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Peon fe 8 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1978. Port Perry the Beautiful E,, A Prosperous Town tn By Joseph Bigelow, Esq. The history of Port Perry extends back for about sixty-five years, at which time it was scarcely known, only as a landing place and camping ground of the Indian and the fur trader, and the landing place of the Indian trail between Scugog Lake and Lake Ontario at Oshawa. Evidences of the early occupation of the place is in the finding of arrow heads and stone imple- ments where once roamed the untamed Indian with his dusky mate and children of the forest in pursuit of game, and happiness in anticipation of a full meal, affording a. very unreliable means of support, especially during severe and prolonged winters, which must have entailed much suffering in their exposed condition in the bark covered wigwams » with scanty clothing. Their little ones - must have suffered extreme hardship in their crude homes and on the trail -- the squaw carrying her papoose on her back -- in their pursuit of fresh hunting grounds. Scugog Lake, and the rivers and lakes north, were largely populated by Indians at one time, unknown to white man, where fish and game were plentiful, with no close season as enforced by the laws of the white men. Evidences of Indian occupation at a very . early period, or by a prehistoric race, is apparent in the construction of dykes and mounds of snake and ampitheatre shapes, and embankments for purposes unknown, between Port Perry and Seagrave along the railway in the ninth and tenth conces- sions of Reach. South of the present bridge connecting Port Perry with Scugog Island, and around the southern end of the Island, was at one time about two thousand acres of low-lying marsh land, sparsely covered with a growth of tamarac and spruce trees, giving the appearance of a beautiful grass covered park, the feeding ground of the buck and doe, at times in large numbers, affording meat for the Indians and early settlers. The raising of the waters of the lake by the building of a dam at Lindsay on the Scugog River about the year 1832, overflowed this low lying land, killing all the timber, which was sub- sequently cut down by incoming settlers _ for fire wood, now presenting a partially submerged waste of marsh stumps and bare weather-beaten relics of a bygone age, now the feeding ground of millions of wild ducks. This is now held by a company as a game preserve, and is a real paradise for sporismen. I" Speaking of the Indian and Indian traders, one John Sharp was murdered by an Indian on Washburn"s Island. The Indian was subsequently arrested and taken to Toronto, then Little York, for trial. It was then learned that the crime was committed in the Newcastle district. Little York being in the Home District, the trial could not take place there, and he was transferred to the Newcastle District, where the offence was committed. It was arranged that the trial should take place at Presque Isle, on the 7th of October, 1801. Judge Cochrane, Solicitor-General Robert Isaac Gray, Sheriff Angus McDonald, Deputy Sheriff John Fish, in charge of the Indian, went down the lake in the Govern- ment schooner 'Speedy', Captain Paxton, for the place of trial at Presque Isle. The - vessel was lost, and all on board drowned. The John Fisk referred to was the great grandfather of our townsman, Mr. Bige- low, who has the administration papers respecting his estate. Where Port Perry now stands was form- erly an Indian Reservation, and was called by the first settlers, and up to the time of a post office being established, Scugog. Rueben Crandell was the first settler on the land west of Lilla street in 1821. Shortly after came Charles and Elias © Reprinted from the North Ontario Observer - February 22, 1906 Port Perry aS Williams, who located on the land east of Lilla street, Charles, about 1845, selling out his portion to Peter Perry, and Elias to his son, Peter Williams, by will dated 1849. Mr. Perry had his purchase about 1845 laid out in lots, which was the first commence- ment of the town. A frame storehouse was ------ being cut away for Crandell's hotel. From Dr. Procter's to the school house there were a few acres cleared, but all north was bush. On the south side of Queen street from Mr. Forman's residence to the town hall and south to the 5th concession was a cedar swamp. East and south of the town rn -- MRE. JOSEPH BIGELOW, erected on the south side of the corporation wharf. About 1846 Thomas and George Paxton built a saw mill, followed by another built by Samuel Hill, afterwards becoming the property of W. S. Sexton. These men carried on the lumbering "business until the pine forests around Scugog Lake became exhausted. In 1858 another saw mill was built at the west end: of the Scugog Bridge, by Stephen Doty, an American, afterwards becoming the pro- perty of Mr. Bigelow. In 1847 and 48 John Nott and John W. Davis engaged in the manufacture of furniture. At this date was opened a general store by Peter Perry, of Whitby, managed by Chester Draper, and later purchased by Richard Lund, who retired, and the business was subsequently carried on by Alexander McMichael, and later by Henry Charles, where the St. Charles hotel now