St. Joseph Island Dateline

 The information listed below comes from a variety of sources and memories, and is still in the process of being refined.  Thanks to Gary Bishop for starting this outline, and to Gayle Tisdall for completing it to this stage.  Additions and corrections would be most welcomed.   Address suggestions Attn: Museum
      E-mail additions and corrections

• 1600 - 1799
• 1800 - 1849
• 1850 - 1879
• 1880 - 1899
• 1900 - 1919
• 1920 - 1949
• 1950 - Present

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1600 - 1799

• 1622      Etienne Brule passes by St Joe Island
• 1641      Joques & Raymbault were missionaries in area
• 1663      Louis XIV of France made Canada a royal colony
• 1665      Allouez, Nicolas & Pere Marquette in area
• 1671      Father Daumont claimed Island for King of France
• 1700's    St Joe trading Post (Fr voyageurs) at Rains Point later called N.W. Trading Post, S.W. Co., X.Y. Co. and finally Hudson's Bay Co.
• 1728      Jean Baptiste Rousseau appointed factor for this Trading Post
• 1700's (late) to 1840's  - schooner, Mackinac boat traffic
• 1760      France returned Canada to English
• 1783      North West Trading Co. established trading post
• 1791      Constitutional Act, St Joe is part of Upper Canada
• 1792      N.W. Trading Co. built at Rains Point
• 1793      Jay Treaty, British garrison sent to St Joe
• 1794      Lt. Foster & Queen's Rangers arrived on Island
• 1796-1814  Dr.Brown at Fort St Joe - he had a dubious reputation according to Col. Landmann
• 1798      Chippewa deeded St Joe to British
• 1798      Lt. Landmann to build Fort

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1800 - 1849

• 1802      Fort bake house burned
• 1807      John Askin Jr. appointed Clerk & Storekeeper at Fort
• 1809      Malaise at Fort. 2 soldiers attempted desertion
• 1811      Fort without supplies, then had to make Mackinac coat
• 1812      June 18 - war declared
• 1812      July 17 - Roberts & co. captured Mackinac Island
• 1814      Fort St Joe burned
• 1814      Worsley battle at Tenby Bay, Tigress & Scorpion taken
• 1815      Peace treaty returned Mackinac to Americans
• 1815      new British Encampment made on Drummond Island
• 1816      a Johnson family & natives made maple syrup this is according to Janet Lewis' "Invasion"
• 1817      British brig Wellington frozen in at Sailors E.
• 1820      British finally off of American soil
• 1820-1985  Pioneer period
• 1820      Trading Post at Rains Point became Hudson's Bay Co.
• 1822      Bayfield's map referred to Sailors Encampment as "Campment Matelots" (French name)
• 1826      Louis Agassiz (explorer) came to this area
• 1826      Chippewa nations country in Michigan organized
• 1828      families employed by Hudson Bay Co. at Gosh-Ka-Wong
• 1833      sailing vessels became numerous
• 1834      decline seen in fur trade from this date on
• 1835      Rains, Scott and Thompson at Milford Haven
• 1835      1st Sawmill set up by Rains colony
• 1835      village of Kaskewan-10 log cabins, teepees
• 1838      Rains partnership dissolved
• 1838      Samuel Peck ran store under Thompson at "Pecksville"
• 1838      Rains moved to Hentlan (Rains Point)
• 1839      Samuel Jarvis was Chief Supert. of Indian Affairs
• 1839      Samuel Peck shipped 1,000,000 lb. maple sugar, 600 barrels trout and herring
• 1846      Bruce Mines was established
• 1847      copper discovered at Bruce Mines
• 1848      Bruce Mines--population of 250, 30 log homes, 2 wharfs
• 1848      Father Hennepin was sent to St Joseph village by N.W.T. Co.
• 1849      Moses Thompson's had a wharf at Hill Town

