12 TheThe South Marysburgh MirrorMirror By Deborah Hudson The Evaporator Lot On November 4, 1870 James Grimmon wrote his last will and testament bequeathing to his sons various lands on lot 9 Concession 1 North Black River. The oldest son, Alva Ellis, had a military career and had purchased 14 acres from his father in 1869. Edward Robert, the second son, was bequeathed the farm (where I live now) with the s(cid:415)pula(cid:415)on to care for his mother, Mary (Ackerman) Grimmon. Calvin Brinton Grimmon, a fourteen year old at the (cid:415)me, was to receive $200 or 4 acres from the farm with 1 horse (worth not less than $65), 1 cow and 16 chantable sheep. This was to be received when he reached the age of majority at 21. boat building trade. He was married to Fannie Irvine and died at the age of 80. "The Evaporator Lot", as it was called by the family, was owned by my grandparents, Ralph (Calvin's nephew) and Beatrice Grimmon when I was kid. They had a small trailer at the river's edge where Grandma Grimmon fed the bullfrogs pieces of bread. In the 1980's their daughter, Kathleen, and husband Colin Dobbin built Colleen Co(cid:425)age (their re(cid:415)rement home/Bed & Breakfast) on the lot. To- day, under new ownership, it is s(cid:415)ll a popular B&B on the scenic shore of the Black River. When he came of age, Calvin took over 4 acres of land alongside the Black River and built an evaporator where he dried apples. In those days there were many apple trees on the farm. Howard Dulmage gave an account of what running an evapo- rator was like when apples were dried at night. "There were two furnaces that made the heat to dry the apples. The apples had to be turned every 3 hours, I believe, and have them ready to take off the next day for the next run. They also made cider. They also dried the skins and cores and chopped up the small apples and dried them when there was a market for them." (Memories of South Bay, 1980, p.7). A(cid:332)er a (cid:415)me, Calvin gave up farming in Black Creek, moved into Picton and became a carpenter working throughout the County as well as in the www.southmarysburghmirror.com