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| Photo by Suzanne Currie |
THE INTERESTING POINTS OF HISTORY THAT COME UP, NOW AND AGAIN - FOR BETTER OR WORSE
FOLLOWING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, THIS AUTUMN SEASON, SUZANNE AND I ARE PLANNING TO STEP-UP OUR MUSKOKA HISTORY RESOURCES SERVICES, THROUGH OUR GRAVENHURST ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE SHOP, ON MUSKOKA ROAD, OPPOSITE THE OPERA HOUSE. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO ACQUIRE ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MUSKOKA PHOTOGRAPHS, BOOKS, BOOKLETS, OLD PAPER AND DOCUMENTS, HANDWRITTEN JOURNALS, LETTERS OF A GENERAL NATURE, POSTCARDS, WAR TIME MATERIALS THAT HAVE SOMETHING OR OTHER TO DO WITH THE DISTRICT, AND OTHER LARGER MUSKOKA RELICS THAT HAVE A COLLECTABLE, HISTORICAL VALUE. WE LIVE IN A TOWN WITH A PRETTY RICH HISTORY, INCLUDING THE CALYDOR PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, AND NUMEROUS SANATORIUMS AND RESORT ACCOMMODATIONS, THAT ALL HAD PARTICULARLY INTERESTING MATERIALS OF HISTORIC INTEREST, INCLUDING SUCH ITEMS AS NAVIGATION COMPANY CRESTED DINNERWARE. SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO DOWNSIZE SOME OF THESE MUSKOKA AND GRAVENHURST ITEMS, PLEASE LET US KNOW OF THEIR AVAILABILITY.
SINCE JUNE, SUZANNE AND I HAVE HAD TO STEAL QUITE A BIT OF STORE TIME, MORE THAN WE CAN REALLY AFFORD AT THIS TIME, TO WRITE THESE BLOGS. BUT WE HAVE PLANNED, FOR SOME TIME, TO IMBED OURSELVES EVER-DEEPER IN MUSKOKA STUDIES, AND HERITAGE PROMOTION, SEEING AS WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. IT WAS A RETIREMENT AMBITION THAT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED EVER SO SLIGHTLY BY THE FACT WE HAVE A BUSINESS THAT HAS BECOME A SORT OF COMMERCIAL BEHEMOTH THAT WE HADN’T EXPECTED WAS IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. WE DID OUR BEST TO KEEP A SMALL BUSINESS “SMALL,” BUT THE MARKET DETERMINED OTHERWISE.
IN THE FIELD OF LOCAL HISTORY WE HAVE NO AFFILIATION, AND DON'T BELONG TO ANY ORGANIZATION. THAT WASN’T ALWAYS TRUE. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THE CAUSE, OF FOR EXAMPLE KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE PLACE WE CALL OUR FAMILY HOME. WE HAVE HAD YEARS OF BELONGING TO HISTORICAL SOCIETIES, AND MUSEUM DIRECTORATES, AND FOUND FRANKLY, THAT HAVING TO THREAD THE NEEDLE CONSTANTLY, SEEKING PERMISSION, TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN HERITAGE STUDIES, WAS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AND A DRAIN ON INSPIRATION FOR FAR TOO MANY YEARS. INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETINGS, OR MUSEUM RULE BOOOKS, AND COMMITTEE DEBATES, SUZANNE AND I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, AND OVER COFFEE AND TOAST, DECIDE WHAT WE SHOULD RESEARCH AND WRITE ABOUT FOR THE DAY, AND FOR THE COMING WEEKS. THE ONLY DRAIN ON OUR ENTHUSIASM, ARE THE HOURS AVAILABLE IN A DAY. WE LOVE OUR HISTORICAL SLEUTHING, AND LIKE TREASURE HUNTERS THE WORLD OVER, WHEN WE HIT THE SWEET SPOT, AND MAKE A PRECIOUS DISCOVERY OF INFORMATION, WE HIGH-FIVE AS IF WE'VE JUST WON THE STANLEY CUP. IT'S WHAT KEEPS US INVIGORATED. WHAT KEEPS US KEEN ON FINDING YET ANOTHER PROJECT, AND POSSIBLY, ANOTHER STASH OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION, WE DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED.
