandfather Martin,
my great grandfather Martin Jr., my grandfather Enos, and my father David. All often and their
wives lived out their lives within a mile of Altona!
So you see, Altona and the Nighswanders are quite synonymous since 1838.
When did Altona get its name, and why were most of the early settlers Mennonites from
Pennsylvania?
Since I am speaking to a group of people who are quite aware of the great migration of the
early 1800s into this part of Ontario, which included many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers.
I will not go into detail of how they changed this part of the country from virgin forest into a
productive agricultural area.
There is little doubt the name Altona came from the city of Altona in Germany.
The Dutch Mennonite congregation in that city enjoyed great freedom of worship under
Danish rule from 1610 on for many years, and produced some prolific writers. I can well
remember my grandfather, Abraham Lehman, who read from a book of sermons written by a
resident of Altona, Germany. So, although I know of no records to document my assertion,
it is quite likely the early Mennonite settlers named the hamlet after its counterpart in Germany.
All of you are also quite aware, I am sure, of Christian Reesor and his son Peter who set out
from Pennsylvania in 1801, and purchased land at Lot 15, Concession 10 in Markham Township.
What you may not be as aware of is that Peter in 1812 obtained a crown grant of land at Lot 12,
Concession 9 in Pickering Township. Later a Crown grant in 1854 of Lot 27, Concession 9
Pickering, was settled by Peter Reesor's son Peter Jr. who married Susannah Nighswander in
1848. Lot 27 is one half mile east of the main intersection in Altona, and Peter's descendants
lived there until 1970.
Also Peter Reesor Sr.'s brother Abraham came to Altona in 1850 with his wife and seven
children and built a house and a grist and saw mill. This mill was located on sideline 31 just
south of the main intersection, and continued to serve the area farmers until it burned down on
March 10,1944. I can well remember spending many happy hours as a boy playing checkers in
the mill office with a boyhood friend, Keith Howsam, whose father was the last owner operator
of the mill.
It is interesting to note that Abraham Reesor, died of typhoid fever only five years after he built
the mill. His wife, Christina, left with seven children, remarried to Joseph Monkhouse,
of another pioneer Altona family, of whom I shall speak a little later. Christina had only a life
lease on the mill, so its ownership reverted to Abraham Reesor Jr. on her death, even though it
was operated by Mr. Monkhouse while Christina lived.
Church and school seem to have been central in the lives of the Pennsylvania pioneers who
founded and populated Altona in the early years. Let me tell you, then, about the school and
church buildings of the Altona community, and something of the people who built and used these
structures.
THE SCHOOLS
The first school of Altona was a log building built in,it is thought, 1825 on the south east corner of
the main intersection, just north of where the old Mennonite Church stands since 1852.
It was almost certainly of log construction with chinked walls and unplaned plank floors.
It was likely devoid of gloves, maps, books or any other teaching aid other than the
'hickory stick,' and slates. Most teaching was by recitation. One historian says the teaching
24"
"Illustrations:
- Nighswander Cider Mill, drawn by Paul H. Burkholder to accompany the Nighswander article in
More Pioneer Hamlets of York.
- Nighswander Cider Mill, painted by Elsie Nighswander (Joseph's wife).
profession was not seen as a respectable job, and most men teachers were persons who were
incapable, for one reason or another, of hard physical work. Some were dreamers,
some even alcoholics. A new school was built in 1854 on the west side of sideline 31,
on the other side of the road and a little south of the first school building.
The present schoolhouse, now used as a community centre, was built on the same site in
1911-12. It is still in excellent condition.
It maybe of interest to note the dividing line between the Altona and Glasgow school sections
was the townline road, only a few hundred feet north of the Altona school.
This situation caused some problems through the years, with children from the north side of the
township line having to either attend the Glasgow school 1 1/4 miles up the road, or pay
non-resident fees to the Altona school section. I recall quite vividly the controversy caused in
1959 when the Altona school became overcrowded and all children in the Glasgow section
were required to go to their own school. I was one of the school trustees at that time.
THE CHURCHES
Until 1825 the Mennonites of the district gathered, it seems, in the homes of the members for
their worship services.
When the congregation grew too large they began using the old log schoolhouse on the
S.E. corner. The first recorded minister was a man by the name of Daniel Kreider.
According to an old minute book which I have in my possession, a meeting of the members of
the 'Society of Mennonists' was held on February 9 of 1850 for the purpose of selecting trustees
for a piece of ground on which to locate a burying ground and build a meeting house.
Jacob Burkholder chaired this meeting, and the trustees appointed were Abraham Stouffer
(founder of Stouffville), Samuel Hoover, and Martin Nighswander.
Later meetings, of which there is a record in the old minute book,
were held in the schoolhouse on February 6,1851 and January 24,1852.
On January 19, 1853 the trustee meeting was held in the new meetinghouse,
which indicates the church was built in 1852. It is said by an area historian the masonry work
was done by a William Feaster, who while building the church caught a cold, which later caused
his death. Mr. Feaster was the father of Rachel, wife of Harmon Yake, another Altona pioneer.
Continuous services, although not every Sunday, were held in this church until 1974.
The building is still in good repair, although unused except for commemorative services held on
October 5,1980 and October 3,1982. As one of the trustees for this building and the adjoining
cemetery, I am interested in any counsel from persons such as those of you who are here tonight
as to the future of this building.
The oldest grave in the cemetery is that of Elizabeth, wife of Abraham Stouffer.
It is dated 1835.
In 1875 Abraham Reesor (Jr.) gave land to the people of the Mennonite Brethren in
Christ Church, and of the Christian Church, so they could build a place of worship.
Noah Detwiler was the first pastor.
This church is located a thousand feet or so east of the main intersection on the south side of the
townline. The last service held in this church was in June 1980. It is now used for a prospering
Christian Day School.
