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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-00023"PICKERING TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY PATHMASTER FALL EDITION VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 WHAT'S INSIDE The house names at the Valley Farm Public School—Palmer, Clarendon, Ross, and Conacher— reveal a rich history in one small section of Pickering Township. A CNE exhibition of old farm implements, collected and displayed by the William Clark family of Greenwood, inspired Thoreau MacDonald to produce a book on pioneer tools. In September a reunion was held at the Altona Public School which prompted one former student to compile the school's history. In this issue Pathmaster initiates a column of inquiries— items about which we would like to know more. Does anyone have information about the Stoutenburgh gang, about signal systems set up on the ridges in wartime, or about a canal proposed to connect the Rouge River with Lake Simcoe, over the ridges? Pickering has had its share of UFO sightings. What are we to make of them ? PTHS President Tom Mohr tells us why we should be vigilant. Palmer, Clarendon, Ross, and Conacher: What are they doing at Valley Farm Public School? by Gayle P. C. Quintilian Illustration: The chimney is all that's left of the former Victor Ross cabin in the Duffin's Creek valley. At a glance, the City of Pickering, with its profusion of housing developments, strip malls, municipal offices and numerous donut shops, appears to be no more than a bedroom community for Toronto. When you scratch the surface, however, you will discover a unique history. Valley Farm Public School opened in 1989. The name of the school itself brings to mind the agricultural past of the community. The school is located in the subdivision between Valley Farm Road and Brock Road, north of Finch Avenue. Valley Farm Road once led to 'Valley Farm', close to Duffin's Creek. A significant acknowledgement of the history of the community can be found in the school's names for their house system. Many schools divide their students into four 'houses,' named Red House, Blue House and so on. At Valley Farm Public School, the first principal and teachers chose the house names Palmer, Clarendon, Ross, and Conacher. For students at this school, the history of this small corner of the former Pickering Township comes alive. Members of the Palmer family were among Pickering's early settlers. Clarendon is the title of an English Earl with a link to this area. Victor Ross, and then his son Forbes, were major landowners here. Charles Conacher, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had a summer home at Valley Farm. Take a step back in time to discover close to two hundred years of Pickering history in the vicinity of Valley Farm Public School. The James Palmer family came to Canada from the United States and settled in Scarborough some time around 1800.1 Two sons of James, Sherwood and John, moved to the second concession of Pickering Township where they farmed land in lots 20,21, and 22. Sherwood Palmer settled on lot 20, where the school is now located, and he had the original patent on the land. Sherwood's stone farmhouse is still standing (now at the end of Wildwood Crescent), and has been designated as a heritage home. Palmer children and grandchildren eventually took over the farms: Isaac, James L, Charles S., Harriet Decker, George M., James A." "Illustration: Ross memorial stone in cemetery of St. George's Anglican Church, Pickering Village. These lots stayed in the Palmer family into the 1900s. A gem in Pickering history still remains at the end of Liverpool Road, north of Finch Avenue. A sign at the gate reads 'Manresa Retreat House, Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre.' The name 'Manresa' is derived from the place in Spain where St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, first went into retreat in 1533. Since 1949, this large property has been a Jesuit retreat for priests and lay people. Prior to being purchased by the Jesuit Fathers, the Manresa property passed through an intriguing series of owners, which included an English Earl. In 1912, Lord Hyde, son of the Earl of Clarendon, and his brother-in-law Lord Somers conceived a grand scheme for an English-style estate in Canada. Their plans included building a mansion, carriage house, riding stable, servants' quarters and large dog kennels. This Pickering estate was named Clarendon Wood and Lord and Lady Hyde, Lord Somers, and Lord Somers-Cocks lived in the old stone farm house on the property until their new eighteen-room home was ready to occupy in the summer of 1914. Among the distinguished visitors to Clarendon Wood were the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Princess Patricia. The 'Pickering Royalty' had lived in their new home only ten weeks when World War I broke out and duty called them back to England. They left Canada and their country estate. