FAITH IN GOD WAS THE BEACON IN THE STORM OF FRONTIER CHALLENGE
"CALLED OF GOD THEY ALL WOULD SAY, TO GIVE US LIGHT UPON OUR WAY, THROUGH STORM AND CALM, CLOUD AND SUN, HE NEVER FAILED, HIS WORK BEGUN."
I MUST BEGIN TODAY'S BLOG, PART OF THE THANKSGIVING SPECIAL SERIES, "THE SEASONS OF THE LILAC," BY THROWING A BOQUET TO MY HISTORIAN COLLEAGUE, AND FORMER TEACHER, GARY DENNISS, OF BRACEBRIDGE, WHO IS THE UNCHALLENGED AUTHORITY, ON BOTH THE SCHOOL HOUSES OF MUSKOKA, AND THE CHURCHES OF OUR REGION. I AM, ALAS, A KEEN, APPRECIATIVE UNDERSTUDY, BUT MOST CERTAINLY, AN ADMIRER OF HIS OUTSTANDING RESEARCH. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIND SOME OF THIS BOOKS ON THESE SUBJECTS, BY CONSULTING THE ADVANCED BOOK EXCHANGE, AND TYPING IN THE AUTHOR'S NAME, AS REGARDS VINTAGE AND OUT OF PRINT BOOKS. THESE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BOOKS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE MUSKOKA COLLECTIONS OF OUR REGIONAL PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
I HAVE VISITED QUITE A FEW PIONEER, AND VICTORIAN ERA CHURCHES IN MUSKOKA, SINCE I BEGAN EXPLORING THE DISTRICT, BACK IN THE MID 1970'S, FOR WHAT I HOPED WAS GOING TO BE A LONG, AND INTERESTING FORAY, INTO REGIONAL HISTORY. IT HAS MOST DEFINITELY BEEN A LONG JOURNEY, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED TO TAKE EVEN A SINGLE SHORT-CUT, FOR CONVENIENCE, BECAUSE OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED ALONG THE WAY. SEEING THE MODEST STEEPLES OF SOME OF THESE LITTLE COUNTRYSIDE CHURCHES, POKING UP FROM THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE SAME PINE, AS WHEN THEY WERE BUILT, IS CHARMING AND WARMING TO THE TRAVELLER, QUESTIONING SILENTLY, WHAT MUSKOKA IS ALL ABOUT; BEYOND OF COURSE THE PRETTY PICTURES ON POSTCARDS. WHAT AMAZING LITTLE STRUCTURES THEY WERE, AND STILL ARE TODAY, THAT DREW RESIDENTS TOGETHER TO OFFER PRAISE TO GOD, FOR THE LITTLE THEY HAD TO REJOICE OF HOMESTEAD PROSPERITY. THEY FOUND HOPE IN GOOD COMPANY. I COULDN'T COMPOSE THIS SERIES OF HERITAGE COLUMNS, ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD PERIOD IN MUSKOKA, WITHOUT REFERENCING THE ROLE OF RELIGION, AND THE PIONEER CHURCHES OF OUR REGION OF ONTARIO. THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION WAS POWERFUL UPON THE LIVES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE EARLY ROUNDS OF EMIGRATION, AND SETTLEMENT OF THE FORESTED FRONTIER OF ONTARIO, FROM THE 1850'S. THE EARLIEST PIONEERS NEEDED FAITH IN GOD, TO FIND THE COURAGE TO BATTLE THE ELEMENTS, OF WHAT WAS A HARSH AND UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT. SO DETERMINED WERE THOSE SETTLERS, THAT THEY HELD THE FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETINGS IN THOSE SMALL, DIMLY LIT, DRAFTY SHANTIES, PRAYING AND SINGING HYMNS, TO PRAISE GOD, AND TO REINFORCE IN THEMSELVES, THE FAITH TO CARRY-ON, DESPITE A LOT OF EVIDENCE, FARMING IN MUSKOKA WAS LIKELY TO FAIL.