One of our most important Muskoka and Rosseau region biographies, doubling as an exceptional history, is the softcover edition of E. Newton-White’s book, “Gillmor of Algoma - Archdeacon and Tramp,” which is the true character of honest folk story culture, and although it is a responsible, important biography in the Diocese of Algoma, it is plain and simply (as he insisted of himself and his work) a jewel that doesn’t need to sparkle to be truly a precious gem. It is a book I’ve drawn on for many years now, whenever I find myself uninspired for whatever reason, and searching for something interesting to pursue that I might have missed on previous forays into the rich content of Newton-White’s portrayal of a great man of God, and a great friend of all living things that he met, and ministered to, in the thousands of miles he walked across our region and beyond. I am never disappointed in what I find, and like the man himself, who fondly referred to himself as “The Tramp,” in his modesty and deliberate attempts to be stalwart but never imposing, his work amongst the poorest and most isolated of early inhabitants, is as heartwarming today, as it would have been, me thinks, when this large and effervescent Irishman appeared at a cabin doorway, half frozen, yet with a compassionate look upon his half frozen face; making the householder feel at once, saved by the heavenly kindness that filled the opening of the door, with snow blowing past his hovering form. Yet The Tramp’s first concern, was for the welfare of those he had come to visit, and if they were all hale and hardy, or in need of his services to assist those who were ailing with influenza or all other types of epidemic that swept the countryside unabated. The stories in this book are honest, and wonderful, and we are so much in his debt, because his initial kindness in our region, and not just to members of his own church, is still very much still in evidence in the rural clime of this district. They may have forgotten his name but not his many actions of goodwill and benevolence where so much was needed.
OF ALL THE MANY MUSKOKA REGION HISTORIES I'VE READ AND OWNED, AND HELD DEARLY OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES, WORKING IN THIS FIELD, THERE IS NO BOOK THAT HOLDS ME AS SECURELY, AND JOYFULLY, AS THE PRECIOUS LITTLE COPY OF E. NEWTON-WHITE'S BIOGRAPHY, OF "GILLMOR OF ALGOMA - ARCHDEACON AND TRAMP," PUBLISHED IN CANADA'S CENTENNIAL YEAR, 1967, BY THE DIOCESE OF ALGOMA, THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA. LONG BEFORE I OWNED A COPY OF THIS RARE REGIONAL HISTORY, I HAD READ BRIEFLY, FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, ABOUT THE MISSIONARY THEY CALLED "THE TRAMP," AND HEARD THE STORIES ABOUT HIS MANY MILES TRAVELLED ON FOOT THROUGHOUT OUR REGION, FROM ROSSEAU TO GRAVENHURST, WINDERMERE, PORT CARLING, UFFORD, AND FALKENBURG, PLUS MANY MORE STOPS AT AREA HOMESTEADS, TO ASSIST THE POOR AND SICK. ALL THE RESIDENTS OF HIS REGION, OF MISSIONARY OUTREACH, WERE PART OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY, AS HE SAW IT, REGARDLESS OF THE RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF THOSE HE TENDED. THE STORIES ARE RICH AND EXTRAORDINARY, AND WE IN THE BUSINESS OF RECORDING HISTORY, ARE SO HAPPY THAT THE ANGLICAN CHURCH PUBLISHED WHAT WAS ONLY INTENDED FOR GILLMOR'S EYES. HIS STORIES REFLECT HONESTLY, WHAT HE SAW IN A PIONEERING COMMUNITY, AND RECORDED A GREAT DEAL OF SOCIAL / CULTURAL HERITAGE, THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. HIS UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REGION, IN THOSE TIMES, WAS EXCEPTIONAL, AND HE WAS OF ALL THINGS, AS REMARKABLY INTUITIVE, AS HE WAS SENSITIVE TO WHAT THE HOMESTEADERS, AND EARLY RESIDENTS OF THE HAMLETS AND VILLAGES, SCATTERED THROUGH THE OUTBACK, WERE LIVING WITH, IN POOR ECONOMY, MULTIPLE HARDSHIP, PHYSICAL DISADVANTAGE, POOR HEALTH, LACK OF PROPER NUTRITION AND LONELINESS. VERY FEW WOULD EVER TURN THIS CHARMING IRISHMAN AWAY; AND HE COULD HONESTLY SAY, WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, THAT HIS FRIENDS WERE IN THE THOUSANDS, SPREAD ALL OVER MUSKOKA, PARRY SOUND, ALGONQUIN AND ALGOMA. HE GAVE US A PICTURE OF EARLY RURAL LIFE IN THIS REGION, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PIECE TOGETHER MUCH MORE INTIMATE, FAMILY INFORMATION, REGARDING LIVING-STANDARDS FOR THE LATE 1800'S, (THE LATER PIONEER AND SETTLEMENT PERIOD IN MUSKOKA) THAN WE HAD KNOWN PRIOR TO THIS BOOK. HE NEVER LOST HIS PASSION TO HELP OTHERS, UNTIL THE MOMENT OF HIS FINAL BREATH. THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT, IN CASE YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF "THE TRAMP, GOWAN GILLMOR, SHOULD EXPLAIN, WHY HIS BIOGRAPHY IS SO SOUGHT-AFTER BY HISTORIANS.
