Forests, Bogs and Rocks, Muskoka 1873

MUSKOKA CIRCA 1873 - AND THE FORESTS, BOGS AND ROCKS STANDING IN THE WAY

ICELANDERS ARRIVE, PROMISES BROKEN, WORK TO BE DONE

     WHEN I READ NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE EDITORIALS TODAY, ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGES OF MUSKOKA, AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF POVERTY WITHIN THE DISTRICT, I GET THE SENSE EVERYTHING THE WRITER'S KNOW ABOUT THIS SITUATION, IS VERY MUCH IN THE PRESENT......AS IT SHOULD BE, FOR THE RELEVANCE OF TODAY'S NEWS. BUT YOU SIMPLY CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE AND INEQUALITY, WITHOUT KNOWING SOMETHING OF THE HISTORY OF THE REGION, FROM ITS OPENING YEARS OF SETTLEMENT......BECAUSE THIS WAS THE SEED, AND THE TRADITION, OF WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHERE THE RESIDENTS STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES OF A SEASONAL ECONOMY. WHAT APPEARED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DESTITUTE IMMIGRANTS, AS FREE LAND GRANTS, WASN'T QUITE AS FREEDOM-FRIENDLY AS IT WAS BEING PROMOTED BY GOVERNMENT LAND AGENTS, WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, TO ATTRACT SETTLERS TO THE EVER-EXPANDING NATIONAL FRONTIER.
     MANY POOR FAMILIES ARRIVED IN THE HEAVILY FORESTED REGION, WITHOUT THE MEANS OF SUPPORT FOR DAYS, LET ALONE MONTHS AND YEARS. I OFTEN DRAW ON THE HISTORY OF THE ICELANDIC IMMIGRATION TO MUSKOKA, AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW GOVERNMENT PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SETTLING THE INHOSPITABLE LANDS, AND FACILITATING MANY PERSONAL TRAGEDIES. MANY HOMESTEADERS DIED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE HARDSHIPS OF FRONTIER LIVING. THEY HAD BEEN LURED FROM URBAN POVERTY IN EUROPE, AND WITHOUT THE FARMING CAPABILITIES, AND MUCH RURAL EXPERIENCE TO DRAW ON, WERE THRUST INTO THE CANADIAN WILDERNESS TO CARVE OUT HOMESTEADS. JUST THE MISTRUTHS ABOUT THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF ARABLE LAND, ON THE ROCK SHELF MUSKOKA RESTS UPON, LED HOMESTEADERS TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SURVIVE ON THE CROPS RAISED......AND CONTRIBUTED TO SOME RECKLESS DECISIONS. THE ICELANDERS FACED ALL OF THIS, AND AS THERE ARE FEW TREES IN ICELAND TO COMPARE WITH THE TALL PINES OF MUSKOKA, THEIR BURDENS BECAME SO MUCH GREATER WHEN THEY SAW THE MASSIVE, OPPRESSIVE FORESTS OF MUSKOKA, ON THE STEAMSHIP PASSAGE TO ROSSEAU.
     THE ICELANDERS FORGED A TIGHT COMMUNITY, AND SOME HISTORIANS WOULD AGREE, THIS HELPED THEM SURVIVE THE FIRST BRUTAL YEARS, TRYING TO COPE WITH THE NATURAL OBSTACLES AND WEATHER EVENTS, THAT KEPT FARMSTEADS STRUGGLING, WITH ONLY MODEST IMPROVEMENTS, AND MANY SET-BACKS. A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF SETTLERS, WORKING ALONE IN ISOLATION, FAILED AND MOVED TO MORE SETTLED AREAS. THE REALITY OF ISOLATION TOOK ITS TOLL ON THOSE WHO WERE USED TO URBAN LIVING IN EUROPE.
      I WOULD LIKE TO RESUME THE STORY OF THE ICELANDIC SETTLEMENT IN MUSKOKA, WHICH BEGAN IN 1873, WITH NOTATIONS TAKEN FROM A TRANSLATED JOURNAL.

