http://www.fepl.ca/localhistory/files/original/24532ab2dfc427e62e8603491ce02a37.pdf f5cfee5c740a858c3ce67dd83e0cf327 PDF Text Text / I I P.O.Box 295 , Dorset, Ont. , PoA 1EO Mr. Louis McDermot, e/0 Mrs M:;irgHQPite Miller, ~edsi5oelr'B n etireffl:elit Home, JOl NiagB:ra Bl;rd., Fort Erie Ont POA iEO • Dear Louis , First, please let me appologise for my long delay i~ answering ' your letter with the enclosed photograph copies . Helen Sutton in whose house I live has been quite ill all fall, winter and spring leaving me little time for letter writing. Howeve r I have donf quite a bit of research . First, enclosed are not only what answers I have, but also my desi gn of 80 Niagara as it was when I lived there . Actual measurements I do not know, but I think the room arrangements and proportions are fairly accurate. I have also enclosed a photograph of the east end of the living room at 96 Niagara as it looked in 1946 and thereabouts . The photographs of the tennis club and garden party were difficult .., .... , since I was not born until 1915. THE GARDEN --·-- - ·- ·- ····-- -PAR'rY ----·My mother , then Elsie Montillon is the first person on the left. Your estimated date of 1890 must be too early, since my mother was born in 1887 and died in 1996, so could only be three years old in 1890! Estimating from another similar picture of her which I have at age lJ , or s o ~· 1 would say the picnis wa s closer to 190J. • Attempting to name the picnic goers I would say from left to ri ght they are: Elsie Montillon (b . 1887 - d . 1997) Emily Curtiss Margaret Curtiss (later married to James Stratton) Albertina Lewis ?? or a Curtiss Henry Lewis or <Tames Curtiss?? Herbert Montillon (my uncle) b.1890- d cannot find datesee grave at St . John's Bertie . Julia Cruikshank- (have seen pictures bu am not sure) was a girlhood friend of my grandmother - was married to Brigadier Gen. Cruikshank who had home across the Garrison Rd (now #3 Hy) from my grandparents' cottage. Eugene Moptillon (My uncle) b. 188J - d(grave in Ithaca N.Y . �• The Garden Party continued. Abbie Montillon - (my grandmother)(Marguerite Miller's Aunt) b-12 Aug. 1855 - d. Apr.6 1941 . Mrs. Walter Curtiss- mother of the Curtiss girls mentioned and wife of the Walter Curtiss who lived next door on the north side, to 96 Niagara. I do not remember Mrs. Curtiss at all I am afraid. Grannie's mother 's family came from Warsaw New York, and as far as I know were not related to Walter Curtiss. THE TENNIS CLUB • I am afraid many of these are unknown to me. Here is the best I can do. Certain identities will be starred, and guesses not. Rear Row L.to R. 2) Elsie Montillon*(nother) 3) John Brenton Fitz-Gibbon' 1) (Father) 5) 6) 7)A.T.Elliot? 9) Cranmer Ris~ly 4) 10.Richard Graham (Dick)* Middle Row L to r 1) 2) J) Margaret Graham* 2) 3) Front Row L to R 1) 4) with child • 6 Cassandra Lewis 5 5)Henry Lewis* 6) Re 6 Cassandra Curtiss was a daughter of John Curtiss who had the farm on the first concession (or line?) north of Bowen ~aod just south of St. John's Bertie Anglican Church, and who I believe was a brother of \\Jal ter Curtiss who had the farm next to 96 Niagara. Bill Lewis will probably have information on the date on which she married Henry :ewis. I am not sure about Cranmer Risely but I know that he was taller than my father who was 6 1 3" and I thought he was even taller than Dick Graham. The John Graham family were early pioneers and had a farm off the Garrison Rd. (No 3 Hy.) but lived next north to the Walter Curtiss family Their four children were Amy (musician) Margaret, Mary (Called Queen) and Richard (called Dick) John Graham ran an insurance buisiness there which was cariEd on by Margaret after his death and then by Amy. After serving as a gurad in the army during WWl along the Welland Canal developing T.B. and later worked on the Mail train to and from Toronto and, I believe with the Insurance. Mr. A.T. Elliot was the druggist on the boulevard at the corner where the ferry boat docked. �Pa-.::e ~-· ~--'.'