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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-00024"PICKERING TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY PATHMASTER •WINTER EDITION VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2• WHAT'S INSIDE Louise Richardson Rorke, a Quaker descendant of the Richardson family of Pickering Township, wrote three of her popular youth novels while she was resident in Pickering Village in the 1930s and 1940s. The Woodruffs were among the earliest settlers in Pickering Township and, as officeholders, entrepreneurs, and farmers, deserve some recognition as among the founders of the community. In a letter to friends, Annie Hodgson, a former student at Pickering College reminisces about her resident years at school. Alfred Bunker, railway engineer and naturalist, is remembered in an anecdote related by a longtime friend. Names in the News: Louise Richardson Rorke: ****** Children's Author and Journalist ***** by Kyle Jolliffe Illustration: Portrait of Louise Richardson Rorke, cl910, probably as principal of Thornbury Public school. The front page of the Pickering News for Friday, 29 July 1949, recorded the death of Louise Richardson Rorke the preceding Saturday. It was said that she and her sister Jessie had come from Toronto some years earlier and had built a comfortable home in the northeast section of the village. This house still exists, much altered, at 19 Sherwood Road East, Ajax. The obituary noted that while she had been the editor of The Canadian Teacher, retiring from that position in 1945, she was better known for her youth novels Lefty (described as 'very popular'), Sugar Shanty, and Lefty's Adventures. A fourth book, Black Vic, was published in the fall of 1949. Louise Rorke was born near Thornbury, Ontario (west of Collingwood and east of Meaford) on l7 August l878. Her father George Rorke had come to Grey County in the late 1840s, after his father's business in the Picton, Ontario area had failed. Louise's mother Elizabeth Richardson Rorke grew up in the Pickering area and during her childhood Louise frequently visited her many Richardson relatives in Pickering. A precious view of Louise Rorke's childhood comes from a diary she kept during one such visit to Pickering in 1889. A copy of this diary has been deposited in the Local History Room of the Pickering Central Library. She also drew upon childhood memories as well as family anecdotes for her story 'One Quaker Girl' about her grandmother Elizabeth Valentine's emigration from Ireland to Canada in 1832. This story was published in 1937 in The Canadian Countryman. After teaching at a country school near Thornbury, Louise enrolled in teacher's college at the Ontario Normal College in Hamilton. After obtaining her teaching certificate, she taught at the Norwich, Ontario Public School from 1899-1907. From 1907 to 1910 she was the principal of the five-room Thornbury Public School. In September 1910 she became the Associate Editor of The Canadian Teacher. Louise Rorke was a very prolific author. Besides her work for The Canadian Teacher and her children's books, she also wrote short stories, travel stories, local history, and devotional literature, which were published in various Canadian magazines. From 1936-1949 she was the editor of The Canadian Friend, the national magazine of Canadian Quakers. In 1920 Louise purchased from a relative for $250.00 a quarter-acre of land in Pickering Village, upon which she built a summer cottage. It was evidently a special place for her, as she named it Innisfree, evidently after the popular poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree' by the Irish author William Butler Yeats. It therefore seems certain that her lyric poem 'Prayer for a Little Cottage' is about Innisfree. It is a beautiful benediction, full of vivid images of nature and heartfelt prayers for the residents of the cottage. This poem is part of a collection of verse published in 1921 by members of the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Women's Press Club. In 1933 Louise Rorke and her sister Jessie left Toronto and moved permanently to Innisfree in Pickering. After their move to Pickering, both Louise and her sister took an active part in local activities. Louise was President of the local Women's Club, a member of the Pickering Women's Institute, a member of the United Church Women's Auxiliary and Women's Missionary Society, and taught a class of young women in the United Church Sunday School. Rorke was someone who through her way of living and writings manifested to others a practical" "Illustrations: - Jacket design for Rorke's final book, published posthumously by Thomas Nelson in 1949. - Title page from Rorke's first and most popular work of fiction for children. - Sketch of the Rorke cottage Innisfree drawn for a 1934 Christmas card, probably by Jessie Rorke. faith imbued with a warm and selfless spirit. When she died there were many tributes to her, covering her life as editor, short story writer, columnist, children's author and Quaker. The Pickering News noted that she