Excerpt from the Journals of Hubert Compton

      Further to the previous post Door Knobs, Unhappy Wife, Great Fire there's information below that might help explain the story, however, the dates don't match.  The following are excerpts from the Journals of Hubert George Compton 1831-1915. Hubert was the son of Major Thomas and Hannah Compton and grandson of Col. Harry Compton.  He was educated in Charlottetown, then was a clerk to T. Chappell at St. Eleanors, following he was a partner in business with his cousin, then he engaged in farming on the old homestead.  He was married to Mary Ann Pope Thomas -they had eight children. 
     Hubert wrote a series of articles for The Prince Edward Island Magazine providing much information about the early history of St. Eleanors.  The following excerpts are from articles written by Hubert G. Compton, which appeared in The Prince Edward Island Magazine:  Vol.  I, No. 5, July, 1899, p. 167-171;  Vol.  I, No. 6, August, 1899, p. 224-226; Vol. II, No. 1, March, 1900, p. 25-28;  Vol. II, No. 11, Jan., 1901, p. 366-369.  (cf. the family history - The Jeffery Family of the Isle of Wight and Prince Edward Island, 1998 by Betty M. Jeffery and Carter W. Jeffery)

Lot 17 - The 1863 Lake Map - cf.  www.islandregister.com

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The first settlers of St. Eleanor’s by the late Hubert G. Compton:

   Upon his (Captain Compton) arrival on the Island he negotiated with one Capt. Townsend, who had the corresponding halves of each Lot, for the transfer of the other half of Lot 17, his brother officer receiving in return the other half of Lot 19 of which Capt. Compton was owner.  Thus the Compton property became co-extensive with Lot 17.  Before leaving England Mr. Compton prepared all necessary fixtures for the finishing of a comfortable dwelling house, via: window sashes, doors, cornice, wainscotting, etc.
  The construction occupied the space of about two years, being completed in the year 1806.  The house when completed was named the Pavillion.  It stood on a beautiful site a short distance below where the present homesteads now stand, overlooking the water of Richmond Bay, and within a few minutes walk of the shore.  This old landscape, so long a prominent feature in the landscape, was demolished about the year 44 and only traces of the cellar now mark its site.
  Their  (the Acadians) little chapel first stood in the vicinity of Raynor’s Creek.  These were the first to take up land in St. Eleanors, but when they later on purchased 10,000 acres for themselves in the neighboring district now known as the village of Miscouche, they took their chapel with them, together with their other goods, and out of the material of which it was formed they built a residence for their devoted priest.  This house still stands, not now however as the Glebe House, but as the humble residence of a habitant.
…At this time the little church stood on the Pavilion Farm…and between services, as the congregation was seated on the banks of the spring, which rose from a hill not far from where the church stood…

  Referring in conclusion, once more, to the old chapel, it may be interesting to state as in a way corroborative of the truth of this history that the writer, when a child, with his father, Major Thomas Compton, often dined with the priest at his residence which was formerly the chapel mentioned elsewhere in this article, and which was moved from Raynor’s Creek upon the transfer of the property from Lot 19 to the vicinity of the Pavillion where it remained until its last removal to Miscouche.
  The “Broad” Farm which just before the time of writing again changed hands, is of considerable historic interest in North St. Eleanor’s.  The writer was born on this farm in the year 1831, the property being at that time owned by his father.  In 1834 it passed by purchase into the hands of Hon. James Yeo.  The immediate reason of the transfer was a disaster which happened to Mr. Compton in the loss by fire of a fine dwelling house which had just been completed, when the conflagration swept it away.  It had not as yet, however, been occupied by the family.  The date of the fire was November the fifth- a bon-fire ungrateful as it was unintentional.

