A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS ON THIS LINE
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS ON THIS LINE
An Oral History of York Cty
by Jonathan Baker, 1896[Edna and Amos Baker told me in one of my visits to them that members of the community had asked Jonathan Baker when he was age 85 to sit down and put to paper his memories and recollections of the events as far back as he could remember and that he was too shy to have his name placed in authorship. B. Kerlin]
Including Langstaff P.O., Yonge Street and as far West as the Fifth Concession Line.
Gotten Up By Henry Horne, Post Master of Langstaff P.O. from facts collected by a Resident of Concord.
CONCORD P.O. June 1st, 1896
As it was requested of me by our friend and neighbour Henry Horne, so I will lend my aid and to the best of my judgment and ability pen down a brief History of the Early Settlers and vicissitudes which have taken place since this part has been settled, including Langstaff P.O., Yonge Street Tollgate, and said sideline west to the 5th concession line in the Township of Vaughan, in the County of York, but more especially and minutely for the year 1839, as the same may give the present generation a little idea of the prosperity of this part.
Lot 36 in 1st concession was then owned and occupied by JEREMIAH ATKINSON, farmer, who used to keep sheep and also a shepherd boy following the flock on said sideline, sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback; same lot after that owned and occupied by his son-in-law, BARNABAS LYONS, who built a saw-mill about the year 1845. On said lot, in the valley of the east branch of the River Don, there was also a house in same valley, perhaps on road allowance, whereas the road at that time was not yet opened where it now is.
In 1839 said house was occupied by EDWARD JACKSON; the same house after that by RICE BESTORD, who died about the year 1846. There was also about that time three colored men living in same valley, MORO, BROOKS, and BEVERLY by name. There was also a man received in the Tunker Church, who, in the fall of 1843, was baptised in that stream between five and ten rods south of BESTORD'S house, GEORGE KLINCK by name, who at that time lived with his wife, POLLY HORNER, on lot 24 in 3rd concession of the Township of Markham; he lost his life by a falling tree or limb early in spring of 1853; he was a son of LEONARD KLINCK, Sr., who about the year 1845 kept toll on Yonge Street.
There was also in the aforesaid fall of 1843, a little boy lost, who was found in same valley not far from BESTORD'S house, SAMUEL MAGER by name, who, at that time, lived with his father, ADAM MAGER, on west end of lot 37 in 1st concession; the .
The aforesaid sawmill was run about the year 1849, and for some years by ANDERSON & NIXON, ANDERSON running the mill, NIXON teaming the lumber. Lot 11 in 2nd concession was then owned and occupied by JOHATHAN BAKER, Sr., who with his wife, ELIZABETH COBER, started on said lot in 1816.
JONATHAN BAKER was born February 16th, 1792, in the State of Pennsylvania, and came to Canada about 1801 with his father, JOHN BAKER, who settled on lot 29 in 3rd concession of the Township of Markham; said lot 29, west half now owned by GEORGE BAKER, Sr., east half by ABRAHAM and LOVI BAKER.
The said JONATHAN BAKER'S wife, ELIZABETH, was born February 15th, 1797; her father, NICHOLAS COBER, also came from Pennsylvania about the year 1796, and first lived not far from the Falls of Niagara, where his daughter ELIZABETH was born; he, after that, settled near Yonge Street, north of Thornhill, on lot 34 in 1st concesssion of the Township of Vaughan, in what was formerly called Home District, new County of York, in the month of March, 1797, where he camped the first night under a beech tree.
JONATHAN BAKER lived on said lot 11 from 1816 until the time of his death, which took place April 8th, 1860, a period of 44 years. His wife ELIZABETH died on or about the 18th of July, 1888; they now both lie buried side by side in same graveyard, on east half of lot 13 now in the occupation of GEORGE BAKER, Jr.
There was a lot 11 in 2nd, also a house near sideline, about middle of lot occupied by a man, NAFE by name, who died about the year 1835. After that the same house was occupied by ADAM MAGER, who, in the spring of 1838, moved to the Township of Puslinch, in the County of Wellington, and in the year 1839 said house was turned into a school house, but for one year only; the teacher's name was THOMAS CUMMINGS.
