http://www.fepl.ca/localhistory/files/original/5df21ed6b7633b867f53226a28b4a506.pdf a7ae366972b03fbacb9c896914090e95 PDF Text Text Fort Erie North Ontario was purchased.by my ·~·aildfather George Frederick Montillon from the T.homas family which o~hed ~he far.m extending south to Gilmore Rd (at leaat. J in 1900 •. When th~ Thomas parents died the property was_ divi('led , and what my.~an.,. bought was about JOO acres with about 180 feet frontage and a depth ' varying from 500 feet to 600 feet , d11e to the single track Grand Railway line whic ran diagonly from the Bridgeburg Railroad Yards to. the Ferry Dock in Fort Eri~, for the delivery of freight. The Thomas boys each built hilJls.elf a smaal house farther south the property, "Georgie" a-i;W~he corner of Gilmore Rd And the Niagara Blvd:;. ''Addie" (who I do not. remember) just west of"Georgie", and Idlewylde just west of 'the .(!iml'.:'.ch a.nd the Irvine house on the south . Al though "Grandad" '"•••illily to his Real Estate off ice in Buff.al~~ .·· '. . ' :,Jtw.t<'.,· · '· ,'' , ~ . ·, '.,. <· ~:.>·:.<·:::~<:~....· .··~\ ' he developed the grounds into a. very beat.itiful garclen • Al though }t,is sc~9oling~ Was limited he Car1~~~d hi,,~ V-OYf 'tQ !'~'tad at least one hour a day throu~~;~~ his entire life ' :.~~haf J"~s,,~t o~;(~dge of gardening as well as n1an~· ··:. other thing$, an ~lt:!.$1>~1'( 'ci'tlently with the College of Agr iei.t~t;~~ 1,(~' •\'{\~ >; ~:: ·:· '. '~·.:<~~\,' > ' " both in Guel Q.n.t, and Itha9~". . New York (Cornell). I spent many Satwzday 1:' ' ,,J: '~ ' ' ' . "' ::: .' ~ mornings h. · lei t~'r111 i:P:,l"t~ 'd~n;,. or;,.+ J,,n his workshop where he used ,'"·~,. +~~ ~" ~~:. .<~'' "i~i ' -<{.\¥t:. ) ) to spent ,.'"~ti'tin!..g 'mti~tte> . f' .,:"ni ture. 1 ,•h ,'" "'-"";;'·· ' ' ' " ;·:' "' ; • • • ]f' ;, ,f, . '," • .. ' .. ' ' ". ' .,' :· : ;: " ". ' ' 4t.fl.•'..;"' My Gr.andmother , t)le . fPrmer Abbie Mariah Davis, was also an ":lf} :\'"~"' ,~~~~~'.'/A),; ar~:~ ;~'~;·.,·1:.''1"4t!:""~;:~~z :t*&1 '.?\.,, ;T ,· " me . She ilad .taug~t · :alijf\;J~l.~.~.i!.ri: iuff-1~'.Jbefore her marriage, being teacher there to use ;,·pictures tG illustrate Geography. She was also a teacber of ma.thematics, especia1ll' Geometry, I believe. Being very well read herself, shf! inspire.d. me. to . read many fascinating beoks by telling me not to touch thti!m! 'I'htt$I r•ad the Conquest Of Mexico, and Peru before I was ten! ~. My .geandparents were both fi.ne singers and had actually met while .. singing in the B11ffa&.o Philharmoni.c choir. My Mother studi'ed piano like . .· . 1'Grannie" and became a churd.h organist and both her 1brothers sag well, Unele Eugene te11or, and Uncle Hef:bert bass. ·) Sometime after my father died in 1931.we moved down to 96 Niagara, and I shared the large south east bedroom with my mother, and later I had the north east bedroom to myself p after my brother John moved to Sault Ste. Marie. p." ~ ' We liv.eA......at 96 Niagara until 1949 when the property was sold and I 'bougb:~ 1 t\·house in Port Credit Ont. for my mother and myself where I could6oJ1llnute.to my teaching at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. �My uncle, Eugene Davis Mo:nt.fllori ll::ve·tl Niagara to Cornell Univ~lfsi·ty to study archj;1;eb't~~~j~~-..ontinued . • where he married Muri~lcClara Bri~gs antl ~~o~~ a. pro~essor architecture . My mo:the; Elsie ·EJagi\leth Moni1i~on .m~~k:C my ~ '"1~s;u:;?I'; Brenton Fit~.;;Gi~~plf.1£nl910 i~s~.