For many years the two groups used the building on alternate Sundays, with almost all members
of both congregations attending the Union Sunday school and each other's worship services.
In the early and middle 1950's up to 185 persons were enrolled in the Sunday school programme,
and it was the largest Sunday school in Pickering Township, with attendance of over 200 people
on some occasions.
In 1957, the two groups united and affiliated with the United Missionary Church. Later in 1969,
due to an amalgamation of the denominations in the U.S., the name changed to the Missionary
Church.
There is no cemetery on the site-occupied by this church building.
OTHER BUILDINGS
Another building of interest, which is still a part of Altona, is the old Altona Inn.
The cast frame section was built in the early 1850s, with a later two storey brick addition added
in 1875. It was an impressive and popular entertainment place in the latter part of the 19th
Century. A gilded sign hung over the gilded barroom in the new section. Above the barroom was
a dining room/ ballroom. A second dining room was in the other half. In addition,
there were guest rooms and a residence for the proprietor.
With prohibition in 1910, the hotel business declined, and the building was used for other
purposes. A general store was operated by 0. M. Madill from 1921 to 1953.
It is now used as an apartment building and is still in good condition.
Any history of Altona should mention the Monkhouse store, which became quite famous in the
general area.
In 1849 Joseph Monkhouse arrived in Toronto from Cumberland, England. In 1850 he came to
Altona, and joined his brother Thomas, who had begun to keep a general store.
The first store soon became inadequate, so Thomas built a large and impressive three storey
building in about 1865 just south of the Mennonite Church. The Honourable George Brown
delivered a political speech on the occasion of the opening of this store. A local historian notes
the speech was incredibly dry.
The main floor of the building was a general store with the typical potbellied stoves and
merchandise on shelves on the walls.
The main attraction, however, was the 'China Hall' on the 2nd floor, which carried a large
inventory of dry goods and delftware. Handsome dinner and tea sets, toilet sets and a
bewildering variety of fancy china, much of it imported from Europe, made this store an
attraction to buyers from a wide area. The family lived on the third floor.
Joseph Monkhouse was a well-respected and admired man. He served for 10 years on the
Pickering Township Council and as reeve from 1884-87, and was Warden in 1887.
This was the Joseph who married Christina Reesor, whom I mentioned earlier as the widow of
Abraham Reesor. He also purchased the farm at Lot 32, Concession 9, later known as the
William Reesor farm, and farmed there for 12 years from 1874 to 1886. Joseph returned to the
store in 1886 on the death of his brother Thomas. Joseph died in 1903.
His son Willis operated the store until 1937.
I can well remember as a boy looking with awe and wonder at the beautiful chinaware,
which still occupied some of the shelves.
25"
"Illustration:
- Memorial stone of Elizabeth Nighswander in the Altona Mennonite Cemetery.
The inscription is in German.
- Memorial stone of Martin Nighswander in the Altona Mennonite Cemetery.
- Historical plaque erected by Heritage Pickering.
Another well known building was the Nighswander mill, which began in the mid fifties as a
woollen mill, then later became a grist mill, and still later, an apple butter mill. It was located on
the south half of Lot 31. Concession 9, and was torn down only a few years ago.
It was operated in the later years by my uncle Peter Nighswander and by my cousin Harvey.
FAMILIES IN ALTONA
I do not have time or space to mention all of the pioneer families of this
community. Many of the descendants of these families are still familiar names in the
Pickering-Markham area.
One should mention James Jones Sr. and his wife, who in the earlier 1800s purchased Lot 1,
Concession 1, Uxbridge, just west of the main intersection. His son Abijah Sr., was an active
and generous member of the community. I can well remember his sons Abijah, Jr. and Ralph,
and daughter Mary who lived on the Jones homestead into the 1940s. No history of Altona
would be complete without mention of the Lewis family, members of which still live in the area.
Thomas Ambrose Lewis came to Lot 2, Concession 2, Uxbridge, in 1844. After a move to
York County he returned to Lot 4, Concession 1, Uxbridge Township. He was twice married and
had 10 children. One of his sons, Thomas H., farmed on Lot 1. Concession 2. Uxbridge.
His sons. Stanley and Bertram operated a beef ring for many years. I can distinctly remember
doing some of my first car driving going to the Lewises early in the morning for our share of
fresh beef. Fred, son of Bertram, operated a store and farm machinery agency in Altona from
1946 to 1972. Robert and Harold, sons of Stanley, still live in the area and are well known and
highly respected.
The Barkey family has also been prominent in Altona. Daniel Barkey, with his wife Barbara Pike
moved to Lot 28, Concession 9, Pickering in the early 1850s. They replaced the log house on
the property in 1857 with a very beautiful stone home, which is still in excellent condition.
Charles Barkey, grandson of Daniel, now lives in the Dublin Apartments in Markham.
And then there are the Yakes, the Hodgsons, the Millards, the Widemans, the Hoovers,
the Stovers, the Byers, and the Groves and others whom I cannot mention for lack of time and
space.
I have intentionally included in some detail several families who were not of Pennsylvania Dutch
extraction. They are a part of the history of the community, and there was mutual respect for each
other in spite of the variety of backgrounds of the people who lived in and around Altona.
All of the members of all of the families I have mentioned lived and loved, laughed and wept.
They worked incredibly hard to develop the land, to raise their children, and to be responsible
citizens.
In most cases they left us a heritage of stability, of integrity and of faith in God.
In conclusion, this brief history of Altona must mention the expropriation of land in 1972 by the
Government of Canada for the new Toronto International Airport.
Even though the airport has not been built, the resulting demographic and sociological changes
have almost completely altered the character of the Altona community.
But that is another story.
Altona Mennonite Meeting-House
Illustration: Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse, C1976.
Commentary by Marion MacRae and Anthony Adamson in Hallowed Walls: Church Architecture
of Upper Canada. (Toronto: Clark, Irwin, 1976,p. 194.)