I will here give a list of the scholars who attended that school: POLLY, ELIZABETH, and ANDREW BARKER, who lived with their father, AARON BARKER, on east half of lot 14 in 2nd, AARON BARKER having rented the same, with about 70 acres of a clearing from the BENNET family for a term of ten years, that was from 1831 to 1841, paying one hundred dollars a year for rent, --the above may give an idea at what rate rents were running at that time--said east half of lot 14 now owned and occupied by the PRENTICE family. MARGARET TOOL, who lived with her brother-in-law, MORELAND ROODER, on east end of lot 13 in 2nd, now owned and occupied by GEORGE SCHELL. EVE, JOHATHAN, and PETER BAKER, who lived with their father, MICHAEL BAKER, on west half of lot 13 in 2nd. To give a little idea at what rate wages at that time were running CHRISTLE SCHELL, who was a first-class farm laborer, was hired by MICHAEL BAKER on lot 13 for the year 1839, at the rate of one hundred dollars a year. JESSIE, ELIZABETH, MARY, and ISAAC BAKER, on east half of lot 12 in 2nd, now in the occupation of HENRY PLESENT. GEORGE LONGHOUSE, who lived with JONATHAN BAKER on lot 11 in 2nd. DANIEL and CHRISTLE REAMAN, who lived with their widowed mother, ANNA REAMAN, on lot 10 in 2nd. JOHN, ARCHIBALD, and ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, who lived with their father, DOUGALL CAMPBELL, on east half of lot 9 in 2nd, the owned by LEWIS PAGE, Sr. now owned by THOMAS PAGE. WILLIAM, MARGARET, JAMES, MARY, and ELLEN McNAIR, who lived with their father, ROBERT McNAIR, on west half of lot 9 in 2nd, said lot formerly owned by HENRY BURKHOLDER after that by LEWIS PAGE, now owned by THOMAS and JOHN PAGE; also from same place JAMES and JOHN WATSON, DAVID and ANNA SMELLIE, who lived with their father, DAVID SMELLIE, Sr., on lot 8 in 2nd, formerly owned by ULRICH BURKHOLDER, after that by DAVID SMELLIE, Sr., now owned and occupied by DAVID SMELLIE, Jr., and sons; there was also a house on north-west corner of said lot 8 in 2nd, occupied in 1839 by JAMES DUNHAM, one his daughters married to CHARLES SHEPPARD, and with her husband now lives on west end of lot 37 in 1st concession, the same now owned by GEORGE SCHELL. LUCY, DANIEL and FLORA FLEMING who lived with their father, DANIEL FLEMING, on north-east corner of lot 8 in 3rd concession. We have now given a list of the scholars who attended school in the year 1839 on lot 11 in 2nd, and also where they at that time lived.
The aforesaid house occupied in 1839 by DANIEL FLEMING on lot 8 in 3rd, was in 1840 occupied by a widow, who, at the same time, kept a beer shop; same houuse was in 1841 occupied by a man McTIER by name and a tailor by trade. There is on same corner now a blacksmith shop owned and occupied by THOMAS KEYS. The aforesaid lot 8 in 3rd was formerly owned and occupied by HIRAM WHITE Jr., and part by THOMAS KEYS, that is northeast quarter of lot 8 in 3rd, the same was formerly owned and occupied by HENRY WHITE, the eldest son of HIRAM WHITE Sr. HENRY WHITE, with his wife, ELIZABETH BOWES, started on said quarter lot 8 in the year 1833. East half of lot 11 in 3rd concession, was formerly occupied by JOHN S____ (who will, for the sake of charity, not give his name in full), his title was seemingly not very good, whereas he was in the summer of 1839 by the sheriff put out on the road, where he and family camped over Sunday on the 3rd concession line. West half of lot 11 in 3rd was at the same time occupied by JOHN HANDLON, who died about the year 1839. His widow, in the year 1840, moved to east end of lot 11 in 3rd. HUGH MATHESON, in the year 1842, married the WIDOW HANDLON, and after that owned and occupied the east quarter of lot 11. There was also a house on said quarter of lot 11 in 3rd, which, in the year 1840, was occupied by DAMIEL FLEMING, whose name we have already mentioned. Said house was, about the year 1844, occupied by a man, ADY by name, and about the year 1854 said house was moved about 40 rods south, near to sideline, and occupied by JOHN BLUIT, who rented said place from HUGH MATHESON for a term of years, the same now owned and occupied by GEORGE REAMAN. The adjoinging quarter lot 11 was, about the year 1843, owned by HIRAM WHITE Sr., who, about the same time, built a house on said place, which, in the year 1844, was occupied by DAVID RAMSEY; the same was, in the year 1849, occupied by JOHN KAYLOR Sr., lot 11, in 4th concession, then owned by ABRAHAM MUSELMAN, who sold lot 11 to DAVID MULHOLAND, and with his family, in the spring of 1843, moved to the United States. From 1843 to about the year 1845 said lot was occupied by WILLIAM WHITEOAK, after that by the propriotor, DAVID MULHOLAND, to about the year 1850, who built a barn on said lot in 1846. From about 1850 to about 1879, a period of about 29 years, said lot was occupied by WILLIAM McDOUGALL and sons, after that by EDWARD MULHOLAND; after that said lot 11 was owned and occupied by JOHN WATSON, who rebuilt the barn which was first erected in 1846 by MULHOLAND, SMITH brothers being the builders of last barn. Said lot now owned and occupied by the WATSON family, who built a barn on said lot in the year 1895, near the 5th concession line. We have now arrived at the 5th concession line, the destination of our brief history on north side.