~ad 1 Q.f teaching. mathematics. graduate Ci·vil·~p;d Meciµanlock:l ·speeial4,;ttlg ;in, tl}ec·a~,sigriing i ,·,~::,« ~/:,:,·\";;; .» ; :·" .. ~>:·_,, J ·: ·):c .·..· ··r ~ ,. >.;' ?." .'". ·.: ·.·. ·.:: ·. }i :"~;,· ·· ' ~:t<: :l''"· '·:.'r-4 : :~~·«.)Ji~· . . ~ ".Y> <:· •• LJ ...., ,... 1·.,,. " and. m~cnirieri ·~·'t'~":the progµF'-biol} ~f: l~ee]~. ~"li!r''uncle. Herbert· gradTtit~d. in.J:~; 11;~ Univ~r~ii~Bf :.:~uf!fale wher~ . he: later marr¥·edg ••91~~·.i~~~iel,i·'Di~-lifi• .~f· 'a.1Uf!'~1o, graduat·e of Q~rne.11 organ at4d .~~~Iffai~~11l·~ wi;t~''.~dd~~~~kal' studi,e;s in Europe. He .. _..,,...,~ ........, home in 96 Ni. ~· se1i~1:~ .,:, . . . . . < < 1'or apartment for my grandp~~el\is iind . the . home w)len my family moved to ·. the i{l •the tg~e~··~,~~~!i~ jp ~ ~~~s·~ vtas/$~~~ pncle Herbert moved to New. York ~ity •. h~s wife,;:, ·~~~~.:·:A}~~'!,;t~•vi'l\g c].Je~,,J.h 19'11. r a ~'<>~'l"1! r ft=f;;& 4~ ·~ < .q !! :' ,! ·.:/• .. ·\1 11'f if. 01.AS# .· . · · ·.· ·• · · 12 lat~•r ;1f~1i~ . ;, A/ \ <; • "> > '' /'~,-- :~~'-'·,_ ,;>~'. -l>" I; .,- t-·- 1 ~~,:Pn~cJ'-, )~ '.::\'· · '{<:',"e - '" ~ f'e~,i~.·i~~~y~~~nnot _/'.,:·:·_,'-'\~;~::~--~ '--->.~:~'.'.. ch<l~"~' , :·:·- - :· , locate a photograph of 96 Niagara as I rellierni"ber • it 1:n9f·~~~tJ»-r1"brother Bob. In both cases many of our photographs were n;t'· destroye,tl ~1 ~ater . The basement was briil t from local rough grey limestou•v' the first floor of. })riot'·'· painted dark gre.en, and the second floor and attic of wooden lap sidin,g, also dark green. The north wall was almost entirely covered with. the same large leafed 1 vy as the Anglican church. A verandah ran. a~rossthe front and' part way along each side, being screened from t}le study c].oor to the front edge. Most of the interior walls were papered abo.ve. painted wainscote, in either brown or dark green. (My grandmother w2t:s furious when I painted the upper kitchen walls pale yellow to let in tliqre light, but after the war (WW II) we made all the living room and dining room light cream. (Granda and Grannie had died died a week apart in• l<j4Q . {it the good ages of 89 and 86) Dates can be checked on their brass bu:t"1~l. Jnarkers at St. John's Anglican cemetary, Bertie. !Jayc::>ut plans of house made frommy memory are enclosed. . �The Walter Curtiss. farm abutted my grandfather's ,..,.,....,,. .........v.+,,.. north side, and extended west beyond the railway lie. I was also American. The house was a large frame building set distance back as 96 Niagara. Farther back was a large barn .and ·a·l.op.g narrow second house used by a caretaking family named Swanick. ........ , I never knew this family w.ell although my mother had grown· ~!ij:it' their children I was acquainted with their two grandaughters, t·J.:ice, ~d·· ? who.se father James andnlother ? lived and worked in .Buf'falo. 1 thi'nk Mrs James Curtiss was :formerly a Risley, but am not certain. Mr£1Waltkt~1.'" • up Curtiss died at about age 9J. but . i do not kne1f\;·about his wife. Th:ere ~~~ a daughter ~J.