THE AUTUMN OF 1873 IN HEKKLA, MUSKOKA

     "One mild morning in October 1873, the wives and families of Baldwin Helgasson and David Davisson started out to walk from Rosseau, arriving at their home by evening. Some places they had to climb over large rocks. No sun could reach the roots of the trees because of the dense growth. Mr. Helgasson and Mr. Davidsson brought the belongings of their families in a rowboat up the Rosseau River, having to portage on more than one occasion, making the trip twice as long. The two families, making a total of nine persons, had to crowd into this sixteen foot by fourteen foot home and because of their extreme hospitality often had visitors. Two unmarried immigrants, Jakob Lindal and Bjarni Snaebjornsson, built a small house that fall, in which to spend the winter. They were the first Icelanders to build a house in Canada. Helgasson and Davidsson were the first landowners. These four men built the roads in front of their properties. These men also put forth extreme effort to complete their part of the road so the task of toting their supplies from Rosseau, one day, would not be so time consuming. The winter of 1874 was very severe with deep snow and hard frost.
     "The Icelanders' greatest worry was the lack of work and poor pay. They had been told on the way over from Iceland that work was plentiful at Rosseau and they would be able to get work when established. In Muskoka they were told there was an all-Icelandic settlement but this proved false. These strangers in a strange land were discouraged, poor, and had a language barrier. After a short stay in Canada many went to the United States. Some went to different places in Ontario, including Toronto. Work was not plentiful in Toronto either. The collapse of the New York banks were blamed for the shortage of work in Ontario. Vigfus Sigurdsson, the bookbinder, was one of six men who walked the 24 miles from Rosseau to Parry Sound to procure work in a sawmill. They were promised six weeks work which lasted sixteen days and for which they were paid ten dollars. The immigrants were delighted with the many lakes, rivers and trees in Muskoka, also the abundance of wild fruit and maple syrup. Their first homes were built of logs, chinked with wet moss, which hardened like mortar. These cottages were cozy, warm and attractive.
     "Some Icelanders chose Kinmount, in Haliburton, in which to make their homes; however a few fared worse than those in Muskoka. Discouraged with conditions and lack of adequate work, together with an offer of free transportation, many of the Icelanders who had not established themselves in Ontario, left for New Iceland in Manitoba. Baldwin Helgasson and his wife Sofia were life and soul in the Icelandic community in Cardwell. They named their place 'Baldurshage,' and David Davidsson named his home 'Lundi.' Those who established themselves in the locality were Jakob Lindal at 'Lagre-Hvammi,' Bjarni Snaebjornsson, at 'Bjarnarstodum,' Thorsteinn Hallrimsson at 'Laufasi,' Brynjolfur Johnsson at 'Halsi,' Anton Kristjansson, at 'Blidand,' and Angair V. Baldwinsson. These are all recorded as the first farmers in Cardwell by Helga Baldwinsdottir Belgasanar.
     "The later settlers, Helga reports, had friends to meet them upon their arrival and did not experience the difficulties the first group of people had to contend with. 'We were charged double the price of articles that others had to pay. For a pie cut in six pieces, one piece cost us twenty-five cents. My father bought a cow for sixty-five dollars while the real price was only twenty-five to thirty dollars. We were beginning to speak some english, as we had learned some of the language the last winter in Iceland. My father had a little money and that may have been the reason he was charged more than others; but he loaned quite a bit of money to others who did not, or could not pay it back.