We now come to south side of said line, Yonge Street Tollgate, lot 35 in 1st concession, which formerly and for many years went by the name of Colby lot, whereas a man, COLBY by name, was seemingly the first owner of said lot, who offered the same to NICHOLAS COBER (who at that time lived on lot 34, Yonge St.) for a trifling sum; but as it seems land at that time was more easily got than money, old father COBER was seemingly not inclined to accept his offer. Sometime after that COLBY left these parts and never returned. Just at what time COLBY left Canada the writer cannot now tell, perhaps about the year 1810, and as the real owner never returned, said lot was after that claimed by different parties, of which we will mention a few.
SQUIRE BURWICK was, perhaps, the first who laid claim to said lot. It was seemingly in his possession in the year 1839; after that by LEONARD KLINCK, Sr., about the year 1845; the east end of said lot was about the same time kept for a race ground; after that a man, DREWRY by name, seemed to claim said lot; there was also a man, BENSON by name, who built a house and barn on north-west corner of said lot, he owned and occupied about 11 acres of said lot for a number of years. Said lot 35 now owned and occupied by the WELDRICK family. Lot 10 in 2nd concession, perhaps first owned by JOHN REAMAN, Sr., who lived at that time on lot 15 in 2nd; he died about the year 1836. GEORGE REAMAN, eldest son of JOHN REAMAN, with his wife, ANNA HEISE, settled on said lot about the year 1826; GEORGE REAMAN died about the year 1838. After that lot 10 was occupied by different parties, first along mostly by the old JOHN REAMAN family.
PETER COBER in the year 1839 had the sugar bush on shares, and also in 1841 worked part of the farm; he in that year had about 15 acres of meadow on shares on said lot 10, of which he let MICHAEL BAKER have three acres; JOHN TOOL, NICHOLAS COBER, Jr., and GEORGE COBER mowed the same. JONATHAN and PETER BAKER spread the grass, and in the year 1842 PETER COBER also had 12 acres of fall wheat on said lot 10, on which he one Saturday had sixteen hands cutting and putting the same on shock. They were not all men: THOMAS SHARP was the oldest hand (he was about 58), CHRISTLE REAMAN was the youngest (he was about 11 years old). No reaping machines then in this part. The cradlers were: 1st NICHOLAS COBER, who took the load; 2nd, JOHATHAN SCHELL; 3rd, JOHN BAKER, who at that time lived on lot 5 in 3rd, Thornhill station; 4th, PETER COBER. The binders were: 1st JACOB COBER, DANIEL REAMAN and JOHN COBER; 2nd GEORGE LONGHOUSE, MARGARET COBER and MARY REAMAN; 3rd, GEORGE COBER and JOSEPH WAGEWORTH; 4th, THOMAS SHARP, MICHAEL BAKER and JONATHAN BAKER, Jr. CHRISTLE REAMAN reaped the lodged spots and also carried water for the hands to drink.
In the fall of 1843, GEORGE LONGHOUSE married MARY REAMAN and in the spring of 1844, GEORGE LONGHOUSE, with his wife, MARY REAMAN, started on said lot 10, and in the spring of 1845 he built a round log house on the same. He, at that time, had a young man hired; he was from Gorman, CHARLES RITKER by name. In 1846 JOHN CAMPBELL was hired at same place, in 1847 ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL was hired on said lot 10, and in spring of 1848 GEORGE LONGHOUSE moved on the other side of the River Humber, again having ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL as hired servant; and in the aforesaid spring of 1848 DANIEL REAMAN, with his wife, MARY ATKINSON, started on said lot 10, he having JACOB ATKINSON as hired servant; at that time CHRISTLE REAMAN also lived on said lot with his mother to the time of her death, which took place in spring, 1874. Lot 10 in 3rd concession, was occupied by his son, DANIEL KEFFER, who with his wife, SUSANNA FISHER, daughter of JACOB FISHER, Sr., lived on said lot to the time of his death, which took place in February, 1837. His widow after that married JOHN HANDLON, of which we have already made mention. The aforesaid lot 10 in 3rd was, in 1839, occupied by JOHN DALBY, who was a son-in-law of AARON BARKER; said lot was after that owned and occupied by VALENTINE KEFFER, east end now occupied by JESSE KEFFER, and west end by ARCHIBALD PATTERSON. Lot 10 in 4th concession, then owned and east end occupied, that is in the year 1839 by PETER MUSELMAN; the same is now owned and occupied by three parties, that is, west end by ARTHUR McNEIL, and part by WILLIAM BOWES, and east part by FREDERICK KEFFER.
We now come to the saw-mill and flour-mill accommodation. Perhaps one of the first saw-mills in this part was built by JACOB KEFFER, Sr., who died in the year 1851, at the good old age of 88 years, a man DIEL by name preached the funeral sermon from 2nd Timothy iv., 6, 7 and 8: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand," etc. The said JACOB KEFFER came from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, about 1806, and settled on lot 12, in 3rd concession; there is on said lot 12, a graveyard. JACOB KEFFER, Jr. was perhaps the first who was buried in said grounds, which took place about 1812. There is also a house for worship on said lot--the first was a hewed log-house, and after that, in 1860, there was a brick building erected near same place.
