Off to Malagash Salt Mine

     In 1939 Stephen Kinch, son of Martin & Theresa (Walsh) Kinch of Alma, and Harold Jeffery, son of Louis & Annie Jane (Cannon) Jeffery of Lauretta, left their homes on their bicycles, off to find work in the Malagash Salt Mine in Malagash, Nova Scotia - they traveled the whole distance on their bikes.  According to MapQuest, on today's roads, that's a distance of 262 miles from Alma to Malagash. 
     Harold was 18-years-old in June 1939 that year - he worked in the mines for 2-1/2 years.  Expecting to be called to serve in WWII, he left Malagash and came back to Lauretta to wait for the call.  He was in the army for 3-1/2 years - training in western Canada and did not serve overseas. 
     Martin also went on to fight in WWII.

Above: a bicycle similar to those sold in the 1930's

cf. Google Images.
http://www.autogallery.org.ru/adler.htm

     The Malagash Salt Mine was the first rock salt mine in Canada.  It opened in 1918 and closed in 1959.

Above: Malagash Salt Mine c.1930s

cf. http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?lg=English&ex=00000308&fl=0&id=exhibit_home

Kinch Homestead (later Wilfred & Edna Dunn's)

     I received these photos from Stephen Dunn last evening!  The homestead below belonged to his great-great-grandparents John & Elizabeth (O'Brien) Kinch.  Today residents of Alma would know this homestead as the home of Edna and her husband Wilfred Dunn.  All the old buildings are gone today - it's great to have these photos!

 

     Above: the John Kinch homestead, date unknown.  This homestead was located on the first big turn on the Centerline Road West in Alma, about half a mile in from the Western Road.

Above:  a zoomed in view of the homestead.

     Above: I changed the tone on this photo to sepia to see if other details would be more clear.

     Above: John Kinch (1853-1943) and his wife Elizabeth O'Brien (1875-1942) they married on April 6, 1875 at St. Simon St. Jude Church, Tignish.  They had nine children: Martin, Mary Ann, Lawrence, Mary Ann, George, John Herman, William Bennett, James Leo and Mary Hanora.  ( this information cf. The Island Registry www.islandregister.com/kinch.html, submitted by Lawrence W. Kinch - Larekin@aol.com )

 Above: This receipt was found in the walls of the old house.

     John and Elizabeth's oldest son, Martin was the next to own the Kinch homestead.  Stephen told me that he was a sailor on the HMS Empress of India - I found another reference that confirms this.  The HMS Empress of India was launched in 1891 - she served as the flagship of the second-in-command of the Channel Fleet and later used as a mail delivery ship.  She was sunk as a target ship on Nov. 4, 1913. ( information about the ship cf. http://en.wikipedia.org )  

Above: HMS Empress of India.

 Above: it reads,

IN MEMORY OF MY CRUISE IN CHINA AND JAPAN

     This belonged to Martin Kinch and possibly a commemoration of his time away at sea.

     Martin Kinch was born in Alma on July 24th, 1876 and died September 21, 1931.  He married Theresa Walsh in 1915.  She died in 1947.  They had the following children: Willie, Hilary, May, Edna and Stephen (cf. Cummins 1928 Atlas).

     Edna Dunn was born in 1921 and died this spring on May 17, 2012 (see obituary in this blog: http://almalauretta.blogspot.ca/2012/05/edna-t-dunn.html ).  Edna married Wilfred Dunn and raised their family here on the Kinch Homestead.

Alma School - Winter 1972

     This photo was given to my brother Kerras the other day by Norma Barbour - she was a Substitute Teacher and taught at Alma School on two occasions that winter, January 4th and February 7th, 1972 - the following photos were taken on either of those days.

 Above: Norma (Locke) Barbour at the head of the class.

     Above: Wayne McNeill in front left.  I think that's me, Carter Jeffery, by the window, 2nd back in blue sweater - I was in Grade 4 with Kevin Kelly and Jean Murphy.  I can't identify the rest of the students.  This is the east side of the school, facing the Western Road and schoolyard.

Alma School 1911

     This photo was sent to the Barbour family in Montrose in 1990 from Mary Howell of New York.

This photo is also in the Donna (Barbour) MacPhee Photo Collection.

Alma School 1897

Here's a photo of Alma School teacher and students taken in 1897. 

cf.  Donna (Barbour) MacPhee Collection

     Below is a list of the people in the photo, transcribed from what was written on the back of the above photo.

1897 Alma School – Addie

George Hardy Teacher with bicycle (taught 1896-98 at Alma)

Back Row:

Peter Yeo, Joe Dunbar, Mrs. Leander Donalds (Wallace mother), Mattie Clark, Annie O’Brien, Newman Clark, Mary Eliza O’Brien, Gertie Burke, Janie Weeks, Hattie Mountain, Cecil Barbour, Hazel Weeks, Alice O’Connor, Frank Barbour, Beckie Burke,Rose Burke, Alice Dunbar, James Dunbar, Fred Kinch, Isiah Clark.

