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Medical Services

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Although doctors arrived in the area, they did not stay long. From their wages, doctors were usually required to purchase all medical supplies. This was not a great incentive to practice. Most of the medical services were provided freely by willing neighbours; one local resident, Theresa Weiss (Mrs. Alois Weber) was trained as a nurse in Germany and was called upon to deliver babies, treat ailments and injuries and to control epidemics. For more information about Mrs. Weber read Historic Tours of North Frontenac (2017).

 

Mail Services

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In the early years mail as well as passengers, arrived by stagecoach not necessarily on a regular basis. Mail at that time came from Kingston and reached Parham. In 1869 Pier Watkins as a teenager brought the mail from Parham to Ardoch on horseback. He was chased by wolves on a number of occasions. Stagecoach drivers were: W.C. Plotz, John Hickey, Thomson, Jim Derue and Tommy Kring.

 

When the K&P was completed through to Lavant Station, mail for the area was delivered to Lavant Station and Clarendon Station. The mail was picked up by horse and buggy in summer and horse and cutter for winter for many years. Mail routes were established on a regular basis. Mail to Ardoch and Coxvale was picked up and delivered twice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. During the time that Jim Derue was postmaster; Guy Watkins ran the mail route. His son, Bob recalled that it was very long days with his father leaving early in the morning to get to the station before the southbound train went through, then wait at Clarendon Station until the northbound train arrived. Sometimes Guy would arrive home at 11 at night.

 

Post Office

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As early as June 1, 1865 a postmaster is recorded for Ardoch. Mostly, the post office was located in the General Store where people would come to socialize and wait for the mail delivery.

Chas. J.C. Elkington                1 June, 1865

John Henderson              1 October, 1865

William Butcher               1 October, 1866

Bramwell Watkins            1 April, 1871

Ernest R. Jacobi              1 October, 1873

Alex Munro                      1 July, 1880

Robert Munro                  16 June, 1911

W.J. Clements                 23 May, 1914

Jas Derue Junior             21 August, 1918

Donald Raymond York    12 September, 1945

Mrs. Margaret York          12 August, 1956

Mrs. Margaret McDonald (York) 26 September, 1957

Robert Orchard                1 August, 1977

Douglas Orchard             7 July, 1978 until the store closed

 

 

Telephone Service

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In 1909, on a motion by J.P.Watkins and S.S. Barton, a by-law was passed permitting the construction of telephone lines along the township roads with the proviso that lines must have  a sixteen foot clearance when they crossed the roadways. Jack Myer took advantage of this by-law in 1916 when he built a line from Ardoch to Clarendon and to Fernleigh and Plevna. John Flake built lines commencing in 1919 outside the area. This provided additional services for his subscriber. Mr. Flake charged twelve dollars per year, gave clergymen free service and paid his central offices at Lavant, Vennachar, Denbigh, Matawatchan and Plevna, one hundred dollars a year. During the Depression, many subscribers could not pay; if he cut them off, he was reducing the value of the service to others. It was not a profitable business. During the 1930s Flake sold the business to the Department of Lands and Forest. They maintained the system until it was sold to Bell Telephone Company.

 

 

 

Riverview Lodge

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This original building is still located on top of the hill at the sharp corner in the middle of Ardoch, across from St. John’s Anglican Church at 5599 Ardoch Road. It has been known as a church, dance hall and the Smith River View Lodge.

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Bob Watkins recalled attending many dances, when the Methodist Church was converted to a community dance hall and used as such until the 1940s. A dance was held every Friday night. In the late 1940s the building was purchased by the Smiths who converted it to a personal residence and lodge. Later a cabin was built behind the main building to accommodate a growing clientele.

 

Charlie (1879-1968) and Elizabeth Smith (Gilmour, 1889-1978) lived at the homestead on Smith Road with his parents Charlie Smith (1843-1943) and Elizabeth (Tyner- 1845-1922). Charlie and Elizabeth (Gilmour) had seven children: Iola (Mrs. John Young); Irene (Mrs. Robert Arbuckle); William (Florence “Babs” Tessier); Alice known as Allie (Mrs. Alen Mieske); Russell (Ruby Badour); Isabelle (Mrs. Don Norris); and Elaine (Mrs. Mac Gray). Three of the children continued to live in the area as adults: Russell, Elaine  and Allie.