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1850 - 1879

• 1850      missionary reported village called Hill Town
• 1850      Hilton started. Wharf built.
• 1840's-70's  Philetus Church's store/sawmill, Sugar Island
• 1849      "Gore" steamer skippered by Captain Peck
• 1850      natives moved from Kaskewan seeking copper at Bruce Mines
• 1852      Tudor Rains' wood dock and store at Sailors E.
• 1852      Major Rains moved from Loch Rains to upper Encampment
• 1852-55   Molesworth Survey
• 1853-55   First lock at Sault St. Marie Michigan
• 1854      Encampment named Campment Matelot by French traders; this explains the name       Sailors Encampment
• 1855      lock at rapids
• 1856      government offered land at 20 cents an acre
• 1857      Great Eastern Steamship
• 1857      a Mr. Parmenter mentionned as a teacher
• 1858      John Marks arrived at Hill Town
• 1858      St Joe part of District of Algoma
• 1858      Anthony Adams brought first oil lamp to Island
• 1858      boats traveling between St Joe & Manitoulin Is.
• 1859      Owen Rains built 1st 2 story house on island
• 1860      Bishops came on side-wheeler "Ploughboy"
• 1861      John Marks removed to Sailors Encampment
• 1860      Rains moved to Westfield with Frances Doubleday
• 1867      Hoel & Rupert Rains took over from Tudor Rains
• 1867      Confederation, Upper Canada became Ontario
• 1867      1st election, Simpson to House of Commons Cumberland for the local house.
• 1868      Homestead Act
• 1870      concentration of settlement began
• 1870's  Richardson - sawmill at Richardson's creek
• 1870's     Mountain church built
• 1871      John Marks returned to Hilton and named it Marksville
• 1871      Sault Ont. incorporated as village
• 1871-72     S.S. Cumberland frozen at S.E.-
• 1872-1900  Riverside Hotel on Marks' lot 2 story brick by John Ross closed in 1906
• 1872      E.J. Pink 1st teacher at Sailors Encampment he dissembarked from the frozen in Cumberland
• 1872      Jan.11- Campment d'ours sold to Barbara Heyden sold by crown for $25.30
• 1874      Major William Kingdom Rains died
• 1875      Joseph Kent & family arrived by sail from Bruce to Marksville
• 1875      tree farmers were paid $1 per cord
• 1875      The "Lily" was the Kent's homemade sailboat
• 1875      David Coulter took over Eliza Doubleday's farm
• 1876-84   First log school at Westfield; teacher--Miss Alice Sterling
• 1876      John Richards, John Morton at Richards Landing
• 1876      families at Marksville, Gawas Bay, Kaskewan, Sterlings at Sterling Bay; Rains -Sailors Encampment
• 1800's (late) thriving fishing industry was in place commercial fishermen sent catches to Detour, Michigan
• 1876      1st post office opened by John Richards
• 1876      Baptiste Jondreau was 1st mailman Bruce Mines to Is.
• 1876      St Joseph Township elected
• 1876-1957   Church of Mary at Sailors Encampment/Seagull
• 1877      Crowder family came on side-wheeler "Ontario" to Marksville
• 1877      mail landed at Sault & Bruce mines, delivered monthly
• 1877      Kent's sailboat the Shamrock in use
• 1877      Young family moved to St Joe
• 1877      School house at Marksville
• 1877      Rev Beer was 1st Anglican minister came
• 1877      Elizabeth Bishop was 1st woman to locate a lot
• 1877-78   winter of almost no snow
• 1878      John Marks drew map of Marksville
• 1878      John Richards built home--later it became the Brandon House
• 1878      clearing for C line, 5th side road, and 10th
• 1878      Van Horne started Free Methodist church
• 1879      Sault Michigan became a village
• 1879      William Fremlin purchased ties from C. Young