In 1807 the first Mennonite settlers had made their way into Markham Township, taking up land
near the Quaker settlement, and had begun, almost imperceptibly, to modify their attitude toward
the customs and amenities enjoyed by their neighbours. Mennonite meetinghouses in the
counties of York and Ontario tended to be in brick—a sensible selection on clay lands —
and these plain people began gradually to adopt the use of oil lamps, window shades,
and carriage sheds, in the manner of the Society of Friends living near them. In time the
carriage sheds disappeared from the meetinghouse yard at Altona in Pickering Township,
as the Mennonite brethren slowly accepted the mobility of the automobile.
26"
"The Altona Inn
by John W. Sabean
Few hamlets or villages can date then beginnings as precisely as can Altona. Until 1850 the only
public or industrial building that existed at the juncture of Pickering Township's Sideline 30 and
Uxbridge Township's Second Concession Road was a log schoolhouse.
In the year 1850 three entrepreneurs—Abraham Reesor. Joseph Monkhouse and William
Cooper—created the nucleus of the hamlet of Altona with the building of a mill, a store,
and a hotel.
Illustration: The Altona Inn as it would have looked in 1850.
Reesor's Mill
Abraham Reesor (1815-1855) was the son of immigrants Peter Reesor (1775-1854) and
Esther Eby. In 1804 the Reesor family, headed by Christian Reesor, Peter's father,
made the trek in a Conestoga wagon from Pennsylvania to Markham.1 They were among the
early settlers of Markham Township. The Reesors were part of an extensive Mennonite
migration to Markham, part of which spilled over into western Pickering Township.
In 1850 Abraham Reesor, who farmed Lot 34, Concession 3 in Pickering Township
(down by Cherrywood), built two mills, a flour mill and a saw mill, at the north end of Lot 30,
Concession 9 in Pickering township.2 However, just five years after he started the mills
he died of typhoid fever. Joseph Monkhouse married his widow and ran the mills for awhile until
Christina died, then Abraham's and Christina's son, Abraham, Jr., took over the operations.
After the Reesors the mill went through a series of hands until it burned to the ground in 1944.
Monkhouse's Store
Joseph Monkhouse (c1826-1903) originally came to Canada West in 1849 to operate a store in
Stouffville, but he soon came to the north end of Pickering Township to join his brother Thomas.
Here he established a business which was to be widely hailed during his lifetime, and which
would last for almost a century. The business was a store, which Joseph created in 1850. It was
here in 1853 that the Post Office was opened with Joseph as the first Postmaster.3 It would have
been at that time that a name was chosen for the post office, and therefore of the little hamlet that
was taking shape around it.
When Joseph Monkhouse left to run the Reesor Flour Mill, sometime after 1857, his brother
Thomas stepped in to take over the daily operation of the store. He was the chief clerk and also
the Postmaster until he died in 1886. After a few yens the business was so successful that the
old two-storey building was torn down and a new three-storey building was erected in its place in
1865.
Once Joseph Monkhouse's duties as miller ceased he turned to farming. He purchased Lot 32,
Concession 9, and there carried on a successful farming operation. He also took up politics and
served on the township council for 10 years. A measure of his stature may be taken from his
election to several terms as Reeve of the township (1884-1887) as well as a stint as county
Warden (1887). 4 When Thomas died in 1886. Joseph left off farming and returned to the store.
Monkhouse died in 1903 and the business was taken over by his son Willis who continued the
business until 1937. This building, too, eventually succumbed to the flames.
Cooper's Inn
In the same year that Abraham Reesor was building the mills and Joseph Monkhouse was
creating his store, both near the southeast corner of Altona, William Cooper was erecting the
Altona Inn on the northeast comer of the intersection. The hotel was a mainstay in Altona for 60
years before it fell victim to the Temperance Movement.
In Pickering the concessions were laid out from Lake Ontario, so concession roads run
east-west, the north-south roads being referred to as sidelines. Uxbridge, on the other hand,
was laid out from Yonge Street and so its concession roads run north and south. Where Sideline
30 in Pickering meets the Second Concession Road in Uxbridge at the Uxbridge-Pickering
Townline lies the hamlet of Altona, equally divided between Pickering and Uxbridge.
The former Altona Inn is situated on the northeast corner of this intersection, on the Uxbridge
side of the road.
The village of Claremont in Pickering lies to the east and a little south—about seven kilometres,
while Stouffville is about the same distance to the west and a little north. One 19th century
writer referred to Altona as ""the eastern suburb of Stouffville.""5 Indeed, the citizens of
Altona have always related more to Stouffville than to either Uxbridge or Pickering.
There is no evidence that any structure had been built on the northeast corner of what became
the hamlet of Altona before 1850. When William Cooper purchased the property in 1850 it was
with a view to constructing an inn. This was to be one of eight that existed in Uxbridge at
mid-century. As McBurney and Byers stated in Tavern in the Town:
Uxbridge was founded by Pennsylvania Germans and Quakers, and from earliest times,
when John Plank built the first tavern there, business and drinking flourished. By mid-century
there were eight taverns in Uxbridge Township and, in the free-and-easy spirit of the times,
people as young as fifteen years were allowed to drink in them.6
Cooper's inn was in a strategic location — about mid-way along the east-west route between
Claremont and Stouffville. It would serve as a stopping place for weary travellers and as a
meeting place for local residents.
Inns were an important institution in pioneer society and were often among the first structures to
be erected. For travellers on their way to their new homesteads, or on their way to market, or,
of course, on many another journey, inns were places for lodging, dining, and drinking,
and for the refreshing and/or stabling of horses. And because travel was slow and tedious inns
were frequent along the roads and spaced at convenient intervals. For community purposes
inns were often the only public buildings available for meetings or social gatherings.