would be very much missed by all ages in Pickering. The Pickering Women's Institute had a prayer in her memory at their next meeting. An especially poignant eulogy came from her friend Mona Purser, editor of ""The Homemaker' column in the Toronto Globe and Mail: 'Louise Richardson Rorke was the perfect answer to the child's prayer: ""Lord. make the Good People Nice and the Nice People Good."" She had humour, originality and human understanding combined with such selflessness and integrity as go to make up a rare and precious personality.' In 1999 the Durham District Board of Education honored Louise Rorke by giving her name to the library of the new Alexander Graham Bell School in Ajax, in recognition of her contribution to education. For those interested in learning more about Louise Rorke, 21 of her stories are published in Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh: Stories by Louise Richardson Rorke, edited with an introduction by the author of this article. Excerpt from Rorke's childhood diary of 1889, written when she was visiting her Pickering relatives. This excerpt may also be found in Jollifies edition of Rorke's stories. Thurs. 19... That afternoon we were sitting in Uncle Willie's covered buggy. Then Em got out and pulled me down towards the house and I got out and pulled it up with help from Emma, Emm and I got in the carriage and fastened up the shafts and then rode down hill and went straight for a tree. Emma said to let down the shafts but I thought it would be better not to. However she thought it would stop the carriage so I let my shaft down gradually, hers dropped quickest, stuck into the ground and broke. We were in a great fix however we went in and told Aunt Lou who sent us out to tell Uncle Willie who was working in the field. We ran up and put on our coats as it was very cold. We made up a little speech on the road but forgot it when we saw him. This is the conversation. Uncle W. — 'Well girls?' Em and I — Well Uncle Willie we have something to tell thee. We have broken thy buggy. Then I explained how it happened. I said we were sorry but he said ""That doesn't mend it does it.' We turned around and walked away a little piece. Then we turned around and came back. Emma asked how much it would cost that we would write home and ask for enough money to pay for it. He laughed very hard and said it was all right. Then Uncle Willie came to the house and took the carriage home and Aunt Sarah stayed all night. Prayer for a Little Cottage by Louise Richardson Rorke God of the restless, changing winds, And the high clouds that roam, And drifting aimless wraiths of mist, Grant us here a home. God of the strong and sweeping winds, And of keen, mounting fires, And swift wings beating to the blue. Grant as brave desires. God of the lightning running free, And the loud thunder's song, And all the splendid, storm-swept world, Grant us to be strong God of the depths of star-lit night And the tall, whispering trees, And fields of asters drenched with rain. Grant us steadfast peace. God of the sunrise barred with gold, And the broad fields of dew, And far roads reaching to the world, Grant us work to do. God of our garden's ordered grace, Of its hedge flowers a-foam, And of our hearth-fire's gleam and gloom, Grant us here a home. LAST ISSUE'S What's it? ANSWER: This wicker household tool is a carpet beater. For cleaning, carpets were rolled up, taken outside, draped over a line and beaten to remove the dust. Illustration from Eleanor Todd, Burrs and Blackberries from Goodwood,1980. THIS ISSUE'S What's it? About 50 cm long and made of wood and metal with a rawhide loop for hanging, this tool would have been found in the shop of one of our early village industries. 10" "A FAMILY HISTORY The Woodruff Family of Pickering by John w. Sabean Illustration: Woodruff-MacKenzie house, c 1984. Heritage Pickering has been researching the Woodruff family for the purposes of obtaining a heritage designation for a house built in the 1850s by a member of the family. The house, which HP refers to as the Woodruff-MacKenzie house, after its first and its most recent tenants, is at 2935 Brock Road (northeast corner of Brock and Taunton)—Lot 18, Concession 4; it was built by Hawkins Woodruff, grandson of the pioneer of the same name. This article is a summary of what we have learned to date. Fortunately, we were greatly aided in our research by the recent publication of Sybil Stirling's book: To a House in Whitby: The Lynde Family Story 1600 to 1900. All of the early history of the Woodruffs and much of the Canadian material is based on her work. The progenitor of the Woodruff family in North America was Matthew Woodruff (1616-1682). Matthew emigrated from Cambridge, England, to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century, and later removed to Farmington, Connecticut, being one of the organizers of that town. The next three generations of the Woodruff family lived out their lives in Farmington: Matthew (1646-1691), Samuel (1677-1732), and James (1708-1789). James Woodruff married Lydia Curtis (1721-1810). Their son