Manotick and Manotick Station, Ontario, Canada (now part of the City of Ottawa, Canada)

Manotick and Manotick Station, Ontario, Canada
(now part of the City of Ottawa, Canada)

A Pioneer Log House on the Manotick Station Road, Lot 11, Concession 3
Built c. 1850 by James Burns and Elizabeth Walsh
Photo added March 30, 2010

September 16, 2005:

When the railway came through Osgoode and Gloucester Townships in the 1850's,
the village of Manotick Station became important. The railway ran from Prescott to
Bytown. The village is located on the border of Gloucester and Osgoode Townships
(the Mitch Owens Road), a couple of miles east of the village of Manotick.
... Al

Here's an e-mail from Mr. George Dask:

Hello trying to find some info about the house we are in on manotick station road.

We bought the house that used to be the managers house for the old manotick station
rail station. Any info or books or url that might help?

Best regards
George Dask
___________________
Thanks to Mitchell Lafrance for the following reply:

You should look-up a local history book named "The Manotick Station Story".
I believe the book is available at the Nepean and Manotick libraries. I have a
photocopy at home and quickly browsing through it I found the following excerpts:

The first station, a two-story building, comprised the living quarters, a telegraph
office and for a long time a Post Office. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Johnson lived at
the station house as agents and ran the Post Office. The original building was
replaced in the late 1920's by the station house from Kemptville, which was moved
on a flatbed car. In 1970 it was bought and moved to Lot 1, Concession 2 by
John Oswald Fox.

The T.N. Johnson family lived in the station from approx. 1885 to 1922.
I don' have any other information.
... Mitchell
________________________

Good morning, Mitchell and George:

Thanks for your e-mails regarding Manotick Station.

It has an interesting history. My GreatGreatGrandfather built the house at the
corner of Nick Adams Road and the Manotick Station Road about 1845 (it's a log
home with 14 layers of siding, still lived in).
My Great Uncle William Burns owned the store at Manotick Station for a few years.
It was mostly in the hands of the Potvin family around the turn of the last century.
The Ultimate Frisbee field, just south of the tracks, used to be owned and farmed
by William Burns.

When I first began researching my ancestors, people would tell me that Manotick
Station was a great exporter of tea to the United States. I couldn't figure this out.
Tea in Canada? It turns out that the village of Manotick Station was known as the
"Pokey Moonshine Settlement" and, during prohibition in the USA, "tea" was sent
to the US from here. Also, J. Edgar Hoover was a visitor to the Manotick Station
area in the 1920's. My great aunt from the Stage Coach Road married his cousin,
George Hoover who was a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

There was a whiskey still just down the railway tracks on the west side of the
Manotick Station Road. Apparently the ruins are still there. Michael Daley
knows the location.

By the way, Mitchell, I have a newspaper clipping from c. 1920's. The Potvin
store was robbed, two of the Potvins were tied up, managed to escape, wrestled a gun
from the thieves and chased them down the railway tracks. Do you have this article?
If not, I could scan it send it to you.

Do you mind if I add this e-mail and both of yours to our web site? Please let me know.

Thanks again.
... Al September 19, 2005:

Hi Al,

I would be happy to get a copy of the article. Also, go ahead and publish the
emails... it's my pleasure.

Manotick Station does indeed have an interesting story. I have relatives through the
Redmond, Boulger / Bolger and O'Brien families. In fact there are a number of ties
to me in the Manotick Station Story:

1. The picture of Robert Redmond in the Manotick Station Story is my great grandfather.
Pictures of Robert and Catherine (my great grandmother) are also listed.

2. Owen Fagan, who had his picture take by the Prince of Wales was my first
cousin twice removed.

3. The family picture of the Boulgers shows my great great grandparents and
their children, including Catherine Boulger (married to Robert Redmond), who is
my great grandmother. My great grandparents were John Boulger and Ellen O'Brien.

4. John O'brien was the brother of Ellen O'Brien, who was my great grandmother,
married to John Boulger.

It is a small small world...

