Clarendon and Miller Community Archives
HAMLETS
Mississippi Businesses
Mississippi Store
It was Isaac Allan, (one of the Allan Brothers who owned a mill Millar's Lake), who built the store at Mississippi. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Snow Road Presbyterian Church, Sunday School Superintendent, Librarian and Clerk of the township for three years. His first store was built on the east side of the railroad tracks. This first store became a private residence when he built his second store and later became a store again by Raymond Lloyd and Ed Sopha who did a small business there during the summer season. This second store, which later became known as the "Furniture House", was on the west side of the railroad tracks. In 1890, he then had Louis Marguerat build his third and final store beside his second store, at which time this second store was used for storing furniture and coffins.
This last store was a large building with an attached residence. This store did business under the name I. Allan and Son, as he had taken his son, Roy, in as a partner. This store listed several articles for sale: general merchandise, furniture, Renfrew lime and brick, cordwood, railway ties, fence posts, lumber, shingles as well as a full assortment of undertaker's goods on hand and hearse in attendance. Isaac operated here until July 26, 1911 when he left for Kingston. His son, Roy, took over the store. Before Isaac left, he gave a banquet for all his customers, which was remembered for a long time. Roy operated the store until he too left for Kingston on March 28, 1918, where he established the Allan Lumber Company.
William Geddes, who he had been in partnership with Roy for a time, took over the store. William Geddes and his family moved into the residence attached to the store and operated the store as W.A. Geddes and Sons. They operated the store, post office and funeral business as well as Caretaker-Agent for the railway station.
In 1919, they sold the funeral business to W.J. Jackson of McDonalds Corners. William Geddes died in 1958. William's son, John R. Geddes, then took over the business and was Caretaker-Agent of the railway until the station closed Sept. 1, 1959. In 1961, he decided to discontinue operating the general store, at which time he sold his stock to Max Millar of Snow Road.
The Post Office
The first post office in Mississippi was in the Norman Clark residence. When the Clark family left in 1910, Wm Geddes took over as postmaster. In 1911, the Geddes family and the post office moved to the white house across the road and remained there until he took over the store from Roy Allan and installed the post office in the rear of the store. When John Geddes moved to Toronto, the post office was then moved to the George Olmstead residence with Edith as post mistress, where it remained until it closed Oct. 27, 1987 (when Edith retired). The Mississippi residents then collected their mail from the green boxes at Gemmill's store in Snow Road.
Minto Hall
The Minto Hall was built by Louis Marguerat for Isaac Hall in 1898. It was named after the Earl of Minto, the Governor General of Canada at that time. It was a two-storey building with the bottom floor for a flour and feed shed. The upper floor was reserved as a hall for dances, shows, concerts, polling booth, Women’s Institute and a library stocked with volumes of books. The Women’s Institute was formed at a meeting in the Hall on June1, 1931. The ceiling of the hall was designed like a parqueted floor, laid in squares of cherry-stained wood. It was sold to the Department of Highways when they were widening Highway 509; then the Minto Hall was auctioned on November 20, 1961.