stands. The first hotel was built in 1848 by Harrison Haight, on the south side of Queen street, on the property at present owned by Mrs. Sinclair; followed by another hotel built by S. E. Crandell on land now occuped by the Bank of Com- merce. In 1848 and 1849 was built the plank road from Port Whitby to Scugog Lake," nineteen miles in length, made of three inch pine plank, ten feet long, with three stringers, three by six pine, the whole distance. Figure what that would be worth to-day. Over the road. was hauled immense quantities of masts, square timber, white oak, and West India pipe staves, mostly rafted and brought to Port Perry from the townships of Scugog, Mariposa, Fenelon, Ops and Cartwright. The plank road at this time afforded the only outlet for these products of the forest, as well as other traffic and travel. At this time nearly the whole town was a forest, the north side of Queen street from Water street to John street was forest, only enough timber hall was a small clearing made by Elias Williams. South of Mary street all was bush land. At this time not more than half a dozen houses constituted the embryo town. - In July, 1851, a hurricane passed through the township of Reach and Port Perry, killing two people and overturning a frame house, carrying it across the road about where John Cassidy's house now stands. In 1851 the first steamboat was built by Hugh Chisholm, who was also her first «Captain. The boat was owned by Cotton & Rowe, of Whitby. Some two years after- wards she was badly damaged by fire, and was sold to George Crandell, who repaired her and made tri-weekly trips between Port Perry and Lindsay. Next was built the steamer '"'Ogema", owned and oper- ated by Captain Wallace of Fenelon Falls. This boat made two trips per week between Port Perry and Fenelon Falls. Later a number of other steamers went into the carrying trade, which was quite extensive until the railway was built between Port Hope and Lndsay. Previous to the building of steamers the carrying trade was done in small boats, the largest one being of about three tons capacity, and was owned and after which a scow was put into service, propelled by sails and poles, navigated by Christopher Shehey. This was about the only means of getting into and out of the back country, as there was were no bush roads. A team would have to snake its way around stumps and trees, over roots and mud holes, up and down hill -- a most trying operation. " . The present generation of people have but a vague conception of the hardships of their pioneer ancestors who toiled and slaved to make homes for themselves and their children. The children can now have fine. horses, splendid evFiages, ood schools, houses good enough for the palace of a king and pianos and other luxuries for A Charming Country IX ; ~ Past a n d P r ese nt | the family. In Sik contrast this to the log shanty, the big open fireplace, the log barn, the yoke of oxen, the homemade jumper and the three-cornered harrow of the pioneer, who did the chopping and clearing of the land, saving the ashes, rinsing off the lye, boiling it down to the consistency of soft sugar -- called black salts -- to be made into pearlash. This, and the making of potash was quite an extensive industry during the clearing of land, to obtain a little money or pay store bills. A pearlash works was carried on by Richard Lund, located where Charles Vickery's office now stands. These were the days when square o.g. clocks were peddelled through the country and sold on long time at twenty dollars each. In 1851 was opened a general store by Cotton & Rowe, managed by W. H. Rut- ledge, where the Observer office is now. The same year came Mr. Joseph Bigelow and his brother, opening a general store where Mr. McCaw"s store now stands. In 1852 a post office was opened, Mr. Joseph Bigelow being appointed post master. After the opening of the post office a daily stage was started between Whitby and Port Perry. A new name for the place instead of Scugog was desirable, and it was called Port Perry, after the founder of the village, Peter Perry, who was a prominent merchant and grain buyer of Whitby, and was a Member of Parliament 'for East York in the Parliament of Upper Canada, the sessions of which as the time were held in Toronto. In 1852 a steam flouring and saw mill was built by John Cameron, of Toronto, and carried on for some years, when it was burned down. The mill stood where the railway station is located. In 1858 another daily stage line between Port Perry and Whitby was started by C. S. Jewell, the two lines connecting with the steamer Woodman, and both lines doing a large passenger business. So keen at one "time was the competition between the stage lines that passengers were carred between Port Perry and Whitby for twenty-five cents. . In 1853 Jacob and W. D. Bowerman started a woolen factory and planing mill .. where the railway engine sheds now are, afterwards passing to Mr. Bigelow, who added the manufacture of flour barrel staves, carrying on the business for some years. When the property was expropri- ated for railway purposes the mill was taken down and removed to near the foundry of Madison Williams. MRE JOSEPH BIGELOW, (From a phiato tak thirty year< ago. Continued next week TEBE SARS Q » 4) "9 capris