  At night we boys indulged our sporting proclivities in this sport, chiefly in pursuit of the sportive eel.  The way we fished them was somewhat unique.  First we constructed torches of birch barkstrips bound with slender spruce roots.  Then swinging ourselves lightly into the very middle of the springs with the aid of the friendly second growth spruce trees that bordered the stream, by that adroit turn of the wrist we drew the eels out one after another till the water became too muddy to see any more.
  In youth I loved to wander through the woods with my gun and faithful dog; no other companions I sought for palpable reasons.  There were but few families residing near us at this time whose members, if they had the same inclinations as mine – but I fancy they had not- were perhaps employed in pursuits of greater profit.  At the same time, however, my lessons were not neglected.  Our teacher was Wm. Coates, Esq., a gentleman who emigrated to this Island from Suffolk, England, in the year 1827, and resided with us for many years.  He was also Deputy Prothonotary and assistant to the late Daniel Hodgson, Esq., at the time of the Supreme Court was held at St. Eleanors, and continued in office until the year 1853 when he resigned owing to ill health, Thomas Hunt, Esq., of the above named Village, succeeding.
  In a brook that ran below our house were to be found many fine trout.  At this brook in those days all the washing of the house was done under the shade of the tree.  At the washing place a large pine log lay across the brook, forming a natural bridge for all who passed that way to and from the houses.
  I remember with pleasure my wandering through the dark shades of the forest.  An abundance of game was than hidden beneath the branches of some of the many giants of the wood towering so far above us.

A closert look at the Compton Properties - Lot 17

cf. The 1863 Lake Map - www.islandregister.com

     The other day I was down the Dekker Road (just off Rte. 2 in St. Eleanors) northward to see if I could eyeball where the Comptons might have lived from looking at the Lake Map above.  As the road came to an end I turned left on to the Lyle Road then came upon the Compton Road which went towards the shore, then it turned into one lane and turned left again but the Compton road continued on an old tree lined road which led to the shore - on the map above I think this is the road that leads down to the "old store".

Door Knobs, Unhappy Wife, Great Fire

     Here's an interesting story, as it is, about a Colonel Compton, who was granted Lot 17 by the King of England. 
     Col. Harry Compton, a widower, came to Prince Edward Island in 1803 with his son Thomas, daughter and maid Eleanor (who St. Eleanor's was named for).  He encouraged many English settlers to emigrate and settle the lands in Lot 17 - the areas known today as Summerside, Linkletter, Miscouche, Sherbrooke and St. Eleanors.
     Col. Compton's son Thomas (age 22) married Hannah Jeffery (age 20) on Nov. 10, 1810, five days after she landed on Prince Edward Island from the Isle of Wight, England.  Later in life Thomas became a Major and MLA in Prince Edward Island's Legislature and is also credited with giving Summerside it's name while visiting a friend at Green's Shore.
      Col. Compton didn't live on the Island long, he died in France some years later - there's speculation he died as a result of poisoning by his young wife.
     As the years passed and the story was told from generation to generation, one would wonder if the stories of the father and son were blended.
     This story appears in the history of St. Eleanor's called, Sketches of Old St. Eleanors, 1973.

     This house on St. Peter’s Rd in Charlottetown called “Oakwood” is reputed to be similar to the one burned down, but is not identical.

A Fascinating Story as told by William R. Brennan.

“I know not the truth as it may be I only know the tale as it was told to me.”

            A Col. Compton of England married a young lady, she was said to be the most beautiful girl in all the land.  When the Col. Received a grant of land in Prince Edward Island, there was much persuasion to induce his lovely wife to leave her native land to come to a new country to live.
            She at last promised her husband that if he would first come and build her a fine home, completely furnished, that she would come with him to settle in the new land.  When everything was in readiness they sailed for Prince Edward Island.
            After crossing the Atlantic and sailing through the Gulf of Richmond Bay, they anchored their vessel off the shores of North St. Eleanor’s.  The young couple walked together from the shore through the fields some distance to their new dwelling.  He was indeed proud to show her this new home with beautiful furnishing, some of which came from England and some from New England.
            He showed her through the downstairs going from room to room and then they inspected the upstairs.  After everything has been explored the two went outdoors to view the garden and surroundings, and when this was done, he asked his beautiful wife how she liked her new home.  She replied, “The only thing I like about the place are the doorknobs.”
            The Col. then turned, went into the house, removed all the doorknobs , tied them in a string bag, returned to the outdoors, handed his wife the bag with knobs, then immediately he set fire to the new dwelling and all the furnishings.
            That winter they lived in Bedeque and suffered many hardships in the long cold winter.  They were compelled to sell some of the family jewellery to buy the necessities of life.

O'Leary Train Station for Sale

     I heard on the news last evening that the O'Leary Train Station is for sale.  Currently the station is owned by the Village of O'Leary and rented to a few tenants.  One of those tenants approached the Village to purchase the building.  So to be fair in the sale of the building they are having a third party handle the offers and decide who will be the new owner.  There doesn't seem to be any print information available online yet.

