The 1863 Lake Map. Lot 3. Source: www.islandregister.com. Note Centerline Road is marked "Proposed Road"

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

My Interest in History began...

     The following is a letter I wrote to Dr. Ed MacDonald as he began his research and writing of  "If You're Stronghearted: Prince Edward Island in the Twentieth Century"...
January 31, 1999
 Dear Ed:
     I recently read an article regarding your millennium project to write the history of the twentieth century of Prince Edward Island.  I would like you to know of the story of the community of Lauretta – a story that happened this century.
  Presently I am compiling information to publish a history of Lauretta; this community thrived for more than a century – its people contributing to society and both World Wars.  Then it ceased to exist, the community died, leaving not one resident.  After a decade of not one soul living in the community a young family moved in.  Today Lauretta has a population of 15 and will increase again this year.
     This story is similar to others places on our Island, however, Lauretta is seeing a rebirth.
     I grew up next to Lauretta on the Centreline Road in Alma (next to Elmsdale) - my father grew up in Lauretta during the 1930-40s.  During my childhood everytime my father and I drove through Lauretta he would tell me of the people who had lived there.  In a bare field or a patch of grown-up bush he would tell me so-and-so lived there and then tell me their story.  I thought it strange why no one lived in Lauretta anymore.  By 1967 my father’s old home was abandoned but he farmed the fields.  The last family to live in Lauretta were Birt and Violet Smith, their daughter Ruby and husband Lawrence Arsenault.  Once the Smith’s passed-on the Arsenault’s left, sometime in the mid-1970's.  All that remained of Lauretta were 6-7 abandoned house - ghostly remains of a forgotten lost community.
     In the late 1970’s the Land Development Corporation (LDC) purchased a few of the old farms and the fallen-down buildings were demolished.  Within a few years the other abandoned homes were gone and all that remained were pastures and forests.
     In the mid 1980’s a young couple moved to the community, building a fine new house; then my brother built a new house on my father’s homestead; a couple built a retirement home across the road, and so began the rebirth of Lauretta.  Today there are six homes and another to be constructed this spring.  The first pavement came a quarter mile into the edge of the community in 1997.  There are two thriving self-employed businesses operating there today - Gordon’s Transport and Kerras Jeffery Woodworking.  Today Lauretta’s residents are not farmers, their livelihoods have been adjusted to modern times and new ways of making a living.
    It has been impressed upon me that when the average person drives through Lauretta they see only fields and forest.  When I drive through Lauretta I see in my mind the abandoned homesteads I knew as a child and I know the people who once lived there through my father’s stories and realize there are few left alive who remember them.
     There is very little recorded history of Lauretta.  As I learn the genealogies of its past inhabitants I'll be able to piece together its' story.  There have been references in the 1859-1881 Journals of Anglican Missionary, Rev. R.W.Dyer – he refers to the area as the “backwoods”.   There's also the 1926-1964 Journals of sisters Eva and Mary Jeffery whose father Spurgeon Jeffery was a successful building hauler, known throughout Prince Edward Island for his building hauling skills.  He moved the Methodist church from Montrose down the Kildare River out to Kildare Capes where today it is the well-known landmark of Christ Church of the Alberton Anglican Parish.  The Jeffery sisters recorded daily goings-on of the farmstead and building hauling.  In 1931 Spurgeon Jeffery and his family decided to leave Lauretta – they  purchased a farm half a mile east on the Centreline Road in Alma.  Spurgeon moved the entire farmstead including 7-8 outbuildings and barns, the large 1912 Island-ell style house as well as the apple orchard – a remarkable move.
     I have attached bits of information for your interest.  If you have any questions or would like to pursue this topic, please call.
_________________________________
Geographical Names of PEI.
     Lauretta:  5 miles Northwest of Alberton in Lot 3.  Post Office 1897‑1913.  Possibly named for a teacher, such as Lauretta Nelligan, who was teaching at DeBlois Road in 1898. 