... Mitchell

____________________

Here's a transcription of the article:

From the Ottawa Citizen or the Ottawa Journal, about 1920:
(from my GreatGrandmother's scrapbook (Thanks Val! ... Al)

Manotick Merchant
Held Up and Robbed
"Masked Men Get Away with
$130 and Have Not Yet
Been Located by Police"

Search for two masked men who last night held up and robbed Alexander Potvin of
$50 is being continued by county police, but so far no clue has been obtained.

Details of the robbery as given to County Police Chief Ernest Read show that
shortly before midnight, Alexander Potvin was in the act of selling some farm
implements to his nephew when a man suddenly stepped into the store and called
upon the storekeeper and his nephew to throw up their hands. They did so, and
the intruder who held a revolver called on an accomplice to come and tie their
hands behind their backs.

The gunmen then ordered them from the store and searched them, obtaining $50
from the storekeeper and around $80 from his nephew.

After ordering the storekeeper and his nephew to remain outside the store, the
two robbers re-entered and after going to the kitchen, helped themselves to food.
Meanwhile, Wilfrid Potvin worked his hands loose and when the gunmen reappeared
through the store door he grabbed the revolver and wrestled it from its holder.

A struggle ensued during which both the masked men managed to escape from the
store and fled down the railway tracks with Wilfrid Potvin behind them, shooting
at the figures until the ammunition in the gun became exhausted. The last seen of
the two robbers was their separating into the bush along the C.P.R. tracks.

Note: The nephew's name was Frederick Potvin … Al
December 9, 2005:

Hi Folks I realize that my family is not a part of yours but wondered you have any
info regarding the WRIGHT family living at Manotick Station before and during WW1.
Thomas William Wright and wife Jesse and sons Albert, Fred and George from England.
For sure George Wright worked for the CNR railway and probably brother Fred.

I cannot find anything about them anywhere and so when I found your fond remembrances
on Bytown or Bust I thought you may be able to assist or suggest some places to search .

Thank you
... Marlene Papineau
___________________
Yes Al please add my name. But to save you time I do not think they arrived until
about 1907 or shortly thereafter. my husband's grfather was living there when he
joined the Armed Forces in 1917, if that helps, his father and mother were Thomas
(TOM) Wright and Jesse Wright.

Thank you
... Marlene March 12, 2007:
Lapoint's Store (LaPointe ?)
Yes Al - I believe they would have been referring to Manotick Station. I
think the house right beside the tracks was once a store. I do not have the booklet on the
Manotick Station Story but perhaps Mike or Dave can fill us in more.

Mary
_______________________________

Hi Al. David, Mary, just a quick review , those letters are great Mary. a
link with the past , now, Lapointe Store, of which you write, The
Fitzsimmon family operated a general store ,for many years at Manotick
Station, it was purchased by William Burns (my Grandfather's brother ... Al) ,and
in turn by ," Frank Lapoint," and then in 1930, ? by Alex Potvin, and today Henery Backkers
Store.
Hi JIM McKenna Gleasons Hotel ,-??. some where in my notes , or is just
in my memory, a Gleason Family operated a Stagecoach route , out of
Billings Bridge, ?? Jim ,David , do either of you have anything on that , my
memory fails me ,on that , but a stagecoach ,and Hotel, seems to ring a
bell, But just remember, sure'n, I've been wrong before ,
Michael Daley
P.S. some of that Gleason family are buried in the Catholic Cemetery on
Albion road,-??
______________________________

According to Jim's original e-mail, we know that Gleason's Hotel was operating
in 1877. In 1879, it appears on Belden's map of Gloucester Township, where today
Walkely Road intersects Riverside Drive just south of Mooney's Bay. It was located
on a small patch of land between the farm of Michael Gleeson and William Gleeson.