     Here's a photo of the O'Leary Train Station, on the left (the one on the right was the 2nd station, long since demolished), taken from Allan Graham best selling book, "A Photo History of Prince Edward Island Railway" page 79.  The book is now out-of-print but you may be able to find it in used book stores or online at www.abebooks.com
     The ISBN is 0-9687204-0-4.

Former Abram Jeffery / Louis Jeffery house burns

     Early yesterday morning the house my father grew up in was completely destroyed by fire.  It was moved from Lauretta to the Dock Road in Elmsdale West/ Brockton in the mid 1970's
     Below is the article from the Journal Pioneer's website yesterday:

Inspecting the aftermath of a Thursday night house fire in Brockton.

Published on February 24, 2012 by Eric McCarthy/ Journal Pioneer.  Photo Eric McCarthy
http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2012-02-24/article-2906989/Brockton-woman-rescues-granddaughter/1
BROCKTON -- A Brockton woman made her way into her burning house early Friday morning to rouse her granddaughter who was asleep upstairs.
            The pair made it safely out of the house, but all of their belongings were destroyed and several family pets perished.
            Phyllis Nugent said she was in the barn when she heard a smoke detector going off in the house. Upon investigating, she discovered the porch was on fire. Unable to enter the house through the usual route, she entered through the back.
            “I woke her up because the smoke detector was going off by the basement and the kitchen door was closed, so (my granddaughter) wouldn’t really hear it for a while,” Nugent said.
            “The other smoke detectors were in the other part of the house. They weren’t getting the smoke yet.”
            Nugent and her 17 year-old granddaughter, Ashley, were able to rescue their dogs and three pet birds during their escape.
            “I lost seven cats and a bird,” Nugent added.
            Ashley Nugent had a cell phone with her and called 911 after the pair were safely outside.
            The granddaughter was subsequently taken to Western Hospital to examined for possible smoke inhalation.
            Phyllis said the family moved from New Brunswick last May when they bought the Brockton farmstead. She had lived in nearby Rosebank until 30 years ago. Her husband, who was at work in Saint John, N.B., was notified of the fire Friday morning and was en route.
            Alberton fire chief Kenny Ramsay said the alarm sounded at 7:13 a.m. The house was fully engulfed when the first trucks arrived on the scene at 7:35 a.m. Tignish, Miminegash and O’Leary fire departments provided backup.
            Heavy snowfall Thursday night made it difficult for firefighters to get out of their driveways en route to the fire hall.
            “There was nothing really to save,” Ramsay said in describing the extent of destruction when they arrived. “All we could do was protect the surrounding exposures. There were two vehicles that suffered light heat damage. If it wasn’t for the wind direction it could have been a lot worse. Two other buildings could have been lost, probably, and the vehicles as well.”
            Phyllis said she didn’t know the cause of the fire but thought it started behind the clothes dryer. As fire fighters turned their attention to salvage and overhaul, Nugent said she didn’t know if she would rebuild at that location. She said the loss is covered by insurance.
            Deputy fire marshal Robert Arsenault said Friday he couldn’t determine the cause of the fire but has ruled it accidental.
            He acknowledged that it did originate in the area of the dryer and said it possibly could have been electrical in origin.

Here's an aerial photo of the homestead around 1955.

Below:  a closer look at the Jeffery home.

Below:  Abram Jeffery and Mary Jane (Smith) Jeffery.  Photo taken in the late 1930's.  Their son Louis took over the farm in 1918 when he married Annie Jane Cannon of St. Lawrence.

     Abram and Mary Jane built this house sometime in the mid-to-late 1890's (they were married in 1892) on a 50-acre farm located on the Centerline Road in Lauretta.  They raised a family of 11 children here:  William, Bessie, Levi, Louis, Hannah, Jack, Stephen, Pearl, Harvey, Eliza and Ethel. 
      In September 1943 Abram was helping his son take in hay (he was 74 years old) when he fell from the load breaking his neck.  They say Mary Jane died of a broken heart a few months later in January 1944 - she was 78 years old. 
     Below:  the family of Louis and Annie Jane (Cannon) Jeffery:  Back L-R: Gladys Kinch (a neighbour); Mabel, Stirling, Wilbert.  Front L-R: Gladys, Eileen and Preston.  Photo taken around 1942.  Missing from photo are the two oldest boys, Gordon and Harold.