Hawkins Woodruff (1750-1813) was born in Farmington, 20 October 1750. Hawkins married Lois Hills in Winchester, Connecticut, 4 June 1773, and they bought a farm and resided in Winchester until at least 1777. Clarissa, their first child was born there. She married Jabez Lynde in 1796, in Winchester Centre. During the American Revolutionary War, Hawkins served the king as a private in Col Hinman's regiment in 1775, in Capt Curtis' company, and in Lt Col Mead's battalion in 1779. In 1780 he served in the 15th Regiment of Militia under Col Noadiah Hooker. He also saw service at Fort Ticonderoga. Possibly because of his service with the British forces Hawkins moved his family several times over the next few years, but eventually settled in Litchfleld Township, Herkimer County, New York. From there he immigrated finally to Upper Canada in 1803. According to Stirling, Woodruff's name is on the Pickering Survey Plan of l802.1 Clarissa and Jabez Lynde came with the Woodruffs and lived for a time in the Woodruffs' log cabin. It was then that their third child, Hawkins Woodruff Lynde, was born. Eventually, the Lyndes moved on to Whitby where they were among the earliest settlers of that town, settling on Lot 31, Concession 2. 2 In the year 1805, the York Gazette reported a story concerning the Woodruffs and their neighbours, the Mungers: 'Heroic action of an Upper Canada woman, Mrs. Munger, of Duffin's Creek, in the township of Pitcairn [sic], 23 miles from York, hearing her neighbor, Mrs. Woodruff, holler out for help, immediately took down her husband's gun and ran to her assistance; when she arrived ther she was informed that a very large bear had taken off a sow into the bush. His route being shown her this heroine immediately pursued and found the destroyer in the act of devouring the sow; upon which she rested her gun on a stump and shot Bruin through the head. On weighing the bear it proved to be the largest that had been killed in that township.'3 V.B. Blake identifies Mrs. Woodruff as Charity Powell, wife of Hawkins' son Noadiah, but in fact, Noadiah and Charity were not married until 1809.4 This is clearly a story about Lois Hills Woodruff, wife of Hawkins. The story may provide us with information as to where Hawkins Woodruff had built his cabin. The Mungers had leased Lot 16, Concession 2 from 1801. The properties for which we have a record relating to Hawkins are: Lot 12, Concession 2 (a Clergy Reserve), which he petitioned to lease in 1804, but was not confirmed until 1810, and Lots 21 in the Broken Front and First Concession (Crown Reserves) which he petitioned to lease in 1807, but did not receive confirmation until 1812.5 These, however, would have been too distant for Mrs. Munger to have heard Mrs. Woodruff calling for help. It seems more likely that the Woodruffs were on either Lot 16 or Lot 17. Blake says that Noadiah Woodruff lived just west of the Mungers, but still on Lot 16, and that he moved to Lot 17 after he purchased it in 1813. His father might very well have occupied these locations previously. From his home, Hawkins Woodruff ran a tavern from 1806 to his death on 1 January 1813. The Minutes of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the Home District record him as applying for a tavern licence toward the end of December 1805 and again at the end of December 1811. 6 Eli Playter, who was a lieutenant in the Third Regiment of York Militia, had charge of the Whitby Company (of which Jabez Lynde was a member) at the beginning of the War of 1812. In his diaries Playter frequently mentions Woodruff's Tavern, as he travelled to and from York to drill his company or call them to muster.7 Woodruff served as Collector and Assessor for the Township of Pickering in 1806, and as Pathmaster in 1807. He also did jury duty in 1807,1809, and 1811. 8 McKay does not mention a Hawkins Woodruff in his book The Pickering Story, but he does relate the standard story about the origins of Noadiah Woodruff: 'Noadiah was born in Pennsylvania about 1783 and came to Pickering with the Friends settlement.'9 We now know, however, that that story was based more on guesswork then on fact. In the year 1805, Hawkins Woodruff took the Oath of Allegiance required of all immigrants to Upper Canada. He described himself in this way: 'HAWKINS WOQDRUFF late of New York State, a Presbyterian hazel Eyes Dark hair, five feet Seven inches high, a Joiner by Trade, Fifty five Years old, having taken the Oath of Allegiance, Do Subscribe the Same at York the 23d of April 1805.' 