2^nd Row:
Con O’Brien, Joe Sullivan, Presley Barbour, Harry Barbour, John Wallace, Johny McIntyre, Essie Barbour, Pearl Jeffery, Wilfred O’Brien, George Mountain, Clara Wallace, Maud Yeo, Peter O’Brien, Joe Sullivan, Nan O’Connor, Johnny Weeks, Athol Barbour, Emma Dunbar, Preseley Barbour, Wallace Donalds, Charlie Mountain, Fred Donalds, Lloyd Dunbar, Frank Kinch, Sophie Barbour, Maggie O’Brien, Lottie Kinch, Mary Kinch.

Alma School - No. 43

     It's been said that Prince Edward Island had a schoolhouse every 3 miles so that students didn't have to walk any further than 1-1/2 miles to attend school.  Below is one of those schools, Alma School, No. 43.

    

Above: Alma School c.1950's cf. Donna Barbour MacPhee Collection

     The following information comes from the Prince Edward Island Public Archive's school records:

     Alma school opened in September 1869.  Henry Graves was the carpenter.  The first school teacher was John Foley of Charlottetown, then came John Beaton also of Charlottetown, then a Miss Weeks of Albend.  The first trustees were: Morris O'Connor, Henry Graves, James Mountain (secretary), George Mountain, and John Currie Jr.

Alma School District No. 43 (1869‑1971)

     Year(s)   /  Teacher  /     No. of Pupils

      1869          John Foley        ?
      1874          Alice Weeks, 1st Class
Superintendent note:  School has long been Vacant.  No map of PEI. Prospects encouraging.
      1875          Vacant teacher expected in a few days.
                         ? John Beaton       ?
                         ? Miss Weeks        ?
      1878          M.E.Gordon       51
      1879          Maggie E. Gordon 42
      1880          John Beaton      40
      1881          John Beaton      60
      1882          Maggie E. Gordon 48
      1883          No Teacher       44
      1884          Mary E. Gordon   52
      1885          Mary E. Gordon   48
      1886          Carrie W. Darley 40
      1887          John B. Champion 53
      1888          John B. Champion 60
      1889          Peter Cunningham 54
      1890          Christine Miller 74
      1891           Christine Miller 52
      1892           Albert J. Barry  57
      1893           Frank McCarvill  59
      1894          J. McElmeel      68
      1895           Mary Dunbar       ?
      1896           George A. Hardy   ?
      1897           George Hardy      ?
      1898           George Hardy     58
      1899           Franklin Mellish 44
 1901‑1902     EddieChristopher 42
 1903‑1904    Mary A. Dunbar   40
      1905           Mary E. O'Brien  30
      1906           James Sinclair   38
      1907           J.B. MacDonald   40
 1908‑1909    Annie L. McGrath 41
      1910            no teacher        0
1911-1912         Estelle Bowness 20?
Dec.1, 1922‑
June 30,1923    Minnie Wackey?  ?
Aug‑Dec1923 Wm B. Wallace   ?
     1939?           Mildred Barbour   ?
                            ? Blanche Rennie    ?
   1967‑68        Barbara Rayner    ?
   1968‑69        Willie Handrahan  ?
   1969‑70        Sonia Hardy       ?
   1970‑71         Mildred Barbour   ?
   1971‑72         Mildred Barbour  23

     When Lauretta School closed in the 1950's students from Lauretta came to Alma.

     Alma's one‑room schoolhouse closed in the spring of 1972 as a result of provincial school consolidation - students from here went onto Elmsdale Elementary, Alberton Elementary and Alberton High Schools.

     Below is the last class to attend Alma School, 1971-72, 23 students in total in Grades 1-7. 

The students in the above photo above are as follows:

Back row:  Robert Jeffery, Carter Jeffery, Gordon MacAssey, Kevin Gordon, Blair Duggan, Wayne McNeill, Kevin Kelly, Kent Smallman, and teacher Mildred (Dunbar) Barbour.

Middle Row: Marlene Rayner, Patsy Murphy, Shiela Rennie, ? Blanchard, Jean Murphy, Laura Blanchard.

Front Row: Ivan Dunbar, Randy Jeffery, Douglas Dunbar, John MacAssey, Scott Clark, Kendell Bowness, Kenny Gordon, Glen Barbour, Gary MacAssey. 

     Following it's closure, Alma School was sold by the Provincial Government to the Alma Women's Institute for $1.  W.I. used it as a community center fixing it up with Government Summer Student projects.  In the 1990's the Institute sold the property to Kevin Gordon who used it for storage, etc.  When the Western Road and Centerline Road intersection was reconstructed in 2007 the school was demolished.

     Stay tuned to this blog for further information and photos of Alma School, etc.