Below:  we don't have many photos of the house - here's a photo of Uncle Preston with his father's truck around 1955.

Below:  Here's a photo of the old house taken in the fall of 1971 (processed Mar '72). 

     My grandfather Louis died in 1962 in Saint John, NB.  My grandmother lived here till about 1965 when my parents Wilbert and Verna bought it from her - they rented the house for a few years, then it was left abandoned and was vandilized. 

     One evening in the late 1960's I remember visiting the tenants here with my father and being amazed that they were living by lantern light - we lived 1/2 a mile down the road and had power. 

     After it was abandoned my brothers and I, like most children in those days, were always roaming around the community on our bicycles and we'd often go into the house to explore and look around.  There were a few antiques and junk in the house, ie. ice box refridgerator, side board mantle, a few bundles of cedar shingles and I remember there being alof of letters strewn over the floor in the upper hall.

       In the mid 1970's Albert MacInnis of St. Lawrence approached Dad to buy it and move it to the Dock Road. I remember the day it was moved, coming down the driveway and through the road towards St. Lawrence, down the Olde Tom Road and out to the Doct Road.  

Below:  Here are two photos I took of the house in the spring of 2010 - it had changed owners a few times in recent years.

Below: my brother Kerras and his wife Shirley were by the property yesterday afternoon and took this photo.

P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation hands out Heritage Awards

Published February 22, 2012 - The Guardian Newspaper by Ryan Quigley

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-02-22/article-2904697/P.E.I.-Museum-and-Heritage-Foundation-hands-out-Heritage-Awards./1



     Betty Howatt accepts the Award of Honour from Lt.-Gov Frank Lewis during the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation’s Heritage Awards Tuesday night at Eptek Art and Culture Centre in Summerside.

SUMMERSIDE — Every seat was filled Tuesday night at Eptek Art and Culture Centre as the venue played host to the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation’s annual Heritage Awards.

     The annual ceremony, held in conjunction with Heritage Week, honours and commemorates achievements made in preserving Island heritage.

    Lt.-Gov. Frank Lewis was on hand to congratulate each award recipient as they were recognized for their work.

     Betty Howatt was among those honoured.  Howatt, who spent 12 years on the board of the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, has been proactive in preserving Island heritage and authored the book “Tales From Willowshade Farm,” which featured stories from her family farm.

     She was honoured to find out she had been chosen to win the award.

     “I was grateful, thankful to the members of the board,” said Howatt. “It’s certainly quite the reward for what I have done. I certainly didn’t do it in hopes of receiving anything.”

     Though the award means a lot, Howatt only got involved in preserving Island heritage because she found the history interesting.

     Howatt would like to see a museum built to preserve the stories of the Island.

     “It would help every generation to put themselves in the proper picture, to see the larger picture,” she added.

     “There are too many people who are just in the here and now and they forget what has come before.”

     Wyatt Heritage Properties received the Wendell Boyle Award for their film and radio drama, “Summerside Armoury: Fit for Duty”, which celebrated the historical building’s 100th anniversary.

     Lori Ellis, manager of the city’s cultural and heritage properties, accepted the award along with Marlene Campbell who wrote the film and radio scripts.

     “It’s feeling of being proud of what you’re able to do in your community in regard to the preservation of heritage,” Ellis said of the recognition.

     “To be able to go up and receive an award in front of your colleagues that have similar interests feels really, really good.”

     Ellis said the awards ceremony, which alternates each year between Summerside and Charlottetown, went well.

     “We had a great turn out and it seems like a great energy in the room with regards to the spirit of celebration, with regards to heritage and all those initiatives we do provincially and municipally.”

     Other award winners included Claude Arsenault, Volunteer of the Year; Steven J. Hornsby, Publication of the Year for his book “Surveyors of Empire”; Linda Jean Nicholson, the Mary Cornfoot Brehaut Award; Paul Smith and Michael Murphy, the Irene Rogers Award; and Douglas Sobey, the Natural Heritage Activity Award.

