including the journey up from Prescott, there were among these Ennismore settlers nine births and twenty-three deaths. The official returns show their first year's produce (that is, from the date of settlement in 1825 to November, 1826,) to be 8,900 bushels of potatoes, 3000 bushels of turnips and 1042 bushels of Indian corn. Of the 195 acres cleared up to that date, 44 acres were that fall (1826) sown with fall wheat. They had besides made 1,330 pounds of maple sugar, and owned among them four oxen, nine cows and ten hogs, purchased by themselves. So large a result for their first year's labor was creditable to these new settlers, most of whom had not the most remote idea of the proper means to pursue in clearing and tilling their land. More than one of them attempted to burn the timber in the winter as he chopped it, and in the spring some of them swept the ground with a besom lest it might not be sufficiently clean for the seed about to be sown. For the first year or two oxen were very scarce, and instead of harrowing in the grain, it was hoed in, as best it could among the stumps. The Chemong or Mud lake in front, was a serious obstacle in the way of procuring supplies; for as yet the settlers were too inexperienced to construct canoes of any service, and consequently the wheat to the mill, and the flour on their return, had to be carried on their shoulders round the head of the lake. Roads as yet were scarcely thought of; and thus heavily laden, they followed the "blaze" on the trees, through brush, swamps and over fallen timber as best they could. These laborious journeys and heavy burdens were not confined to the men, but even the women too, at times found it necessary to proceed, laden with grain, to mill or market, and in assisting their husbands and providing for their families, performed feats of labor and endurance of which in later times we have but a faint conception. Sir Peregrine Maitland visited the new settlement in Ennismore during his visit to Peterborough in 1826, accompanied by Col. Talbot, Mr. (afterwards Colonel) Alexander McDonell and others. They put up for a short time at the shanty of Mr. Eugene McCarthy, father of Jeremiah McCarthy, Esq., and partook of such refreshment as the settlement afforded. During the first ten years, the population of Ennismore rather diminished than increased. This was no doubt owing to the fact that many of the younger men were obliged to seek in older settlements for employment at remunerating wages. Ennismore is but a small township,-it might be said a mere corner of Smith, cut off from the remainder by Chemong lake. Three school houses supply the educational wants of the inhabitants. It has near its centre a Roman Catholic church, erected many years ago. There is also a Post Office, of which Mr. Patrick Gallivan was first Postmaster. Its second and present Postmaster is Mr. Thomas Lehane. The soil of Ennismore is naturally rich and fertile, and nothwithstanding many drawbacks from inexperience and the isolation of the township by water, the patient perseverance of the settlers, in a few years overcame the first difficulties, and they and their families gradually grew into comparative wealth and independence. Ennismore is situated on the direct route between Peterborough and the Bobcaygeon road. Owing to the influx of settlers, and the extensive lumbering operations carried on in the new townships bordering on that road, during the past few years, it is the thoroughfare for traffic between these points, the bridging of the lakes on either side by the winter's ice, affording the necessary facilities for such a transit. Several attempts have been made to supply this necessary link of communication by bridging the water, and although such a result would be highly beneficial not only to Ennismore, but to the trade of Peterborough, all efforts of the kind to undertake such a work have hitherto ended only in failure. In February, 1844, a by-law was passed by the District Council authorizing the appropriation of twenty-six pounds, currency, from the wild land assessment fund of Ennismore, "for the purpose of building a scow and ferry boats on Mud lake, to ply from Galt's landing in Ennismore to Edmison's landing in Smith." The councillor for the township and two other persons chosen at the town meeting, were appointed commissioners to have the same in charge, and to contract with a ferryman for performing this duty. The tolls to be charged, which were very low, were as follows:-A span of horses and waggon one shilling. A single horse, with or without a waggon, sixpence. A yoke of oxen and vehicle ninepence. Horned cattle per head three pence. Pigs and calves per head twopence. Each passenger threepence. The ferry thus established was kept in operation for a few years, but was found troublesome and expensive, and although a convenience to the public, was nevertheless discontinued. Since then, the necessity for a bridge at that place has been frequently brought prominently before the public, and at times it seemed in a fair way to be secured, but has not yet been accomplished. In 1854 a Joint Stock Company was formed to construct a gravel road from Peterborough to Bobcaygeon, intending to cross Mud lake by a bridge at the point mentioned, and