However, I was unable to find any of the Gleasons there in the 1881 census.
... Al
______________________________

Thanks Mike for clarifying which store it was. Am I imagining about the
first house past the tracks ever being a store? I could have sworn that I
read that somewhere. Maybe I was dreaming.
I agree that the letters are terrific. From them I just found out that my
Grandmother had a crush on Johnny Summers. Are any of you familiar with
him? I would assume that he was some relation of Kenny Summers right? I
found this out from letters written in 1925 to my Grandmother from her
girlfriend Grace O'Malley who was living in California, USA, at the time. I guess
they had both boarded together in Ottawa while working for the government.
A lot of the letters talk about the little things involved in farming. How
much animals were sold for, how many pounds of butter were made, how many
bushels of apples were taken to the market etc etc.

Thanks
Mary
_____________________________

Hi Mary, you can stop swearing now, in 1977 I compiled an article on
Manotick Station, for the 150 anniversary booklet, on ,"OSGOODE
TOWNSHIP,", yes you are right, and I quote a line, from page 20 , of that
booklet. [ Another store was owned by a Mrs. Bulger, You could buy
tobacco, bread, small items,etc. INCLUDING A PATENT PAIL OF BEER FOR 25C,
this store is no longer in business, and the building is the residence of
Gerald Dolan and family.] end of quote, forgive me Mary, 30 years ago I
visited Oswald and John Fox . "in search of history " where they lived in
the old railway station after they had moved it, to there property, and
made it livable, where it still stands today,
Michael

those booklets are still available.
March 15, 2007:

Hi Mary,

I don't ever recall of hearing about a store next to the railway tracks
where at one time the Lamarche's lived. I believe that the Lamarche's were
the last family to live in that house.
There has been a general store at Manotick Station since at least the
1870's. As Mike stated, first by Fitzsimmons, then William Burns, Frank
Lapointe, Alec Potvin and presently Henry Bakker. I came across information
that Alec Potvin purchased this store from Frank Lapointe in 1918. This will
have to be confirmed.
In addition the store run by Mrs. Boulger south of Bakkers store there was
also a store run by Mary Kilfoyle on the west side of the road and across
from the Nevins farm, about one half mile south of Manotick Station. About
1916 she gave up the store and moved to the farm house across the railway
tracks. In the 1970's there were still some old logs amongst the trees and
swamp, the remains of Mary's store.

May 30, 2010:
Mary Kilfoyle was murdered in the farmhouse in 1926.

Mabel Redmond and Joe O'Brien -
Joe O'Brien of the Limebank O'Briens was a brother of Mark O'Brien. Joe
married Mabel Redmond dau. of Robert Redmond Sr. and Catherine Boulger of
Lot 28, Conc. 3, R.F., Gloucester, Bowesville Road. His brother Mark married
Nellie Redmond dau. of John Redmond Jr. and Mary O'Brien of the N1/2 Lot 29,
Conc. 3, R.F., Gloucester, Bowesville Road. ( Mary O'Brien was of the
Osgoode O'Briens).
These two Redmond families, although they ended up farming almost side by
side, were not related to each other. Paddy Nolan's farm was between them.
However, I am related to both families - my mother was Kathleen Redmond,
sister of Mabel and dau. of Robert Redmond Sr. and Catherine Boulger. I am
related to the John Redmond family through the Nolan's. John Redmond Sr. was
married to Mary Nolan, sister of my great-grandfather Patrick Nolan.

Limebank O'Briens -
The Limebank O'Briens are not related to the Osgoode O'Briens. Three O'Brien
brothers and two sisters came to this area in the 1880's from Mattawa, Ont.
Dick came first, buying a farm on Highway 31 just south of Greely. (
Eventually Pete Sullivan lived on this farm ). The rest of the family soon
followed with Tom buying a farm on Limebank Road, ( Lot 28, Conc. 1,
Gloucester ) and John ( Joe and Marks father ) also buying a farm on
Limebank Road ( Lot 24, Conc. 2, Gloucester ).Denis O'Brien's son Dan still
lives on this farm.

John Summers - He is the father of Kenny Summers, they also lived on
Limebank Road.

Hope I have answered some of your questions.