The aforesaid JACOB KEFFER, Sr., about 1816, built a saw-mill on west half of said lot 12 in 3rd concession, said place now owned by HENRY and ISAAC KEFFER. Near about the same time, MICHAEL FISHER, Sr., built a flour-mill on lot 17 in 2nd concession; the said MICHAEL FISHER, about the year 1826, also built a flour-mill a little west of saw-mill at same dam (and we will also here make mention of a flour-mill built some time after that, seemingly by ROLAND BURR, on lot 41 in 1st concession, near blacksmith shop, said shop formerly occupied by BOOTHBY, after that by DAVID GRAY, lastly by ____ WRIGHT; said mill was burned down about the year 1841 and not built up again).
We now again come back to the aforesaid FISHER mill, a man WHITE by name, was seemingly the mill-wright, under whose supervision said mill was built. PETER STOUFFER, who now is about 96 years of age and lives on west half of lot 33 in 4th concession of the Township of Markham, was one of the hands who worked under WHITE. The said PETER STOUFFER was at that time learning the millwright trade; he after that, with his wife, MARGARET COBER, daughter of NICHOLAS COBER, Sr., started on west half of lot 33 as farmer about the year 1833; the said PETER STOUFFER bought said half lot of a man, CLINKENBOOMER, by name, for the sum of $1,200. WILLIAM and THOMAS COOK, who came from England, bought the whole estate of the aforesaid MICHAEL FISHER about the year 1833, that is both flour-mill and land; whereas the saw-mill had already gone down, they about the year 1838 built a saw-mill perhaps 75 rods south of flour-mill on lot 16, and in the year 1841 JACOB BAKER, who at that time lived on lot 12 in 2nd, put in same building a new water wheel with a water pitch on a new plan, which was seemingly of such merit that JACOB BAKER had the honor of securing a patent right for the same. THOMAS COOK also in same year, 1841, built a mud house, which in the year 1856 was brick-clad, the same is now the property of THOMAS COOK, Jr.
In 1848-49 THOMAS COOK, Sr., built a new saw-mill on a larger scale a few rods west of old mill on same dam, with an overshot wheel of 18 feet in diameter. JACOB BAKER and JACOB BENNETT about 1830 built a saw-mill on lot 30 in 1st concession, on the east branch of the River Don, same was after that seemingly owned by SQUIRE BURWICK, and about the year 1841 JONATHAN SCHELL was sawyer in said mill, and the same was in the year 1843 and also in the year 1849, occupied by CHARLES APPELTON; about the year 1851 said mill was in the ownership of the PETER COBER family, occupied by JOHN COBER, and lastly occupied by JOHN KAYLOR, SR.
CHARLES APPELTON, in the year 1844, built a saw-mill on lot 37 in 1st concession on same stream. JACOB BAKER, about the year 1846, bought said mill and again in the year 1850 sold the same to PETER COBER. There was also on same branch of the Rover Don, on lot 34, a saw-mill built by NICHOLAS COBER, SR., the same was in the year 1831 in the occupation of PETER COBER, and in the year 1844 the same was JONATHAN SCHELL teaming lumber, the same mill now owned and occupied by the WRIGHT family. SQUIRE BURWICK about the year 1832 bought of NICHOLAS COBER, SR., the aforesaid lot 34, that is both land and mill property. The said NICHOLAS COBER, about the year 1833, moved to the Township of Puslinch, County of Wellington, and about 1836, he again came back to the Township of Vaughan, and settled on west half of lot 5 in 3rd concession, but first lived with his son-in-law, CHRISTIAN TROYER, whereas he had first to erect buildings before he settled on said lot. The said NICHOLAS COBER died in the year 1842 at the age of 79 years, 11 months, and 8 days. JOHN BAKER, who now lives in the Township of Nottawasaga, was after that owner of said lot 5; he in the year 1843 built a driving house on said lot, DANIEL BRUNDAGE being builder of same; and a cowstable on same lot in 1846, a man, DENER by name, being builder of that; same place was after that owned by the BALDWIN family, the same now owned by the OSTER family.
We now come to the store accommodation. There was a tavern and store kept by RICHARD HUTCHINSON as far back as the writer can recollect, on the southwest corner of lot 16 in the 4th concession. There was also a man, CONSTANTINE by name, who, in the year 1839, kept store on east end of lot 12 in 4th concession, near 4th concession line--there was also a blacksmith shop near said store; the same store was in the year 1842 kept by ROBERT LEPPARD (the same east half of lot 12 is now owned and occupied by WILLIAM SHUNK). THOMAS COOK, in the year 1844, started a small store on lot 17 in 2nd concession, in a building near his grist mill, and in the year 1845, erected a new building on lot 16 near sideline, in which he removed his stock of goods in the fall of 1845, which has ever since been occupied as a store, a period of over 50 years. Said store was first occupied by a man, HAY by name, to about 1846, and by a man, BRACKENRIDGE by name, to about the year 1848, SWAN to about the year 1849, THOMAS SCHOLFIELD and BAILEY to about the year 1853, RICHARD LOVE to about the year 1858, after that by LUND, after that by BOLITHO, after that by DENTON, and now by WILLIAM MOLLISH.