{\l~agara Blvd~ ~... Southr corner rerne1~ber ~ld. Dunham House. Outstnding ~~:r!-~,~-Yi, Catl1prine st. to Inter. nr.idr~e af;.I it of Catharine St. Well known and very clever family - Pennsylvania r· ·Dutch I believe. Mabel who my mother knew wrote __ "The Trail Of The Conestoga" published bylVIcClellan & . ;-r: ': • - - ', Stewart ,Tor.1942.House had bullet holes from the Fenian Raids. . Catharine St. -=tfOme of aMrs-:-canary-an-oICi-woman-whokept-goa.ts .. - ... ·: Mrs. Canary (?) a big yellowish house had goats. -~ext tf.!.J.• or three houses I don't remember.occupants ,- _?:_?'] -St. Paul's St. Paul's Originally Redstoclc' s Anglican Rectory at top of hill Anglican Sunday School below ·it; St. Paul's Anglican Sunday School,; now Hetirement Home. Rectory on hill -~ -House used to 'he, thought 'h~unt8d big house, dar~ brick - !. Clapboard large house also on top of hill - - Ravine Church - St. Paul's Anglican Church made from stone from the Original Fort, ~ mother played the organ until she married from about age. 14. Yncle Herbert's wife Aunt ~Ji.FJ:r,.a played here - a very-highly trained and beautiful mus1C!1an. Railroad Tracks- for freight delivery Garage on south corner of Gilmore. Gilmore Rd. -·-----·---·------------ --·----·- --·-·--·---·--· - -- -.. - ---------· -- ·-· ~· - ~- - -·· -·· -- Thomas farm from G~more north to include Niagara and gulley in between. George Thomas had tiny house on corner and Adie Thomas on hill just behind him. (Johnny had house on Eidlewilde st. lVJay have also been parm of farm .(??) 96 Walter Curtiss Farm (Swanick family lived. behin . · -John Graham House - Amy, Margaret, Mary (Queenie) & Richard Dick) _..Hershey House where Miss Emily , 1.Vliss Kat, Mrs. Thomps n -(nee Hershey) and nephew Jack Mann lives. -Benner House (My filncle Eugene recorded this as Binner hut mav h~.Ye. been wrong?? ? A + Mr. & oors li~nner- arm Mrs. Benner's motn~r? • -80 Niagara - My home - see family description Mr. Bond, His wife who was a Risley, & Miss :Risley: li v d. ) (Riseiy another old pionee name - Mr. Henry Lewis House . Henry Lewis and Cassandra ne Curtis (dau of John Curtiss) · - Old family homestead of the Lewis family beldnging to ) �_( I ;/ -ff ,,)hf~: ( t; tr' Molly Lewis sister of Henry , and Eleanor , and Albertina { ·~ when I was a child , and later occupied _b ~..: _8.n HCMP off icef by the name of Hough, and then .., Verril famil~1 oe1·ore bei11turned injto a nursing ~,::"_,. ~ home . Miss Madeline Nourse and her mother lived wiht Mis\s . - ~ - j ~ Molly Lewis and then· Miss Nourse built a house to the no~th . Molly moved in . with . them and ~ented the _o],_d houlIs e Vf §~ ~t and Miss U) ~ ~ to the above mentioned people. It is (if still there) on "' j~~ -~~ of the most beautiful boulevard homes and deserves histo ical • Q ':\-<::::' • ~ '- preservation. ·-if'~ ~ . () Iv ~ -Madeline Nourse House ;:-----0 u ?House built by"Dutch )Jackson Wintemute St ~ ~ ~ ? .?