THE HEADING OF THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER, IS "PARISH PRIEST, CHAPTER 20 - AT ROSSEAU." THE WRAP-AROUND COPY WAS PREPARED BY E. NEWTON-WHITE.
"On the 8th of September, 1891, the Gillmors (family) left North Bay to live in Rosseau, twelve miles off the railway, in Muskoka District. (the Village of Rosseau is actually not within the boundary of the District of Muskoka). To this parish, Gowan had just been appointed; in a sense, as parishes are usually constituted, it was his first. North Bay, had been from the beginning of his ministry there, the site of new development, ever growing, ever changing; its population largely floating; its social problems never constant; its area far too large. Church life and organization, under such influences, had as yet (offered him) no time to settle down, into the normal channels; it was frontier district; and in some respects, mildly raw. Very different was Rosseau. It was set out to be an agricultural community at the time of the Free Grant land policy already mentioned and, as with so many other like places, its 'farm' lots had at one time been more or less fully taken up. The surveyor's lines, with absolute disregard of topography, also disregarded arable values; so that a 'lot' might have had anything (but not too many) from tillable soil to zero quantity. Still less of the tillable soil was good soil. From these conditions, the Rosseau section had slowly graduated, by a process, the nature of survival of the fittest, to a settlement of good, solid, hardworking small farmers; with only a sprinkling of hard-case and ne'er-do-well families and, of course, unfortunates."
In only a few lines in his journal, Gowan Gillmor addresses an issue I've been harping on through this series of columns, regarding the injustices of the entire free land grant enterprise, of settling the open areas of our region and beyond. Advertising the advantages of homesteading in the district, and very clearly noting, in numerous pioneer guidebooks, the arable quality of the soil; if they could find it, in the midst of huge pine forests, rock outcroppings, hills, valleys and boglands. By time the settlers did arrive here, they didn't have much choice but to deal with the cards as dealt, so to speak. The settlers by and large, were prepared to make-do with what they were afforded of homestead acreage. Those urban refugees the urban regions of Europe, were not best suited for life on a district homestead, known for harsh winters and short growing seasons. So there were lots of failures. Lots of abandoned allotments, half finished cabins, and acreages where the pine forests had only been modestly cleared for farm gardens. The less than truthful representation of homestead potential, by government land agents working abroad, brought hopeful pioneers to Canada, but set off quite a number of social / economic problems they weren't prepared to deal with, with their growing rural population. It's what government levels wanted. Just not the social problems inherent of the exercise of bring poor settlers to the Ontario frontier. Gillmor was exposed to the adverse aspects of this, as he tended his flock, and the misery was compounded each year, by the influences of more settlers, more poverty and continuing farmstead failures. It can be said, that this humble, but determined soul, did what he could to lift the spirits of all those he visited, on his lengthy countryside walks around the district, administering to God's work, in a most humane, inspirational way.