David NolanMay 17, 2007:

Osgoode Township, 1851 Census of Agriculture
Here are the names of farmers in the Manotick Station area as they appear
in the 1851 Census of Agriculture. In most cases, these folks are the
original settlers in this area -- all came from Ireland. This is
the first record of the settlers (together) in this area. Many of the
families are on the 1863 map of Osgoode Township. however, several families,
such as the Milmore family had left by 1863.

The names are:
David Miles / Myles
Ed Cavanagh / Kavanagh
Michael O'Brien
Patrick Hurley
Thomas Fitzgerald / Fitzsimmons
Lawrence Finlay or Fenty
William Morris or Munro / Munroe
Thomas Brady or Bradley
James O'Brien
Patrick O'Brien or O'Rourke
Peter Grant
Lawrence Finley
William Wallen or Whelan / Whalen
Thomas Cook
James O'Meara
Patrick O'Brien
Patrick Shields / O'Shields
Patrick McCormick
Patrick Tucker
Patrick Dewan
James McCallum
William Murphy
Thomas Murphy
Owen Milmore Michael Burns married Mary Milmore
Michael O'Kane / Keane
Patrick Mullen
Michael Mullen
John Bresnahan or Bracenham
John Toomy / Toomey
Walter Rape (Ralph)
Michael Burns or Nicholas Brennan
Miles McHale / McKeal
Lawrence Burns
Terrence Burns
Thomas Jordan
Francis Evans / Nevins
James Darcy
James Darcy
John Dailey / Daley
Patrick Herbert
Mathew Bren / O'Brien
Ann Rowan (probably nee Farrell, wife of Charles Rowan, innkeeper, land speculator)
Thomas Kilroy or McEvoy
Michael Terry
Patrick McEvoy
John McEvoy
Mathew Quinn or Martin Quinn
Patrick Christopher
James Downey
Patrick Burns or Burk / Burke (corner of Manotick Station Road and Snake Island Road)

Any suggestions to filling in the above question marks?

... Al May 22, 2007:
Thanks to Mary Quinn for sending in her suggestions for the names above.
... Al
April 1, 2008:
Map of the Village of Manotick in 1879
Source: McGill University Digital Maps

Names on the map are William Pettapiece, (from North Gower Township), John Potter and M. Cameron.

July 11, 2008:

Henry Tomkins and Ann Hopkins, married in 1858.
The bride and her father walked from their Beacon Hill farm to downtown for the wedding.
Henry Tomkins, son of Peter from County Wicklow, lived at Manotick Station.
Photo source: The Manotick Station Story

February 18, 2009:

According to an article by Hugh Adami in today's Ottawa Citizen, the Manotick Station Road
will be fixed and re-paved during the spring and summer of 2009.
See article The Road that Takes No Prisoners.

Maybe the following fellows could be enlisted to do the job. It must be a hot day -- one of
the horses is wearing a straw hat.
Photo source: The Manotick Station Story, inside back cover

April 23, 2009:

Hello,

I stumbled across your name on a page about Manotick Station and I was wondering if you
could shed some light on something I recently saw.

I often walk my dogs along the old rail line west of Manotick Station Rd , north of
Gough Rd. We’ve seen a couple of trails that lead west off the rail line into the bush.
The southernmost trail leads towards the large swamp (here is a google maps link to show
you what I’m talking about):

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=manotick+station,+ON&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=34.059976,63.105469&ie=UTF8&ll=45.241083,-75.622898&spn=0.004525,0.01178&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A

There is another smaller trail to the north that leads west to a small clearing, on the map
you can see it just north of the swamp. While exploring this clearing I saw a rock wall at
its’ western edge. Could this have been a farm at some point? If so, how old would this
wall be? There doesn’t seem to be any building remains and it looks like it is nothing more
than place for teens to have a bush party (broken beer bottles, e.g.). I did notice a very
rusty iron fence where the trail met the rail line, so I’m guessing it must have been used
for something at some point (hunting camp perhaps?).

Any light you can shed on this would be greatly appreciated. I’m always fascinated when I
stumble upon these sorts of things and am very curious about its’ history.