     "In the year 1874, two other Icelanders arrived in Muskoka. Arni Jonsson, a nephew of Baldwin Helgasson, who was  a minister and professor, stayed three years and returned to Iceland. The other, Baring Hallgrimsson, who married Jakob Lindal's sister, moved with them to North Dakota in 1881. The only social events in Hekkla were a birthday or a christening, as there were so few settlers. On Sundays Baldwin Helgasson had Bible readings and hymn sings (as they had done in Iceland) where all the settlers gathered at Baldursaga. He acted as minister for these services, at a funeral and at a christening, as well as being called to a sick bed. Olafur Thoreirsson writes about Baldwon Helgasson; 'He was the first and foremost to the Icelandic people in Muskoka in every effort undertaken. He was cheerful, proud, artistic, learned, a good writer, expert carpenter, trained blacksmith, an athlete, a good singer, public speaker, and yet a very humble man. Sofia, his wife, was 18 years of age when she and Baldwin married. She was the prettiest girl in the country, well educated with many accomplishments. She was very generous and unselfish. For 20 years she was an invalid and then taken to Winnipeg for medical treatment but she died on the 23rd of October 1902.
     "Mr. Case, an Irishman, his wife and two daughters, were neighbors of Baldwin and Sofia. He was a capable, diligent, hardworking man. He taught Baldwin how to sow the seed on the land, tend the garden crops, cut potatoes for planting and many other things. The maple trees were tapped and Mrs. Case showed how the sap was boiled for making the maple syrup and maple sugar. This was a grand success as Baldwin sold 200 pounds of maple sugar at fifteen cents a pound, as well as a lot of syrup, keeping plenty for their own consumption. Mrs. Case taught them how to make soap out of the lye from ashes that saved buying the commodity; also to make braided straw hats of wheat and oat stalks for sunshade in the heat. Netting was worn over these straw hats, for protection against the ravages of flies and mosquitoes that the people weren't used to, suffered from in the first years. Mr. Case was an expert in taming oxen and it fell to him to train the oxen for neighbors. He never used the whip but kept up a constant chatter with them, and they soon seemed to understand what he was saying. Most of the oxen were called Buck and Bill. He would call to Buck who would come forward and then Bill, where they would stand together for the yoke to be put on their necks. He was so good and patient in training them.
     "In 1880, Baldwin Helgasson moved from Muskoka to North Dakota where he bought a farm. He sold it and lived in several different places. In 1881, all the Icelanders from Muskoka, with their families, moved to North Muskoka, except Bjarni Snaebjornsson and David Davidsson at Lund. Asgeir Baldvinsson went to North Dakota but after a few years returned to Muskoka and bought Lund from David Davidsson, who moved to North Dakota. In the year 1878, Gisli Einarson and his brother Jakob, sister Arnbjorg and their mother Magnusdottir came to Muskoka. Maria kept house for Bjarni Snaebjornsson until Jakob married Jorurn Pallsdottir who, with her father Pall Snaebjornsson and her two sisters, Solveig and Godrun, arrived in 1887. Jakob took over Bjarnarstodum as Bjarni Snaebjornsson had willed it to him at his death in 1897.
     "Gisli Tomansson and Gudmunder Asgeirsson were new farmers coming in 1883. A post office was opened and named Hekla.' Asgier tried to have a 'k' taken from the word but was unsuccessful (Hekla, the volcano, has only one k in its name). Asgier was the first postmaster. He was district manager and county official for many years and earned the trust and respect of the people as his father did before him. In 1907 he moved to Edmonton and later to the Pacific Coast. The Icelanders in the Muskoka settlement have always lived in harmony and co-operation with each other. In 1888 Pall Snaebjornsson organized a reading and study society and it wasn't long before a great many good Icelandic books were purchased. The Lutheran faith was adhered to by reading old religious books with satisfaction and attending the Sunday services. When Icelandic people came to Muskoka they were very poor and friendless but they have progressed better than the people from other countries who lived in the same area.  The forests were cut down and large, well cultivated fields were in evidence. Nice homes and barns were built. In the years to come, although no Icelanders will be living there, the english speaking people will refer to them as hard working, independent and trustworthy, indicative of their Icelandic heritage."