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Warren acted as caretakers of the property for the next eight years. When his father died in 1914, Lord Hyde became the sixth Earl of Clarendon. He died in 1955 at the age of 78. By then he had been Lord Chamberlain to King George VI and Governor General of South Africa. Baron Somers, who died in 1944, had been the Governor of Victoria, Australia. In 1922, Victor Ross bought Clarendon Wood as a summer home. A native of Walkerton, Ontario, Ross had been financial editor of the Toronto Globe before joining the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. In 1919, Victor Ross became First Vice President of the company. When he purchased Clarendon Wood, Victor Ross used the local work force to improve the property, which extended from the top of Liverpool Road eastward down to Duffin's Creek. The mansion built by Lords Hyde and Somers, and the Palmer farm were just the foundation of the Ross estate: new building and engineering projects included four barns, a cabin, a canal and lake, a giant windmill and formal gardens. The Rosses entertained visitors from every part of the world during their ownership of the property, including Lord and Lady Clarendon when they revisited Canada. In 1934 Mary Agnes Pease wrote: 'A hill, a wood, a stream, a spacious house, flower gardens, fertile fields; add these together and you have Clarendon Wood. Photographs and words are not enough to express the quality of a place which is a home in the real sense and is endowed with a personality that is recognized by even the casual visitor.' 2 Victor Ross died in 1934, and his son Forbes Ross inherited Clarendon Wood. He also invested in other land in Pickering. In 1945, Charles Conacher purchased the Valley Farm portion of the property. Conacher was a star player with the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1929 to 1938. He later played for Detroit, then New York, but he is still famous as part of 'The Kid Line' of the early 1930s in Toronto, when he was the league top goal scorer for four seasons. The buildings of Valley Farm are all gone now. All that remains of the cabin built for Victor Ross, which was destroyed by a fire before 1960, is a fireplace measuring 6 feet wide, 4 feet deep and 12 feet high. If you take a leisurely stroll through the woods and fields along the west shore of Duffin's Creek (north of Finch Avenue, and west of Valley Farm Road), north past Pine Ridge High School towards the Brock West Landflll Site you may find it. Although the fireplace is marked by graffiti the elements have not yet destroyed the stonemason's work, a reminder of our local history. Farmers, an earl and a baron, a business magnate, and a hockey star: all residents of a small corner of Pickering Township over the course of a century. Pickering has a history worth exploring! Thanks to: Mrs. L. Demunda, Secretary to Father John E. O'Brien, S.J., Director, Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre. NOTES: 1 See Sabean (1999). 2 Pease (1934). REFERENCES: Agenda, Valley Farm Public School, 1998. Debrett's Peerage. London, 1998. Gawman, Henry M. 1993. ""From a fireplace in the valley to royalty on the hill,"" News Advertiser (13 January), p. 23. Legends of Hockey: The Official Book of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Toronto, 1996. McKay, William A. 1961. The Pickering Story. Pickering. Obituary, Victor Ross. 1934. Pickering News (2 March). O'Brien, John Egli, S.J. 1996. ""The Manresa Story,"" Jesuit Bulletin. Pease, Mary Agnes. 1934. ""Clarendon Wood"". Canadian Homes and Gardens 11:30-33,48. Sabean, John W. 1999. ""The Palmer Family,"" Pathmaster 2(4): 25-26. LAST ISSUE'S What's it? by John Sabean ANSWER : This all-metal utensil is a pot scraper, and was used in the days when women had to clean out l arge black kettles. This particular pot scraper was used in the family of Alma Jones who lives in a Century Home in the 7th concession. THIS ISSUE'S What's it? by Lys Laurence This flexible household tool was made of wicker or wire. It is about one metre long, more or less, and is particularly associated with a spring chore. Depending on one's household standards, this tool might be used weekly. Illustration from Eleanor Todd, Burrs and Blackberries from Goodwood, 1980. 2" "A Fond Look Back Altona Public School S.S. #17 by Joseph M. Nighswander Illustrations: - 'School Marms,Atha and Altona, 1915'. Names not available. - Eva (Nighswander) Reesor, former teacher Luella (Harper) Lewis, Mary Ann (Fretz) Schlabach, and Betty (Snyder) Stemen meet again at the school's reunion. - School class at the 'new' school built in 1911, date unknown. On Saturday, 11 September 1999, a reunion was held at the Altona Public School. Both former students and teachers returned to their old school to reminisce and to renew old acquaintances. One former student, Joe Nighswander, prepared this history for the occasion. Most of us have vivid memories of our public school days. Especially, perhaps, if we attended rural school where we saw the same people every day. To emerge from the intimate family home setting where we were born and raised and attend the local school was an initiation into the broader world. For this writer it was a frightening experience. I was known then as 'little Joe'; everyone else was bigger and stronger! The Altona