Oldal 361 [361]
OCR
~~ Hon. Charles Jones purchased from Mr. Buell an a . acre of land on the north side of King Street, opposite the tavern, erecting a merchant’s shop and storehouse thereon, about the year 1805, in which he and his brother-in-law, the late John Stuart, carried on business for several years. About the year 1808, Mr. Jones erected on the same parcel of land the frst two-story frame building, where he continued to reside until his death. The building ° now stands on George Street, where it was removed by Messrs. Comstock and Halladay. a Mr. A. N. Buell relates that about the year 1811, a contention arose between Mr. Buell and Mr. Jones as to the name by which the village should be known, each wishing the name to be taken from the Christian name of the respective contestants, Mr. Jones insisting upon Charlestown and Mr. Buell claiming Williamstown. General Brock, to whom the matter was referred, settled the question by giving it the name Brockville.* About the year 1790, Daniel Jones, Esq., purchased the west half of Lot No. 12, in the rst Concession of Elizabethtown, and erected a saw and flouring mill at Jones’ Creek. Mr. Buell also built a flouring mill on the znd Concession of Elizabethtown, about the year 1795. A small grove of oak trees was left standing on the land now occupied by James Smart’s Novelty Works, the bay to the east having a beautiful sandy down the river landed at the bay for many years, | while the point was a general camp-ground for the Indians. Long after the settlement of Mr. Buell, | the nights were frequently made hideous by Indian | wer dances on the point. The Indians had disE | covered, about a mile west of the Court House, a sloping rock in which appeared a track made apparently by indenture in the rock of the foot of a man with a moccasin on. This rock became known as the Devil's Rock. About sixty rods west from the Devil’s Rock, and a little back from the river, is a granite rock, containing a round hole about three feet in diameter, and havipg a depth of about ten feet. The first school in Brockville was opened in part of the residence of Mr. Buell, by Joseph Pyle. This ancient schoolmaster was strongly adverse to female society, and, rather than meet a woman in the road, would clamber over the fence, and make a circuit through the fields. His successor was Mr. Sylvester Miller, who continued to teach until 1812. The third teacher was an Indian named Paul J. Gill. He had been educated at Dartmouth College.— which eventually compelled the Indian to retire. _ *Nore,— Some discrepancy exists between this and other acccyuats. —AUTHOR, | During the War of 1812, flank companies were stationed along the frontier. The first one in Brockville was under the command of Captain Reuben Sherwood, and many of the men were billeted among the inhabitants. The guard-house of Captain Sherwood’s company was a block house situated a little west of Mr. Buell’s residence. In the summer of the first year of the war occurred the cannonade between the British war vessels, the Earl of Motra and the Duke of Gloucester, on the one part, and the American schooner, /u//a, on the other. The British vessels were anchored a little west of the Three Sister Islands, the /u//a just below Big Island, west of the town. Though the battle lasted several hours, nor damage was done. During the close of the war, the 57th Regiment was stationed in Brockville. About the year 1820, the introductory address for the BROCKVILLE RECORDER was written by Andrew Norton Buell, Esq., the publisher being Mr. — Beach. About two years after, it passed into the hands of William Buell, Jr. CHAB EMKE MISCELLANEOUS. ROBERT JOHNSTON. Mr. Johnston is the son of James Johnston, who emigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1824, settling in Augusta, on Lot No. 5, in the 6th Concession.— His wife was a sister of the Rev. Dr. Boyd, of Prescott. James Johnston died in 1858. Robert was born in Augusta in 1825, and married, in 1861, Mary, daughter of Robert Williamson. He resides on the homestead, consisting of 150 acres.— At an early age, he entered upon extensive contracts for public works, acting as foreman for the late George Weir, superintending works on the northern Railway, at Lake Champlain, in Prescott, at Port Hope Harbor, and also the Esplanade at Toronto, He has for six years been a member of the Municipal Council for Augusta, five of which he has been a representative in the Counties’ Council. " His residence is at Roebuck P O.; see illustration, page 194. HENRY PALMER. The subject of this sketch is the son of Reuben Palmer, who was born in Vermont, and emigrated to Canada at a very early date, settling first at Farmersville, and afterwards removing to Plum Hollow, where he raised a family of nine children, his wife being Diadana Birdsell. He was widely known as a great chopper. He has be@n thrice married. Two of his sons are