THERE IS AN INTERESTING CHAPTER, IN BERT SHEA'S LATE 1960'S FAMILY HISTORY, "THE HISTORY OF THE SHEAS, AND BIRTH OF A TOWNSHIP," ENTITLED "CHURCHES OF WATT." I CAN'T ATTEST TO ITS ACCURACY, BECAUSE FOR THIS, THE AUTHORITY OF COURSE IS GARY DENNISS. BUT BERT SHEA WAS A TALENTED STORY TELLER, AND I OFTEN PICK UP ONE OF HIS TWO BOOKS, TO READ SPECIFIC STORIES AND CHAPTERS, IN ORDER, AFTER A WORK HIATUS, TO REFRESH MY MEMORY ABOUT SOME OF THE HARDSHIPS FACED BY THE PIONEERS, IN A REGION THAT COULD BE CRUEL IN STORM AND WINTER SNOW, FULL OF GRACE, AND NURTURING, WITH THE SUNNY, WARM SPRING DAYS, AND NOURISHING RAIN FOR THE MODEST FARMSTEAD GARDENS. HIS STORIES ARE FULL OF PERSONALITY AND A PASSION FOR WHAT HAS BEEN THE SHEA AND VEITCH FAMILY CHRONICLE, IN THIS AREA OF THE PRESENT TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, IS THE FACT THERE IS SO MUCH SOCIAL / CULTURAL HERITAGE, WITHIN HIS STORIES, WHICH TRANSLATES FOR ME AS PRECIOUS FOLK HISTORY; AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A FOLK HISTORIAN. THIS IS THE REASON I LIKE TO DRAW ON THIS WORK, AS MUCH AS I DO, BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT-CHANGED IN MUSKOKA, OF OUR RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE. WE HAVE LOTS OF HISTORICAL RECORDS, BUT A LOT LESS SOCIAL / CULTURAL MATERIAL, TO COLOR-IN THE BLACK AND WHITE OF OUR FACTUAL CHRONICLE. WE NEED OUR FOLK HISTORY, JUST AS A SKELETON NEEDS ITS FLESH. SO HERE NOW, IS BERT SHEA'S WELL COMPOSED OVERVIEW OF THE CHURCHES OF WATT TOWNSHIP.
THE HUMBLE, COMFORTABLE PLACE OF WORSHIP; THE BUILDING OF THE LOG METHODIST CHURCH IN UFFORD
"The pioneers who came to Watt Township, were very much a church-minded people, than some of they who came from the old lands, and were of Methodist, Anglican or Presbyterian persuasion (faith), having been raised in some of the older parts of Ontario; excepting our two Roman Catholic families of Ryans and Lovelys, who were immigrants direct from Ireland. However, the difference of religious persuasion, though cherished by the individuals, were never a point of contention. Conditions and circumstances in a new land brought people together and in their hearts caused them to cast aside their doctrinal differences, with their neighbour, bringing forth their true desire to worship the God of their Father and His son. In the Three Mile Lake settlement, the primitive Methodist was the first to crowd his way through the bush and the surveyor's picket lines, to reach the humble cabins of the pioneers spotted in the little clearings, among the brush piles and the stumps, in the deep dark forests of Watt Township. Carrying the Old Book, the Word of God, and a book of hymns of the church. He read the Word in the homes, baptized the children, encouraged the strong and comforted the sick and aged, and stood with his beloved, giving words of comfort and assistance, in a land so new that scarcely the sod had formed its matt, to cushion the place of fresh turned earth."