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1880 - 1899

• 1880's     passenger ships were in use
• 1880's,90's  mills, general stores, drug store, doctor, boarding house barber newspaper
• 1880      Patrick & son William Trainor came
• 1880      William Crowder settled on P Line
• 1880      Jocelyn log school on Sandy Brown's hill Nellie McQueen was the teacher
• 1880      (Amos) Cheer school at 10th - F& G corner teacher T.J. Foster was paid $275 per year
• 1880      oil range lights in place, later battery, then electric in 1950
• 1880's     Irwin log school was built
• 1880      U.S. government deepened channel at Sailors Encampment
• 1880      1st hotel at Marksville was Archibald Hotel
• 1881      Marksville, Jocelyn had 1st Anglican churches
• 1881      St Joe P.O.name changed to Richards Landing P. O.
• 1881      2nd Post Office open at Marksville
• 1881      2nd U.S. ship channel built
• 1881      Jocelyn post office at Maples - July 1st
• 1881      Jocelyn school at M&N east of Anglican church 1893 replaced by frame
• 1882      Christine Simons taught at school near 10th & P line
• 1882      making regular calls were - "Atlantic", "Northern" "Queen", "Pacific", "Manitoulin"
• 1883      Thomas Brandon's Brandon House opened
• 1883      July 21, Hilton Township formed
• 1884      C line school built
• 1884-1950   C Line school
• 1884      Mountain church built on P line
• 1885      McQueen had sawmill at Milford Haven mill sold to Murphy 1903, Whicher in 1920 Whicher quit 1925
• 1885-89     McGuigan bros. had their mill
• 1886      Jocelyn Township founded
• 1886      Hilton Township organized, A.G. Duncan was reeve
• 1886      School board formed at Brandon Hall
• 1885      Kaskewan school built
• 1886      Jocelyn Twp. formed
• 1886      1st doctor was Dr. Hector Ross
• 1887      Noel Rains' store at Sailors Encampment
• 1887      John Ross, John Robinson arrived at Neebish Conc.
• 1887      C P R reachedd the Sault
• 1887      Sault incorporated as town
• 1887      Bethel church at Hilton road. & 15th (Methodist)
• 1887      paddle wheel steamers- Silver Spray,Northern Belle, all traveled Collingwood-North Channel-Sault St Marie
• 1887      Davis & Dean bros. sawmill at Twin Lakes
• 1887      Kaskewan school was in 2nd year
• 1887      George Lions' mill was on Two Tree River
• 1887      Am. Sault incorporated as a city
• 1888      1st Kentvale store and grist mill Fred Kent & Emily Kent were owners
• 1888      Hilton businesses- Archibald hotel, Bowker's General store,Chester/shoemaker, Cooper/wagonmaker, Duncan/general store& sawmill, Dean &Davis sawmill, Steinburg/blacksmith
• 1889      Van Horne sold his grist mill to Dickson
• 1889      Lions mill sold to McGuigan brothers
• 1889      (or 1899?) Chesterfield mill in Richards Landing
• 1890-1922   French/tin school across from Adcock Gardens
• 1890      Richards Landing school built for $620
• 1892-1950   Alex Brown mill was situated at U Line
• 1893      Hilton Beach Church was at Base line & Hilton road
• 1893      McGuigan bros. moved from Kentvale to Hilton it was steam powered, sold to Stone Lumber 1910
• 1894      log school built on James Carter farm it was frame in 1906 and closed in 1957
• 1895      Davis & Dean moved mill to Richards Landing later it belonged to E.Owen
• 1896      1st Canadian lock at Sault
• 1896      1st Jocelyn school at Ibbitsons log home at 5th sideroad & Levans side road
• 1896      Hilton Beach brick school built
• 1896      A.G. Duncan striving for bridge to Island received plaque from Farmers' Institute
• 1896      Rainsmere built by Clara, Walter & Owen Rains
• 1897      Heber Young brought 3 Chicago telephones to St Joe
• 1898-1916   Clover Valley Cheese & Butter Co. formed. This cheese factory was on F & G near A line
• 1898      Algoma Insurance Co. was in operation owners were Thomas Knott, Heber Young
• 1898      McGuigan sold mill to Honsberger
• 1898      Joseph Rickaby's St Joe Herald was at Richards L.
• 1893      Jocelyn school built at A-Line and 548 highway
• 1899-1965   Harmony school built at A & I line
• ????      Cedar Grove school at A-Line & Two Tree river

