Elite Seed Farm, former Ashley Homestead, Fox Island

     Recently I was over to Fox Island in western Prince Edward Island.  It's located at 269 Fox Island Rd., off Rte. 12, between Alberton and Cascumpec.  
     Cumin's 1928 Atlas of Prince Edward Island shows the Island belonging to Lowden Ashley with 182-acres. Lowden was married to Susan Lewis and had the following children: Rhodes, John, Gladys, Alvin, Elmer, Freda, Fred and Harold.  
     Lowden *Loudy* Huestis Ashley (1877-1953), son of John Butcher Ashley and Sarah Stapley Wallace married Susan *Susie* Lewis (1878-1947) in December 1898.  They lived on the part of the Ashley farm and later purchased the west end of Fox Island from his uncle, Fred Wallace.  Loudy and Susie then moved to Fox Island where they raised their family of eight.  Loudy was a farm and fox rancher.  Info cf. http://www.ancestraltrails.ca/

     When I worked at Maplewood Manor, Alberton, in the summers of 1981-82, Gladys (Ashley) Bonyman was a resident - she was in her 80's.  She often told us about growing up on Fox Island and recalled Mik'maq families coming back to the shores of the Island to spend the summers.  One of her vivid memories was seeing a native woman giving birth.
     See 2008 Guardian newspaper article below telling history of the seed farm which was established in 1962.

 Below: Front of house, facing Northeast.
The house is a "Fox House" style home, likely built just before WWI.

     Below: northeast view from front of house looking towards Dock River and Alberton.

Below: Southeast side of house.

 Below is a barn standing out by itself as you drive up to the property.

     Below is an article from the Guardian newspaper six years ago about the Elite Seed Farm.

- Elite seed farm topic at potato board meeting -

The Guardian. By Nancy Willis. Published on February 27, 2008

P.E.I. Potato Board holds first of four Islandwide annual meetings in Rollo Bay

ROLLO BAY - The P.E.I. Potato Board held the first of its four Islandwide annual meetings here Tuesday, where the future of the Fox Island Elite Seed Farm was of key interest.
            This industry owned seed farm has been a fundamental part of the Prince Edward Island potato world for more than half a century.
            Unlike similar organizations that are nationally funded in the United States, or provincially backed in New Brunswick, the P.E.I. Potato Board is supported completely by local Island growers.
            This year, it cost those producers $217,000 to keep it running and the board decided it was time to take it to the farmers and let them decide what to do with it.
            For decades, the elite seed farm was an international showplace for visitors, and throughout its lifetime it has ensured commercial Island growers that a local source of clean seed would be available to them.
            Now dramatic changes in the potato world, a decrease in the numbers of varieties allowed to be grown there and increased private ownership of seed worldwide have all contributed to the farm not making a profit for the last few decades.  "A variety of factors are also at play, including lower production acreage than in the past; the implication of various regulatory scenarios; and lower virus levels in seed now, which translate into less demand for early generated seed,'' said staff member Mary Kay Sonier.
            Although the farmers were presented with a variety of alternatives, no one was interested in getting rid of it. A few of the many options included maintaining the status quo; selling the property and getting out of early seed production, or continuing with nuclear seed production and trying to expand the varieties they are able to grow.
            Keeping the farm going and maintaining it as a safety net for the industry future was clearly the chosen path. All seemed to agree that the percentage of their dues that went to keeping it running was relatively small, and that keeping it was to everyone's benefit.
            "We now need to know what direction the growers would like to take because there is much to be done out there, and that will depend on the direction we choose,'' said board chairman Kevin MacIsaac.
            "Well, I don't see anyone jumping up and down to say sell her and make cottage lots,'' said Eastern Kings farmer Boyd Rose. He suggested looking at opening up the variety restrictions and lowering the price of the seed they sell so it is more competitive with commercially available product.
            This and a raft of other topics and issues will be discussed at meetings in Mill River Thursday afternoon, and Summerside Thursday night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Below is the map from Meacham's 1880 Atlas of PEI showing Fox Island.

Wells/ Clark/ Ashley House, Union (beside Alberton)

     I had a chance to see through this 1850's house the other evening - located at 33 Dock Road.  The present owners have just listed it for sale - http://33dockroad.ca/home.html
     The house was originally built by William Wells (1830-1909).  He was the son of James II Wells; and grandson of James I Wells, a shipwright first employed with James Hill, who came to the Dock to take up land and where boats were also being built on the Dock River. 
     William Wells first married Barbara Stuart Ramsay (1838-1886) - they had ten children including two daughters who married into the Clark family.  William's second wife was  Jane Brander (1837-1894) and his third wife was Mary (MacArthur) Donald (?-1920). 
     The following information comes from the book: Wandering Back:  History of Dock - Hills River - Mill River - Rosebank. 1983.  Published by the Three Rivers Historical Society.  Printed by William & Crue, Summerside.
     William had a brother Malcolm and one sister Jane. "Little is known about Malcolm, although he was the original owner of the Dock Carding Mill, to which his brother succeeded."  - pg. 97.  "Over a century ago, a carding and grist mill, operated by a local farmer, William Wells, was located at the pond.  He made use of the availability of water to generate power to run the mill.  An unfortunate accident in the mill caused William's daughter, Jean F., to be killed when her hair became entangled in the carding machine." - pg. 24
     Following the Well's living here, the Clark's lived here for years until in the 1960's when Charles Ashley bought it.  The Ashley's sold the house 3 years ago to the present owners.
     Below are photos from the above noted website.

     Above: the front entry door facing north - you can see the square newel post to the left edge of the phone - this is not original - the stairs from the main floor to second was rebuilt likely around 1900.  Below: the former dining room with piano window and modernized fireplace to the right.

     Below: top of stair over the front entry facing North.  The original stairs and handrail can be seen here.  This stair goes to the large third floor.

     Below:  interesting detailing on this second floor bedroom located on the northeast corner of the house facing towards the town of Alberton and the intersection of Rte. 150 and Rte.12.  This is the only room with this detailing - it's unusual, however, likely original to the house with panels below the sill to the floor.  Much of the glass in the windows are original throughout the house.

     During renovations to this house over the past couple of years the owner has found a couple of letters (one dated 1859) and a prayer book.
     The present owner told us that kitchen wing from the back of this house was moved across the road and renovated for the use as "Union (or Dock) School".