 

Most of the summer Charlie and Elizabeth spent their time at the Big House at Ardoch overlooking the Mississippi River. The large house had many bedrooms which served a great purpose- often as a bed and breakfast style lodge but also as week- long for fishing men.

 

The building was rustic in that it did not have running water and therefore no indoor plumbing. Outhouses were “over the hill”; grandkids recalled that there were Mens and Womens separate doors. They also thought that the “two-holers” were quite a novelty. Water was supplied to the Big House by a hand pump in the yard. One of the jobs (which Allie usually did) was to daily refill the water pitchers in the upstairs bedrooms and sleep cabin. Each bedroom had a washstand with a fancy wash bowl and pitcher and a brass bed.

 

The sleep cabin served for the overflow in summer. In the fall for deer season it was full. There were four bedrooms, a woodstove, and separate outhouses. They ate their meals at the Big House but usually took a packed lunch.

 

The business grew in the 1950s and tapered off in the 1960s. On December 1, 1952 Charlie’s daughter Allie married Alen Mieske and the couple became an integral part of the Lodge. They were part of the extended family at the farm homestead but spent most of the summer and fall helping at the Lodge. Allie worked at Fernleigh Lodge for the Ahrs. When there was an overflow at Ahrs’, they were directed to Riverview.

 

Allie assisted Elizabeth with much of the cooking and packing lunches for the fishermen who would head out for the day. The grandkids remember that breakfast was a big meal. For them they were served a half grapefruit, a boiled egg in an egg cup, porridge, milk and juice. They suspect that the renters had meat and potatoes as well. Evening meals were substantial.

 

Grandchildren recall that once the meal was over, the music came out. Russell played the banjo or the violin; Elaine played the Hawaiian guitar; Russell’s wife, Ruby played the piano; Irene played the violin and if her son, Bobby was there, he played the violin.  Bobby Arbuckle (son of Irene and Robert) was self-taught on violin. He played in large venues in the Toronto, Orangeville and King City area. In 2017 Bobby passed away following an accident on his way home from a musical performance.

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Garage

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Between the store and the cheese factory, a garage was operated for many years by Jack Fraser and others. He did the basics like change the oil or tires. Donald York purchased the old cheese factory and turned it into a garage. He hired Charlie Hermer as the mechanic; he could fix most any vehicle.

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Blacksmith Shops

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The blacksmith’s handiwork was in great demand. He shod horses and oxen, made sleighs and wagons and tools of all descriptions. Any metal items were made by the blacksmith. William Fraser moved to Ardoch from New York State via of Clarendon about 1855 and established a blacksmith shop for Ardoch. He was very talented and could construct most any item needed. He was kept very busy and worked long hours. When William Fraser left blacksmithing to take up farming, William White took over the shop and continued working there until he retired. There were other small shops in the Ardoch area. One of the Stevensons along the Smith Road had his own equipment and he would do some work for neighbours. John Fraser operated a shop partly for his own use and partly for customers.   In later years, Wilfred Jeannerett had a shop to do his own work, but he would help a neighbour if needed.

 

 

 

McDonald House

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The McDonald House was built by the Chandler and Jones Company to accommodate the millworkers and drivers. There was a stable and a sleeping camp. Olive and Lorne McDonald became the operators of the boarding house after the sawmill burned down in 1924. The first tenants were workers from the mills followed by American fishermen. As the McDonald family grew, there was less space for boarders, so the Red & White cottage was built as a separate sleeping area. When the hydro and road crews were working in the area, they would take their lunch meal at the McDonald House. In the late 1950s, the McDonalds took in fewer boarders, but continued the cottage rental for another decade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watkins’ Big House

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The Big House was built in 1904 on Frontenac Road by Bramwell Watkins, who arrived in the Ardoch area in 1859. After smaller log homes were destroyed by fire, this home housed Bramwell’s growing family and boarded sawmill workers from the mill nearby. It was a ten- bedroom house that took in boarders. As many as 30 travellers were fed dinners at the Big House. Practically all food was home-grown; it was necessary to have a good stock of food in the cellar and a year supply of items like tea and coffee. Wild fruits such as berries and apples were preserved or dried in season to consume in winter months. Keeping meat in the winter was no problem, but beef, pork or venison that was butchered in the fall was preserved in brine or smoked if it could not be saved in the icehouse. (Most settlers had a root cellar and an icehouse.)

