March 14, 2008:

Renfrew County Weather Forecast from CFB Petawawa

Some Pioneer Families in Renfrew County

  


      
CAHILL, Thomas
      
wife=Margaret FRAWLEY
      
from Osgoode Township
      
to Allumette Island
    
 

      
COLE, Ezekiel, b. 1797
      
wife=Mary LA ROCK
      
from Goulbourn Township
      
to Horton Township, 1840's
    
 

      
CRAIG, William
      
wife=Mary SWAN
      
Scotland to Lanark then Calabogie
      
brother John married Christina GEMMILL
    


      
ENRIGHT, Patrick,1812-1868
      
wife=Ann McMAHON
      
to Renfrew
      

    

      
FLUKER, George
      
wife= Frances LOWE
      
m. in Pakenham
      
to Renfrew County
    

      
HEENAN, Michael
      
wife = Anne WHITE
      
connected to many families in
      
Renfrew County
    
 

      
KENNEDY, Michael
      
wife = Hanora HOGAN
      
from Ireland c. 1845
      
to Eganville area
    

      
KENNEDY, Thomas
      
wife = Winnifred RYAN
      
both born in 1760's
      

    

      
McCOSHEN, John
      
from Austria in 1867
      
to Renfrew County
      

    

      
QUILTY family
      
Ireland to Ottawa Valley
      
Mount St. Patrick and Ashdad
      


      
SHEEDY
      
Ireland 
      
to Renfrew County
      

    

      
SULLIVAN, John
      
wife=Johanna MURPHY
      
Renfrew
      

    

      
WINDLE / WINGLE, John
      
from County Limerick
      
wife = Bridget KIELY
      
to Renfrew County, 1840's
    


  


The family of Thomas O’GORMAN / Gorman (born 1786) of County Clare, Ireland,
came to Canada in 1840 to Renfrew, Ontario. His wife was Ann O’Brien. Two other 
pioneer families in Renfrew County were Thomas DONOVAN and his wife Sarah CURLEY
and Lawrence Curley and Bridget Farrell.

Calabogie Lake in Renfrew County in 1862
Map Source: Wallings 1863 Map of Renfrew County


Calabogie Lake is about twenty miles south of the town of Renfrew. The lake is part of
the Madawaska River. Since this map was created, a lage hydro-electric dam has been 
built where the Madawaska River enters Calabogie Lake, at the point on the map marked
as "High Falls". Where the word "LAKE" is printed on the map, a causeway now exists,
across the mouth of Grassy Bay. The causeway is crossable by car. It was built to 
accomodate the Kingston and Pembroke Railway, called the Kick and Push or K and P Railway.
There is a golf course south of Grassy Bay and Calabogie Peaks Ski Hill is located
at approximately Lot 19 at the western edge of the lake.

A Portage Trail leads towards Black Donald Lake. I believe that this is now the highway
which runs from Burnstown to Calabogie to Centennial Lake.

On the north side of the lake, adjacent to a John Windle (above) farm, is the road which leads
to Mount St. Patrick, a strong Irish Catholic pioneer community.

James Dobson and Mary Mussell also settled in Renfrew County, probably in the 1850's.

1860-1910 Records from Our Lady of Holy Angels at Brudenell. 
A very large database of Catholic pioneers in Renfrew County.

March 19, 2008:

Visit the Official County of Renfrew Website. 

March 28, 2008:

Below is a photo of David Atcheson and Margaret Robinson from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.
Sitting is their daughter Margaret. This photo was taken in WestBend, Iowa, USA. This family
left Pembroke to homestead in Iowa in the 1860's.
... Louise Atcheson
e-mail: lorraine@westriv.com






April 5, 2008:

McNab Township, Renfrew County, in 1863
Map Source: Wallings 1863 Map of McNab Township


On the map above you can see the Madawaska River flowing from Burnstown to the
Ottawa River. This is the area settled by the Scottish Laird of McNab in 1825.
The Madawaska River was one of the important rivers for the logging industry in 
the Ottawa Valley from the 1830's until the present time. The logs were floated down
the Madawaska to the Ottawa River and on to Quebec City in the 1800's. Today the logs are 
trucked away from the Madawaska Valley.

Shaw Lake on the map is part of the Ottawa River. It's correct name is Chats Lake.

White Lake, Stewartville, Burnstown, Braeside, Arnprior, Mansfield Village, Carswell
and Sand Point are some of the places shown on the map.
April 26, 2008:
1879 Map of Grattan Township, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Map Source: Wallings 1863 Map of Renfrew County

The villages of Eganville and Dacre are shown on the above map. Eganville was named
after John Egan from Aylmer, Quebec, one of the early lumber barons in the Ottawa area.
The Bonnechere River was used to float logs from the Eganville area downstream 
through the neighbouring township of Horton which includes the town of Renfrew. From
the town of Renfrew the logs were sent along to the Ottawa River.