Heritage Activity award recipients
- Jacinthe Laforest and Georges Arsenault for their book Les Acadiennes de l’Ile-du-Prince-Edouard
- The Aviation Society of P.E.I. for the Summerside Aviation Park.
- Marian Bruce for the book Remembering Old Dan
- Isabel Court for her restoration of 163 Main St., Mount Stewart
- Mike Gaudet, Aldine Richard, Edmond Gallant, Zita Gallant, Leo Gallant and Alyre Richard for restoring headstones at the Mont Carmel Cemetery.
- Sharon Larter for restoration of 179 Euston St. in Charlottetown.
- Errol Lauchlin for the book Looking Back: Memories of T. Errol Lauchlin
- Art and Miriam Lockhart for their headstone photography project
- Peter and Bonnie MacDonald for restoration of 141 Water St., Charlottetown
- Rev. Nathan Mair for various activities
- Preservation group and Green Park Development Corporation for restoration of St. James Anglican Church, Port Hill
- The Shamrock Club of Fort Augustus
- Summerside and Area Historical Society for the book CFB Summerside: Our Base, Our History

     Here's the book Betty Howatt published as a result of her weekly radio segment on CBC Radio's PEI afternoon show Main Street.



Award-Winning Heritage Renovations Turn Heads in Charlottetown

     The headline on the Guardian Newspapers website a while ago telling of today's recipients of the Charlottetown Heritage Awards presented today at City Hall. 
     Congratulations to all -  jobs well done!

      Above: Paul Smith, left, and Mike Murphy received a heritage award Tuesday for renovations to this building on Hillsborough Street and a second heritage property on Dorchester Street. The pair also received the Catherine Hennessey Award for their contribution to the Inns on Great George.

Published Febraury 21, 2012 by Jim Day

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-02-21/article-2903717/Award-winning-heritage-renovations-turn-heads-in-Charlottetown/1    
     Well-preserved heritage, Michael Murphy was pleased to discover years ago, can make many people gush.
     When he and partner Paul Smith returned to P.E.I. in 2000, they immersed themselves into the operation of the Inns of Great George in Charlottetown.
     Visitors were simply blown away with the attractive, historic look of the place.
     Staff were trained to know the history of the buildings, from a long ago candle maker shop to a past bootlegger establishment.
      The most consistent comment heard from guests, says Murphy, was "just how downtown was so historic, so magical.''
     He is thrilled with how far the downtown core has come in the dozen years since he and Smith have been back on Prince Edward Island.
     On Tuesday - Heritage Day - the pair was recognized for doing more than their part to preserve and advance the heritage look and feel of the capital city.
     In presenting Murphy and Smith with the Catherine Hennessey Award, Mayor Clifford Lee lauded their level of service and respect for an important collection of buildings that "brought hospitality to a whole new level.''
     Over a 10-year stretch, noted Lee, the pair added other buildings and refined them architecturally and added beautiful green spaces. Along the way, they have influenced others to invest in heritage properties nearby.
     "Their impact on our community is certainly worthy of this recognition today,'' said Lee.
     The Catherine Hennessey Award, created by the mayor last year, is given to someone or some group whose efforts to increase the appreciation of Charlottetown have stimulated love for community, or with bigger views have helped shape the capital city.
     Murphy and Smith also received one of five Heritage Awards handed out Tuesday for their work in restoring two Charlottetown properties located at 55-59 Hillsborough St. and 187 Dorchester St. respectively.
     Murphy says the work involved in renovating one of the buildings, the 1900 Wellner Terrace project on Hillsborough Street, was considerable.
     He was on sight almost every day working with contractors over an 11-month period spent to transform "slum apartments'' back into the original three houses designed by William Harris.
     "It was a major project,'' he said.
     Murphy and Smith are living in the Dorchester Street home - the pre-1833 Nelson Barrow House -- that they also renovated.
     City councilor Rob Lantz, chairman of Charlottetown's heritage committee, gave out the Heritage Awards to Murphy and Smith as well as to the following:

• Bonnie and Peter MacDonald for undertaking a "sensitive renovation'' of one of Charlottetown's most significant buildings, the 1840's building by shipbuilder Andrew Duncan, later known as the Lennox Hotel, located at 140 Water St.

• Ann Sherman for completely renovating the exterior of one of the city's older row houses located at 180 Sydney St. Built in the 1880's on the north end of Pidwell Lane, the building forms one part of a bookend to an 1840's brick double tenement house.