     In tomorrow's blog, I will publish a letter from 1887 by Pall Snaebjornsson, from Hekkla, detailing the voyage from Iceland to Canada. It begins, "As last I sit down to write you a few lines, but first and foremost I want to send you my thanks for all the latest and last goodness to us before we left Iceland. I will try to give you details of our journey from Poroddstom. We left at noon, Tuesday, August 23rd, and went aboard the chip 'Cameons' and embarked the next morning. Right away, as we were passing Flagastodaboda, there was quite a lot of ice and fog. It took two days to get to Homi and 24 hours from there to Reykjavik. We got there on Saturday morning, August 28th, in good weather and it took us six days to get to Granton in Scotland. Inspectors came to inspect our luggage but didn't find any tobacco or whiskey. Nothing else seemed to be of importance to them, for these were the only things they seemed concerned about. Our luggage was taken at once to the train and it went on to Glasgow, but we were taken off the dock and put into a boat and taken across the sea where ships go. When we docked, we went right away into a train and left at once. We went swiftly, like a bird, and it was hard to see through the windows for the heads of other people, but what we saw seemed beautiful scenery in Scotland, everywhere."
     Join me for the next chapter of the Icelandic story, in tomorrow's blog.

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH / 150TH GRAVENHURST ANNIVERSARY, VIDEO UPCOMING

     I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SON ROBERT, THE FILM-MAKER, MUSICIAN, ON ANOTHER OF MY GRAND PERSONAL PROJECTS. I'M SURE HE HATES IT WHEN I COME UP WITH A NEW FILM IDEA, AND ALTHOUGH I ALWAYS GIVE HIM LOTS OF TIME TO WORK ON IT, THE FATHER-SON THING BUGS HIM A LITTLE. I'M ALWAYS MICRO-MANAGING. AS A FORMER NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER, I DO TEND TO STICK MY OAR IN TO PLACES IT DOESN'T BELONG. HE'S DONE QUITE A LOT OF FILM WORK, AND THIS WILL BE THE THIRD BASED ON DAD'S SUGGESTIONS. HE DID A HUGE WHACK OF WORK PULLING TOGETHER THE "SKOKIE" SONG FOR THE GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL, AND DID A MARVELLOUS JOB CREATING A COMPANION MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE RICHARD KARON BIOGRAPHY THAT I WROTE THIS PAST SPRING......AND YOU CAN NOW WATCH IT ON THE NEWLY LAUNCHED "KARON BLOGSITE."
     THIS PAST WEEK, I'VE BEEN MOTORING AROUND TOWN, AND SURROUNDING AREA, GETTING VIDEO FOOTAGE FOR THE WILLIAM HENRY SMITH STORY I'M PLANNING FOR THE FIRST OF AUGUST. IT WILL, WITHOUT A DIME OF FUNDING, OR ANY ENDORSEMENT FROM THE TOWN, RECOGNIZE THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NAMING OF THE GRAVENHURST POST OFFICE IN AUGUST 1862, BY POSTAL AUTHORITY W.D. LESUEUR, BASED ON THE NAME OF A BOOK WRITTEN BY BRITISH AUTHOR, POET, LITERARY CRITIC, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH. THE PROPER TITLE, IS "GRAVENHURST; OR THOUGHTS ON GOOD AND EVIL," A BOOK YOU CAN STILL ACCESS VIA "GOOGLE BOOKS."
     I'VE BEGUN TAILORING THE HISTORICAL ESSAY, AND HAVE ADMITTEDLY, OR WITHOUT RESERVATION, SOLD-OUT TO THE MUSIC VIDEO CONCEPT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT WILL BE THE BEST ALL-ROUND METHOD, OF SHOWCASING THE POET, THE TOWN, AND THE POST OFFICE, VIA SOME INTERESTING VISUALS AND MY SON'S MUSICAL EXPERTISE. I'M NOT AT ALL SURE THAT THE SPIRIT OF WILLIAM DAWSON LESUEUR WILL BE PLEASED AT THIS BELATED HONOR, WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ATTACHED, BUT IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN THINK OF, TO REINFORCE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY EXPLORED AND CELEBRATED......WHICH FRANKLY, HAS ALWAYS BOTHERED ME. LESUEUR BESTOWED A GREAT HONOR UPON US, AND FOR MOST OF OUR TOWN'S HISTORY, WE HAVE MADE ONLY BRIEF MENTION......AS IF THIS IS ALL IT DESERVES. I BELIEVE THIS IS WRONG, AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. WILL A SHORT HISTORY AND A MUSIC VIDEO CEMENT MR. SMITH IN OUR MINDS? I DON'T KNOW. BUT I COULDN'T LET THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY, OF THE OFFICIAL NAMING OF THE GRAVENHURST POST OFFICE, PASS, WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING. TOWN HALL FEELS THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF INCORPORATION IS THE BEST CHOICE TO CELEBRATE. IT DESERVES A MENTION AND MINOR RECOGNITION. THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY, OF BEING NAMED AFTER A WELL KNOWN BRITISH WRITER, BY A RESPECTED CANADIAN HISTORIAN (W.D. LESUEUR)? WELL, I HOPE I CAN SELL YOU ON ITS IMPORTANCE, WITH A FEW WORDS AND A REALLY SWELL VIDEO.
     IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ONLINE, ON THE EVENING OF AUGUST IST. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE LAUNCH OF SOMETHING THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE INTERESTING VIEWING.....AND INSIGHTFUL READING.
      MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. I JUST COULDN'T LET THIS HISTORICAL MILESTONE PASS WITHOUT MENTION.....AND A LITTLE HUMBLE FUSS. IT'S THE LEAST A LOCAL HISTORIAN CAN DO!