_? ''-- - House was owned by"AuntfeMi-f1Warren'1 -ancf-was-late_r_ Warrea farm a ~ -J __:_ turned into apartments, and Auntie Mill lived wiht the H nry Lewis family until she died. I don ' t know where she was ·elate d to them. As children we always used to chat and wait to tak her home llt:wU,.if we saw her wandering. She would go _to the empty·'l to "g t her brother's lunch" I would help her get out the dishes that , • ~ ;;,,, Q\ were no t th ere e t c . ra th er th an upse t her . ( H~ b--1-v ~L \..-a__,Q.. "'-\ • ~ Red Brick house belonging to Mrs, Hurl Fry - Large old House occupied if not owned by a M. & Mrs . Chalmers. Broadley - Mr . & Mrs Broadleigh and their children Margaret, John an Violet lived there . Margare t was my closest friend all t rough elementary school. Mr. Broadley worked for the Railway. - Three other houses ??? - Ar ner Chem i c a l Mfg . Co later ma de into apar tment Hou s e wh.ere Mar guerite Miller lived after she sold her home farther north down the boulevard, and left to go the Redstocks Retirement home. ~ International Lewi s Str e et F ailr oa d Br idge . . R. Bri dge . • �5 • You will see that instead of adding to your picture I have made a '\ complete a listing as I can for each of your pictures, and of the homes along the boulevard from Lewis to Catharine St. Hop you can mak ensE of it.I feel sure that the Land registry office in 1rJelland would Have the old original ·red.ords of land grants along the boulevard. I know that the Elliots, The Hersheys, the Grahams The Lewis'. and the Curtiss's were all pioneer familys in the area, and as o:t:ten har?ened (or maybe always) people intermarried. I l{now therfore that the Warrens, the 1rJitemutes, the Lewises and the Curtisses were related , and that the Grahams, the Elliots, and the Hersheys, and the Nellises and the Carmichaels were all related.Their ancestors were often either UELs or descendants of Br. Regular troops using the fort. There is, by the way a book that was put out for the centennial of St Paul's church some years ago. I know I had a copy, but cannot find it. Possibly the Church has a copy or the librarylI- cannot remember if I wrote to thank you for my copy of the photo you took, but I was certainly deiighted with it and now have it in my albuci}Another possible source of information in the Ontario Archives. I believe it is still housed in the Museum building called the Sigmund Samuel Bldg opposite.. the parli~ent's west door on Queen,s Park Cresc. I don't know of an/ illS descendants of the Stantons or the Kirby's still extant : ' ) • Now to my family. John Brenton - born In Stoney Ford Co. Kilkenny Ireland I'Jov. 22 ? attended Highgate Boys School Cardiff Wales, and graduated in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from Cardiff University He took 4 years of training after tha •t the British Engineering shops where he specialized ir1JRthe constructiona and design of buildings and machinery required in the production of steelHe came to Canada to build the steel plant on Cape Breton Isd, and moved from there to various other steel plants, Im at present working on his biography and hope to have sites and date s before too long. He met my mother while at the Be thlehem Steel plant in Buffalo, and later wound up at the Hannah Furnace Co. there. He died after a mastoid operation at Fort Erie July 6, 19J2. Elsie Eliz a beth- Graduated as a teacher in Buffalo but mar ried before taking a position. (You have her dates. John Ord b. b. JO June 19 11 attended RidJ.ey College, 1rJintemute P.S. and Buffalo tech, then studied Mechanial engineering at U.B. finishing his gegree extramurally wi t h the Br iti sh Engineerin@ ['_ SJchoo l He wor_k e d ~t tpe ,Ho_;t on a~d th en , bec8.!Ile Fi e ld E~gi r;eer _ :;-:· I _____________-f!t,-v {t_ fl(1 cm"Cl ~kl ~- 1 .St'.tJ...._l~ .:i ~,_ l(cr,o,r / r-> / ·idr , ti e_ \ t\. \>:~,v V'l'- <'> l) <'..