• Christopher Gillis and Craig Dauphinee for giving "new life'' to the simple front end gable house at 292 Fitzroy St. that dates back to circa 1880. "It is always gratifying when we see vinyl siding being stripped from a building and the original shingles, clapboard, and architectural elements replaced and repaired, which is exactly what was done with this property,'' noted Lantz.

• Architect Chris Tweel for tackling the 1927 building designed by architect James Harris that is located at 56 University Ave. and is now home to Starbucks Coffee. Lantz says the building is an example of a property that, while never really neglected, has recently received "that extra special attention to detail that makes a dramatic difference in appearance."

New Glasgow - a winter wonderland today

     We had a light snowfall overnight with very little wind - the snow has settled on everything. 
     I had to go up the road to New Glasgow this morning to a meeting - while there I snapped the following photos.

Below: the abandoned home of the Brown Sisters.

Below:  the New Glasgow Christian Church and the Scotch Thistle wrought iron steeple top.

Below:  A little house from the 1950's that's been used as a craft shop in recent years.

Below: The Prince Edward Island Preserve Company - established in the old butter factory.  See:  http://preservecompany.com/

Below:  The Olde Glasgow Mill Restaurant - former courthouse and feed mill.  See: http://www.oldeglasgowmill.ca/

Below:  the little bridge in New Glasgow that spans the Clyde River - this could be Scotland on a much smaller scale.

Below: Village Square.

Below:  The Toy Factory. Chosen by Disney to supply wooden toys to "The Santa Clause" movie.  See: http://www.toy-factory.ca/index.html

The Steeple Cottage aka Hazelbrook Baptist Church

     With so many of our little Island rural churches being decommissioned, closed, moved, demolished, etc. -  the big question is what to do with these beautiful buildings.
     When the Hazel Brook Baptist Church was closed and to be torn down, one innovative person saw the potential to create a unique rental property called, The Steeple Cottage. www.thesteeplecottage.com      
     The entrance and steeple portion of the church along with three 16' wide sections of the wall with large Gothic window, were moved to a new seaside location and assembled in a smaller building with high walls, loft and rooftop deck.

Here are a few photos from The Steeple Cottage website:

Wigwam

     Here's the original dwelling home, the Wigwam, of Abeqweit (Prince Edward Island). 
     The photo below:  a Mi'kmaq family at Rocky Point making baskets - photo c.f. the PEI Public Archives and Records Office (PEIPARO).  Accession No. 34466/HF72.66.1.18.1.2.

     I was at the doctors office the other day and found a Mi'Kmaq publication amoung the magazines - here's a page from the publication about the Wigwam.  For more information about the PEI Mi'Kmaq, go to their website:  www.mcpei.ca

Queen Hotel, Summerside

The Journal-Pioneer newspaper in Summerside regularly publishes pages from the past - this one was Nov. 6, 1959.  For more information about the Journal see: www.journalpioneer.com

The information about the Queen Hotel mural comes from the following:

 www.wyattheritage.com/mainsite/historic/murals.asp?MuralID=Acadians

The Acadians of Summerside and the Queen Hotel

From the earliest years of Summerside, many men and women from the outlying Acadian communities came here to find work. They were employed as truckers, seamen, fishermen, farmers, carpenters, coopers, tinsmiths, stone masons, maids, dressmakers, and washerwomen. Through the years, they advanced to more lucrative and prestigious occupations.      Among Summerside’s first Acadian entrepreneurs were Frank Perry (François Poirier) and his wife Annie Arsenault. In 1899, they opened the popular Queen Hotel that served the community for half a century. This 35-room hotel, described as “one of the most comfortable and homelike hotels in Maritime Canada”, was located south of the Journal-Pioneer next to the railroad track, today the Confederation Trail.      Standing on the Queen Hotel’s steps are Aubin E. Arsenault and Joseph Gaudet. Aubin E. Arsenault (1870-1968) was Summerside’s first Acadian lawyer. He was also the first francophone elected to town council where he sat from 1906 until 1908, the year he was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing 3rd Prince. In 1917, he became Premier of the province and in 1921 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island.      Joseph J. Gaudet (1880-1933), better known as “Joe Bunn”, was born in Summerside. As a young man, he worked as a trucker and then opened a local restaurant business. In 1908, Gaudet operated one of the first movie theatres in Summerside, “The Happyland”. In 1922, “Joe Bunn” Gaudet opened the Capitol Theatre on Central Streets.      Today, one third of Summerside’s population claims Acadian ancestry. The most common Acadian names in the city are Arsenault, Bernard, Blacquiere, Blanchard, Cormier, DesRoches, Doucette, Gallant, Gaudet, Perry (Poirier), Peters (Pitre), Richard, Sonier, and Wedge (Aucoin). Mural Artist: Arno Freitag – 2000 Location: The north wall of the Summerside Seafood Supreme building on corner of Queen St. & Harbour Dr.