10 The Woodruffs were not from Pennsylvania and were not originally Quakers. As will be seen later, some of Hawkins' children did join with the Friends Society after they immigrated to Upper Canada, but there is no evidence that Hawkins ever became a 11" "Illustration: Woodruff - MacKenzie house, 2000. Quaker. In any case the Woodruffs were living in Pickering well before the Quaker settlement began with Timothy Rogers. Hawkins and Lois Hills Woodruff had seven children: Clarissa, Noadiah, Melinda, Beulah, Lauren, Elizabeth, and Zelotes Harvey. Hawkins died on 1 January 1813. Although he was 63 years old when he died he had not prepared a will. Noadiah, his eldest son, had to petition the government to administer his father's estate."" We have no record of where he was buried. Clarissa Woodruff (1774-1830), Hawkins' first child, had married Jabez Lynde (1773-1856) in 1796, as we have seen. The Lyndes had come to Upper Canada with the Woodruffs, but settled finally in Whitby. They must have built a log house at first, but in 1810 they erected a frame house. This house is still standing, although it has been moved from its original location along the Kingston Road to Cullen Gardens, on Taunton Road in Whitby, where it serves as a museum. The only mill available to them to supply sawn lumber was Timothy Rogers' mill in what was to become Pickering Village. Perhaps it was this association with Timothy Rogers and the Quaker community that led Clarissa to join the Friends Society. Jabez, himself, apparently did not join the Quakers, but both Clarissa and her husband are buried in the Friends (Hicksite) Cemetery in Ajax.12 Noadiah Woodruff (1778-1862), eldest son of Hawkins and Lois Woodruff, was born in Farmington, Connecticut, and came with his parents to Upper Canada in 1803. In 1809, he married Charity Powell, a member of one of the Quaker families that Timothy Rogers had invited to Pickering Township. With that association, Noadiah, himself, joined the Friends Society. In 1813, shortly after his father's death, he purchased Lot 17, Concession 2, and there ran a tavern in succession to his father, from 1813 to 1818. McKay (1961) says: 'It is said that the soldiers passing between Toronto and Kingston at the time of the War of 1812 were entertained at the home of Noadiah Woodruff.'13 Noadiah served the nascent community in a number of ways. In 1807, he was appointed a Constable for the Home District. He was appointed a Pathmaster at Pickering's first separate town meeting in 1811, and reappointed to the same position in 1815, 1816,1824.He was Town Warden in 1820; Collector in 1821,1825, and 1828; and Assessor in 1826, 1827, and l829. 14 Among Noadiah's children were: Powell, who built the Brougham Central Hotel; Nelson, a co-owner of Woodruff, Bentley and Company, a patent medicine manufacturer in Brougham — more usually associated with the name of William Bentley, builder of the well-known Bentley House in Brougham; Elizabeth, wife of William Bentley, and Hawkins (of whom more below). Noadiah died in 1862. His burial site is unknown. The Tremaine Map of 1860 (just 2 years before his death) shows him in possession of the southernmost parts of Lots 17 and 18, Concession 2. In 1807, Melinda Woodruff (1781-1838), third child of Hawkins and Lois, married Jordan Post, Jr. (1767-1845), the son of Jordan Post and Abigail Loomis. Post was born in Hebron, Connecticut, and immigrated to Upper Canada about 1782. He was a watch and clock maker, silversmith and jeweler, who was well established in York. He was also a large landowner in York and elsewhere. He owned the whole block from King Street to Wellington Street, between Bay Street and Yonge Street. He laid out the streets through his property, naming one Melinda and another Jordan—names they bear to this day.15 In 1834, Jordan and Melinda moved to Scarborough. Jordan bought 500 acres of land and built a sawmill on Highland Creek. He also kept a general store. Melinda died in 1838; Jordan in 1845. They are both buried in the Methodist Cemetery, Highland Creek. One of their sons was named Woodruff; their other children: Desdemona, Sophronia, Jordan, Melinda, Maria Clarissa. Hawkins' daughter Beulah (b. 1783) married Paul Hayward in 1803, in Oneida County, New York. By April 1804, the Haywards were living in York from which Hayward acted as agent for Hawkins when he petitioned for a lease of Lot 12, Concession 2, in Pickering.16 In 1810, Hawkins' son Lauren (or Lawrence, 1788-1874) Woodruff was appointed a Constable in the Home District for Pickering Township.17 In July 1811, he did Jury duty with his father, Jabez Lynde, Thomas Matthews (father of Peter Matthews), and others. The next year he saw service in the War of 1812, in Capt. Bigger's Company of Canadian Volunteers. Shortly thereafter he moved to the United States and lived his life out there.18 Just 2 1/2 months after Melinda married Jordan Post, her sister Elizabeth, known as Betsy Woodruff (b. 1791), married John Carr (or Kerr) of Darlington. The marriage is recorded in Belden (1878): 'Twenty-first April, 1807, John Carr, of Darlington, to Betsy Woodruff, of Pickering; with the written consent of her father. Present, Norris Carr and wife, James Burke and wife, and Mr. Woodruff's son.'19 In 1816, the Carrs purchased land in Oshawa from Jabez Lynde (Betsy's brother-in-law) and settled on it, which, according to one historian, made them 'the first bona fide settler[s] in the original village of Oshawa.'20 John built a distillery and ran a tavern from his house. They sold the farm in 1829 to James Hall and moved to Pickering where John took over his brother-in-law Noadiah's tav- 12" "Illustrations: - Harvey