<,,\ \ .,,, ~~w '.')~,, (~ ., �(~/ M§.~!:J..~~-~!"g!iiE.? .ld- • b. Oct 10 , 191~ ( I think) attended School in For·t Erie and did garage work until he joined the Toronto 3cttish F:eg. in 19.39· Always interested in Police work he remustered into the .Provost Corps, taking training with the Br. Guards School when overseas and with Scotland Yard. returning h~me as a Cpt. acting Major. He commanded a unit of cadets at Niagara befor·e ,?,:oing to Burwash where he beca11e 2nd in command until he retired. d. Mar 17, 1989. His wife was Margaret \rJyc}'(off of Simcoe area who taught at \rl intemute St. School in Fort Erie. di. Ped- C.\.--..,:A.; 1-i 01\,\- I J...Nc:--t.J ~:rg~Q!:!.-.'..~- - De _smonp b . Niny 5 19i3 After Craduating from FZHS vvorked for r1·1 iss Madelin t!ouse r0 Irfsurancc 7 r:rncf1~fn the Assay Offi~ of the Y:er Addison I·1:ine in Ki.d:!_and Lake before joining the ;; CAF in 1939,, l:tf1as finally shot wl)ev-_ )v... down over the North 2.ea cur1n.~; day li g ht raids over GennanytJaG a wireless leader. Jan 1941. • 5 1915 Gr2.dua.t c d F . E. H . S and 'I' or onto T1 ormal :.>choo: taught .5 years at Dou{!las School Fort Erie. Served in the Cwac 3 1/2 years Graduated in Art & Archaeolo ~v Universit~ Toronto 1950 ann1~ tau ~ht Po•yal r'( 5o -t--0 ·~ f C<.M-1-i ·' ' Ontarj o MusP.1rr..! roronto 19'.b3~~ and continued ib :research 198.5 ~ tke. Mv.5e~ Now resides in Dorset Ontario. l'f;9 ..r;:y___F!i!1.J:~ b. Jan. ,. ....... RoJ:?erj; _ _t;~@ne b June 10,1922 Graduated from olectnical training from Sa.ult tech. Ser-vecl in R . .E.f"; •.C during ~ J .VJ . II. from 40 to end of war, .Employed by General Electric unt i J_ r·ctirement Married to Betty ( Ccrtrudc ~D.i 7.Rbeth Ar1der son) of :2:clmonton Hci s a son David in Canan a' Fermanent ):t"orce , Daur-:hter F\o bin r:ur se in thn Nort!.1 ~!'Jest '.Cerri to:r ics Doth with chlldr·em · Bob resides in Port Credit Ont. If you need more information that I can give, please let me know. Your s sincerely, • �• • • � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Louis McDermott Collection Subject The topic of the resource Local history, Fort Erie and surrounding area. Description An account of the resource A collection of historical documents, photos, news clippings, letters, and writings, assembled by local historian, Louis McDermott, and donated to the Fort Erie Public Library. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Louis McDermott Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived FEPL-LH -Louis McDermott Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Included in this collection are writings, historical documents, news clippings, images, maps, and more. They were written and compiled by Louis McDermott into a series of binders. The digital collection has been scanned from these physical copies. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fort Erie Public Library and Louis McDermott Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Niagara Boulevard Letter & Documentation Description An account of the resource Listed here is a letter responding to an inquiry made by Louis McDermott regarding the identification of individuals in a photograph. The writer of the letter provides context to the photograph and identifies those in the picture. The letter is also accompanied by a list of individuals who lived along the Niagara Boulevard. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Louis McDermott Collection 1800s 1900s Fort Erie Louis Mcdermott Collection niagara boulevard