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wv: 12 TERRACE BAY NEWS AUGUST 13,1969 PIONEERING IN LAKEHEAD AREA The next summer Harry started school. Miss Ruth Ditmars was the teacher. Harry had three miles to . Reading like an excerpt from a turn-of-the-cen- walk to school. Others that attended were Louiga tury novel the following article written by the late Chadwell, Mabel Wolfe, Grace and Elsie Chadwell, Mrs. S.E. Jones, latterly a resident of Terrace Bay, | Clyde Kimball, Hazel Pifer and Harry Lundstrom . describes their life as they worked to establish a Around this time | went to an institute meeting homestead. The only familiar place name held at Mrs. F. Chadwells. | carried the baby in Kakabeka Falls. The Jones' farmed for many years a sling made from a large flour sack folded together in Commee Township. with ends tied. This was slipped over the shoulder . " We arrived at Hume water tank on or about The baby sat in it quite comfortably and my arms November 17, 1912, to go to a shack which my were free. One could walk with ease. husband and Mr. F. Chadwell had built. As the My husband framed" some windows for McCluskey men had to cut the mile and a half of road or trail and was paid with a pig, which was the beginning to the railroad track, the house was not finished. of our farm. We cleared the land and burned the When we arrived there was no door but the doorway | stumps. F. Chadwell ploughed some land, Mr. was cut - no windows, only half the roof was on, Wolfe and Mr. Buvrand did some labor and were and the house had a dirt floor. paid with little pigs, when ours had her litter. We stayed with the F. Chadwells for three days. Money was scarce so labour was exchanged or paid This was one and a half miles from the homestead. in goods . The husband carried Hilda, 2 years old, in a Those were good days. We were always busy. packsack, | carried Gladys, 6 months old, Harry, We had lots of rabbits for winter meat. Cyril caught the eldest, was 7, and Cyril,5 came last. They | one ina snare, and was carrying it home ina snare, were let down by the look of the house to be. There when the rabbit started to squeal. | don't know who was no clearing except where the trees for the build- made the most noise, Cyril or the rabbit. ing were cut, and the brush was very thick. A well was dug, but husband cribbed it with We had spruce boughs for a bed the first night. spruce siding so we could not use the water. Later There was no snow so the household effects had to it was dug deeper and new cribbing put in. In the be carried a half-a-mile. Mr. Chadwell hauled meantime the water was carried from the river. what he could on a stone boat, with onehorse . Bill was born March 21, 1914, on the farm on a He also loaned us a box stove which was on the stormy day . first load as the nights were cold. Other goods | enjoyed going to the Women's Insititute meetings had to be carried from Hume. At night the husband held in each other's homes. It was an afternoon would put a blanket over the doorway until the out, and a change for us all." door came. The two boys, Harry and Cyril were busy collecting wood to keep the box stove burning. Later, the road was cut wider and also straight- ened and then | was able to see Tom Foreman's shack. He hada saw mill. The Langstons were living on a hill 1/2 mile from F. Chadwells. It was over a year before | visited another person. It was June 24, 1913 when we bought some chickens, silver laced Wyandottes. A small chicken house was built. We did not keep the chickens long as it was too cold and they froze their feet. In the spring of 1913 a boat floated down the Kam river, and washed up on the shore. The husband mended it and showed Harry and myself * howto row it. Then we could cross the river and visit Mr. and Mrs. McCluskey (a section man). There was a small store and a post office at os Millar, which was nearer than Kakabeka Falls. Swimmers churning up water at local Terrace Bay swim meet ..We only hada 1/4 mile to pack groceries and such. Photo by D. Courtemanche