Mr. Shea writes, "Cottage or cabin meetings were organized for public worship. These pioneer homes were not always big enough to accommodate the gathering, nor the seating numbers adequate. But these people had gathered to worship and to take part in the service. The ministers of these days were men who could suit themselves to circumstances, and if half of their congregation was seated on stumps or logs, about the door, his voice was made to reach the care of his hearers, that the Word of life could be heard by all, and in turn, whose voices arose in rolling waves of song, awakening the evening quiet of the forest glades. It was not unusual for the service to last on into the night. Then the fat pine torch would be lighted or perhaps the home owner, was better fixed, and had a lamp and some coal oil, or perhaps someone who was thoughtful had brought a lamp filled with oil. One evening in the autumn of the late 1860's, service was being held at the home of the Polly's, Lot 16, Con. 4, on the north bank of the spring creek, near the sideroad. A good crowd had gathered, people from Ufford and Brackenrig. The evening was cool, the house was packed with worshippers. All were intently interested in worship where there seemed to be a peculiar movement in the building, and a cracking, and before any could tell, a sudden breaking loose of the floor, and everyone went down into the basement in a large heap. Fortunately there was no fire in the stove as it went down too. But the basement in these houses (cabins) were only shallow and the fall was not too great. And no one was seriously hurt; more surprised and the whole affair cleared up after the excitement in one big community laugh; and although it was a Sabbath evening, these people, who did not make plans for work on the Sabbath, felt that in no way it would be an offense to the good Master, if plans and arrangements were made for the repair of the good man's house on the morrow. The meeting finished outside, the benediction pronounced and the parting songs echoed through the dark forest paths, as each group followed their leader with the fat pine torch, as he sought out the trail that lead in the homeward way.
"From information taken from the records of John Lacy Oldham's Farm Journal, the writer is of the opinion, this incident would have taken place on the evening of October 6, 1869. And clearly recorded in the year of 1870, October 25, is the detail afforded the raising of Mr. Polly's new house, which was a wet day. From the incident of the breaking down of the floor, it was proof that the settlers' homes were of too light construction, to carry the crowds that were gathering for worship. To meet this need, the old trail blazer, Jacob Bogart, constructed a building to fill the need, and that became known as Bogart's House. This he constructed at his own expense and offered its use free for worship. The first record of its use for this purpose, was May 2, 1869, this John Oldham records, in his journal; the entry notes, 'wife and boys been to Bogart's meeting.' He also records June 4, 'been to Bogart's meeting, Sunday, June 29; been to preaching at Bogarts. Wright and Polly here for dinner Sunday, December 19; went to preaching at Bogarts.' While Bogart's Meeting House, was serving well the purpose, and freely given by the builder and owner, there was a move on foot, for the construction of a church on property somewhere nearer to the centre of the settlement."
Bert Shea adds, "The writer is of the opinion that the principal instigators of this move, were Oldham, Wright and Polly. The construction of a church in the community was a move of great interest. Yet the old timers thought back on the happy gatherings and services, held at the humble homes of the pioneers. Among the stumps, what wonderful times they had enjoyed, and then all the good services of worship at Bogart's Meeting House, that Jacob Bogart had built for the people. Of course, it would be used as a school. But would the new Church cause a loosening of the community spirit; the loss of the closer ties that bound the settlers together, as they went from home to home to worship. However, there was the mid week service, that the primitive Methodists considered so very important, would be carried on in the settlers' homes. That would still keep the community drawn close together, and the Sunday services, would be held in the church and more heavily attended.
"It was evident a new church would be built. Oldham, Wright and Polly were influential men; the cause was gaining momentum. The question of where to get a piece of ground to built on, and big enough for a cemetery, as today, there was no cemetery officially in the township. Says John Lily Shea, (Suzanne's great, great uncle)'I guess they are right, we are all going to need a place to lay someday, and someone to bury us. I'll give the Methodist Church all the ground they want, on the southeast corner, of Lot 15, Con. 5, on conditions the church can be used by any Protestant denominations, so long as their hours of service, don't conflict with the Methodists.' This was a sweeping offer, an unexpected gift, and was received with thanks. The agreement was written, and signed by all interested parties. In order to make a gift legal, the price of two dollars was included, which John Lily Shea accepted as proper, and was pleased this his offer to the church had been regarded by all with appreciation."