 

In the 1930s when Jack Breen operated the sawmill at the creek, the lumbermen boarded at Watkins; they had all three meals served daily. A hearty breakfast included potatoes, fried pork, eggs, bread, biscuits, jam, tea or coffee. Lunch was much the same with sweets added. Dinner (supper) included potatoes, vegetables, meat (usually with gravy), bread, and dessert such as pie or cake.

 

Bramwell held political positions within the County. He was referred to as the first warden but that may not have been an official position. He was chosen to read the address of welcome to Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise, for her visit to Kingston. On occasion, (Sir) John A. McDonald was an overnight visitor to the Big House. Bramwell Watkins was instrumental helping early settlers get established. The Watkin’s family continued to own the house for several generations. Bob Watkins and wife Ina operated Malcolm Lake Tent & Trailer Park at this site. The original house was replaced with a prefab in the early 2000s.

 

Malcolm Lake Tent & Trailer Park

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An extension of the “boarding and lodging” associated with Bramwell lived on for other generations: son-Robert Senior, grandson-Guy, great-grandson- Robert (Bob). While Guy and Evelyn lived at the Big House, many of their American friends and those who lived other distances, continued to visit to take advantage of the fishing.  In the 1960s Guy allowed four or five families to “camp” in the front yard and he charged a small fee.

 

In 1976 Bob took over the running of the trailers of the fishermen. In 1977 he added hydro, then a bait shop with bait and tackle and souvenirs of hats and sweatshirts and candy. The candy was not a money-maker as Bob gave it away when children came.  

 

When Bob retired from construction with Manions, he bought five seventeen-foot trailers and rented them to eager campers. This expanded to 29 trailers on site before the Trailer park closed in 2011. The site was sold in 2018 and has been renamed Whittaker’s Cove.

 

 

Weber’s Housekeeping Cottages

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The cottages were on Malcolm Lake, but the advertising sign was in the front yard of Rachel and Nick Weber’s house in Ardoch. The four cottages were built by Alicide Jeannerett in the 1930s. In the 1940s a couple from Niagara Falls, Gord and Cecille Cullens, bought the cottages. They were rented for a few years by fishermen. When Cecille died, they sold the cottages to Nick and Rachel Weber who continued to rent them for many years.

In 1960s the cottages were sold to two couples, Schmitt and Sene, from Toronto who rented the property to some people who opened Camp Alnic. Nick and Rachel continued to do the bookings for renters. The cottages sat empty for several years when owners of Camp Alnic closed. During that time, the contents of the cottages were stolen. In 1977 there was a fire and two of the cottages were destroyed and the other two had extensive damages. In 1981 John (Jack) and Lois Weber bought the property and passed the cottages to their sons Dan and David who refurbished them and used as private residences.

 

Camp Alnic- A Camp for All Seasons

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Camp Alnic founders were Nick and Janiss Florian, educators from Toronto. The camp, located on Malcolm Lake, was open to boys and girls, ages of 4 -15. The Campers were recruited in Toronto area and transportation was provided to and from Camp Alnic. The special camp sessions were: Summer, Nursery-teen camp with tutoring, Christmas, Spring Break, weekend trips, off-season rentals, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, horseback riding.

Camp activities for Senior Campers were: sports, workshops for arts and crafts, archery, water skiing, skin diving, scuba diving, games, music, dance, social recreation. The Nursery Camp program included: natural science, hiking, projects, plant & animal life, domestic zoo, collecting, creative arts, painting and beadwork, piano, folk singing, play and skits, swings, ponies, climbing, swimming instruction, fishing, boating, tumbling, trampoline, agility and ball handling, with cookouts and overnights as special features.  

 

Staff were trained in St. John’s Ambulance to handle small incident; two doctors were on permanent call.

 

Meals were described as home-cooked, tasty and nutritious with fresh products being delivered to the Camp daily. Campers slept in winterized cabins with their own sink, stove and fridge.

 

Campers over seven years old had the option of sleeping in tents. One of the favourite activities was bicycling. Each bicycle had to be strong, road-worthy, safe with lights and the camper carried a repair kit. Bicycle trips ranged from 5 to 60 miles.

 

Parents and visitors were welcome on weekends; reservations were required in advance to get book into Weber’s local housekeeping cottages nearby or Trout Lake Hotel in Ompah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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