It was here that dances were held, politics was discussed, and all the local and distant news was
exchanged.7
William Cooper was 60 years old when he established the Altona Inn. He maintained it,
possibly with the help of his son James, for five years before retir-
27"
"Illustration: The Altona Inn as it would have looked in 1875.
ing and selling the business to Andrew Lindsay. In the 1851 Census for Uxbridge,
miller John Hicks is listed as owning a distillery. This may have been at least one source of
Cooper's supply of liquor.8
The next owner of the Altona Inn was Andrew Lindsay. Lindsay was included in Lovell's Directory of
1857 as the innkeeper, but he may have died that year or the next because for the years 1858- 59
the Assessment Rolls list George Levitt (b. 1829) as innkeeper. James Cooper (b cl827) was the
innkeeper in 1860-61, Andrew Brown in 1865, and George Fishburn from 1866 to 1870. And in 1
867 it was Andrew's wife Hannah who sold out to Andrew Brown.9
The man who owned the inn for the longest period—for 39 years—and the man whose name is
usually associated with the inn. is Andrew Brown (1823-1907). This was not Brown's first
association with the running of an inn. He had been proprietor of the Halfway House
(he called it The Forest Inn) on the Fourth Concession Road at the corner of Stouffville Road.10
And in 1865, as we have seen, he ran the Altona Inn for Hannah Lindsay.
Brown operated a very successful business in Altona, successful enough by 1875 to carry out a
project of renovation. He replaced the west half of the old frame building, which housed the
barroom, with a new two-storey brick addition. A new barroom—decorated in gilt—was installed
on the first floor and above it was a dining room and ballroom. The east wing, which was left
intact, was renovated to house an additional dining room, guestrooms and the residence for the
proprietor and his family. At the entrance a gilded sign stood as an invitation to patrons.
The selling of alcoholic beverages in taverns and inns was regulated right from the early years of
the province's history. In order to sell ""spirituous liquors"" an innkeeper had to obtain a licence,
and the number of licences for any township was determined by the Court of General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace."" In addition, the sale of liquor was closely overseen by inspectors.
In 1805 eighteen people in the Home District applied for licences to keep a tavern.
Not all were recommended, but among the successful applicants was Hawkins Woodruff
who was the first to operate a hotel/tavern in Pickering Township.12 It was not until about 1825
that the first hotel was established in Uxbridge — by J.P Plank, in what became Uxbridge
Village.13 It is not known, however, if Plank's hotel was immediately licenced.
By all accounts excessive consumption of alcohol was a severe problem in the pioneer society
of Upper Canada. Almost all travellers' and settlers' accounts make mention of the overdrinking
and its effects on family life and the local community. The causes for this were many and
complicated and cannot be easily summarized in this report, but certainly contributing factors
included the loneliness and harshness of pioneer life and the lack of intellectual and cultural
stimulants and social engagement.14 And for the traveller, whiskey, which was extremely cheap,
was a welcome relief at the end of an exhausting journey.
The Temperance Movement— an attempt to deal with the ills created by the problem of
over-consumption —began in the United States where the problem was just as acute.
From there it spread to Upper Canada where the first temperance society was formed
in Bastard Township (Leeds County) in 1828. By 1832 there were about 100 societies
in Upper Canada — including Pickering Township, but not yet Uxbridge. However,
at least until the mid-century the arguments of the prohibitionists did not carry much weight.
For one thing whiskey sales had an important economic function. As Leo Johnson put it:
In early periods when grain was cheap and difficult to transport, whiskey produced from wheat
paid for many early farms. Moreover, in an era when travel was slow and difficult, frequent inns
were necessary for the comfort and well-being of travellers, and the sale of alcohol was a
mainstay of the innkeepers' incomes. Without the sale of whiskey there is little doubt that many,
if not most, inns would have been forced to close. Indeed, not only was the latter argument used
to defend the sale of whiskey, but in periods of strong temperance agitation the dependency of
the public on the inns was exploited to prevent the effective introduction of anti-liquor legislation..
15
In Ontario County the Temperance Movement began to take a foothold in the 1850s when
several new societies were formed, including one in Uxbridge. In 1858 a demonstration by
temperance advocates was held in Uxbridge in order to bring attention to the issues and to
recruit new members. If the popularity of prohibition was increasing, however,
it was not translating into votes. And when by-laws were passed they proved to be ineffectual,
or worse still, counter-productive. Voters were well aware of what happened in Bowmanville in
1859 where a by-law was passed to prohibit the sale of whiskey by inns and taverns.
The Whitby Chronicle recounted the results:
The effects of a prohibitory liquor law in Bowmanville are daily becoming more inconvenient,
and a subject of public complaint. The Tavern-keepers — prevented from selling that on which
alone they derived a profit— keep their premises altogether closed up, their gates locked,
and will not open them to travellers or anyone else. This they do by way of retaliation for the
unjust manner in which they consider they have been treated. The result is that neither food nor a
place to rest—for man or horse—can be procured in the Town for love or money.16
Customers, of course, simply went to nearby towns to secure their wants and needs. Johnson
adds:
When farmers and travellers, complaining of the lack of accommodation for themselves and
their horses, began to avoid Bowmanville, the bylaw was hurriedly repealed. After a few such
experiences, the movement faded from view until the 1870s.17
As interest in prohibition began to wax again in the 1870s there was another grand
demonstration in Uxbridge in May 1873 led by the Sons of Temperance Society.
Perhaps in response the Uxbridge Township Council in 1875 passed a by-law to limit the
number of tavern licences to five. Among those fortunate five was Andrew Brown of Altona.
The other innkeepers had to be content with licences for Temperance Houses.18
Meanwhile the provincial and federal governments began to get into the act. In 1864 the
province passed the Dunkin Act which introduced the principle of Local Option.