1861 Census.
     In 1861 the Census taker wrote that the land in Lot 3 is in general good.  At the west end (Miminigash) the land is very good but the people complain of the roads for which I think they have good reason.  They are almost impassible for a carridge (sic) at present.  The people of Miminigash are very anxious to have a road opened through the centre line of lot 3 which would be very little more than half the distance to Cascumpec which is the general marketplace...

School Records.
     The first reference to the Centreline School, No. 171, can be found in the 1894 annual report of the Prince Edward Island School Superintendent.  He indicates the school has no teacher or pupils and the following years reports the same.   The first school teacher of Centreline School was Adeline Arsenault, she began to teach on July 1, 1896 and taught there until June 30, 1898.  That first year W.B.*Bona* MacLellan was nine years old and there were 55 students enrolled.
     The following is a list of teachers during the first few years:  1896‑1898 Adeline Arsenault;  1898‑1899 Katie Hennessey;  1899-1902 Stephen Jeffery, Class 3 license; 1902‑190? E. Christopher.
Above: Student Sketches by Donna Barbour 1950's
  The Lauretta School closed in the early 1950’s, students were sent to Alma - the schoolhouse was sold to neighbour across the road, Lawrence Arsenault, he converted it to a barn.

Excerpts from Eva and Mary Jeffery Journals.

April 7, 1926
  Drifting and cold in morning till noon, milder down, quite mild in eve.  Peter Burke was here.  Gass looking about putting in a telephone.  Bagging up potatoes all day.  Train blocked since Monday 5th.

April 9, 1926
  Silver thaw, quite a heavy crust, fine day but raw wind.  Finished hauling potatoes, got 1.90 for reds, 1.50 for blues, 2.20 for whites.  I was down to Davids for a few minutes in afternoon.  Wallace Donald and wife and Mary Jane was here in eve.  And Ot Smiths kids for butter.  Trains were blocked all week, first move today, Friday this week.

April 12, 1926
  Drifting nearly all day and quite cold.  Frank Barbour was here for eggs.  Train blocked again.  Dance at Alma School...

May 10, 1926
  Cool cloudy day.  Went down and cut Daves wood up.  Shovelling snow on roads.  Ben Smiths boy was here.  Augustin was here.  Saw first wagon pass today.

August 6, 1926
...Gass and Grady was here and put in telephone.

August 7, 1926
  Telephone men was here and put up wires.

August 9, 1926
...First talk on phone.

August 10, 1926
  Fine day.  Two car loads of telephone men and their wives and kids here.

October 21, 1926
  Cold rainy day.  Father went to the corner to get a horse shod.

October 25, 1926
  Rain to day all day.  Father went to the corner to Black Smith Shop.

November 3, 1926
  Fine day...Mother was down to Joe Dunbars to Institute Meeting.

December 7, 1926
...Eva and George went to the corner and mailed order to Eatons.

February 1, 1927
...Frank Barbour was here for eggs and paid rebate cheque 41.47.  Minus called up on phone and Joe Dunbar...
  
March 3, 1927
  Fine bright day.  Jim called up on phone wanting mother and father to go down.

March 19, 1927
  George was to the grist mill.  Mary was out to the corner with him.

April 6, 1927
  Rain today.  Frank Barbour here for eggs.  Hauled out 100 bushels of while potatoes to Fred Rennies.  Mother and Eva and Father was down to Jim Dunbars to Institute meeting.

May 7, 1927
...Went for a little drive in roadcart.  George went to the station looking for the chickens.

August 18, 1927
  Fine day.  Father was out to Fred Rennies.  Me and Eva and George was out to the ice cream social this eve.

August 24, 1927
  Rain in afternoon.  Terrible rain at night, swept away the mill dam at Gordons.  We were all out to Donalds to a farewell party for Mrs. Donalds.

August 9, 1929
  Fine day.  We were all out to church meeting about having picnic.