Woodruff's memorial stone in the Woodruff Cemetery. - Annie Woodruff's memorial stone in the Woodruff Cemetery. ern licence.21 When Jabez Lynde made a claim for his (1812) wartime expenses, affidavits were sworn by his brothers-in-law Noadiah Woodruff and John Carr.22 The youngest child of Hawkins and Lois Woodruff was Zelotes Harvey (cl796-1867), who usually went by the name of Harvey. As a lad he was one of the first students of Dr. George Okill Stuart (afterwards Archdeacon of Kingston) at the Home District School, the first public school in York (opened 1 June 1807).23 He probably lived with his aunt and uncle, Melinda and Jordan Post. Harvey married Ann Lamoreaux (1799-1857),a member of the Loyalist Huguenot L'Amoreaux family that settled in Scarborough. They settled on Lot 18, Concession 2.24 According to the censuses of 1851 and 1861 he was a farmer by occupation and a Quaker by religious affiliation. Harvey and Ann had 11 children. Both Zelotes Harvey and his wife Ann are buried in the Woodruff Cemetery on the east side of Brock Road (opposite Centennial Park; Lot 18, Concession 2). Theirs are the only two existing stones in the cemetery. They read as follows: 'Zelotes H. Woodruff. Died Oct. 4, 1867. Aged 71 Years.' 'Annie Wife of Harvey Woodruff. Born Feb. 4, 1799. Died Aug. 6, 1857.' The younger Hawkins Woodruff (1812-1878), son of Noadiah Woodruff and Charity Powell, was born on 16 April 1812, in Pickering. Sometime before 1837, he married Mary Tool (1817-1906), the daughter of John Tool and Catherine Wurts. Mary was born in Pine Orchard, Whitchurch Township, and moved as a child to Pickering Township. Hawkins grew up on Lot 17, Concession 2, which was his father's land, and was still living there in 1837 with his wife.25 Their first child, Elizabeth, was born there about 1837. In 1845, Hawkins purchased 50 acres (N 1/2 of S 1/2) of Lot 17, Concession 4 from John Simcoe Macaulay, a Toronto businessman and politician. Four years later he purchased the adjacent 50 acres of Lot 18 from Chief Justice John Elmsley. It was on the latter lot, which fronts onto Brock Road, that he chose to build his home. According to the 1851 census, the Woodruffs were living in a log house, but by the 1861 census they had built a l l/2 storey stone house. That house is the one which still stands today. The household in 1851 consisted of nine people: Hawkins, his wife Mary, and seven children ranging in ages from 14 to one. At the next census in l861,the family had grown to 12 people: Hawkins and Mary, 9 children, and a 29-year-old labourer, Adam Tool, probably a nephew of Mary's. Another son was born in October of that year. They had 12 children in all. When the 1871 census was taken, Hawkins was now 60 years old. He was still living on Lot 18, Concession 4. There were still eight people in the household—he, his wife and six children, the youngest of which was a granddaughter, Selena, age 4. Hawkins was a farmer, according to the census reports. By religious affiliation he was a Quaker. He died on 7 June 1878 and was buried in the Friends Cemetery, Pickering Village. His wife Mary lived until 1906, and was buried beside him. On the Tremaine Map (1860), Hawkins Woodruff's name appears across the N 1/2 of the S 1/2 of Lots 17 and 18, Concession 4. The Beers Atlas (1877) shows an A. Woodruff on Lot 18, Con 4, but this was undoubtedly a slip of the pen. The Goad Map (1895) shows a Mrs. H. Woodruff on the same property. The Woodruff family, one of the first to settle Pickering, survived in the township for more than a century. Members of the family, serving as they did in many official capacities, may be numbered among the founders of the community. They were also related by marriage to a number of other prominent families of Scarborough, Pickering and Whitby, such as the Lyndes, Posts, Tools, and Lamoreaux. It is important for the City of Pickering that it remember and commemorate its forebears. One way to accomplish that with regard to the Woodruffs would be to preserve some remnant of their heritage—like having one of their homes designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. NOTES: 1 Stirling(1998), p. 86. 2 Ibid, p. 91. 3 RDHP Report (1956),p. 32; McKay (1961), p. 33. 4 RDHP Report (1956), p. 32. 5 PAO:U.C. Land Petitions (RG1.L3, vols. 544 (a) and 545): C-2967, pp. 33,36, 59,78; and Pickering Township Papers (RG1 C-IV), MS 658, Reel 393,pp. 59,61,63,65,353, 481,490' 732. See also Ridout Map (1823). 6 Fraser (1933),pp. 79,204. 7 PAO: MS 87—31 August -18 October 1812. 8 Fraser, pp. 91,104,110,145,190. 9 McKay (1961), p. 228. 10 York Pioneer (l963),21. 11 PAO: Wills (RG22):MS 638 Reel 71. 12 Friends (Hicksite) Cemetery lists. 13 McKay, p. 228. 14 Fraser,p. 104; Beers (1877), p. ix; PAO: Minutes of Pickering Township Council, 1811-1876. 15 Scadding(1966),p. 51; Scarborough Historical Notes, p. 13. 16 PAO: U.C. Land Petitions (RG1, L3, vol. 545): C-2967,p. 59. 17 Fraser,p. 159. 18 Stirling, p. 148. 19 P. iii. 20 Hood(1978),p.26. 21Kaiser(1921),p. 21; Stirling,p. 97. 22 Stirling, p. 107. 23 Scadding(1873),p. 104. 24 Walton (1837); Census of 1861. 