In the year 1845 PETER OSTER built a store on south-east corner of lot 6 in the 3rd concession, now Concord, P.O.--JOHNSTON brothers being the builders of same. Said store was first occupied by a man, LANGLEY by name, after that by RICHARD LOVE to about the year 1853, after that by HENRY McELROY, after that by the WIDOW McELROY and son, the same now owned and occupied by WILLIAM J. CLARK.
School accommodation.
The first school the writer attended was a German School. The teacher's name was ANDREW DOMERLY. We will mention a few of the scholars: LAVINA and JACOB NAFE, JACOB SPICKER, JACOB and JOHN COBER, MARY, DANIEL and CHRISTLE REAMAN, EVE and JONATHAN BAKER. Said school was kept in a dwelling-house on lot 12 in 2nd concession (formerly in possession of SEVALD STONG, SR., father to DANIEL, GEORGE and MAGDALENE STONG, and grandfather to JACOB and JOSEPH STONG, and great frandfather to GEORGE STONG of Harriston). In the year 1835 said west half of lot 12 in 2nd was owned and occupied by PETER COBER. The above German school was kept in the year 1835.The second school was, in the year 1837, kept by a widow ANNA BENNETT by name, who taught school in her own house. A few of the scholars were: JOHN VELIE, JANE McLEAN, SOLOMON, HENRY and ANTHONY KEFFER, JOHN SNIDER, JESSE, ELIZABETH, MARY, EVE and JONATHAN BAKER, ELIZABETH and MARY ANN DEXTER, daughters of HIRAM DEXTER, DANIEL QUANTZ, JOHN and CATHARINE KURTZ, SARAH ANN, ELIZABETH, MARTHA, JESSE and JOHN BENNETT, CATHARINE McDOUGALL, GEORGE LONGHOUSE, and ELIZABETH JACKSON. The aforesaid school kept by ANNA BENNETT was on west half of lot 14 in 2nd, then owned and occupied by JACOB BENNETT, SR., who, in the year 1849, built a stonen-house on said lot 14 in 2nd, the same is now in the occupation of ANDREW RUSSELL.
Third school was, in the year 1830, kept by JOHN NELSON in a carpenter-shop on east half of lot 12 at that time owned by JACOB BAKER.
Fourth school in 1839, we have in the foregoing made mention. Up to the year 1839 the teacher's salary was seemingly governed by the number of scholars who attended school, for every scholar who attended school he was entitled to one half-dollar a month. The teacher himself sometimes went round for signers. If he got enough to sign so that he thought it would pay, he would start a school; if not it would be dropped for the time; but soon after that it was a quarter of a dollar for every scholar, the rest of the teacher's salary was taken by tax. The teacher at that time had every other Saturday for himself.
The fifth school was, in 1842, kept in a school-house by a teacher THOMAS CUMMINGS by name. In the above it may be seen that the writer started school seven years before ever he attended in a regular school-house and that was a round log building perhaps 18 x 20; said school-house was on south-east corner of lot 8 in 3rd; near same place they, in 1845, built a hewed log school-house perhaps 30 x 30 (a little north of same ISAAC WHITE, about 1846, built and started a blacksmith-shop; he burnt his first coal in a pit on lot 11 in 2nd, wood seemingly at that time was pretty plentiful, whereas he got the pine timber for same from JONATHAN BAKER, SR., gratos).
They in 1866 built a brick school-house one quarter mile south, now perhaps called Concord School.
We now again come back to 1842, and as CUMMINGS was not first-class in grammar and NEIL McKINNON was at the same time trying to get education so that he himself would be qualified to teach school, whereas there was at same time a teacher, JOHN KENNEDY by name, who was seemingly well versed in grammar, the same was teaching at Sherwood, so NEIL McKINNON quit Concord school and went to what perhaps is now called Maple school, which was, in the year 1842, kept in a hewed log school-house on south-west corner of lot 16 in 3rd, now called Sherwood, said lot 16 then owned by PETER RUPERT, SR. And whereas the said NEIL McKINNON boarded at same place, the writer, for the sake of company, also went to Sherwood. This would then be the sixth school, but ere long two men from Pine Grove, STEGMAN and MILLIGAN by name, offered our teacher JOHN KENNEDY by name, three hundred dollars a year if he would come as teacher to the Pine Grove school -- this was at that time looked at as a wonderful salary for a school teacher. The temptation was seemingly so great that KENNEDY left Sherwood and went to Pine Grove to teach, so that broke up our school for that ... at same place, but for about a month only and tho said NEIL McKINNON after that hired with GEORGE WALTZ as farm laborer through haying and harvest on lot 15 in 2nd, tho said GEORGE WALTZ having rented the same from JOSIAH REAMAN, and after that, in the same fall of 1842, tho said NEIL McKINNON taught other three months in same place, and after now year of 1843, the aforesaid JOHN KENNEDY came back and taught school in same place, and tho said NEIL McKINNON again attended school. The writer also attended same school about the month of June, but for one month only, and that was the last schooling the writer got at Sherwood. After that the writer, in the year 1844, again went to Concord school; JOHN NELSON was teacher, after him RICHARD READ taught school at Concord in same year, and in fall of said year 1844 the writer got his last schooling at Concord, whereas in 1846 they built the Carrville school-house, NATHANIEL BURR being the builder. The same was a hewed log building perhaps 30 x 30, the aforesaid NEIL McKINNON being teacher in same for the first seven years; the same started school in the fall of 1845, and taught three weeks and then quit till after New Year of 1847.
