“Reminiscenses of the Township of Bristol”

We came across the following article in our files the other day, and thought that it might prove interesting to those of you whose families can trace their roots to our township… it was published on August 12, 1924, and so some of it was still living memory in those days.

“Going back as far as the year 1840, we hear of the first steamboat, “The George Buchanan”, making its first call at Bristol. This boat was built at Arnprior by George Buchanan, a man by the name of Richards being the first captain. He was succeeded the next year by Capt. Daniel Kenworth Cowley, who afterwards was owner of the boat, with the late William Craig as joint partner.

There were many more [...] pioneer settlers, of which I have no recrod, bu the histoy I have given is of some of the earliest and best known.

The first settler was Robert Little, father of George, Peter, Alex and Joseph, on the farm that Arthur Webb now owns.

David and Martin Moore took out red pine from around Norway Bay (where the popular summer resort now is) and sent it down over the Chats Rapids. this was the first raft of timber to go down over those rapids. They skidded it down to the river with their own power, until the snow became too deep, and then got a white Canadian pony and drew the balance down to the river.

The first minister of the place was the Rev. Andrew Melvin; Donald McKillop the first tailor, and Peter Dunbar – who was afterwards drowned crossing the ice about Norway Bay – was the first shoemaker. John Morrison served as the first blacksmith.

Elijah Smith was the first man or person to be buried in the Norway Bay cemetery. Donald, Neil and Angus McKillop with Jamieson Stewart, Lewis Cuthbertson and John Baird carried his remains on a path from where James [Dodd?] now lives to the cemetery.

Robert Dodd was the first harnessmaker. William Craig kept the first regular store [picture at right].

The court house and grist mill were built by the late William King.

The first school house was built on the farm of the late John Young (now owned by Hugh G. Young). James McJanet was the teacher – a man of profound learning – and was succeeded by William Ramsay. This building served also for a meeting place for church services. Public services were held in the barn of the late Angus McKillop.

Some few years after this another school house was built to replace the log structure, about a half mile back on the farm of the late George Reid (now owned by George Russell). At the raising of this building David Russell was killed by a log falling and crushing him. This man was a brother of the late Andrew, John and Walter Russell.

The late Hugh McCredie came to this country about the year 18[2?]5. He was a tailor by trade and served in an old shanty on the farm now owned by William Drummond. he was a good axeman as well, one winter chopping ten acres of heavy bush. He picked and burned the following summer, and had a good crop of wheat off it the following year. After working all day in the bush, he would [mow?] until twelve o’clock, and thought nothing of walking to Ottawa and carrying back 50 pounds of flour.

The late William Cuthbertson, with his sons Oswald, james, lewis and Robert, also were early settlers. Strong, sturdy men they were, coming here when everything was dense forest, and chopping themselves out homes.

George Smith, the first doctor, died of typhoid fever about the year 1863.

A woman by the name of Mrs. Thos. Fraser was the first whiskey vener. She had a little old shanty, which was called the ‘Belfast Inn’ with a black bottle hung out as the only sighn. This being a free country then, no license was required.

James Macfarlane, a lumberman, kept a store in part of a shanty belonging to Thomas McJanet, on the farm now owned by the Lairds [this might be the property on part of which Coronation Hall now stands].

In the year 1839 or 1840, we hear about the first tinsmith, whose name was John [Cheekley?], Malcolm McMartin was the first photographer and his borther Daniel the first cabinet maker, James Dods the first tanner, and Grimes the first cooper. Charles Cole made the first wagon in this vicinity.

Archibald Steward and sons had the first carding mill in the township – in fact it was the first one in the county.

William King was the first postmaster as well as the first Justice of the Peace, and one of the first elders in the Presbyterian Church.”

-M. A. Young, Bristol Quebec, August 12 1924.”