HomeMy WebLinkAbout2097A Brief History of Altona
by Joseph Nighswander
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.
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 of them 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
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 may be 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 east
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 l9th
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 O. 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.
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.