June 2016 Issue.Pdf

IRONDALE NEWSLETTER Produced by the Bark Lake Cultural Developments JUNE 2016 Bark Lake Cultural The Irondale Community Garden – Returning to its Roots Developments Returning to Irondale from Saskatchewan in the fall of 1921, George and Ethel Mae Charitable No. 80487 0087 RR0001 Simmons moved into their first house in the community along with their 4 year old 9 member son Fred. Tragically the house burnt to the ground the day after the young family Board of Directors moved into it. Local resident Jim Hartin offered the Simmons family the Cherry [email protected] Valley Methodist Church building to live in. In another example of the pioneer spirit, the former Methodist Church building was moved to a new site 200 yards from the Host your next function at 1887 Irondale Community Church. From the propagation of a transplanted Irondale Irondale’s heritage church family to the generosity of a local resident for another in the community, a seed - Rental Information - would be sown which yielded a lifetime of service to Irondale, & to King and Country 705-457-8438 by their son Fred Simmons. It was Ethel Mae Simmons who first obtained permission from the Church to establish a vegetable garden on the grounds. Ethel Mae instilled in her son Fred a love Toe Tappin’ Time of gardening which he would in time, take to another level for Irondale and give back details page 5 to the community tenfold. Fred Simmons served in the Canadian Forces, was at the landing in Normandy, France and VE Day in Haren, Germany. He returned to Irondale, married Pearl Woermke in 1948 and had 3 children Gary, Dennis and Brenda. Together with Pearl, Fred would take over not only the community garden his mother Ethel Mae had established, but he in time became the church’s dedicated caretaker for 63 years. $25 each See page 2 Visitors and residents to the Irondale Church over the years referred to the “huge garden” alongside the Church as ‘Fred’s Garden’. A veritable kitchen garden was established producing more food than Fred and Pearl could sell or give away to the visitors of the Church he faithfully served. Fred plowed all proceeds from the garden back into the following years garden. Fred’s daughter Brenda came up with the idea to use the bounty of the garden as the decoration theme for the Church’s festive Thanksgiving Services. These decorations became renown in the community for residents and cottagers alike. Continued page two I feel like Old Mother Hubbard! I’ve went to the cupboard and it was bare. I lent my copy of the book titled “Report of the Royal When you want to make a Commission on the Mineral Resources of Ontario, and good impression! Measures for Their Development” to someone that 2158 Horseshoe Lake Road, attended the Iron Mine Tour last fall. Minden, ON K0M 2K0 (705) 286-1317 If it was you, can I have it back please? Fax: (705) 286-6305 PAGE 2 IRONDALE NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016 Community Garden continued from page one Fred decided to donate to the local food bank a portion of the fruits and vegetables he lovingly grew each season, so that others could benefit from the fruits of his labour. For those who knew Fred and Pearl Simmons of Irondale, their service to their community and the Church is still revered with great respect. The BLCD who owns the heritage site today has been fortunate to have the continued support of many who volunteer and share Ethel and her son Fred Simmons’ love of gardening and community spirit. To date many plants have been generously donated by Wendy Kidd, Kurt and Linda Christensen. Wendy has once again designed a planting scheme which will harvest wonderful vegetables. Given more funds, we would like to expand the Community Garden and carry on the tradition of Fred Simmons further. Starting in July, local residents Kurt and Linda Christensen will have a table in front of their home at 7057 Hwy 503 on Fridays and Saturdays. They will be selling vegetables harvested from the Community Garden, with all proceeds going back into developing the garden more in 2017. If you have an interest in buying fresh locally grown vegetables or would like to exchange your own fruit or vegetable ‘extras’ for produce from our Community Garden Project in order to help stretch a few dollars at home, we would love to hear from you! Please stop by the Community Garden Buy or Exchange Table at the Christensen home or contact us. If you have any of the following - fruit trees, rhubarb, berry bushes, strawberry plants or potatoes, tomatoes, leeks or other vegetables you have too much of - some cold/root cellar