schoolhouse, built in 1911 and used until the advent of the Regional school boards in 1966, is still in excellent condition. It is currently used for church purposes by an Ajax-based group who has done extensive redecorations. There has been a public school at the Altona intersection of Pickering sideline 30 and the Uxbridge Pickering townline since the settlers pioneered in this area in the early 1800s. The first schoolhouse was a log building situated on the southeast corner of the intersection where the Altona cemetery is located. The oldest grave in the cemetery is dated 1835, so it can safely be assumed the school was moved elsewhere about that time. In an article published in the Stouffville Tribune in the days of publisher A.V. Nolan and written by Mrs. Ida Reesor, it is said 'The pupils in the log school-house sat on backless benches, and their playground was the road and as much bush as they wanted to use!' School Section #17 was officially organized in 1844. In 1834 a new brick schoolhouse was built on a site a little farther south on the west side of the sideroad, near, or on, the site of the present building. William Feaster was the contractor. Photos on exhibit at the reunion included one of approximately 50 students with their teacher, Mr. John Tran, standing in front of this brick building. After continuous use as a school for about 77 years, this building was torn down, and a new school was constructed. The records indicate school sessions were held from 1909 to 1911 in the Temperance Hall located on the northwest corner of the Altona intersection. It is interesting to note that this hall was located immediately across the road from the hotel, which is on the northeast corner (and still standing). The hotel had the reputation of being a rather lively place at times! A teacher who taught for 10 years in these early days was a Mr. McSween who was paid an annual salary of $375.00. It should be noted that at that time butter was 8 cents a pound, eggs 5 cents a dozen, and tea sold for $ 1.00 a pound. Undoubtedly his duties included keeping the wood heater going, cleaning and light maintenance, along with teaching 50 or more students in eight grades! In the Altona cemetery there is an old tombstone with the name 'Archibald McSween', who died on Oct. 25,1881. It is safe to assume this was the schoolteacher. Since it was the custom at that time for the bigger boys to help on the farms during the summer and attend school only in the wintertime, the teacher surely had his hands full in the wintertime. It is fairly certain the teachers boarded in homes in the community. In 1869 eighty students attended during the winter. Mr. John Millard was the teacher. Construction of the 'new' school where the reunion was held was completed in 1911 and it was used continuously as a school until 1966. For several years in the 1960s part of the basement was renovated for a second school room and two teachers were employed. In 1966 the Regional schools replaced the community one-room schools. Trustees at the time the school was closed in 1966 were Gordon Wideman, Millard Reesor, Joe Nighswander, Marion Meyer (secretary). Teachers who taught in this school include the following: Miss Beihn; Vida Lee; Fanny Ramer; Annie Murray; Irene Reesor; Irene Harper; Bessie Robinson; Mrs. Bright; Mrs. Ross; Ruth Sprung; Marie Pike; Kate Reesor; Edna Stephenson; Doris Watson; Gordon Bolender; Mary Graham; Margaret Wallace; Gloria Harding; Luella Harper; Miriam Heise; M.E. Symes; Mary Woodcock; Vera McLaren; Frances Shultz; Ruth Webber; Jim Empringham; Sharon Sturdy; Linda Grill. 3" "Artistic Notes: THOREAU MACDONALD AND THE CLARK FAMILY OF PICKERING by John W. Sabean Illustrations: - Gerow pump - Using Froe - Clark home about 1920, Lot 8, Concession 6. - Front Cover Art from Some Tools of the Pioneers. - Barn lanterns from Some Tools of the Pioneers. - Letter from Thoreau MacDonald to William Clark, 1936. - Clark family barn lanterns. By the 1930s the William Clark family of Greenwood had built up a fair-sized collection of old farm implements. When the operators of the Canadian National Exhibition learned of the collection they asked the family to put it on display. For several years in the mid-1930s the Clarks took the collection to Toronto every summer for all to see. In 1935, artist and graphic designer Thoreau MacDonald, the son of Group of Seven artist J.E.H. MacDonald, saw the exhibit and asked the Clarks if he could come to their Pickering farm to sketch the implements. They agreed and MacDonald travelled out to Pickering from his home in Thornhill on a number of occasions to visit the Clarks and to record on paper the tools and equipment that three generations of Clarks had accumulated. Six-year-old Alan Clark sat at his side as MacDonald drew. In the fall of the following year, MacDonald sent the Clarks a little present of two booklets he had published. One of them, Some Tools of the Pioneers, consisted of drawings of farm implements many of which he had encountered in the Clarks' barn. Here were axes and saws, hay cradles and a shaving horse, a froe, and a pump made by Pickeringite George Gerow. There was also a page devoted to barn lanterns. Two of the lanterns drawn by MacDonald are still in the possession of the Clarks and are pictured here. My thanks to Alan Clark for providing the information for this item and to Susan MacDonald for permission to use the TM images. 