"A strange coincidence occurred in the early history of the Ufford Primitive Methodist Church," writes the family historian, Bert Shea. "A (work) bee was called to clear all the land for the churchyard. John Lacy Oldham, one of the enthusiastic promoters of the work, was the first man to lay an axe in the clearing operation, and when the bee was called for the erection of the new log church, John Oldham was the first man on the job. The work went well; cooperation from every angle. This was a work of interest. Everyone worked with a will. It was to be a building made of hewn pine logs with the dove tail corners. The pine was given, as they stood, the hewing gangs went to work. The score hackers were men who went ahead of the hewer, who must know their work. This was timber for a church and must be neat. The hewers knew the men to pick, being John L. Shea's trained score hackers, including Roxborough Shea, his brother William, and Mr. Giles. David Morley was a hewer of quality and his brothers, Sam and Bill, were expert axe men, as score hackers who could work to the line chop, and split off the logs, the rough outside, and leave a portion of the log from one end to the other, of just sufficient thickness from the line, to carry the broad axe. This gave the hewer, clean, fresh wood to work in, as he swung the broad axe with its keen cutting blade, working along the log, left a clean, smooth pine surface behind. There was a rivalry between the hewers, and the hewers were the ones who set the score hackers, in order that their work should be done right.
"However, the two hewing gangs were out to do the best they could, for the building of the new church. Other men were at work leveling the yard, clearing off stumps, setting foundation stones, arranging the timber for the foundation. Other men who were not so professional with the broad axe, could do the foundation hewing as it would be covered, but the logs for the walls must be smooth and good. Wright, Polly and Oldham were busy supervising the different phases of the work when the foundation was laid. The timbers for the walls were brought in on skids to keep them clean. The noble oxen playing their part, hauling the newly hewn timbers down the bush trail, to the places of construction. Here the men took their places on the corners of the building, with their keen ground blades. Carving the double dove tail corner, the hardest of all corners to carve; the strongest part of the structure, honed with the pride of they, who few they were, who could do this particular work. Round after round went on as the men on the skids shoved the newly hewn logs up to the cornermen, who continued to fit them down the sides or walls. It was coming up plumb and square, neat as a box. Unlike the temple Solomon built, where neither the sound of the hammer or tool was heard. The temple at the Three Mile Lake settlement erected by the pioneers, was the scene of living activity from the hills, from whence cometh the sound of the workmen's axes making the timber. The rattle of bull chain on the oxen's yolks and the urging of the driver's voice, as the timbers were drawn up the skids to the wall, the chuck of the shingle bolt splitter's axe and mallet, as they split the blocks into thin pieces and the swish of the draw knives, as the men on the shaving horses tapered the thin split pine slaps to the shingle shape, and piled them up. The winds carried the newly ribbon-like pine shavings where it would, and the happy voices of the workmen blended with the sounds of the builders' tools. "The women of the settlement gathered in the afternoon, seated on the logs about the yard, raised their voices in singing of hymns; 'All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name.' Let angels prostrate fall. The fear that had been held in the hearts of some that the church would cause a falling away of the community spirit, was drawing the community closer together. Why should they not sing; why should their happy voices not be heard? Was it not spring, the reviving time of all nature."