The writer was among the first scholars who entered the door of the Carrivlle school-house, which took place about the first of December, 1846. A list of the scholars who attended school that winter; SARAH ANN, ELIZABETH, MARTHA, JESSE, HUGH and JOHN BENNETT, MARY, ISAAC and PHOEBE BAKER, EVE, JONATHAN and PETER BAKER, MARGARET, GEORGE, JACOB and JOHN COBER, DAVID and ARTHER TENNYSON, MARY JANE, HANNAH and HENRY KIRBY, JOHN and MICHAEL KURTZ, CATHARINE, ELIZABETH ANN and JULIA ANN FRANK, JOHN VELIE, JULIA ANN SCHOOLCRAFT, EDWARD BRAITHWAITE, JAMES and ROBERT KILFEDDER, LUKE O'BRIEN, DANIEL REAMAN, JACOB HILTS, ELIZABETH HICKLY, NICHOLAS REAMAN, WILLIAM BURR, WILLIAM SCHOLFIELD, WILLIAM COOK, WILLIAM and EDMUND SEAGER, GEORGE and FANNY AKINSON. MARGARET COBER was perhaps the oldest of those who at that time attended Carrville school, she was about 23 years of age, and WILLIAM COOK, the youngest, was about the age of 5 years. Among the above number there were perhaps three or four who were studying grammar; there was only one geography in said school at that time and that belonged to the teacher; they were nevertheless in geography all in one class, from the youngest to the oldest; and here about the middle of March, 1847, ended the writer's school-days.
As for crops we will take the fall wheat, which was about 1839 and for years the crop on which the farmer most depended. We will take the farm we are best acquainted with, that is west half of lot 13 in 2nd, with about 45 acres of clearing, then owned and occupied by MICHAEL BAKER. As for the main, in 1839, fall wheat was in this part, an uncommon failure; it was badly shrunk. was plenty of straw, but not much wheat, part of same was out with sickle, part with cradle, the same was threshed with machine, that was the first threshing done on said farm with machine, the same was one of the old-fashioned beater machines--no cleaner yet on threshing machines. At that time grain, chaff and straw all came out together on barn floor, straw was separated from grain and chaff by hand with forks, mostly wooden forks, said machine was seemingly, in 1838, yet in possession of a man, COCKERLINE by name.
The writer went to school on east half of lot 12 in 2nd, then occupied by JACOB BAKER. Said school was kept in a carpenter shop, and between shop and dwelling house was a space, perhaps 20 x 20 roofed over as a pump house, and under that roof the writer, in 1838, saw the first threshing machine. The same was, in 1839, the property of PETER COBER and JACOB BENNETT. In 1840 there was on said farm again 11 acres in three fields, about 35 bushels to acre the same was cut with cradle (and that was the first year the owner of said farm cut with his own cradle; although he was on said farm already ten years sickles were the only implements he, before 1840 owned for cutting grain, they at that time had to live very economical), JOSEPH JOHNSTON being the cradler, MICHAEL BAKER and wife were the binders; the same was threshed with horses.
In 1841 wheat was a little winter-killed; there were about 8 acres in two fields, about 23 bushels to acre, cut with sickle, JOHN TOOL, JESSE and ISAAC BAKER were the hired help, again threshed with horses. The same was rather a wet season. wheat was next thing to sprouting in 1842 about 11 acres in three fields, about 38 bushels to the acre, cut with sickle, THOMAS SHARP, PETER COBER, MARGARET, GEORGE, JACOB and JOHN COBER, JONATHAN SCHELL, GEORGE LONGHOUSE, MARY, DANIEL and CHRISTLE REAMAN, MAGDALENE FISHER were the hired help. The same was threshed with flail by a man whose name was best known as "CRAZY JIM," but he himself used to say, "CRAZY JIM carries his fool in his pocket." His right name was seemingly JAMES GELSO; there were, perhaps, very few who knew his right name.