November 7, 1929
  Fine day...Mildred Dunbar and Francis Kinch here selling perfume, roses.

November 18, 1929
  Fine, cool day.  Earth quake.  George and Eva went to St. Louis...

December 12, 1929
...Burt Smith was here with school bill.  Joe Dunbar was here book for Bible Society...

December 30, 1929
  Big storm all day.  Train got off track.

December 31, 1929
  Fine day. Breaking roads.

February 17, 1930
  Drifting all day forenoon.  Breaking roads in afternoon.  Train stuck, shoveling.

March 21, 1930
...Eva down to Joe Dunbars to hooking, called in for Nettie.  Got telephone fixed.
  
May 27, 1930
  Rain last night.  Ben Dunbar here for to get his house lifted.

August 1, 1930
  Had doctor again, gave her (Mary) a drug at 11 o'clock, woke up at 4 and took drink and went back to sleep again, very weak, died at 8 or quarter to 8.  Had Jims wife and Jen and Martha and Kate laid her out.  Martha and Joes wife stayed all night.

September 28, 1930
  Fine day.  Me and George and mother to church in afternoon, harvest thanksgiving service.  Minus here in eve.


Excerpts from Rev. R.W.Dyer Journals 1859‑1881.
August 29, 1861
   Off again to the Western Road Station.  I enjoy going to this Station; the poor people, though few in number, always attend prayers ( or 'the Preaching' as the people call it ) well.  July 31, 1861 Report
   The condition of the inhabitants generally throughout the Parish (and also throughout the whole Diocese ) is at present in rather a precarious state owing to the last land commission not having been yet settled.  At present the majority hold their lands on leases of 999 years at about one shilling per acre, subject to a government tax of about 5 shillings per 100 acres.  Of such a system they all sadly complain.  When the Commissioners have settled their Commission the people are in hopes of getting their lands free by being allowed to purchase.  If so, it is the opinion that the inhabitants generally of this parish, as well as the whole Island, will be in a much better condition.
   Their employment is chiefly agricultural.  Some whom have farms near the seacoast carrying on the herring, cod and mackerel fishery but not to a very large extent.  A few carry on merchandise; some others have grist mills for the convenience of making flour and meal, and a few carpenters, waggoners and smiths sum up the occupation and employment of the whole of Prince County.
  
May 19, 1871
 A man came all the way from Miminegash [at that time half of Lauretta and St. Lawrence were included in the area of Miminegash] for me to go and see his poor, sick mother‑in‑law, Mrs. Simmonds, ‑ they thought that she would not live the day out.  I started about one o'clock, took my horse as far as Mr. Dunbar's when I found that the remainder of the road was too bad to take the horse, so I left it at the Dunbar's and walked 2 or 3 miles ( into Lauretta ) through mud and water, sometimes over logs, sometimes over mounds and stumps and go to the poor house.  Found Mrs. Simmonds low.  
  I had some religious conversation with her.  She seemed perfectly resigned to the will of God, trusting alone in Jesus for her soul's salvation and seemed to be waiting the Lord's time, willing to live or die.  I then administered the Sacrament to her.  Oh, she seemed very happy, in all her poverty.
  Although having come so far, ‑ 11 or 12 miles ‑ they could offer me nothing to eat, for I believe they had no food in the house.  Still, 4 of the children had gone into the woods (for it was in the backwoods that they lived) to pick a few berries.  They were what they called Mountain Tea berries ‑ a red berry.  Before I finished the Service, the children had returned with the berries and they gave me a few of them to eat.
   Wishing them God's blessing, I started back through the same road as I came.  Called to see a widow woman with 4 or 5 small children.  The woman was out amongst the stumps with her little boy, trying to plant some potatoes.  I promised to send her some potatoes. 
  I then walked on to S. Jeffery's, who was so kind as to give me something to eat.  Had prayers with the family and baptised 2 of the children and then left for home.  Arrived a little before 9 A.M., quite fatigued.  Thank God, I am home at last, safely.

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