~?t~o;s:4 ~~f·1r:iv;,e4,,"f\;th t;tie:m and was a librarian in Buffal@.·'y Much ; ater f)rt.'' ·~tlt·t~r'~.. 1~.~l t. ~~;house on the north west corner of the Gu~i.iEu~ ,· ',, ' ·,, . '-,' ',\,. > proper.ty,~ "J ,·· 1-'~ 4\ • .. ;·, "' •\ The 'Graham House '\,~~ ·~raham :familY'were an old pioneer family who had a farm off the . · garrison ro,(f'lih~l"~ ~b:el':e•'we+e two magnificent sugar bushes which we ,o;t"tel'l ·.~.: \::~5 ·:·· '~~ visited as cl}~.ldr~n;'\ •1.tfe·;~'ai}:wa~sjilipieg· t~. sJWuppladi:.ead onto lat~ spring SRQW. 1 Whch tur:hed .at once to candy, and sitting on the family doorstep be g.iven samples taken from the pott.~lbrhibesting the thickness. (T Ao not 41.,,,,..:~ beJ'.ieve there were any governilel'lt regulations then) Mr. John Graham and his wife Mary had four children. Amy , the elqest was a :fine pianist having won the gold medal the Toronto Conservatory.Of MuiHc and a scholars}tip to the Juliard School in New York. From there she went to. Europe studying in, several countries over a period of four years, and then returned to teach both privately and at the School in Buffalo where teachers were trained. She taught , among others. Miss Willamette Dunn who became o~ganist of the Roman Catholic Church in Fort Erie, Miss Carrie Vahey who became organist of the United Church in Brid.geburg, and my mother who became organist of the St. Paul's Anglican Church, although to tell the truth she did not approve of their chamging from the piano to the organ. Unf e>rtunately , w,hen she was just reaching her prime as a concert Pianist, she was stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis which cripled both her hands and her feet. She was the last in the family to die, living as long as she could in the family house then boarding with the Ral:fe family on Battery St, and fhen fun St. George St. in Toronto just north of the Library, and finally becoming a patient in the st. Joseph's Terminal Hospital on King st. in the west end of Toronto, in her 90's. Margaret Helen Graham, the 2nd child, was also very musical, playing both the piano and the organ, but remained "at home to care for her paf &ll' '1\}.2 '1' g .'}b· \,, .• 't ' ' ,·. .· ' ' '' / ' •·, to a.t 1 �her parents, the third sister Mary Stuart ( "Queenis") who epileptic and br.oth,er Richard (Dick'') who. after his war hespitalized. for Lung Tuberculosis (Cansumption) at that time "Uncle Dick" :for so~e. Y•J:n~ #~ked an the mail train to Toronto, and too1t over his farther• s Irl~k~c{J 1. b~siness ,with Margaret's help. . .. ·.· . . •· .... T:Qis .family lf~r,e •.amo1!g ~Y parents best friends and also my grandpar,~nt.a• Whenever I was not ta:t home ol' at iny grand~arents I was usually at the . Gr.f~s. "Miss Margar,~1;.. fe~d M:id.gµmmer~ $.·Night Dream to .me before I went to school, Uncl~ Dickw~~ al'NEi.Y:'S minist;er fdr my dolls' chri~jlianings, weddings or funeral{!, an~ ~om.-Mi,~;t lmy•• I tool,{ piano lessons, studied orchestrat.ion, and oper:3'., sang et•c.