Mill Ads - The Islander newspaper, September 16, 1864

     A few years ago I had the first four pages of the September 16th, 1864 issue of "The Islander" newspaper copied from microfiche at the PEI Public Archives and Record Office.  The newspaper of the day recorded the news of the gathering of the Fathers of Confederation to discuss the forming of Canada!
    When I was reading through the newspaper pages I found these interesting ads which tell a lot about the importance of the local mill and who their agents were.  Here are the details of the newspaper, etc...

THE ISLANDER, Or Prince Edward Island Weekly Intelligence and Advertiser,

Vol. XXII, Charlottetown, Friday, September 16, 1864.   No. 1126

I transcribed the ads for easier reading...

    Below is an image from page 129 of Meacham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island.  The world famous Stanfield's Underwear had it's beginnings here on Prince Edward Island at this mill in Tryon.

     For more information about Stanfields go to: http://www.stanfields.com/ .  The following is from their website:

     Charles E. Stanfield had no idea when he immigrated to Canada in 1855 that he would found the firm that is a leader in its field today. Charles, along with his brother-in-law, Samuel E. Dawson, founded the Tryon Woolen Mills in Tryon, P.E.I. in 1856. Ten years later he sold his interests to Samuel and moved to Nova Scotia where he founded the Truro Woolen Mills in 1870. It was believed to be the first factory of its kind in Canada.

Stately Mansard House, Valdane Ave., Charlottetown

     I came across this clipping this evening - the house was demolished not long after this article.  Most of the article to the left is gone from the clipping - the headline read in part "....shuts down problem building"

Van Dyke's Restorers - Catalogue & Website

     I've had a quite a few clients order excellent products from Van Dyke's Restorers in South Dakota, USA.  To order your own catalogue or shop online go to: www.vandykes.com

About Van Dyke's Restorers

     Your home is your biggest investment. But more importantly, it's where memories are made every day.  Vandykes.com was designed with you in mind. It was constructed to help inspire your home improvement projects. As you browse our website, you will find ideas to help you restore or update every room. When you decide on a home improvement project, you can rely on Van Dyke's Restorers to supply you with the very best merchandise at the best price.
     Throughout our 27 year history, customers have been sending us before and after photos of their finished projects. We invite you to do the same. After completing your project, please send us photos that proudly display your craftsmanship. You may even see your project in one of our upcoming catalogs or at vandykes.com!
     We are committed to bringing you new products to fuel your imagination. Visit vandykes.com regularly to see the latest products we have to offer along with storewide specials. Whether you choose one of our many new items or a "customer favorite" that we've carried for years, one thing is for certain-you can choose Van Dyke's Restorers with confidence to help make your house a home.

Richard Pope, President

     Van Dyke's Restorers has been providing quality products to make a house your home since 1984.
     Van Dyke's Restorers, Your Restoration Partner, offers you an unequalled selection of restoration supplies. Our company started 27 years ago, providing hard-to-find restoration supplies to both do-it-yourself enthusiasts and restoration professionals. From there our product line continued to expand to meet the needs of our customer and offers a wide selection of home improvement and building supplies. We specialize in unique home products that encompass the different eras of home design including Victorian, Arts and Crafts, Mid-Century, Traditional and Transitional.
     We offer a wide variety of hard-to-find specialty hardware and components for restoring antique desks, tables, chairs, dressers, hoosier cabinets and much more. If you are remodeling or building and you aren't interested in creating a cookie cutter home, we have the products that allow you to put that custom stamp on your home that makes it uniquely yours.
     Browse our website. From hand carved corbels to solid decorative home hardware, from hand forged door hardware to unique designer cabinet hardware, you are sure to find the quality products to make a house your home.

     Van Dyke's Restorers offers quality products, convenient shopping and personal and professionalcustomer service.

     Starting with quality products from Van Dyke's Restorers will help you experience years of enjoyment from a project well done.