4" "Clark Family History [as written in the 1930s to accompany the CNE exhibit of Clark farm implements] Robert Clark was of a sea-faring family who lived in the North countries in summer and the Southern countries in winter with no particular abode. However, it is said that he was born in some small town in Yorkshire, England. When he became a young man he owned his own boat. He was a sea captain, a fisherman in summer and a tea merchant in winter. He travelled in many countries and according to the old remembrance, his tobacco box of 1825, he once resided in Wilton, England. During his short life of 39 years, 1804-1843, he accomplished a great deal. In about 1826 he came to Canada and settled eight miles north of Toronto on Yonge Street. He traded in horses and thereby gained enough money to buy him two farms together, 200 acres of land. One of the farms was at Pickering, Ontario, and the other at Greenwood. He took contracts with the Government buildings of Muddy York for drawing wood, supplying about 200 cords yearly. The old oxen yoke and chain [as shown in the exhibit] were used in the contract. He cleared much of the timber off his farms, and when he died they were left to his two sons, James and William. William claimed the farm at Greenwood from whence the exhibits come. Only six acres were cleared when he took possession and when he died all but about 25 acres were cleared of the hundred acre farm. During his life most of the implements shown were used. He owned the farm and worked it for 71 years. He died in 1914 and left it to the present owner William Clark who has lived there for 60 years and has owned it for 19 years. Inscription on tobacco box: Virginia good will I have Yet not free for ev 'ry knave My master only I supply Let begging fellows go & buy Robert Clark Wilton 1825 Robert Clark's tobacco box which he brought with him to Upper Canada in 1826. Illustration: Blake, Verschoyle Benson and Ralph Greenhill. 1969. Rural Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Plate 30. MAJOR HOUSE This fieldstone house east of Whitevale, originally called 'Major,' was built by the Major family rather more than a century ago. The window over the door is a type found in several houses in Pickering and Markham townships, a Gothicized rendering of the Palladian window. The doorway, recessed in the thickness of the wall with panelled jambs and soffits, follows a design common in the 1860s, though the windows on either side of it are rather smaller than were usual at that period. Illustration: Greenhill, Ralph, et al. [1974]. Ontario Towns. [Ottawa]: Oberon. Plate 62. WHITE HOUSE Truman White, who built this house sometime between 1840 and 1845, gave his name to Whitevale—though the community was originally called Major or Majorville. It was once a small industrial village with a grist mill, sawmill, planing mill, cooperage and woollen factory; at one time all of these belonged to White, but all have gone, and only the houses built in the days of Whitevale's prosperity remain. The clapboard White house is typical of smaller houses in growing centres in the 1840s in turning its gable end to the road. The house is extraordinarily well-preserved; its lean-to is an appealing, asymmetric addition which balances the offset Classic doorway. 5" "Saucers in Our Skies? by Tom Mohr Illustration: A work of art or a UFO? Only Bill Lishman and his close friends know for sure. Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, have become part of our modern mythology. In fact, if one were to accept our current media and communications sources as gospel, one might be forgiven for thinking that we exist in a world where saucer sightings, abductions, cattle mutilations and crop circles are the norm. Certainly, when social conversation drifts towards the topic of UFOs an odd tale or two is generally recounted. Can they possibly be more than just myth? That depends upon whom you talk to. Has there ever been a recorded incident of UFO activity in Pickering? Author Hugh Cochrane says so. In his book Gateway to Oblivion, he describes a spate of sightings reported in the mid-1970s: 'Twice during the following week [20 March 1975], phantom lights put in an appearance. These were made during the evening hours, close to the atomic power plant at Pickering, on the shore of Lake Ontario between Toronto and Oshawa. In one of these sightings, residents in the area observed the lights as they hovered near the shore and as they passed over the generating plant. More than a dozen UFOs were counted passing overhead or maneuvering out over the lake. ""The next sighting occurred around six-thirty one evening and lasted until eleven forty-five. At this time the lights were observed by five ambulance drivers, a police officer, and two radio newsmen. Before it was over, it had lasted six hours. In this sighting, they were described as multicoloured pulsating lights— blue, yellow, red and green—but it could not be determined if they were attached to any sort of craft. When they were examined through binoculars, it was obvious that they were not stars. The sightings were made from a point one and a half miles back from the shore and just east of Ajax, Ontario. At times the lights appeared to be just above the lake, and moving west at a very slow pace. 