BackToTheBeginning
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:BACKTOTHEBEGINNING THE EARLY LAKE SOLITAIRE SETTLERS Compiled and Edited By: Gareth Cockwell :BACKTOTHEBEGINNING THE EARLY LAKE SOLITAIRE SETTLERS Compiled and Edited By: Gareth Cockwell Back to the Beginning: The Early Lake Solitaire Settlers Compiled and edited by Gareth Cockwell as a Working Draft Copyright 2012 © Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- duced or transmitted in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including taping or information or retrieval systems – without the prior written permission of Limberlost Press. Other Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve Titles: Limberlost History and Popular Activities Objective Ecology: A Study of Global Warming The Forests of Canada The Summer of Ninety-Eight A Summer with Uncle Joe Uncle Joe’s Nature Chronicles Limberlost Master Trail Guide A Personal Guide to Building Wilderness Trails Please submit comments and corrections to: Gareth Cockwell, Project Manager Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve Buck Lake Landing Road, Box 5483 Huntsville, Ontario P1H 2K8 For more information about Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve and for electronic versions of this book, please visit http://www.limberlostforest.com For printed copies, please visit http://bookpod.uoftbookstore This book is dedicated to the early settlers who courageously sought to establish homesteads north of the Severn River in Ontario, Canada, and the individuals who have extended our fascination with nature, from the northern forests to the southern oceans, and beyond. TableofContents Page Introductory Note ............................................................... 1 Chapter 1 A Fateful Night .......................................... 5 Chapter 2 Voyage To Canada ..................................... 17 Chapter 3 Sojourn In Toronto ..................................... 29 Chapter 4 Holdover In Huntsville ............................... 39 Chapter 5 Exploratory Expedition .............................. 49 Chapter 6 Huntsville Dispatches................................. 59 Chapter 7 Cabin Building ........................................... 67 Chapter 8 Homesteading At Last ................................ 75 Chapter 9 Breaking Fields .......................................... 87 Chapter 10 Community Hunt ........................................ 95 Chapter 11 Northern Elope ........................................... 109 Chapter 12 Family Growth ........................................... 119 Chapter 13 Tragedy Strikes .......................................... 129 Chapter 14 Life Goes On .............................................. 139 Chapter 15 The Captain Visits ...................................... 147 Chapter 16 London Courage ......................................... 155 Chapter 17 Harmony With Nature ................................ 165 Chapter 18 Rights Of Passage ...................................... 179 Chapter 19 Winter Trials .............................................. 189 Chapter 20 Forest Justice .............................................. 197 Chapter 21 Civic Duty .................................................. 207 Chapter 22 Reflections ................................................. 217 Chapter 23 Fast Forward .............................................. 225 LOCATION MAP .............................................................. 233 LINEAGE ................................................................... 235 IntroductoryNote Let us give thanks for the water and the forests, without which life would not be possible. – Aboriginal Prayer This is the fourth in a series of seven wilderness books set in and around the Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve, which adjoins the world famous Algonquin Provincial Park and surrounds the J. Albert Bauer Provincial Park. The first three books trace the experiences of three siblings and the lessons they learnt about the wonders of nature from an experienced woodsman, while they were growing up on the pristine wilderness reserve. Each chapter of the first three books chronicles their exploration of a different area of the reserve to study vari- ous aspects of the wilderness under Joe MacTeer’s patient tutelage. By following their exploration routes, visitors to the reserve are able to re-live the adventures Teda, Colmac and Thegar experienced. The first of these three books was written to interest children between their sixth to tenth years, the second for those who are ten to fifteen years of Back to The Beginning | 1 age, and the third for individuals with a deeper interest in the wonders of nature. This fourth book is an historical novel, as it steps back one-hundred and fifty years in time to record the arrival of immigrants from Europe to settle the lands, which today comprise the Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve. Each chapter describes the work and travails of the settlers who began arriving in the area in the 1870’s. It is therefore possible for readers to also retrace their footsteps, and visit the places described. It was nearly twenty years ago when we, as a family, started to take a deep interest in the lives of the settlers who built their cabins on Lake Solitaire, the largest of the twenty lakes on the reserve. Since then, we have tried to experience different aspects of their daily lives by, amongst other ways: relying on the natural drainage and land features to find our way through the wilderness, building log cabins to provide shel- ter for our visitors, constructing trails with picks, shovels and rock hammers, gathering leeks in the spring, berries in the summer and mushrooms during wet periods, and cutting our own firewood to heat our homes. All of this has helped us to better understand the challenges that the settlers faced and the courage they needed to survive. We also searched for information on the lives of the settlers before they left England, which generally failed to prepare them for a life in the northern wilderness of Canada. We then attempted to weave the knowledge we gathered 2 Introductory Note into a story that describes the journey and adventures of a fictional character, Samuel MacTeer, from the dock lands of London, England, to the shores of Lake Solitaire. We purposely chose to craft a positive and uplifting tale of his and the other settlers’ lives, as there is much to be learnt from those who persevered and were eventually successful. Their legacy has certainly guided and inspired us in our enjoyment of the reserve. To assist readers who are familiar with the current names of the places described in this book, we have used them rather than the ones they were given in the late 1800’s. For example: Clear Lake is now known as Lake Solitaire; Little Clear Lake became Clear Lake; Green Lake became Buck Lake; Hardup Lake became Poverty Lake; Dog Lake became Spaniel Lake; Lake of Many Bays became Lake of Bays; Algonquin Park Road became Limberlost Road; Rebecca Creek became Kalonga Creek; and Storm Caves became Windy Caves. Although there have been many contributors to this book, both as researchers and writers, it has been my responsibility to check facts, conform writing styles and ensure continuity to the twenty short stories that it contains. Therefore, any shortcomings or factual errors are entirely mine, for which I apologize. We would welcome your suggestions on how to improve this book, or any of our earlier wilderness writings, as we still have much to learn both as students Back to the Beginning | 3 of nature, and also about the history of the area which has become our home. We are, however, very much aware of how privileged we are to live on the Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve, and to have the opportunity to share this property with you in the hope that your enjoyment of its unique topography and thriving wildlife becomes as great as ours. Gareth Cockwell February 2012 4 Chapter 1 AFatefulNight In March 1873, a violent confrontation forces Samuel MacTavish to abandon his business and immigrate to Canada. 1872 was a tragic year for many families living in London, England. A cholera outbreak spread rapidly through the east end of the city resulting in the death of more than ten thousand individuals, and in many cases entire families. The Langleigh family was not spared, leaving their two sons Samuel MacTavish and Joseph Langleigh without parents, and also the loss of their two younger sisters, Anne and Caroline. Samuel was the only son of Arthur MacTavish and Mary Williams. In 1848, a year after Arthur’s death due to an industrial accident, Mary married Charles Langleigh, and together they had a son, Joseph, and shortly thereafter Mary gave birth to twin daughters. At the age of fifteen, Samuel began his apprenticeship as a blacksmith, developing skills not only as a farrier, but also in steel bridge and general construction. Seven years Back to The Beginning | 5 Chapter1 after commencing his apprenticeship, Samuel was admitted to the Iron Workers Guild as one of its youngest and most capable members. As a family, Charles and Mary Langleigh, their two sons Samuel and Joseph and daughters Anne and Caroline, had entered 1872 with great hopes. Joseph had completed his studies and qualified as a high school teacher. He had also recently married Catherine, and they were planning to start their own family. Samuel in turn was solidly estab- lished as a co-owner of a blacksmith and steelworks busi- ness, and was highly respected by others in the industry. Soon after the death of Joseph’s