Any county or municipality—if they could secure a majority vote—could prohibit the retail sale of
liquor. It wasn't until 1877, however, that a poll was taken in Ontario County. Uxbridge Township
was one of four municipalities that voted against prohibition, but since an over-all majority in the
county approved it it was put into effect in the following year. The new law, however, proved to be
unenforceable in the coun-
28"
"Illustration: Oliver Madill's Altona General Store, 1940s.
ty and just a year later—in 1879 — a by-law to repeal the Dunkin Act in Ontario County was
passed.
In 1878 the federal government, under John A. Macdonald, passed the Scott Act which had
much the same provisions as the Dunkin Act. It took another eight years for this to come into
effect in Ontario County, only to be repealed again three years later— again because it was
unenforceable. The repeal of the Scott Act in Ontario County brought into force again the
Crooks Act, a law that was passed by the provincial government in 1876, putting the authority
for licencing the sale of alcohol into provincial hands.19 So in 1890, when applications came
in again for liquor licences, the provincial inspector again approved five licences in Uxbridge
Township, and once again Andrew Brown was among their number.20 The struggle between
the Wets and Drys continued for the next 20 years, but while Brown always faced the threat of
losing his right to sell liquor, his licence was renewed annually.
The federal government tried again—this time under Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. In 1898
they held a national plebiscite, and while a majority voted in favour of prohibition it was not a
large enough majority for Laurier [to] feel confident in passing it into law.
Then the province tried again. Under Premier James Whitney the rules were tightened: the
cost of licences was increased and inspections were made both more frequently and more
stringently. Whitney would still allow municipalities to introduce prohibition, but only if they
achieved a three-fifths majority of voters. In 1905. 94 Ontario municipalities put the question
to a vote. The townships around Uxbridge—Markham, Pickering, Whitchurch, and Scott—
were among the 94, but Uxbridge was not. Uxbridge did, however, put the matter before the
electorate in the following year, but although the Drys won the vote they failed to reach the
necessary three-fifths majority. Prohibitionists had to wait another three years before they
could make another attempt, and this time-in 1910—they were successful. Local Option came
into effect in Uxbridge Township in May 1910.21
Before the axe fell, Andrew Brown had retired in April 1906. By that time he was 83 years of
age. He died a year later and was buried alongside his wife Martha (who had died in 1901)
in the Altona Cemetery. His epitaph reads:""
In life beloved, in death lamented."" And this sentiment seems to be genuine, for by all accounts
he was a highly respected member of the Altona community, and ran an efficient, popular
and no-nonsense establishment in his more than 40 years in the hospitality trade.
Several authors refer to an epithet that became associated with the Altona Inn during the
Brown regime —""Look-See Brown"" Hotel—and conclude from that that ""many hair-raising
events took place there.""22 But no compilation of stories has survived to substantiate this
interpretation. A more likely explanation of the epithet is that told to me by Joseph Nighswander.
Andrew Brown was justly proud of his inn and its decor. He liked to take guests on a tour of the
premises and stopping in front of a particular feature he wished to point out would say,
""Look, see... ""23 This explanation is much more in keeping with the reputation that Brown had
earned in Altona over the years. His burial in the Mennonite cemetery is not at all an anomaly.
In 1906 Ted Graves moved out from Toronto to Uxbridge with his wife Ida Mae to take over the
running of the Altona Hotel. He apparently had dreams of turning the hotel into a summer resort,
but that was not to be. 21 After a couple of years he turned over the operation of the business
to James Wellman who ran it for the next three years with the help of his son Harry until Local
Option made it unprofitable in 1910. 25
The next owner, Michael Peters of Toronto, who seems to have been an absentee landlord,
turned the building into apartments. There is some evidence that one renter may also have
used part of the premises as a store during the summer months.26
The former hotel gained new purpose when Oliver M. ""Ollie"" Madill (1887-1968) returned
to his roots in 1921 and remodelled the building into a general store. The Monkhouse store
was still in operation and would be for another decade and a half, but there was little
competition as they traded in different goods.
While Madill came to Altona from Toronto he was born in Brougham and had roots that went
well back in Pickering history. His great grandmother, Ruth Wixon, was the daughter of
Joshua Wixon, one of the earliest settlers in the north of Pickering; she is believed to have
been the first white child born in Pickering Township. Madill's tenure in the former Altona Inn
was second only to that of Andrew Brown. He ran the Altona General Store for 32 years,
from 1921 to 1953.
When Madill took over the premises he found them badly in need of repair. He completely
renovated the interior to make it suitable for grocery sales. He added shelving,
but found that the old bar would serve just as well for his counter. He put on a new roof,
tore down the out-buildings, and cleared away the underbrush. But more he could not do
immediately because he found himself in the middle of a slumping market. For years he and
his wife struggled to make ends meet, but eventually they came to enjoy a more fruitful profit
margin.
Once he was well established he undertook a beautification project for the property to the east
of the building. He spruced up the whole area to create a park-like setting, and even built a
bridge over the creek. The store itself occupied the brick part of the building while the older
frame structure served as the family residence. Madill's services included an egg-grading
station and the area's first gas pump. After he retired in 1953 he moved to Stouffville.27
Madill probably chose the right time to retire, for by the 1950s small country stores were
beginning to give way to the super stores appearing in the town centres. So when Robert
Hilker Brown came down from Bruce County to take over the store he found a business that
was rapidly declining. He lasted a mere two years before packing it in.
Hilker Brown was the great uncle of Allan McGillivray, the present curator of the Uxbridge-Scott
Museum and Archives. Allan was only about 11 or 12 years old when Brown ran the store.
He remembers going to the store on occasion for ice cream, and he remembers his great
uncle's booming voice and great mustache. 28
What was needed in the area was not a general store, but a facility that catered to the needs of
local farmers. In 1954, Fred Lewis opened his Altona Feed and Supplies store just down the
road from the Altona General Store. This business lasted twenty years until changes
in local farming practices phased out even this business.29
After Brown closed down the Altona General Store the building was once again converted to
apartments and run as such by subsequent owners.