'Shortly after midnight one of the ambulance drivers observed another UFO. This one came in from the lake and passed over the 401 highway and landed in a field a few hundred yards north of the westward lane. When the ambulance driver and a UFO investigator visited the site the following morning, they discovered a burn ring in the field measuring almost thirty feet across. Strangely, none of the drivers on this busy section of highway seemed to have noticed the UFO and no other witnesses reported it.'1 In many ways Cochrane's book is highly speculative, and some of the issues he deals with are open to other interpretations. As my daughter Sonia is known to say, 'When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.' Still, one would expect that a display of this nature would have generated some local press. A search of the March and April 1975 issues of the Ajax-Pickering News Advertiser provided no additional information. In fact, the closest reference to UFO activity was a front page photo of local artist Bill Lishman (Father Goose) standing aboard his made-in-Pickering, full-scale model of the Apollo Lunar Lander.2 Bill, himself tells tales of how incredulous passers-by used to arrive at his doorstep, informing him of the space ship sitting on his lawn. Perhaps, then, we are left to fall back upon the memories of local residents for further illumination. My wife Dee reports having seen about 1972 what looked like a large revolving wheel of lights shining from beneath the waters of Lake Ontario. Not airborne, but certainly anomalous nonetheless. Other tales are surely out there and the Pickering Township Historical Society would be interested in receiving them. Well, what do the experts have to say about these phenomena? Prominent futurist Dr. Mark Kingwell from the University of Toronto at Scarborough regards the UFO experience as something akin to old-time religious fervour and a human tendency to look to the cosmos to make sense of earthly disorder, especially in these millennial end times. History tells us that reports of visitations from celestial entities seem to increase near the ends of centuries and other momentous calendrical events.3 That tells us something about people's willingness to interpret the unknown in a supernatural manner, but Kingwell's observation doesn't account for those events that leave otherwise rational, common-sense folks scratching their heads in perplexity. We hope that in passing along the forgoing excerpt from Cochrane's book we may just generate some actual eyewitness accounts from these sightings. But for now, to wrap up this curious topic one may wish to consider the following narrative from early resident Timothy Rogers, of an experience he had prior to settling in Upper Canada: '[W]alking in the edge of evening, I seen a light near as big as a table in appearance, about 100 or 200 feet above the tops of the trees. Some others, in the country, said they seen it like a ball of fire (seems to have observed in Vermont, ca 1789).'4 Now this observation was not made in Pickering, but it is a statement from one of our more illustrious settlers. Rogers was a man closely attuned to nature. As a farmer, and a traveller as well, he would have been familiar with a great deal of the phenomena of the night sky. Little could he have foretold that one of his descendents, Ted Rogers, would lead a telecommunications empire based upon satellite technology—man-made moons in orbit around the earth. But for Timothy, this incident was unusual enough to generate comment without even offering conjecture as to its cause. Could it have been more than a mere celestial fireball? We'll never know. But the story stands out in his diary and it is tempting to analyse the event in terms of our modern mythology. Just keep watching the skies. The truth is out there! NOTES: 1 Hugh Cochrane. 1981. Gateway to Oblivion: The Great Lakes Bermuda Triangle (New York: Avon Books), pp. 107-108. 2 Ajax-Pickering News Advertiser (12 March 1975). 3 Mark Kingwell. 1996. Dreams of Millennium: Report from a Culture on the Brink. (Toronto: Viking). 4 Timothy Rogers. 'His Journal 1756-1828'. Unpublished Transcript. 