25 Walton(1837). ? ?????????? REFERENCES: PAO = Public Archives of Ontario. Beers, J.H. 1877. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario, Ont. Belden, H. 1878. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Counties of Northumberland and Durham. Census Records, Ontario County, 1851, 1861,1871,1891,1901. Eli Playter Diaries. PAO: MS 87. Fraser, A. 1933. Twenty-first Report of the Department of Pub 11 c Records and Archives of Ontario, 1932. Toronto. Goad, C.E. 1895. 'Map of the Township of Pickering, Ontario County, Canada.' Hood, M. M. 1978. Oshawa 'The Crossing between the Waters'. Oshawa. Kaiser, T.E. 1921. Historic Sketches of Oshawa. Oshawa. McKay, W. A. 1961. The Pickering Story. Pickering. 'Minutes of the Pickering Township Council, 1811-1876'.PAO:MS 281 (1). 'Oaths of Allegiance', York Pioneer(1963), 20-30. 'Pickering Township Papers'. PAO: RG 1 C-IV. ""The Post Family and Scarborough Connections,' Scarborough Historical Notes and Comments 11(1):12-15. Ridout, T. 1823. Plan of the Township of Pickering. PAO: RG1-100, C-38 (A.23). Rouge, Duffin, Highland, Petticoat Valley Conservation Report. 1956. Toronto. Scadding, H. 1873. Toronto of Old. Toronto. Scadding, H. 1966. Toronto of Old. Ed. F.H. Armstrong. Toronto. Stirling, S.C.L. 1998. To a House in Whitby: The Lynde Family Story. Oshawa. Tremaine, G.C. 1860. Tremaine's Map of the County of Ontario. Toronto. Upper Canada Land Petitions. PAO: RG 1, L 3, vols. 544 (a), 545. Walton, G. 1837. The City of Toronto and the Home District Commercial Directory and Register. Toronto. Wood, W.R. 1911. Past Years in Pickering. Toronto. 13" "A Fond Look Back Memories of Pickering College by Annie A. Hodgson Annie Hodgson was a student at Pickering College at the turn of the last century. She was not a local girl, but came from Manitoba whence her family had moved in the 1880s from Sunbury, Ontario. She and her family were members of the Friends Society. The letter below was written just a year or so after she returned to Manitoba from her residence in Pickering and gave her a chance to reminisce about student life at the college. In the following year she married Jacob Clinton Whetter. We thank her granddaughter Darlene B. Cox of Northfield, Minnesota, for sharing this letter with us and allowing us to publish it in this form. Illustrations: - Portrait of Annie A. Hodgson, C1903. - Seated at the piano is music teacher Miss McKinnon. Behind her is Ella Wood. Annie Hodgson is the woman at the right. The other two are unidentified. Hartney, MB December 28, 1904 My Very Dear Friends, Almost a month has past since this little book came to me. I had never dreamed of keeping it so long but I know you'll pardon me when I tell you I have been very, very busy of late. I had not learned anything of this when I left college but on first hearing about it, I thought it a capital idea. I enjoyed reading Walter's letter so much. I fancied I could hear him laughing as he used to in years gone by. And as I read my dear music teachers' letter it brought back to my memory those times when Mr. Chapman and I sat and longed for that red rose she wore in her hair. Do you think I enjoyed Mr. Chapman's letter? It is needless to say that I did. For how could I not enjoy reading the letter from our old head of the table who was always so happy and free. Some days have been dark and dreary since I left Dear Old Pickering College. I miss the old faces so much more than I can tell you. But although we are severed far apart, the faces are still fresh in my memory. If I sit down for a few moments my thoughts always turn back to the happy days I spent there; the walks Ella and I experienced down that long green lane—which was sometimes called, 'Lovers' Lane'. One thing I disliked at the college was the old rising bell. Oh, I can hear it ringing in my ears now! But still, there was something pleasant about its' ring, especially when it rang for study hour to begin. Those dear old study hours I will never forget. Table number one certainly had an exceedingly happy company around it. There was nothing to mar our happiness except the sad face of Mr. Chapman on a Monday morning, who had not been able to get out the preceeding day. This did not happen very often. We always had something to keep us laughing and our neighbors, Table number two, would look at us in wonder. We almost frightened them! I almost find myself laughing now, as I remember how we used to behave ourselves. It is over eight months since I bid farewell to my classmates and the College. The time has past very slowly since than. I spent a very busy summer at my prairie home. I did not have many holidays. I was left alone part of the time to cook for ten hungry men and to do the housework besides. My leisure time always came just after tea in the evening. Then perhaps I would steal away to some quiet spot where I could meditate on past scenes. As Mr. Chapman used to say, ""There are times when one likes to be alone'. I think that is very true, especially when I had been working hard all day. These western prairies of mine are