"Rosseau had been fortunate. Its pockets of good soil, where they happened to fall into good hands, provided a decent living by old-time standards. Among its original settlers were thrifty and industrious folk, many from overseas, who would have done credit to, and made good in, almost any region anywhere. Some arrived with nothing but determination and freedom from debt; some had capital in varying amounts. It must be admitted, however, that the latter advantage remained an advantage only if the owners possessed the same basic qualities of those who had to start from scratch, and yet succeeded. Around the period of which we write, a quiet development was already going on in Muskoka - its use as a unique recreational region, for quiet people who asked only to have summer homes amid its woods and waters. The Rosseau section at this time, was more akin to the quiet and sedate communities of Old Ontario, than the bustling rawness of the new northland, and ever since it has kept something of its quiet summer-home atmosphere, with its regular summer people coming year after year, even generation after generation to the same places.
"The work of the Parson - Gowan Gillmor that is to say - differed but little in some respects, from serving the northern communities, along the new railways. As a thoroughly conscientious Parson, he visited, and he walked along distances to do it; some of the distances were not far short of his construction tramps, much of it on snowshoes and over ice-bound lakes. Also, because Rosseau was his base, he made many extra trips to other parts of Muskoka. Parry Sound and Nipissing as occasion demanded. But now more of the homes he visited were comfortable and clean, and belonged to more cultured people. Tents, bunk-houses, empty shacks, and brush beds in the bush, were no longer a major part of his life. But there were still the poorer homes and the primitive, and the whose standard of values in humanity recognized only spiritual and physical need, yet he played no favourites. Dirt and squalor could not deter him; and he gave the needy all of his best."
E. Newton-White notes that, "Not altogether conducive to a good start at Rosseau was the fact that Gowan had to succeed an incumbent who was probably an alcoholic, and had to be removed by the Bishop. There were stories of parishoners walking in to church several miles over had roads, only to find the (church) building shut and cold; the clergyman being in no condition to conduct the service. Working in Rosseau, there would be a difference in that he no longer visited universally; there was no necessity. There was indeed, at least once, a case of Gowan visiting a non-Anglican ex-European home regularly. It was in an isolated spot a long distance out; but the name appeared in the diary as often as any other. They had, as Gowan put it, 'great talks together'. Evidently his visits were bright spots in their lives. But in general, religious organization has crystallized for all the denominations. Gowan was now in comparative comfort, and acknowledged it in as many words. But he also said this; 'I do not expect, however, that I can stay long thus; for we must face, and step by step contend with, the evils and dangers growing apace in the world. I feel strongly that it is now for God's servants to be active and earnest, even to the utmost agony of spirit, in the saving of souls, and to be making ready against that day, surely near at hand, of bitter strife and turmoil.' He said that then, he could be saying it today. We are fortunate to have a rare description of Rosseau scenery of that time, from Gowan's own hand, in the 'Algoma Missionary's News.' He says, 'It must resemble the Lake District of England - Cumberland and Westmoreland, especially when, centuries ago, they were covered with forests, and wolves hunted the deer. We even have places near Rosseau called Ullswater, and Windermere so others must have thought the same."
Gowan Gillmor writes, "We are to be envied, we who are able to realize how old England looked, when Chaucer's words were everyday speech; when they wore buskins of fine soft leather with long pointed toes; like our own moccasins. It has occurred to me when traveling on our roads, through the dense woods, that they ware like the back avenues for local uses, through some great demesne in Ireland; but I never come across the gamekeeper or catch a glimpse of running pheasants. But there, however grand it might seem, it would be so closely bounded by high walls covered by ivy, and separating it from the human life of the surrounding country."
"AS SORROWFUL YET ALWAYS REJOICING"
"The Gillmors had arrived in Rosseau on the 8th of September, 1891," records biographer, Newton-White. "On the 15th (of September) an entry read, 'Gowan went back to school,' which is the first mention of Gowan Jr., since his arrival in Canada. On the 21st, the diary records, 'The son born. A gift from God to be brought up for Him. We thank Him and bless His Holy Name.' But in five months this entry for February 17th, 1892; 'At an early hour this morning, our little John Edward was taken away to the Saviour's home on high.' On the 18th, 'Our cottage is lonely and desolate.' On the 19th, 'We buried our darling in Ullswater Churchyard.' Stark entries never intended for strangers to read, and only brought in here for a reason. The burial at Ullswater rather than Rosseau, could have been for several reasons; the beauty of the place, its convenience of winter access, because it was purely an Anglican Cemetery with local historical ties, the traditional resting places of Anglican old-timers. There was more trouble in store for the Gillmors. In the days of which we write, mental illness was regarded in a very different light, and certainly with much less sympathy, than it is today. It had never been understood and because of that, was feared; its victims did not receive the general sympathy given to an ordinary sick person. A few days after the baby's burial, Col. Gregory arrived at Rosseau, and took his daughter back to North Bay with him; a month later she returned home. Quite a normal proceeding after tragedy; but this marked the beginning of trouble. Laura's mental condition slowly became evident, that is, to the friends and neighbors.