Many thanks,

Rob McRae
________________________________

Good morning, Mr. McRae:

Thanks for your e-mail regarding the old stone wall south of Manotick Station.

I'm attaching a copy of a map dated 1879. The map shows the village of Manotick Station,
the old Bytown and Prescott Railway (built c. 1854), and the names of farmers who had
settled this particular area of Osgoode Township beginning in the late 1830's.

The original farm lots were surveyed into 200 acre plots. You can see on the map that many
of the farms have been subdivided into smaller parcels as large (mostly Catholic) farm
families severed lots into smaller farms to pass on to the next generation. (more text beneath the map)

The black square dots are the location of the farm houses in 1879. Possibly one of these
dots is what remains of one of the early farms which you have located.

Some of these farms front on the Manotick Station Road; the farms on the eastern side fronted
on the Dozois Road, just to the west.
Here's another bit about Manotick Station. Quoted from elsewhere on my web site.

There was a train station there from about 1855 onwards and a store (maybe two). Someone had
a whiskey still back in the bush. Since it was illegal to sell liquor, an ongoing raffle
was set up, the winner of the "raffle" got a bottle of liquor. It seems that everyone who
bought a raffle ticket was a winner of a bottle.

There was a whiskey still just down the railway tracks on the west side of the
Manotick Station Road. Apparently the ruins are still there. Michael Daley
knows the location.

Mary Kilfoyle, who was born in the 1840's, was a daughter of the Patrick Kilfoyle shown on
the map. She was murdered in the 1920's at her log cabin on the Kilfoyle (Guilfoyle) farm.
She's buried at Our Lady of the Visitation cemetery at South Gloucester.

I have a newspaper article detailing the murder .

The stone wall you discovered may be part of the old Kilfoyle house or the whiskey still.
Interesting stuff!

Michael Daley is an expert on this material, and in fact, all of Osgoode Township.

... Al
_________________________________

Al,

Many thanks for the quick reply and the great map! I would love to be able to overlay it
with a current map.

I’ve got your map open right next to a google map of the same area and I’m guessing that
the Waller P.O. would be situated on what is now the northwest corner of Gough and Manotick
Station Rd. (yes it is ... Al). If that’s true then the rock fence and the small clearing
would be the farmhouse to the west of the rail line on Pat Kilfoyles farm. If I’m reading
the map correctly, it is Lot #4 on the west side of Manotick Station Rd. (I can see what you mean about the
farms belonging to Irish labourers, with names like Sullivan, O’connor, Curran, etc.).

I find it hard to believe anyone could make a go of farming on that land, it is very thick
brush and quite swampy. But if anyone could do it, it would be the Irish.

Thanks,

... Rob
________________________________

May 7, 2009:

Al,

I remember reading about that murder on your website, but thought it was further down the
road, towards the present day sod farms. Can you give me the gist of the murder? Lovers
quarrel? Robbery gone bad?

I’ll go back to that clearing this weekend and poke around some more to see if I can find any
other remains of the farm.

Thanks again,

Rob
_________________________________

Good evening Al, & welcome,Robert McRae, just a line , a glimpse into the past,
on your map, 1879 . in regards to Waller P.O.,situated on the William HARNEY FARM 200 acres,
it was 8o rod wide by a mile and quarter long the Waller post office was established July
1st 1877 , the first postmaster was Patrick Harney son , William Harney. the post was closed
Oct.22, 1912, Patrick had a parcel of land off of the 200,

The homestead is the black dot just west of railtrack , with the entrance off ,Gough road,
it does not seem that long ago [ to me] when a Vince Harney still lived there,

THE Pat Kilfoyle farm situated on the east half of that lot was what we called a square
hundred ,acres,you will notice ,what we call, the," check line" dividing the east ,from the
west half.
the stone wall you spoke of, if it was a wall, in my view it would be , the Harney homestead, other wise
it would stone fence [ I have been wrong before] in which there are many in these parts ,
... Michael Daley
_________________________________

Michael,

Thanks for the info. I went back last evening and confirmed that it was a stone fence. I
runs north-south for a few hundred feet at the western edge of the clearing, probably 500-600
feet from the rail line. I poked around but couldn’t find any other remains of a house or
barn.