The historian notes the following, about the progress on the new Watt Township Church. "When the round of logs were brought in, the plates were hewed on their sides. John Lily Shea and his men, were called in from the bush to frame the plates, cut out the doors and windows, while the other hewing gang made the rafters and the supporting beams. The ox teams were sent to Jacob Bogart's mill on Camel's Creek, to get lumber for the floor, the gable ends and to sheet the roof. This lumber was cut on the upright saw before the circular saws were in use in Watt. These were long days, and the church was not built in one day; but when the sound of the hammers had died away, there stood the new church, neat and tidy, the door open, pine benches for seats. At the front, the altar, where laid the open Bible. This was the first church at the Three Mile Lake settlement and the first church in Watt. The writer sincerely regrets being unable to find any record of the date of the opening services, or the name of the minister who preached the first sermon, but the writer has good reasons taken from recollections of remarks by the pioneers that the minister was a traveling missionary, perhaps the man who had called the pioneers to worship in the humble settlers' cabins, was now leading them in worship in the fine new church erected by their own hands and efforts to the Glory of God. The writer well remembering the reminiscing of the old timers. The new church was well attended, people from the settlements of Raymond, Brackenrig, Ullswater, and Windermere, travelled by water and bush trail to attend public worship in the new church. These days were of the happiest memories in the lives of the pioneers of Watt, when Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterians met to worship together in spirit and in truth with his neighbors."
Some of the early citizens of Watt Township, to be buried in the small homesteader's cemetery, adjacent to the original hand-hewn log Methodist Church, include well known family names, such as John Lacy Oldham, one of its builders, James Dawson, Mrs. Thomas Aitken (wife of Windermere House founder), Maria MacIntosh, daughter of Donald and Susanna (Shea) MacIntosh, Mr. Winters, Daniel Brown, Jane Brown, George Oldham, Richqrd Smalley, Mrs. John Oldham, and the nine year old daughter of the Simpson family, James Shea, Granny Shea, Janie Oldham, twelve years of age, J. Matchett. who died as an infant. Listed amongst this number as well, was an unnamed veteran of the American Civil War. Suzanne has tried to identify the name of the soldier, and had enlisted the help of Tom Brooks, Civil War historian, and friend, but with no luck. Tom had offered advice on this research, shortly before he passed away. We're still working on revealing who this man was, so we can set the record straight. Suzanne's mother Harriet (Shea) Stripp, was fascinated by this aspect of the pioneer cemetery, and was determined to make a clear identification for the posterity of history. She left the challenge to her daughter, when she passed away shortly after we were married.
The original late 1860's, early 1870's log church, was torn down in the modern era, and replaced by a new brick structure, operated by the United Church of Canada, that was also eventually torn down, for lack of purpose, in the 1960's, after it had lost most of its congregation, due both, to the decline of members from the immediate community, and the fact the Windermere United Church was newly opened, which reduced numbers considerably in Ufford.
Out of respect and interest, Suzanne and I plan to visit the site, in the next few days, to commence more thorough research of the property, overview the visible graves in the cemetery, (some have grown over with trees) and of course, learn more about the unnamed Civil War veteran, who it seemed wished to remain anonymous. We will let you know how we are getting along with this research, and will certainly publish results via this blog. We also have plans to write and publish a more thorough history of the log church, which was situated on property donated by John Lily Shea - call it a family rekindling of pioneer times, but we really need to connect with our kith and kin of a bygone era. As I noted before, it is our end game, as parents, to make sure our musician, businessmen sons, Andrew and Robert, know more about their roots in Muskoka. They may not thank us now, but they will one day; when their youngsters have a school project, and need their help mapping out a family history. We'll have that covered. Maybe you are also working on family history. We love this kind of research. We have to give credit to Ancestry.Ca, because Suzanne uses the online service every day; and every year, I get it for her as a Christmas, or birthday gift, and it is the one present she never returns.
Wherever I have travelled in Ontario, as I have through the United States, there is something so kindly and peaceful, permeating the atmosphere, when you drive over a shaded hillside above a homestead pasture, or get the first glimpse, around the wooded-corner, to see the familiar vintage architecture of a church building, emerging the closer we approach; clear through the tall grasses, softly embraced, this time of the year, by the magnificent colors of the hardwoods, merged with the deep greens of the wreathing of pines. It is today, a nostalgic, sentimental scene, that unfolds for the voyeur. For the pioneer, it was very much a scene of sanctuary, faithfulness, and community.
Thanks again for visiting with me today. It's always a country pleasure.
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