The hamlet of Altona was never large and its public buildings were few
29"
"Illustrations:
- Oliver Madill.
- The former Altona Inn, now lying empty and boarded up, March 2002.
but served the basic needs of a farming community. There were, of course, other services and
other businesses locally available—such as a blacksmith and a slaughterhouse—which came
and went as the need dictated.
The Altona Inn was one of the first extra-residential structures to be built in the hamlet of Altona.
With both a commercial and social purpose it was also one of the keystone buildings.
For 60 years it served its original function, and in a later age served another important
role as the community's general store.
Of the eight primary nineteenth-century commercial or public structures of the hamlet of
Altona—two churches, a school, two mill complexes, a hotel, a temperance hall, and a store —
only half are still standing. Of these none are still in use as originally intended, and fully one is
fully occupied.
The public buildings that remain, along with a few of the older houses such as those built by
Abijah Jones and Joseph Monkhouse, are all that is left to tell us the story of this once
Mennonite-dominated area. Since this hamlet sits on the edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine—
which is to be preserved— it would be well to preserve as well those buildings which have
defined the area over many years. Perhaps if the Moraine becomes a place to visit—to view
the countryside and to walk the trails — once thriving hamlets like Altona will discover a new
purpose and a new life.
NOTES:
1 The story of the Reesor family migration has been told often. See, e.g.. Reesor Family in
Canada (2000), and Davies (1973).
2 Mills may have existed before 1850 at the north end of Lot 30, Concession 9. In
the 1851 Pickering Census under the name of Abraham Reesor two mills are described:
""1 Flouring Mill. Cost £300. Power to drive 2 run of stone. Produce about 200 bbls per annum.
"" and ""1 Saw Mill. Cost £50. Power to drive 1 saw. Produces about 100 m feet per annum.""
Attached to these entries is a note, probably for assessment purposes, that ""These are both
old mills, and are not at present worth scarcely of [sic] fraction of their original cost.""
If the mills predate Reesor just who built the mills and when is not now known. Reesor then
would not have been the creator of the mills, but the restorer only.
3 Rosenthal (1965). In the census of 1851 both Joseph and Thomas are described
as merchants. By that time the brothers had been joined in Pickering by their parents
John and Sarah.
4 Farewell (1907), pp. 16,145-150. Wood (1911).272-273.
5 Free Press (Stouffville), 1890.
6 McBurney and Byers (1987), p. 116. According to the Census of 1851 the innkeepers in
Uxbridge were: William Cooper, Joseph Finch, Joseph Galloway, William Gamble, Leonard
Long, George Metcalf, John P. Plank, and Henry Vanzant. Cooper. Galloway and Vanzant all
possessed an inn (and Vanzant's residence is described as a roadhouse). the others all
possessed a tavern. Gamble, Long and Vanzant were listed as farmers and Finch as a smith,
rather than innkeepers.
7 The two standard accounts of Upper Canada's inns are Guillet (1954-1962) and McBurney
and Byers (1987).
8 Census of 1851, p. 55, #1.
9 Lovell (1857); Assessment Rolls for Uxbridge, 1858-1866; Census of 1861; Conner and
Coltson (1869).
l0 Todd (1980), p. 35, n. 14. According to the Assessment Rolls. Brown worked at the
Altona Inn in 1865 for Mrs. Lindsay. In 1866 he is shown as the hotel keeper at Concession 3,
east Lot 18. He is listed as the owner of the Altona Inn in 1867 and again in 1869, but is also
shown as the owner of Concession 3, east Lot 18 (with David Armitage as the innkeeper).
11 McBurney and Byers (1987), pp. 4-5.
12 Fraser (1932), pp. 78-79.
13 Higgins (1887). p. 70.
14 Garland and Talman (1931), esp. p. 175; Guillet (1954-1962), esp. I, 54; McBurney and
Byers (1987).
15 Johnson(1973),p.217.
16 May 13,1859, as quoted in Johnson (1973).pp.218-219.
17 Johnson (1973). p. 219.
18 Todd (1980), p. 100. The Other licencees were Barnard Rowland and Jim Todd at
Goodwood. John Saunders at the Halfway House, and George Conway at Rothes.
19 Authority to issue licences resided first with the governor of the colony (to 1818),
then with the provincial magistrate (1818-1849), then with the municipal governments
(1849-1876), and finally with the provincial government (from 1876). McBurney and Byers
(1987),p. 5
20 Todd (1980), p. 184. The others were John Higgins and Jim Todd at Goodwood,
Lance Hutchinson at Rothes, and Ambrose Lewis at Glen Major.
21 A good summary of the temperance movement in Uxbridge Township may be found in
Todd (1980), and in Ontario County in Johnson (1973).
22 Gauslin (1974).p.207.
23 Joe Nighswander, pers. comm. One historian got even the name garbled referring to
""Luxey Brown"" (Reesor, n.d.)
24 News clipping, probably from the Stouffville Tribune, c 1953, as found in the Altona
Tweedsmuir History.
25 Assessment Rolls.
26 News clipping, probably from the Stouffville Tribune, 1951, as found in the Tweedsmuir
Histories. See also the Assessment Rolls for 1916 and 1917.
27 Much of the information about Madill comes from the Tweedsmuir Histories.
28 Allan MrGillivray. pers. comm.
29 Sabean (2000).
SOURCES
Altona Tweedsmuir Histories.
Assessment Rolls. Township of Uxbridge, 1859-1957. PAO.
Beers, J.H. 1877. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario, Ont. Toronto:
J.H. Beers.
Census Records, 1851-52,1861,1871, 1881.1891,1901. PAO.
Conner, J.C. and J.W. Coltson. 1869. The County of Ontario Directory for 1869-70.