1843, badly winter-killed, about 10 acres in two fields, about 15 bushels to acre, out with sickle. THOMAS SHARP and NEIL McKINNON were the hired help, threshed with flail by ADAM MAGER, 1844, about 8 acres in five fields, some very small, one was orchard and only one-half acres, about 35 to acre out with sickle, WILLIAM BASSINGTHWAITE, JOHN and JACOB ATKINSON, THOMAS and son JOHN SHARP, ADAM MAGER, AARON PRENTICE, JESSE BAKER and a woman not long from Germany, CAROLINE GRAVE by name, were the hired help, but not all on said farm on same day, threshed again with flail by ADAM MAGER.
1845, 8 acres in two fields, about 35 to acre, cut with sickle, THOMAS SHARP, ADAM HILTS, RUDOLF RAHAN, PETER COBER, GEORGE and JOHN COBER, were the hired help, threshed with machine, the same worked with cleaner, that was the first threshing machine with cleaner in this part, AARON PRENTICE was the owner of same. Notwithstanding, AARON PRENTICE and WILLIAM BROWN had already in 1844 a threshing machine in this neighborhood, but not on west half of lot 13, and said machine was also without a cleaner.
1846, wheat was a little winter-killed, 15 acres in two fields; about 20 to acre, cut with cradle, GEORGE and JACOB COBER were the cradlers, JOHN COBER and MICHAEL BAKER, JR., were the hired help as binders; threshed with machine, the same was the property of GEORGE LONGHOUSE and JOHN CAMPBELL. The said MICHAEL BAKER, JR., was raised on lot 29 in 3rd concession of the Township of Markham; the same in fall of 1842 went out west and settled in the Township of Oxford, and there in latter part of 1844, or beginning of 1845, married CATHARINE McCAUL. After that in 1846, he with his wife, again came back and lived in Markham.
1847, a failure in this part, for all such that was early sown destroyed by Hessian fly, late sowed much better on east half of lot 14 in 2nd, then in the occupation of JACOB BENNETT, SR., on south-west corner was a 10 acre field, sowed on pea ground, which he ploughed up and summer followed. We now again come to lot 13, 8 acres in one field, only 68 shock, that would be 102 sheaves to acre, they were small sheaves at that, perhaps 4 bushels to acre, cut with sickle, no hired help, threshed with horses.
1848, about 7 acres in two fields, about 35 to acre, cut with sickle, threshed with horses.
1849, about 7 3/4 acres in one field, about 35 to acre, cut with sickle; MANASSAH EBY and MICHAEL HILTS were the hired help, threshed with machine; the same was, in spring of 1850, sold for $1 a bushel to Gooderham in Toronto, which seem an extra price.
1850, a little winter-killed, 16 acres in two fields, about 28 to acre, out with cradle, a wet harvest wheat was a little sprouted, more so than was ever known on said farm, threshed with machine.
1851, winter-killed, about 12 acres in two fields, about 20 to acre, cut some with sickle, some with cradle, MANASSAH EBY and MICHAEL HILTS were the hired help; threshed with machine.
1852, about 10 acres in two fields, about 20 to acre, extra sample cut with cradle; threshed with machine. 1853, about 10 1/2 acres, 6 acres summer-fallow; cut with sickle, about 45 bushels to acre, 4 1/2 acres pea ground cut with cradle, about 30 to acre, threshed with machine; sold the same at Thornhill Pomona Mills to John Brunskill for 5s. 4d. (money was then counted by pounds, shillings and pence), one load was sold in Toronto for 5s. 7 1/2 d.
1854, 7 3/4 acres, about 25 to acre, cut with cradle, JACOB BAKER being the cradler, JOHN BENNETT being the hired help as binder; threshed with machine; sold same to Gooderham in Toronto for $1.50, that was in fall of 1854, and in the following spring 1855 sold the remainder for 11s. 6d. per bushel, that would in our way of counting at present be $2.30. 1854 was rather a wet season, but on said farm, wheat was already in barn before wet set in.
1855, 8 acres one field, about 22 to acre, cut with cradle, JOHN BENNETT being the cradler, THOMAS BESTERD being the hired help as binder; threshed with horses: sold in same fall at Thornhill Mills to DAVID McDOUGALL for $2.00 per bushel.
1856, 7 1/2 acres, about 35 to acre, cut with cradle, threshed with machine; sold same fall at Carr Mills to CHARLES machine; sold same fall at Carr Mills to CHARLES...; ELIZABETH WAGEWORTH from same place; MARY ANN and REBECCA KEFFER, who lived with their father, WILLIAM KEFFER, on lot 9 in 3rd; SUSAN and GEORGE KEFFER, who lived with their father, VALENTINE KEFFER, on lot 10 in 3rd; WILLIAM and ELIZABETH KEFFER, who lived with their widowed mother, SUSAN HANDLEN, on east end of lot 11 in 3rd.