Mink Lake is just east of Eganville and Constant Creek, shown on the map, flows
into Calabogie Lake.

A lot of second generation Peter Robinson Settlers who arrived in Huntley,
Ramsay and Fitzroy Townships in 1823 made their way to the Eganville area in the 
latter half of the 19th century.
September 10, 2008:

Map of Sebastapol Township, Renfrew County, c. 1879
Including Lake Clear and the villages of Clontarf and Vanbrugh
Source: McGill University Digital Atlas Project

October 9, 2008:

Map of Westmeath Township, Renfrew County, c. 1879
Including the village of Beachburg. The Ottawa River flows along the
northern and eastern borders of Westmeath Township. This area is noted 
for it's white water rafting.
Source: McGill University Digital Atlas Project



October 19, 2008:

Horton Township in 1879, including the Town of Renfrew
Source: McGill University Digital Map Project



November 11, 2008:

The McNEE or McNIE family were early settlers in Bagot and Blythfield Township.

March 19, 2009:

The Town of Pembroke was being settled around 1822.


May 2, 2009:

Last week, one day, the sun was shining and it was time to take a tour up into the area
around Ompah, Ontario. Palmerston Lake has a large population of Lake Trout.

Here is a photo of All Saints Anglican Church, established 1885, on the South Bush Road,
across from the Trout Lake Hotel:


See a link to our Ompah / Parmerston Lake area under date of November 24, 2011, on this page.
May 29, 2009:

Here is an interesting history of Calabogie Lake and Village.

June 7, 2009:

Here we go again -- I've rediscovered my addiction to Calabogie Lake. A beautiful part of
the Ottawa area - clear, deep lakes, rivers and hills. Here's a photo from yesterday's trip:

Photo taken below Barrett Shute Dam on the Madawaska River system

October 19, 2009:

Hi Al:

I've transcribed the 1847 Diary of Hugh Falls, a Provincial Land Surveyor with
his survey of Bennett's & Bissett's creeks in Renfrew County.  He refers to a few men he hired
as well as a few he encountered during the survey.  I thought these names
might be of interest to anyone researching these families.  Feel free to
post any of the diary that might be of interest.  I'm not certain that I've
transcribed all of the place names correctly as I'm not too familiar with
the geography of the area.  Perhaps you can correct any mistakes I've made
if you notice any.  I was surprised that it only took Hugh Falls one day to
travel from Bytown to Montreal-thought it would take longer than that. I
think he was paid 114 pounds for this survey.

Linda Falls
October 23, 2009:

The Opeongo Line was surveyed in 1852 by Robert Bell. It's purpose was to provide 
access for settlers travelling from the town of Renfrew to Barry's Bay, Wilno and Eganville.

Photo Source: The Upper Ottawa Valley - A Glimpse of History, page 148.



March 17, 2010:

The Graphite Mine at Black Donald was in business from the 1890's until 1955.
Taylor Kennedy has sent in an interesting history of Black Donald Mines.


 April 4, 2010:

Al / Ken
I am attaching a map I drew over a 1939 Renfrew map before the flooding from Hydro dams. I need to confirm the approximate 
location of the specific chutes and was hoping you guys could help. I plotted them in yellow dots. This map will be the bases 
for the next map, years after all the dams went in and new lakes formed. The Ottawa Valley sure has changed landscape 
over the years.

... Taylor
 
PS It is an Excel file. And there are 2 roads from Black Donald Mine. The solid orange was the original route they took Graphite 
from the mine to Calabogie to meet the train. I also plotted train tracks. The dotted orange line was the new one cut through 
the bush as stated in the story of Black Donald Mine.
... Taylor Kennedy


  



Barrett Chute Dam on the western end of Calabogie Lake
Summer, 2009
 


This thread (more maps, charts and photographs) are followed up on Taylor Kennedy's web page for the Madawaska River System. 
Nice maps and photographs.


June 8, 2011:

Renfrew County is celebrating it's 150th Anniversary this year. One of the events will feature the return of a refurbished, 
historic Alligator Steam Boat to the Ottawa River between Pembroke and the Chats Falls in Fitzroy Township. A flotolla will travel from
Norway Bay to Braeside on June 25, 2011.


September 29, 2011:

                       2015 is the year for the 150th Anniversary of Petawawa
 
Hi! 
The Town of Petawawa will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015.  We are working on the history of James MacGregor 
who was the first reeve of Petawawa.  I have attached the info that we have collected for our news article but what we need 
is a photo of James.  If you have one we would love a copy for our anniversary celebrations.

Look forward to hearing from someone in the family.

Ann McIntyre (E-Mail)
President 
Petawawa heritage Society / Village
http://www.petawawaheritagevillage.com 

 November 24, 2011:

Here is a topographic map showing the Ompah / Palmerston Lake area.


E-mail Taylor Kennedy, Ken Armstrong and Al Lewis

Back to Bytown or Bust - History and Genealogy in the Ottawa, Canada area