subject to high winds; there is hardly a day without wind. Of course, some days there is not the least bit. One day I have singled out from all the rest was one day with not a breath of wind—a very peculiar day. The sky was heavy with black clouds but no rain fell. The atmosphere was very close; not a flower nor a blade of grass on the vast prairie seemed to be stirring. I could not stay indoors this day but outside I must go to see what nature had in store for me. I could not tell you how happy I felt as I wandered up and down the well beaten path which led from my home to the little church across the way. All cares vanished. As I sat down on a large boulder to rest, I seemed to see the faces of my college friends around me. What a merry company we were! Fred was trying to tell me something but I could not understand him. It may have been about the lock of hair he had in his pocket. Ella was apparently singing a little ditty; I think it was 'Starry Night'. Walter and Mr. Chapman were wrapped up in some fish story which Mr. Hainan had told them the day before. Miss McKinnon was there also — but without the red rose in her hair. It had withered and died. Charlie was sitting off by himself trying to recall some name that had vanished from his mind. Ah! Where was Mr. Hainan? He had just gone home and would be back in a short time to join us. But before he came back I was startled and rose to my feet only to hear the voice of my mother calling me. How long I had been there, I do not know. But it did not seem long to me. I had enjoyed that dream more than I would have enjoyed the dinner I missed. The only thing that troubled me was having to go before the scene finished. There were not many days like that one. But each such day was precious. Thus the time passed, summer into autumn, autumn into winter, and now the beginning of a new year. The old year with all its joy and sorrow has gone, never to return. We have only to look back and see if we are any better for living the last year, if we went about making others happy or if we folded our arms and sat down wearing a long face while our friends wondered why we were so sad when we had no reason to be. I hope this New Year will prove to be one filled full of happiness and success for all those whom this may concern, and especially to the one who is next to receive it. May each one at the close of the year look back with a grateful heart at the good deeds they accomplished. I must not weary you of this uninteresting epistle any longer. So, with the kindest regards to all, I remain, Your affectionate college friend, Annie A. Hodgson 14" "Alfred H. Bunker, Railway Engineer & Naturalist by Gerry Bennett Illustrations: -Alf Bunker conducting a field trip for the Oshawa Field Naturalists' Club in the 1950s. - Bunker drove not only mammoth, panting steam engines, but a lilliputian model as well in his back yard at 'Happy Nook.' Alf Bunker was a railway engineer by vocation and a keen naturalist by interest. He was born in Manchester, England, in 1894, and moved to Toronto with his family in 1902. From the 1930s for many years he maintained a cottage in Pickering which he named 'Happy Nook.' He spent much of his summer there as well as weekends throughout the year. Eventually he moved his residence to Happy Nook in 1954. He died in 1975. The anecdote below is an excerpt from Gerry Bennett's, Wild Birdwatchers I Have Known, published in 1977. Alf Bunker was truly a character. He was a birder, bander, photographer, storyteller and comedian. You never knew what to expect from Alf. He once tried to make a guy apologize for something he'd said in one of Alf's dreams. Years ago (more than I care to admit) the Ashbridge's Bay area of Toronto attracted thousands of shore birds each fall. Some of us used to visit the spot on our lunch hours. You could park right at the edge of the marsh, eat your lunch in the car and add two or three good species to your year's list, all in the space of an hour. A railway spur line ran along the south edge of the marsh. Alf was a railway engineer. One noon hour, in the days when steam locomotives were still in use, we were looking over the bay and Alfie was there with his binoculars doing the same thing. When our time was up, and we were getting in our cars to drive away, we were astounded when Alf said, 'Got to get back now,' and climbed onto a mammoth, panting steam engine, parked on the rail siding, and drove off. EDITOR'S NOTE: As you will note, this issue of Pathmaster is dated WINTER EDITION 2000, but you are receiving it in the winter of 2001. Obviously, we are a year behind schedule. There are a number of reasons for our tardiness, the most significant being that the editor and designer were fully engaged in producing the recently (November 2000) published pictorial history of Pickering: Time Present and Time Past. We thank you all for your patience and promise that we will endeavour to catch up as quickly as possible by publishing an issue about every other month until the cover date corresponds with the calendar date. In order to have enough material to keep