· et~t~ She was a demon for good diction and correct word use, butnb:t•one who' }<''«~?' could' ever. be unkind. "'' ,' ,:,' ' Nex;t . :t;>.o~~~ ~.£'.: i;h~. Gr@~ :house was the Hershey house. Miss Emily, eldes~~,.~~~·~~~J!~i~e·tt.:'ih~ bead of the house whe.n I was a child, and to p~·· t.~ik~~ to:.'· 'pugh. a hearing trumpet, in the parler in what seemed h is.~ Kate was somewhat crippled from a sleigh ac~i<l~nt.) · ,~,·~~.,:1h9mpson,, ! a'")Widowed sister die all the kltchetf· r,~m~inhe;:,,,,J1er as warm, generous, plump and wonderful. ·e:'f'& -{· · i!J;1 '" ',' ', l'l.ati "c .~ ~~e.• :tQe .....P~'.a•~~ ~.tormaJ. ocri~~ lm11l.:tf, sat. b,ut. IJilie~;ij .f:pr 1 ' Id.9n't "'•*tk:~, .~~~ iz;~ur;t~ and managed the gardens, garage '~i ~~,,:ii Bii,i~ltc~'wllieh was kept ~·an blocks most oniy for formal good we. aJ;her occasions. Mr, Mann eb:~l:J.~f\U'sf<i,r'':f~rl every other purpose. &~·~firn.~ib~t''the kitchen, I dis on one occaeion .~'.·~~~ '~'ital,ly covered with cloths and· closed except ~::t1ler than the regular living room where Miss There was also a sort of study or business on. the north side of the house, a dining. floor. I don't ever remember \ - '" I-t;!tnem~~rmuch about the Benner House, although I was often in i t ol't.~ri'and~ or to visit Mrs Benner's ·mother, Mrs. Johnson. I kn.ow it jla.s 'iif;/id~d inte halve so th.at Mrs Johnson had a section for herself I kn¢w 1;1'1.ei had many,rl~~h~ws, and neiees with whom I sometimes played, but other ''than th.at ~l'le'y did n~t associate much with the 0th.er people on the str.eet. two �80-·---NIAGARA --. -· BLVD. . ~·"--· ' was born in Port Colborne 5Jan,1915 and moved to Phipp,St in Bridge burg at .. about 2 years of age. I do not know the exact date, but· we moved to 80 Niag~a Blvd whn I was about 4 or 5. I can remember walking with .Jessie and my doll carriage t.o our new home. During my first years there I occupied the 2nd floor bedro(.)m at th.e back of the house with all my dolls. Jessi~ Webb had come to live with us in Port Colborne shortly after my brother ·was born, and acted as cook Nanny etc ,.;;When I was a child she always wore a 'str~ped eotton dress with a full lff:t:l:te apron. I It was before I began school_ thatagas stove in ah+ attic room flared up as they sometimes .did and set ,~,..-·clothes afire and much of :the top part ·of t~e.. house. I. know we livedcat<~ Niagara while repairs were made but remenfo~r very little a~.out it When we returned to 80 Niagara I fout;td my father<.ha~ had a special +oom built fo me over the front verandah. I P:ave,drawn plal'ls df the>house as I. remember i:t~i•ias best I can, and enclosed pi~tur:es~ Withotttle~ves they seem very barren, b~t in reality the gardens and trees were.really beautiful. A second lot to the north of the house ga~e plel'lt'y of space to play. Behind the lawn were four line o:fgrape vine~ runnipg east to west, .and behind them a picket fence and then a lf3.Tgf;l vegetabl:e garden. Between th~. house and the J?,.8J2n just left of the grape vines were sever.al fru~ t tr.ees, and there were also apple and (}herr;y. trees farther back. Immediately l:>ehind the barn were two chicken runs'and hen houses. where may father raised chickens, as did most of the people. along ;t!ie bou.Ievard. Dad raised White Leghorns in one house and run, ......