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1900 - 1919

• 1900's     Bill Biggar shipped cedar off island
• 1900      F.B. Kent bought a steam engine for the sawmill
• 1900      no more need of wood docks for steamers
• 1900-?     Dr. Rowenthwaite
• 1900      Donald & Charles Jacoby's sawmill was at Gawas Bay on (now) Jim Jackson's property in 1913 Thomas Steinberg took over
• 1900      Dean brothers' steamboat "Merrit" was in use took passengers between Sault & Bruce Mines
• 1900      Fremlins had a rival boat called the "Premier"
• 1900      Ed Stubbs had "Bonami", then bought the "Premier" Neil McDongal had the "Michipicoten" Percy Kent had the "Mary Scott" & "Wacouta"
• 1900      Tenby Bay church land given by Bruce Prout
• 1900      Prout taught music at Tenby Bay
• 1900ish     3 government docks for shipping produce P line, K line & C & D line
• 1900      Zion Presbyterian Church was built by Ben Garside at I line & 20th
• 1901      Humphrey, Heber Young - 1st telephone system
• 1901      Normac was on lakes, in 1946 used as Tobermory ferry
• 1902      William McNabb's evaporator (20 x 5 feet)in operation he was a pioneer of modern maple syrup making 1 gal and 1 quart measures were used people brought their own containers 1 gallon of maple syrup cost 1 dollar
• 1903      wooden steamer "Manitou" started service
• 1903      Kentvale house was built & still stands
• 1903      Jocelyn P.O. moved to the Kentvale Store
• 1903      J.E. Murphy's sawmill was at Milford Haven in 1920 it was sold to Ed Whicher
• 1903-13     Chesterfield Lumber at Sterling Bay a Norman Currie was scalded at this mill
• 1904      "Caribou" was in service
• 1903      long distance telephone, Maclennon connected to CP telegraph system
• 1904      felt strainer for syruping available
• 1904      Bishop Llewellyn Williams had 1st tourist colony at Llewellyn Beach
• 1905      Women's Institute organized
• 1906      Tenby Bay school opened with Winnie Cheer as teacher
• 1906      Maple Hill school was at Blind line & 10th built by Asher Bookman & Harry Smith
• 1906      Kentvale store and hall burnt down
• 1906      trap rock quarry opened
• 1906      Owen's grist mill was in Richards Landing
• 1906      Hilton's St Boniface church was built
• 1907      Percy & Greyden Kent's "Enterprise" took freight to Sault made from curved cedars initiated 1st farmers' marine market in Sault?
• 1907      Orangemen built a hall at K line. It stood 65 yrs.
• 1907ish   Fred Roger's tug "Tiddley Addley" was in use
• 1907      Ben Garside & John Pink built Kaskewan Stone school
• 1908 or 1907  Fire at Richards Landing destroyed Tweedy & Foster Blocks
• 1908      G. Langstaff built home corner of Lucy & Elizabeth this house was once a rectory 1926-7 also a Red Cross hospital in 1929
• 1910      Florence Orrell was at Neebish cottage
• 1910      Stone Lumber bought McGuigan bros. W.J. Smith in charge
• 1911      before this date- Dr. John Godfrey, had drug store
• 1911      Dr. Wolfstein was in Hilton area
• 1911-1     7 Dr. Allan Blackwell on Island
• 1912      new Kentvale store was in place after the 1906 fire
• 1912      Sault becomes a city
• 1912      Sault Star newspaper was operative
• 1913      4th U.S. lock built
• 1913      Steamer "Mack" built at Kentvale held 200 bags of potatoes transport for apples of Mr. Barnes (Barnes Drugs)
• 1913      "Superior" built by F & P Kent??????????????????
• 1913      David Tait's orchard was on P line
• 1913      Crowders make syrup old fashioned way
• 1915-16     116 Island men went to war---22 were killed.
• 1916-17   cast iron spiles and mental buckets introduced
• 1916      Fire in Richards. Several buildings burned.
• 1916      G. Langstaff had a taxi service
• 1919      Imperial Bank of Canada in Richards Landing
• 1919      Kentvale store folk had their 1st vehicle
• 1919      George Langstaff's cable ferry to Kensington Pt. submarine cable was 2600 feet
• 1919      Fred & Greydon Kent first made Maple syrup