6" "We Would Like to Know by Tom Mohr and John W. Sabean We hear a lot of interesting stories told to us from time to time for which we would like to get more information. We thought it might be a good idea for us to tell what we have heard in the hopes that someone out there might be able to tell us more. If any of these stories rings any bells with you would you please write or phone us with the knowledge that you have. We hope to make these inquiries a regular feature of Pathmaster. The Stoutenburgh Gang Illustration: This flintlock rifle kept the Clark's in food. In the 1850s and 1860s, according to a story told to us by Alan Clark, a band of thieves, known as the Stoutenburgh Gang, preyed on settlers in Pickering Township stealing farm stock. They had a camp (a hideout?) along the east branch of Duffin's Creek, north of the 4th Concession, in what was thick woods. The land today is part of the Greenwood Conservation Area on the east side of Church Street, and is still heavily forested. The Clark family has a tradition that involves this gang. Alan's grandfather, William, hearing a commotion outside and seeing from an upstairs window a man loading a sack of grain onto a horse and sleigh, shot at what is presumed to have been a gang member. He missed but managed to scare off the thief. The Clark farm was on the south half of Lot 8, Concession 6. The flintlock rifle that was fired from that upstairs window is pictured here. Dave O'Brien pointed out to us that there were Stoutenburghs living in Markham as least by 1860. 1 The Stoutenburghs were one of the families that provided threshing services. As Dave observes, threshers did their work in 'gangs.' We know of no family living in Pickering at that time with the name Stoutenburgh. Are the members of the two 'gangs' related in any way? Meanwhile, we discovered the following item in another work, written by a former judge (based on an item in the Canadian Archives, Sundries, Upper Canada, 1821).2 'William Stoutenburgh had been convicted before Mr. Justice Boulton at York in 1818 of petty larceny, and had been sentenced to two months' imprisonment in the Common Gaol and to receive 25 lashes. He made his escape from the gaol but repented and returned in 1820. He then petitioned that the whipping might be remitted—the Chief Justice reported that whipping was the ""most exemplary punishment,"" and Mr. Justice Boulton did not advise clemency, but rather the reverse, as he thought it ""not a good time for clemency."" The prisoner renewed his prayer for relief—he produced a certificate from Captain John Button of the First York Militia, that he had joined the Captain's Company of Militia, ""Cavalary""in l815, had ""equipt himself with a good hors, saddel and bridel and youniform and cuterments as the law equared, and he always dun his duty faithful when he was cold upon."" 'Luke and Eliza Stoutenborough—so they spelled the name—his parents, also presented a petition; they said they had brought up fourteen children respectably, that their son's offence was ""taking"" some tar from a neighbour to repair a canoe he had on the River Humber for fishing, and that they were ready to make a recompense. The mother appealed to Lady Sarah, the wife of Sir Peregrine Maitland. It does not appear what the result was, whether the young man escaped whipping or not—but whatever the course taken by the authorities, Stoutenburgh does not appear to have been turned from evil ways. August 25,1821, Samuel Ridout, Sheriff of the Home District, wrote to the Governor's Secretary, McMahon, saying that an attempt would probably be made by some persons unknown to release ""William Stoghtenborough"" then in confinement in the York gaol on a charge of Capital Felony, and asking for a military sentinel at the gaol during the night-time until the Assizes.' Is this William Stoutenburgh in any way related to the Stoutenburgh gang of Pickering of the next generation? Continued on page 8 Signal Fires and Towers In trying to follow up one traditional story we ended with three quite different stories, but with a similar theme. The first story had to do with a series of signal fires that were established during the War of 1812 to alert the settlers of Upper Canada of any invasion attempts from the south. According to this story, signal fires were located around the west and north shores of Lake Ontario from Niagara to Kingston. One location was somewhere on the Scarborough Bluffs; another was at the high point of the ridges just north of Pickering Township at what is now Lakeridge Road. Another informant had not heard-about this tradition, but had heard in his youth that during the First World War signal towers were built along the north shore of Lake Ontario for purposes of communication. In this region a tower was built again at the high point in southern Uxbridge just west of Lakeridge Road as in the above tradition. A third story from a different source tells of the Nazis, in the late 1930s, setting up a signal system of the same nature, including a site at about the same location as those earlier creations. Does anyone have any documented, or even anecdotal, information about any of these traditional stories? Proposed Canal From a map of Western New York, 1809, showing the route of a proposed canal through the 'German Settlement' in Markham. A map, dated 1809, contained in a volume of documents concerning New York State shows the route of a 'proposed canal' from the Rouge River to Lake Simcoe.3 This is the only reference we have ever encountered of such a scheme and we wonder how the engineers would have gotten enough water to the top of the ridges to fill the locks. Any further documentation regarding this proposal would be appreciated. 7" "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"