Toronto: Conner and Coltson.
Davies, Blodwen. 1973. A String of Amber. The Story of the Mennonites in Canada.
Vancouver: Mitchell Press.
Dowswell, Gwen. N.d. ""History of Uxbridge Township.""
Farewell, J.E. 1907. County of Ontario. Whitby: Gazette-Chronicle Press.
Fraser, Alexander. 1932. Twenty-first Report of the Department of Public Records and
Archives of Toronto. Toronto: Herbert H. Ball.
Garland, M.A..& J.J. Talman. 1931. ""Pioneer Drinking Habits & the Rise of the Temperance
Agitation in Upper Canada Prior to 1840,"" Ontario Historical Society Papers & Records
27:341-364.
Gauslin, Lillian M. 1974. From Paths to Planes A Story of the Claremont Area. Claremont: The
Author
Guillet, Edwin C. 1954-1962. Pioneer lnns and Taverns. 5 vols. Toronto: The Author.
Higgins. WH. 1887. The Life and Times of Joseph Gould. Toronto: C. Blackett Robinson.
Johnson, Leo A. 1973. History of the County of Ontario 1615-1875. Whitby: Corporation of the
County of Ontario.
Lovell, John. 1857. The Canada Directory for 1857-58. Montreal: John Lovell.
McBurney Margaret and Mary Byers. 1987. Tavern in the Town: Early lnns and Taverns of
Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Reesor. Ida (Mrs. Barkis). N.d. ""Local History of Altona.""
Reesor Family in Canada. 2000. The Reesor Family in Canada. Markham: Genealogical
and Historical Society.
Rosenthal, Max 1965. ""Early Post Offices in Pickering Township"".
Sabean, John W. 2000."" Three Properties in the Hamlet of Altona.
Todd, Eleanor. 1980. Burrs and Blackberries from Goodwood. Goodwood: The Author.
Wood, William R. 1911. Past Years in Pickering. Toronto: Briggs.
30"
"Making Our Own History
Originally Ron Getz, our December 2000 speaker, put together his stories about the Rebellion of
1837 for the Pickering Museum Village. We asked him if he could reprise some of them for us.
He told us generally the story of the march to Montgomery's Tavern and of the role played by
Brougham resident Peter Matthews. But the greater part of his talk had to do with Randall Wixon,
a one-legged Baptist lay preacher who raised supporters for Mackenzie in Brock Township.
Wixon was an early follower of Mackenzie and ran the Colonial Advocate while Mackenzie was in
England in 1832. Wixon was imprisoned after the Rebellion and shipped to England to await trial
and transportation to Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). However, he was released on a writ of
habeas corpus and sent in exile to the United States.
We had put out an inquiry about the notorious Markham Gang that terrorized people in this area in
the 1840s. Eventually we were directed to Paul Arculus of Port Perry, who, it turns out, is writing a
book about the gang. Arculus came to speak to us in January 2001 and told us of his work in
progress. The Markham Gang was big news in the mid-1840s when they were arrested and put
on trial for their crimes, but historians did not keep the story alive and consequently few people
now have heard of the crime wave that plagued the early settlers.
To celebrate Black History Month in February we invited Dr. Colin McFarquhar to address us on
""The Black Experience in 19th Century Ontario."" Upper Canada had a slave history, but never
in large numbers, and slavery was abolished early in our history by the Act of 1793, and allowed
to gradually die out. Later in the 19th century, Upper Canada became a ""Safe Haven""
for former American slaves who escaped along the Freedom Trail. However, while Blacks
enjoyed a newfound freedom in Canada they still suffered from discrimination and prejudice.
McFarquhar told us about several black communities that developed in Southwestern Ontario
— the Dawn Institute near Dresden, the Refugee Home Society near Windsor, and the Elgin
Settlement in Kent County.
Our speaker for March was unable to come at the last minute, so we held an Open Session to
review our four-year history as a society and discuss some-issues pertaining to Pickering's
heritage.
In April, storyteller Sher Leetooze told us some unusual tales that she has gleaned from her
researches into the War of 1812. We heard about Mrs. Bates whose goods were stolen by
troops from her Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) boarding house. She went directly to the
commander to complain about her treatment and had her property returned. Of Laura Secord,
whose story has been much embroidered over the years, we heard the true story of our
Canadian heroine. These and other stories Leetooze told demonstrate how far from dry and
boring Canadian history really is.
Our Annual General Meeting was held in May. Tom has completed four years as our (first)
president. Vice-President John Sabean now moves up to take over the presidency. Tom was
elected Vice-President and Carol Sabean Treasurer. PTHS member Henry Gawman had
some interesting and amusing stories to tell about the War of 1812 — adding to those we
heard last month from Sher Leetooze. After Henry's talk we watched a recently made video
about St Anne's Anglican Church in Toronto. The interior of this church was decorated in a
Byzantine style in the 1920s under the direction of Group of Seven artist J.E.H. MacDonald.
It is a magnificent piece of work and part of our artistic heritage. Much of the decoration has
recently undergone renovation.
Our June speaker was Dave Savage who is an authority on the railways and railway stations of
Ontario. Savage has a large collection of photographs of railway stations, some of which he
showed us as part of a slide lecture. He himself has travelled widely in Ontario (and other parts
of Canada) to photograph and preserve the memory of these fast-disappearing specimens of
our heritage. Savage has produced a book on railway stations, Directory of Railway Stations of
Ontario, and plans to produce more.
Charles Taws, Curator of the Bowmanville Museum, helped to get our fifth year off to a great
start with his presentation on early Bowmanville at our September 2001 meeting.
Bowmanville began as a mill town and in its early years was known as Darlington Mills.
The earliest settlers in the area were the Burks who immigrated to Darlington Township in the
1790s with the Conants and the Trulls. Taws described how the town migrated from an earlier
site to its present location. The name Bowmanville was derived from businessman Charles
Bowman.