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1920 - 1949

• 1920      Outlook P.O.-Dibolls Harmony P.O. at John Rousseau's Kentvale P.O. at Kentvale Store Sea Gull P.O. at Owen Rains' (Sailors Encampment) Charles Diboll was the mailman
• 1920      SS North America, SS South America, SS Manitoba SS Keewatin, SS Assiniboine, Elva were in use
• 1920      Percy Kent's "F B Wright" was on the water
• 1920      Marksville library opened funds raised by W.I. and community night
• 1920      William Hyatt built "Journey's End"
• 1920      Dr. Arthur Lipminn was on Island
• 1921      Marksville Fremlins wanted to buy rail ties,pulpwood
• 1921      Miss Craig, Mrs. Smedley had goitre operations
• 1921      Dr.G.E. Lepsett
• 1921-26   dry spell and grasshoppers, poor crops!
• 1922      steamboats first appeared
• 1922      Fire in Richards Landing
• 1923      Magic Carpet cable ferry built by Walter Lay ran from B line near Seagull light to Pine Is. (named after Herbert E. Lewis' Magic Carpet book) later it was called the Jo-pine 3,200 feet of cable
• 1923      E.B. Kent started bus run to Sault
• 1923      Marksville became Hilton Beach was incorporated as police village.
• 1923      winter of little snow until March
• 1923      "Michipicoten" ship burned in 1927
• 1923      E. Crowder (Frank's father) died
• 1923      Dr. E. G. Case in residence on Island
• 1924      Crowders used a sap tray to evaporate
• 1924      David Tait set up 1st Grimm evaporator
• 1924      3 bed hospital opened.
• 1925      March 13th -Richards Landing school burnt
• 1925      new 3 room R.L. school built
• 1925      S J I Hospital Association formed
• 1925      Presbyterian & Methodist merged into United church
• 1926      Frank Crowder's journey out west, poorer times
• 1926-27     Freeze-up. 283 ships caught, some ships ran out of food 1926 Mary Scott burned in Hilton harbour owned by Captain Corbett, Ray Turner, G. Dalley, S.Tranter, P. Kent and Earle Kent
• 1927      Mortimer Matthews died
• 1927      Dr. Webb was on the Island
• 1927      Journey's End built by William Hyatt & T.McDermott it was at same site as old J.M. Ross Hotel
• 1927      P.Kent's "Wacouta" sank Nov 12 in Bear Lake
• 1929      Hospital erected in memory of Mortimer Matthews
• 1930-36     Dr. A. N. Morphy on Island
• 1928-36     "Hibou" was a twin engine diesel it met disaster in 1936
• 1928-49     iron hulled "Manitoulin" & "Manisoo"
• 1928      until this date Fountain Park water dam powered the sawmill, and also a grist mill in the Blind line area
• 1929      Charles Albert Young ran in provincial election his platform was to build the bridge
• 1930      Great Lakes Power reached St Joe
• 1931      Census indicated 1,882 on island
• 1932      Maple Hill school built
• 1928-33   Frank Crowder's 2nd journey out west
• 1933-64   Irwin or I Line brick school Jack Currie was the builder
• 1933      new Kentvale store, larger, and still present
• 1933      Kentvale store had refrigeration by use of ice the ice box went to the Canadian Legion
• 1933      Walter Lay's Magic Carpet St Joe to Pine Is.
• 1934      free ferries operated by Ontario government MLA Miller of Bruce Mines got our free ferry
• 1934      Bill Curry killed dynamiting the Bamford rock
• 1930's     P. Kent built "Florence O" yacht
• 1930's     40's roads were rolled in winter there were few cars yet
• 1930's-50's  creamery operatedd by Stanley Tranter
• 1930-40   Charles, Ivan Woods took over mill from John Woods this was originally W. Loyld Mill of Hilton Township
• 1935      Richards Landing creamery reopened
• 1937      A bush fire threatened the K line Orange Hall
• 1937      Keith Brown had gas-powered mill, U line, Bear Creek
• 1937-59   Dr. Harold Trefry was our doctor
• 1937      Dr. Trefry's "Medicare" $2.50 each per year afforded each of us health care
• 1940      Canon Donald Dixon came to St Joe
• 1941      end of operations at Kentvale mill
• 1945      Harmony school built
• 1946-56   Robert MacFarlen's electric powered mill at F&G and 20th, foreman was Alex Cain
• 1946      Hector Nelson bought Mariah Marks' cottages end of Ringham St, now Nelson's Trailer Park
• 1946      Norisle was operating
• 1946      Fire at Richards
• 1949      Electrical refrigeration at Kentvale

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1950 - Present

• 1950      Rainsmere closed
• 1950      Orrell Memorial school replaced old C line school
• 1951      Chamber of Commerce formed
• 1951      Dew Drop Inn opened
• 1952      The chain-saw speeded timbering
• 1952      passenger-freight business in Sault dropping off
• 1953-72   The St Joseph Islander at Humbug Point
• 1954      new wing added to hospital
• 1955      Kent Bros. Syrup business had 1325 trees tapped 4 brothers were in the enterprize
• 1960      Dr. Gordon Erb was onthe Island
• 1961      High school built overlooking Richards Landing it closed in 1972
• 1962      Dr. Brian Finnemore was our doctor
• 1963      end of Norgoma, also end of importance of passenger/freight services in later years still shipped island sheep's wool Norgoma & Normac had succeedded the Manitoulin
• 1963      St Joseph Island Museum opened
• 1964      all one-room schools closed R.L. Central School was composite replacement addition of 3 rooms
• 1966      Hilton school closed
• 1966      Dr. Una Jean Sayles was here
• 1967      B. Gilbertson was elected to Provincial government
• 1968      Govt agreed with Gilbertson on "bridge"
• 1967      Bell Canada took over from S J I Telephone System
• 1968-1972   High school reopened as kindergarten
• 1970's     Dr. Justin Dyer, Dr. Eitel Beduhn
• 1972      Canadian Bank of Commerce opened
• 1972      Dec 11th the bridge to Island was opened
• 1973      Central Algoma Secondary School opened High school students bussed to Desbarats
• 1976      St Joseph Twp. centennial celebration
• 1978      Senior Citizen Complex built in Hilton
• 1978      Visitor Centre built at Fort St Joseph
• 1979      Dr. Robert Armstrong came to Island
• 1982      Kent Bros. received World Championship for syrup
• 1983      Hilton Township centennial celebrated
• 1984      Plummer Hospital took over Matthews Memorial
• 1986      Jocelyn Township centennial celebrated.
• 1988      The 1912 Kentvale Store was given to the museum

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