~ . . • ..· . . . . . and PJ..ymout1i Rockr~ Jn .t)le .other. We .alsp had Bantams and at one time rabbi ts. . In th.e"'north '\:ta1f of the barn Dad built large bins for the chicken . ' grain'> fuiti kept ttie. c,ar. Behi~g ~h~ s ... fie had a work shop. When we did sollletq;ing \Yri>ngc we .were po;(ii(:ely' a~ied to see him in ther!lh1a;fte:h,,,;aupper. 1 and af\er som~ dlscussio~ our pun.ishment was set- sometimes a spanking with a sanded do'iV!'l.woo<ie!?'···SRi11gle. wh.ich we had :to get down for him. I cannot remember thit~·,Je1/~ere ever span~ed when he was angry! At one time John and a friend had the use of the south half of the. barn to repair engines. They were teenagers at thi time and had an old chassis and 2 engines which they could repair. and switch to keep .the car running. ]3ecause the barn.bad one been used for horses there were still trap. doors.from the second floor.to drop down. hay etc, and one of our pet games was to chase around the barn dropping down a chute ad running up stairs or up a ladder outaide. Later Dad made us a mini golf course above the car. ~ big family was a lot of fun and we had the~swanick children and large ~amily often with us. \{~ �North of 80 Niagara• ~iong.,.the B()ulevard. The .first house to our north was the Charles Lewis House.whic.l\ by my time was occupied by a Mr. and Mrs• Bond, and Mrs. Bond' sister Miss Risley. Later this ho.u.se was occupied by a Mr. & Mrs Mullett. Their s0n was later, adopted by Mr. and.Mrs. Renry Lewis who were devoted to him. and liv.ed next door. The se.eohd house .to our north was the red brick home of ~e;ory and Cassandra Lewis . . Ufi·cie.~en artd :Aunt Cass to us)· where their son Bj.Tl still lives~ ':;r";:/:i The ;~~~J1·~,us$ ··nq~.tli ().f that was the old Hanry Lewis house- a beautiful 014.D~ .:f.~~··n.ol.1,a~ . )'l,,i,,e~ J ta:s~ a ahild.:;trn'cle Hen's. si~ter Molly , ll(lss.··m;~ .·. . \. and Mi~~·'lfciiiFs'e 's moth~r 11ve~Later they o~\'.tb~ .s· .f,-~.her ~,.n¥:t:tb• vid,.· ':~e old ho.use ~~en..~~ QP:ij O:t:f!cer ··tfn~ his family ' ~;1~,- ~'" '"*' ' ,'~ ~ ~f; still became a nursing home. 0 +' 4 herwai{d~· g~ • With·~e:r '" ' ~~i~· ~krit119ii se . When I was a· Cass "'and Uncle Hen who were in ' ':'':,:~"'>~}-:,~':\<:,::,,"',,,',',,, '' :, ,';f ''',,, ',' '" ,' ' , ''it :< ,'_ ' • '. :~~~~ ~t\~· ~efY; old ?nd incl~~~}l to wander, .~~·'i;t's.e~~·~.dt1~h was to go with heY-if we saw ·~~~~\;e~:Aunt Cass. Sometimes I would • ·'·~~~··lli~'~:P~j·. ~ut . lunch' for "Tom" The~ was ;~~~~:ovl~:~~e'.~~.lly get dishes she thought were ~d<~~* i~e~i:~~~i~1 ·eta1 c~rtai:n.ly stimulating our t·ii'Uw~ co't.ild walk her home . . � 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 The Niagara Boulevard Description An account of the resource Listed here is a document with information pertinent to 96 Niagara, the Curtiss Home, and 80 Niagara; houses along the Niagara Blvd. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Louis McDermott Collection 1900s Fort Erie Louis Mcdermott Collection niagara boulevard