to that schedule we need your submissions of material—articles, reviews, questions, photographs, original sources. Please send us whatever you have. In our previous issue of volume 3 we put out a number of queries regarding interesting stories we had heard and wanted more information about. With one of them we have received a number of responses and are beginning to flesh out quite a story indeed. The Stoutenburgh Gang, it appears, was but a small part of a much larger operation, known as the Markham Gang, a loosely-formed organization, but with strict rules, that terrorized settlers in the 1840s over an area stretching westward into Michigan and south as far as Pennsylvania. Eventually we contacted Paul Arculus of Port Perry who, coincidentally, has been researching the Markham Gang for some time and is preparing a book which he hopes to publish in about a year's time. We had Paul as our speaker in January 2001 to get a taste of the research he has completed to date. The story is an intriguing one. Stay tuned for more information. 15" "Making Our Own History Bill Lishman, sculptor and bird migration researcher, known to many as 'Father Goose,' was born in Pickering Township and lived here for many years until the airport fiasco led him to find a new home. But Bill's knowledge of Pickering's history of the last half century is extensive. At our well-attended September meeting Lishman told us about his personal experiences as an artist and as an airport protester in the 1960s and early 1970s, as well as his efforts in more recent years to teach Canada Geese to migrate—an enterprise which has brought him wide renown. Many people have heard about the World War II spy camp known as Camp X on the border between Whitby and Oshawa, but few know many details about its history. In fact, it takes a determined researcher to learn anything significant since so much of the camp's activity is still shrouded in secrecy. Lynn-Philip Hodgson, our October speaker, is an indefatigable researcher and has recently published Inside-Camp X, which delineates the story of the spy camp and its inhabitants. Hodgson told us many of the stories he has uncovered and also clarified some of the already-known stories about such figures as Ian Fleming and Igor Gouzenko. This was our largest attendance to date-about 130 people. Obviously, this story is a very popular one. A year ago Sybil C. Lynde Stirling published a history of the Lynde family of Whitby: To a House in Whitby. While the book deals primarily with the Lyndes, it also covers much of the history of the Woodruff family of Pickering to whom they were related. At our November meeting Stirling read some of the chapters of her book and related the early history of the Woodruffs and Lyndes, who were among the earliest settlers of Pickering and Whitby. Coming events: General Meetings of the Pickering Township Historical Society Day: Second Tuesday of the month, September through June Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: East Shore Community Centre, 910 Liverpool Rd. FALL & WINTER SCHEDULE Tuesday, 12 September 2000 Guest Speaker: Katrina Pyke For 'Heritage Night' Heritage Pickering will launch its scale model of Whitevale village, Karen Emmink will tell us what's new in the History Room at the Central Library, and Katrina Pyke will discuss the background to the Pickering Museum Village's 'Spirit Walk.' Tuesday, 10 October 2000 Guest Speaker: Kyle Jolliffe Kyle Jolliffe will read from his recently published book on Louise Richardson Rorke, and discuss Rorke's life. Tuesday, 14 November 2000 Guest Speaker: Harvey Medland Returning for a second visit, Harvey Medland will add to his Tombstone Tales, some of which he has now published in book form. Tuesday, 12 December 2000 Guest Speaker: Ron Getz The Rebellion of 1837, and especially the role Randall Wixon played in it, will be the subject of Ron's storytelling. Tuesday, 9 January 2001 Guest Speaker: Paul Arculus Paul Arculus is writing a book about the Markham Gang and will give us a report on his research to date. Tuesday, 13 February 2001 Guest Speaker: Dr. Colin McFaquar February is Black History Month and Dr. McFaquar will address us regarding the Black experience in nineteenth-century Ontario. PICKERING TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY Editor: John Sabean Editorial Assistants: John Cormier Tom Mohr Design: John Cormier Hands On Art & Design Pathmaster is the newsletter of the Pickering Township Historical Society and is issued quarterly: September, December, March, and June. Address correspondence to PTHS, c/o 842 Naroch Blvd., Pickering, Ontario, L1W 1S9 or c/o 928 Reytan Blvd., Pickering, Ontario, L1W 1Y7. Fax:(905) 831-2201. E-mail: johnsabean@home.com. Board of Directors: Honourary Presidents: Dr. William McKay Robert Miller President: Tom Mohr 839-1221 Vice President: John Sabean 831-3811 Recording & Corresponding Secretary: Temporarily vacant Membership Secretary: Anne Bridge 649-5473 Treasurer: Tony Poirier 839-6885 Advocacy & Preservation Chair: Jerry Paris 839-5474 Publications Chair: Temporarily vacant 16"