space you can donate - garden tools, spare time to help in the garden - assistance with preserving the excess fruits/vegs that we have. All suggestions are welcome. We will consider any barter/trade you may wish to offer. Diverse music — Eclectic programming Training opportunities for volunteers www.facebook.com/Bark-Lake-Cultural-Developments Call or text to 705-457-1009 www.canoefm.com Male and Female Housing Rules Announced At New Volunteer Community Radio for the Haliburton Highlands Seniors Centre On the first day at the new Seniors Centre, the manager addressed all the new seniors pointing out some of the rules: "The female sleeping quarters will be out-of-bounds for all males, and the male dormitory to the females. Anybody caught breaking this rule will be fined $20 the first time." He continued, "Anybody caught breaking this rule the second time NATURE’S HEALING TOUCH will be fined $60. Being caught a third time will cost you a fine of Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master 705-286-6596 $180. Are there any questions?" Michelle M. Lewis B.A., B.Ed 46 Anson Street Minden, On [email protected] Nature’s Healing Touch is on Face Book At this point, an older gentleman stood up in the crowd inquired: "How much for a season pass?" JUNE 2016 IRONDALE NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 The Orphanage In 1926 Violet and Sid Fairfield bought Lot 30, Con XV where Mrs. Fairfield established an orphanage. Mr. Fairfield grew cash crops: corn, pumpkins and turnips and in an April 8 2005 interview, Jim Fairfield, their son, recalled that there were 27 stone piles on that 27 acres. Jim recalls too, that when he was 6 years old, he really needed some nails for a project he was working on and, not able to find any, he got some paper and matches and burned down the outhouse to get the nails he needed. He says, “My father wasn’t much of a carpenter and I can still remember the lopsided outhouse he built (to replace the one Jim had burned).” Mr. Fairfield also cut and sold cordwood and employed a few Scandinavians The house on Lot 30, Con XV, perhaps to help him. According to Jim, these men did not handle their liquor very well. built by Henry Holbrook, which later On one memorable day when Mrs. Fairfield had driven to Haliburton, the men served as The Orphanage. took a holiday in the Fairfield’s living room. The more liquor they consumed Photo courtesy Jim Fairfield the more boisterous they became. They started throwing Mrs. Fairfield’s dishes around and overturned a stove. Jimmy and a friend encourage them of course, but they said something to the men that annoyed them and the men chased them up and down the road threatening dire consequences. When they came to the Johnston Smith farm, Mr. Smith was standing at the gate with a shotgun in his hands and told the men to go home; he kept the two boys at his house for the night. When Mrs. Fairfield returned the next day, she turned the buggy Around, drove back to Haliburton and brought the police. Her daughter-in- Another of Fairfield’s wards was Gladys Titus law, Jean, says that Mrs. Fairfield told her that everything was paid for and who married James (Jim) Main; this is their that she wound up with some better dishes than those that had been broken. wedding picture. L.to R.: James (Jim) Main, Unknown, Gladys My parents moved to this house in 1935 with their two children; my (Titus) Main, Minnie Titus, Unknown, Pearl brother Harry and me; my sister Mabel was born in this house. I remember Titus; Minnie and Pearl are sisters of the bride. that it had a kitchen and a living room, with a sliding door between them, Photo courtesy Jim Fairfield downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. The stairs, situated between the kitchen and the living room, were a dark wood; the ceilings of the bedrooms were sloped, i.e., it was a storey -and-a- half house. All of the rooms ere wallpapered. There was a ‘summer kitchen’ at the back of the house where Russell and Margaret Warner and their daughter Marjorie lived. We moved from here to a house that my parents owned along the Buckhorn Road three miles south of Haliburton on December 14, 1936. The table cutlery was inadvert- ently left behind for the next day’s load so my father carved a little wooden spoon for me so I could eat my por- ridge; that was my birthday present. The above was copied by permission from Mrs. Elva Bates, author of ‘A Journey Through Glamorgan’s Past’ and ‘Goodroom, Eh?’ Elva has very generously donated a box of her books to BLCD. Please contact me (705-457-8438) should you wish to buy one.

Load more