"On December 16th, 1892, another child was born. 'My dear Laura safely delivered a baby boy. I thank God our Father, and trust in Him and on our Saviour and the Holy Spirit, to enable me to be a good faithful husband and father to them throughout my time in this life.' On a Sunday morning, in February, 1893, "Baptized my son William at Mattins.' Then, on Jan. 15th, 1895, 'Another boy born to Laura and me. (This would be Thomas). May God give us His power and strength to train up this son, also in the true faith of Jesus Christ. Again Laura was taken to her parents in the hope that a change of surroundings would benefit her. About this time, Col. Gregory sold his North Bay property, and with his wife, moved to Alberta, settling on a homestead at Lacombe. At no time did references to Mrs. Gillmors condition appear in the diary, and certainly Gowan gave none to his friends. Meanwhile his own constant appearance of well-being, and his happy smile, gave rise to the kind of speculation to which people in the backwoods communities were especially prone; and a mystery resulted. Mostly these were simple folk to whom the idea of religious convictions so deep - the Peace which passeth understanding - that they could counter the worst personal misfortunes that men are called to bear, would be incomprehensible. Many years later when Gowan was nearing the end of his life, a young priest who was very near to him, said this; 'His whole family life seemed fraught with sadness; yet despite it all he always seemed full of joy and fun and enthusiasm."
Newton-White adds, "Perhaps there was no mystery; that the trouble was something which the medical sciences of today, could have found and remedied. Then and there it was something hush-hush; never to be discussed in mixed company. The pioneers had a sense of delicacy which modern people appear to have lost. In August, 1896, appears this poignant diary not; 'Col. Gregory arrives from Alberta - He, Laura, Willie and Tom off to Lacombe, and I am left alone; but not alone.' No explanations of the last sentence. It would have been superfluous. Yet we know his passionate love of children. He did not see his family for years. The diary has an entry Feb. 9, 1897, 'Baby Born.' This presumably would be the third son, James. So here again was the vain hope that a complete change of environment and the constant company of parents might be beneficial. The loneliness of a rural clergyman's wife in those days, especially one tied with small children and especially with a husband whose sense of parochial duty was as strong as Gowan's, would have been acute. In the Algoma Missionary News, of June 15th, 1893, appears the only direct reference we have, to Laura, as part of the Parish Life. At a Rosseau W.A. election of officers, 'Mrs. Gillmor elected president.' Years afterward, Gowan was to speak, in rare intervals of confidence, of this wonderful wife. He thought that perhaps all the lonely hours she had spent, caring for their children, and anxious for his safety, were more than she could endure. Only partly, perhaps."
It wasn't just the loneliness for a backwoods clergyman's wife. It was a way of life for many of the rural residents of Muskoka and Parry Sound, from the first homesteads of the late 1850's, to the turn of the new century. The rural way of life was as inspiring as it was a damnation, to many residents who had come to the frontier, ill prepared for the privations of a more urban way of living. Coming from the cities of Europe, as new emigrants, this was most certainly an issue for a percentage of settlers; unused to the hard life full of hardships, isolated from their families still in Europe, and miles distant from their nearest neighbor. While it was better in this regard, in the hamlet of Rosseau, it still was for all intents and purposes, backwoods isolation, with its seasonal peaks, due to the growing tourism industry, as it was moving upwards in popularity, by the 1890's. There is the additional thought, on the loss of the baby boy, less than a year old, that being closer to a larger settlement, with a better medical establishment, might have saved the child's life. Health care was one of the key disadvantages to rural living, especially in this period in history.
I will re-visit the story of Archdeacon Gillmor Gowan, in tomorrow's blog. Please join me
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