Our guest speaker for our October meeting was Alan Skeoch, a name known to many of our
members as a long-time commentator on Ontario's history for the CBC's Radio Noon.
Alan was a very popular teacher of history at Parkdale Collegiate Institute for over 30 years,
and served as a Director and President of the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers'
Association (OHASSTA). In 1999 he won the Governor General's Award for Outstanding
Teaching from Canada's National History Society. More recently he published a new history of
his hometown; Mississauga: Where the River Speaks. He related some of the stories from that
book.
Bessie Gannon has been very active in the Whitby-Oshawa Genealogical Society for quite a
number of years. For example, as a dedicated researcher she is one of those intrepid souls
who has spent much time in the reading of gravestones in the Region of Durham (including
Pickering) for the Ontario Genealogical Societies' cemetery inventories. For our November
meeting she conducted a genealogical seminar to help newcomers to get started on their
family histories.
31"
"Making Our Own History
Originally Ron Getz, our December 2000 speaker, put together his stories about the Rebellion of
1837 for the Pickering Museum Village. We asked him if he could reprise some of them for us.
He told us generally the story of the march to Montgomery's Tavern and of the role played by
Brougham resident Peter Matthews. But the greater part of his talk had to do with Randall Wixon,
a one-legged Baptist lay preacher who raised supporters for Mackenzie in Brock Township.
Wixon was an early follower of Mackenzie and ran the Colonial Advocate while Mackenzie was in
England in 1832. Wixon was imprisoned after the Rebellion and shipped to England to await trial
and transportation to Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). However, he was released on a writ of
habeas corpus and sent in exile to the United States.
We had put out an inquiry about the notorious Markham Gang that terrorized people in this area in
the 1840s. Eventually we were directed to Paul Arculus of Port Perry, who, it turns out, is writing a
book about the gang. Arculus came to speak to us in January 2001 and told us of his work in
progress. The Markham Gang was big news in the mid-1840s when they were arrested and put
on trial for their crimes, but historians did not keep the story alive and consequently few people
now have heard of the crime wave that plagued the early settlers.
To celebrate Black History Month in February we invited Dr. Colin McFarquhar to address us on
""The Black Experience in 19th Century Ontario."" Upper Canada had a slave history,
but never in large numbers, and slavery was abolished early in our history by the Act of 1793,
and allowed to gradually die out. Later in the 19th century, Upper Canada became a
""Safe Haven"" for former American slaves who escaped along the Freedom Trail. However,
while Blacks enjoyed a newfound freedom in Canada they still suffered from discrimination and
prejudice. McFarquhar told us about several black communities that developed in
Southwestern Ontario — the Dawn Institute near Dresden, the Refugee Home Society near
Windsor, and the Elgin Settlement in Kent County.
Our speaker for March was unable to come at the last minute, so we held an Open Session to
review our four-year history as a society and discuss some-issues pertaining to Pickering's
heritage.
In April, storyteller Sher Leetooze told us some unusual tales that she has gleaned from her
researches into the War of 1812. We heard about Mrs. Bates whose goods were stolen by
troops from her Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) boarding house. She went directly to the
commander to complain about her treatment and had her property returned. Of Laura Secord,
whose story has been much embroidered over the years, we heard the true story of our
Canadian heroine. These and other stories Leetooze told demonstrate how far from dry and
boring Canadian history really is.
Our Annual General Meeting was held in May. Tom has completed four years as our (first)
president. Vice-President John Sabean now moves up to take over the presidency.
Tom was elected Vice-President and Carol Sabean Treasurer. PTHS member Henry
Gawman had some interesting and amusing stories to tell about the War of 1812 —
adding to those we heard last month from Sher Leetooze. After Henry's talk we watched a
recently made video about St Anne's Anglican Church in Toronto. The interior of this church
was decorated in a Byzantine style in the 1920s under the direction of Group of Seven artist
J.E.H. MacDonald. It is a magnificent piece of work and part of our artistic heritage. Much of
the decoration has recently undergone renovation.
Our June speaker was Dave Savage who is an authority on the railways and railway stations of
Ontario. Savage has a large collection of photographs of railway stations, some of which he
showed us as part of a slide lecture. He himself has travelled widely in Ontario
(and other parts of Canada) to photograph and preserve the memory of these
fast-disappearing specimens of our heritage. Savage has produced a book on railway
stations, Directory of Railway Stations of Ontario, and plans to produce more.
Charles Taws, Curator of the Bowmanville Museum, helped to get our fifth year off to a
great start with his presentation on early Bowmanville at our September 2001 meeting.
Bowmanville began as a mill town and in its early years was known as Darlington Mills.
The earliest settlers in the area were the Burks who immigrated to Darlington Township in the
1790s with the Conants and the Trulls. Taws described how the town migrated from an earlier
site to its present location. The name Bowmanville was derived from businessman Charles
Bowman.
Our guest speaker for our October meeting was Alan Skeoch, a name known to many of our
members as a long-time commentator on Ontario's history for the CBC's Radio Noon.
Alan was a very popular teacher of history at Parkdale Collegiate Institute for over 30 years,
and served as a Director and President of the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers'
Association (OHASSTA). In 1999 he won the Governor General's Award for Outstanding
Teaching from Canada's National History Society. More recently he published a new history
of his hometown; Mississauga: Where the River Speaks. He related some of the stories from
that book.
Bessie Gannon has been very active in the Whitby-Oshawa Genealogical Society for quite a
number of years. For example, as a dedicated researcher she is one of those intrepid souls
who has spent much time in the reading of gravestones in the Region of Durham
(including Pickering) for the Ontario Genealogical Societies' cemetery inventories.
For our November meeting she conducted a genealogical seminar to help newcomers to get
started on their family histories.
31"