Lake Scugog Historical Society Historic Digital Newspaper Collection

Port Perry Star, 2 Apr 1913, p. 1

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ent Shots i is nothing "coffee i en We hove cup of is ily 'blended, Fe fresh : 'wore when they were put into action by the men of yesterday. gle hero will satisfy a story like this unles$ you call his name Pioneer: f the historic events given in these to get.a. true picture of the Who read this story will miss ad of these facts we should te are other.incidents that info print as yet. Their absence , thee; bur it fs neither wise nor kind n dressed in' Something of the garb they No sin- and the heroines too, are without number, Gathering these records has 'been 'a pleasant and profitable task, "and it is hoped that our will Ssh pleatute and profit in following what has been gathered, 3 It has been gratifying to note the courteous response accorded to the writer by all who were approached for information, A number of '-persons--too many for it to be convenient to record their names;--have . gone to considerable trouble to hunt up material for the story. This kindly co-operation has been greatly appreciated, "THE FIRST SETTLER IN 'REACH WHEN Retiben Crandell' blazed his way through i the bush from near Columbus in 1821, there was not ] : Township. Tt was all heavily wood- ed with beech, maple, birch, pine, cedar, elm, ash and other. timber, Hemlock and poplar were not worth £ pine was plentiful and so abundant that it t ashes that it would make; 'Now, if you travel along the road from Prince Albert ~ to Manchester, you éan see the farm Reuben took up ~--the first one to bé settled in Reach Township. Mr. Peter Christie owns it to-day, and has spent his life 'there. It is a well run farm with a cosy house and good buildings; and has a reputation for raising fine Clydesdale horses. - Such 1s the finished product of the pioneer's work. . Take 4 look at Reuben Crandell as he starts on his journey to his new home. He was splendidly built; and had fair curly hair, almost white. . 'Strong; masterful, alert and resourceful, he was just the man for the woods and the hardships he would have to face. He came from New York to Prince Edward County at the time of the war of 1812 (one of the United Empire Loyalists), and remained there nine years. - Again the pioneer impulse to push on possessed him, and in 1821 he 'went prospecting for.a new home, tramping through the bush as far north as Brock. "Reach Township had been surveyed by Major S. Wilmot in 1800, but was only inhabited by Indians and wild animals until Crandell came on the scene. It was no easy task to pick his way through the woods with nothing to follow but some Indian trails. In fact the trip did not please him--there were too many creeks to cross. So he came to the conclusion that a farmr.of four hundred acres near*what is now Prince Albert was good enough for him. He purchased that farm at about one ollurfper acre, or four hundred dollars in all. ere he brought}his wife and put up his log cabin, with its wide fireplace where whole fogs could be burned; and its mud-chinked walls." 'The following: verses were taken from the life of Tos. Gould of Uxbridge : THE LOG CABIN With small straight logs the walls were made, The gables same, all. well notched down, basswood troughs the rocf was laid, This house was built b oy Reuben Crandell in 1821, where the first white child was born 1m Reach Township, many a year that those old settlers knew. Her wisdom in herbs and poultices was for all, and many an ache and pain was stayed when Lucy Ann had done her kindly work. It i3 hard for memory to gather up these pictures and see this life. One by one the pioneers are going to the other land ; and this one lingers with us a while yet. Benjamin Crandell was the first white male child born in the town- ship. There were also born in this home George, Caleb and Reuben. Eleanor was born at Whitby and Elmore in Haldimand. For twelve years this pioneer couple kept up their work here-- Reuben cutting and clearing and putting in a bit of seed wherever he could scratch the earth well enough for it to grow, and his wife helping anywhere and everywhere, besides looking after her houschold duties. They had no neighbors but the Indians for the first two years, and then Wm. Wade came along and settled near where Manchester now stands. Crandell had brought Wade in from the Front in order that he might have a white neighbor, but the man couldn't stund hush life and after a few years he went back. Even after his ten years at the farm between the present Prince Albert and Manchester, Crandell was not finally settled, for he made another move. He sold his farm to Sandy Graham, lately come from Scotland. That is how it is that the Christics og¢cupy the old farm, for Sandy Graham's daughter married Peter Christie and the farm was left to them. Crandell tramped along another Indian trail that led in a north- easterly direction, selecting for his future home a couple of hundred acres at what was later known as Crandell's Corners, now Borelia. Five children were born in this home, Clark, Janet, Mary, Ruth and Byron. The Indians were frequent visitors to the newcomers, for there was a large band of the Missisaugas then living on the shores of Lake Scugog. Crandell had a special drawing card for them, too. As was the case with a number of the early settlers, he distilled his own whisky, and the Indians acquired a strong liking for his "fire-water." At times these visitors gave a good deal of trouble to the family when the head of the house was absent, It was different when Reuben was on hand, for he was a robust man who could handle himself well, and the Indians had a wholesome fear of him. The story that follows will bear out what has been said :-- It was about the middle of September, and the harvest had been taken off. Now was the time to ship out the potash, before the Fall rains came. About sundown Reuben hitched his two yoke of oxen to the jumper, and loaded a couple of enormous barrels, each containing its five hundred and sixty pounds of potash. 'Then he started on his trip to Harmony, two miles east of Oshawa. He travelled at night because it was easier for the oxen, there being less heat and flies Mrs. Crandell was left in charge of things at home. She was. alone , except for her three little children; but she feared nothing, and during Next day a band of fine the first night everything passed off quietly. She was Indians came round. = With them was a strapping big squaw. quite six feet tall, and was rough and muscular in proportion. The band sat down outside the cabin, and built a fire about which they gathered to smoke. After awhile they began to grow restless, and asked for "skittewabah" (whisky). Mrs. Crandell refused at fist, telling them! it was not good to give it to them. But they argued and begged until they got a cup that would hold a pint or mote. This they gravely passed until all bad taken a drink. It was just enough to warm them' 'make them feel ugly. - Then the squaw marched to the cabin. : 'and demanded more skittewabah, saying that she would tomahawk: the. paleface if it was not given. nee Mrs, Crandell was not a big woman, but she was strong and "wiry and very quick witted. © Without a momeut's warning she sprang at the and, with outstretched hands, caught ber by the hair. ~ The Io dian woman was.so completely taken by surprise that she was off. in an instant, and was being dragged across the ill of thie Cabil ) she realized: what had happened, Then the 'was shut'

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