We will here make mention of some of the scholars who attended school while the aforesaid JOHN KENNEDY was teaching on corner of what now is called Sherwood in 1842-43, namely: JOSEPH OLONZA and ALFRED McDOUGALL, sons of SQUIRE McDOUGALL, who at that time lived on lot 19 in 4th of Vaughan, the said ALFRED McDOUGALL, now barrister of Toronto; ANDREW, JOHN, MICHAEL, WILLIAM and ELLEN POWERS, sons and daughter of MICHAEL POWERS who lived on lot 20 in 4th; ELIZABETH and MARY ANN DICKOUT, daughters of PETER DICKOUT; THOMAS and LUCINDA SPENCE; PETER McMULLEN, JOHN, JACOB and EDMUND RUPERT, sons of ADAM RUPERT; PHILIP, JOSEPH, PETER, REBECCA, MARGARET and ESTHER RUPERT sons and daughters of PETER RUPERT; JOHN and OLIVER RUPERT, sons of JACOB RUPERT; JOSEPH and WILLIAM CALHOUN; WILLIAM and MARY MATHESON, son and daughter of ALEXANDER MATHESON; CAROLINE OESTERTAG, daughter of C.M.G. OESTERTAG, a tinsmith by trade who had a shop at one time between Sherwood and Maple on the 4th line, and about 1844 moved to Thornhill village; MATILDA and ANNA FRASER, daughters of JOSEPH FRASER; HUGH McKINNON; LOUISA KEFFER, daughter of MICHAEL KEFFER, who lived on lot 14 in 3rd; also WILLIAM BURTIS from same place; PATRICK O'CONNOR; SARAH ANN, ELIZABETH, MARTHA and JESSE BENNETT, late JESSE BENNETT, who died of cholera; JOHN McQUARRIE, now magistrate at Maple; ISAAC BAKER, son of JACOB BAKER; EVE, JONATHAN and PETER BAKER, sons and daughter of MICHAEL BAKER; NEIL McKINNON, from same place; ADELINE MIREHOFFER; MARGARET and ELLEN PFAFF, daughters of ANTHONY PFAFF, who at that time lived on lot 15 in 3rd, the same with his family about 1847 moved to Toronto; JOHN and JAMES O'BRIEN, sons of OWEN O'BRIEN, who at that time lived on north-west corner of lot 40 in 1st of Vaughan; HANNAH JANE MURPHY, perhaps daughter of PATRICK MURPHY who at that time lived near where Carrville P.O. now stands; HENRY BURKHOLDER; ARCHIBALD McLEAN, son of HECTOR McLEAN; JOHN McDOUGALL, son of WILLIAM McDOUGALL, who for many years lived on the MULHOLLAND farm; WILLIAM and MARY ANN RUMBLE, son and daughter of ROBERT RUNBLE; JOHN McDONALD; EPHRAIM and REBECCA MUSELMAN, son and daughter of ABRAHAM MUSELMAN, who in 1843 moved to the United States; WILLIAM WHITEOAK, son of WILLIAM WHITEOAK, SR., who lived on lot 11 in 4th of Vaughan; THOMAS, SAMUEL and ANNA GOODWILL; HUGH, JOHN and MARY HORD, sons and daughter of BENJAMIN HORD, who then lived on east half of lot 15 in 3rd, the same now in possession of JOHN LAHMER; the said HUGH and JOHN HORD died in summer of 1843.
We will here close the list of the Sherwood scholars:-JAMES SHUTER, storekeeper at Thornhill for BENJAMIN HORD in 1852, and in fall of same year married MARY, eldest daughter of the said BENJAMIN HORD. The aforesaid THOMAS and WILLIAM COOK, who bought of MICHAEL FISHER said land and mill property about the year 1837, put an addition to said mill; they also in said mill made oatmeal. And whereas there was a ready market for wheat at Cook Brothers all the year round, some of the farmers at that time in this part knew little of teaming wheat to Toronto, perhaps not taking taking a load to Toronto once in three years; about the year 1842 they divided said property, THOMAS taking the south part, WILLIAM the north for his share; WILLIAM, about the same time, let his part to NATHANIEL KIRBY for a number of years, and he himself again went back to England, and there got married, and lived for some six or so years in England; as as it seems he had a longing to come back to Canada again, his health began to fail, so his wife seemingly through sympathy and kindness made up her mind to come with him to Canada, so they about 1847 or '48, came to Canada and settled on lot 18 in 2nd of Vaughan, if the writer rightly recollects.
THOMAS COOK, SR., died in fall of 1877. He had three sons, the eldest son, WILLIAM COOK now lives on west half of lot 16 in 2nd; THOMAS COOK lives on east half of same lot; GEORGE COOK lives above Maple in 3rd of Vaughan. WILLIAM COOK, SR., died 1878. He had three sons and three daughters; his widow now lives at Toronto, number 7 Walmer Road. The oldest son, THOMAS by name, died a number of years before the father. One of the sons is JOHN COOK, 22 Yonge Street Arcade; another of the sons, WILLIAM COOK, Barrister, has his office, 1 Adelaide Street East, Toronto.
... work goes back to 1796, the time when NICHOLAS COBER started from Pennsylvania for Canada, and the latest is WILLIAM COOK, Barrister at Toronto, 1896. From the above we may learn that this covers a period of one hundred years.
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