thence passing across the township of Ennismore. Of this company, Augustus Sawers, Esq., was President, and William Lundy, Elias Burnham, James Stevenson, and W. S. Conger, Esquires, were Directors, with Thomas White, Esq., Jr., as Secretary. The town adopted a by-law pledging itself to £5000. The township of Ennismore at a public meeting took stock to the extent of £3000, and stock was otherwise taken, chiefly by private individuals, to the amount of £1100, but the project, though begun under these favourable auspices, was never even commenced; and like many other less practicable schemes, soon passed into oblivion. As the construction of a bridge across Mud lake, opposite the village of Bridgenorth, is still the subject of occasional discussion, and recently engaged the attention of the County Council, it may not be uninteresting to quote the estimate for such a structure, made at the time (1854) by Mr, Dumble, the gentleman charged with the preliminary survey and estimates of the cost of the above mentioned road. That for the bridge is as follows: "Across Mud lake, 70 chains, bridging to consist of piles, stringers, corbals, plank and railing, 50 feet span, with swing to admit of navigation, -£3500. The absence of any current in the lake, even at high water, and the consequent small risk of injury to such a structure from the action of the ice, are most favorable circumstances; which, together with the great importance of such a work to the municipalities in the rear, as well as to the Town of Peterborough in front, give good hope that means will ere long be found to construct so desirable a work. In 1832, the number of persons assessed in Ennismore was 32; the number of acres cultivated 118. The value of its property as assessed then was $7088, and total rates for all purposes levied on the township in that year, $34. In 1866, its ratepayers numbered 185. The assessed value of its property was $69364, and its county rate alone, exclusive of township and school rates, $494.13. The total population of Ennismore in 1861 was 862. Of these 462 were males and 400 females. There were in 1860, 3 deaths, 32 births and 172 children attending school. The census by origin shows, 248 from Ireland, 11 from England, 8 from Scotland, 22 from the United States, and 572 as natives of Upper Canada. The census by religion:-Church of England 66, R. Catholic 744, W. Methodists 27, Free Church 24, Church of Scotland 6, and one or two others. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS. Daniel Costello, Esq., was District Councillor for this township, continuously from the first organization of that body in 1842, until it was merged in the County Council in 1850. LOCAL SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS. 1844, Patrick Sullivan. 1856, Daniel Donahue. 1859, James Brennan. 1855, Daniel Donahue. 1861, James Brennan. 1862, Daniel Donahue. 1863, Daniel Donahue. 1864, Daniel Donahue. 1865, Dr. T. W. Poole. 1866, James Stratton. CHAPTER XXIX. THE TOWNSHIP OF HARVEY. About the year 1832, a number of gentlemen, soon after their emigration to Canada, located in the township of Harvey, and commenced a settlement chiefly in the south-western corner, near the shore of Pigeon lake, and in the vicinity of Sandy lake. Col. Strickland in his interesting work on Canada, says, "The spot chosen by them was one of great natural beauty; but it possessed no other advantages except an abundance of game, which was no small inducement to them. They spent several thousand pounds in building fancy log houses, and making large clearings which they had neither the ability nor industry to cultivate. But, even if they had possessed sufficient perseverance, their great distance from a market, bad roads, want of knowledge in cropping after they had cleared the land, lack of bridges, and poor soil, would have been a great drawback to the chance of effecting a prosperous settlement. In a few years not a settler remained of this little colony. Some stayed till their means were exhausted; others more wise purchased ready-cleared farms in the settlements, or followed some profession more congenial to their tastes or more suited to their abilities."* Among those whose first experience of life in Canada commenced in Harvey, were Robert Dennistoun, Esq., and Captain Wallis, who for many years have been regarded as among our most worthy citizens. Since this attempt at settlement in Harvey, no large influx of population has taken place, and the great bulk of the township still remains either in the hands of the Crown, or is owned by non-residents, who are chiefly lumber merchants, for whose operations the township offered peculiar facilities in former days, but is now nearly denuded of its valuable timber, though still in great part covered by the forest. Among the first settlers in Harvey, was Mr. Matthew Warem, now of Smith, but who resided for 11 years in Harvey, and notwithstanding many disadvantages succeeded well in the pursuit of agriculture. A valuable mill site on the Missasauga river, in this township, was turned to account some years ago by Mr. Wm. Henry, who erected a fine saw mill on the spot, now for some years conducted by W. A.. Scott, Esq. * "Twenty-seven years in Canada West." Vol. I, page 135, |