Unfortunately it turned out to be an expensive hike, as one of my dogs lost a fight with a
porcupine and had to be taken to the vet’s to have the quills removed from his face. My
interest in this fence just cost me $300!

Thanks again,

Rob
__________________________________

Good evening Robert, sorry to hear about your dog.

The joy, and misshapes of rural living, most dogs, the encounter with a porcupine , takes
only once, other dogs feels they have to get the best of that porcupine, and will look them
up. it could have been skunk. I've been on this farm for, four score, and 2-3 years, my
memory takes me back when ,an elusive fox, in broad daylight , would grab one of our free
range ,laying hens, and take off with it. ground hogs were another source of entertainment,
for farm dogs, if the ground hog moved to far from its den , it very often did not make it
back, ground hogs hole, in a cow pasture, were a great spot , for a cow to step into and
break a leg.

In later years , when city dwellers moved from their concrete jungle , to our quiet country
side , they brought with them , their city raised dogs, to roam free ,Our farm animals became
a source of entertainment , for some dogs.

one spring I kept two cows, heavy in calf fairly close to the house, till they would give
birth, one morning I heard dogs barking, I knew where those cows should be , jumping on the
tractor , I found two big dogs had my two cows in a corner , harassing the hell out of them,
I knew where those dogs came from,
A year later, [ by a farmers instinct] I went to check on cows and calves, and found two , 450 pound,
heifer calves, chased by dogs, into a fence line one already dead, I loaded the other one and brought
it home, called a Veterinary, we had to put it down,

more recently two years ago, hearing a cow , calling me , [there is a difference, in cows
bawling] when she is calling her calf ,and went she wants attention , I jumped in my four
wheeler went back to the pasture, she met me at the gate I'm looking around for her 15 day
old calf, its getting dark I started to walk where I thought she might have left her calf,
I'm following a cow trail, and she is following me, we walked through a small bush, into a
15 acre field I continue following that trail , that cow realizing I was going in the
wrong direction, she passed me and I in turn followed her, she led me to the remains of her
calf , she gave a bawl , and turned and went back to the herd, I came home , got my camera
went back and took a picture , that animal was stripped clean, the experts say that was a
mother coyote giving her pups a lesson ,

Beavers flood our fields , my first view of Beaver was at Ottawa Exhibition in the 1940 --
Raccoons, , and fisher can be vicious,one time we had great cow dog, tell him to get cows in,
he would, even the neighbours would borrow , when there cows would get unruly, in the winter
time he had no cows to mind so he roamed free, he did not come home one night, a nephew found
him on their farm, he tangled with a big Raccoon, it was a fight to the finish , they both
died lying not very apart,

So much for my ramblings,
... Michael Daley

October 20, 2010:
A Sunny Day in Manotick .. Enjoy 'em while we can!
Looking North towards Downtown Ottawa

February 10, 2011:

Here are two terrific photos of Manotick Station!

Thanks to David Nolan:

Hi Al,

A couple of more pictures.

1 - The train station at Manotick Station, year unknown but probably in the early 1900's.

2- Pat Conlin, Robert Redmond, Paddy Conners. Taken circa 1916 - 1918 about one mile north of Manotick Station. Robert Redmond was the section foreman.

Thanks,
David Nolan

March 19, 2011:

Hi Al,

Attached are some pictures from the store at Manotick Station and of area men.

1st picture - Alec Potvin, Potvin's General Store, Manotick Station and second old style gas pump.

2nd picture - Alec Potvin, his daughter Gabrielle and the first old style crank gas pump, one gallon at a time.

3rd picture - Haying at Alec Potvin's General Store, Manotick Station.

4th picture - These area men had their picture taken prior to leaving to work in the Shanty.

Standing - Allan Spratt, Bill Helem, Ben Hanna.

Sitting - Evie Cuddie, Allie Findlay.

These men were all from the Spratt / Limebank Roads.

David Nolan