Tiny population created lively community of Chapleau by beginning of twentieth century

Although isolated the self reliant early inhabitants of Chapleau came together quickly after 1885 to give themselves "a few of the signs of the outward signs of 19th century civilization", George Evans wrote in one of his articles in Snapshots of Chapleau's Past.

George, who so many will recall, was a long time teacher and assistant principal, wrote that "Chapleau became a community with a future because CPR needed places at regular intervals along its tracks where crews could change, locomotives could be refueled and watered and mechanics could do maintenance work."

I am fascinated as most of you know with Chapleau moments, and as I thought about this column, turned to George for help with getting the words right -- something Ernest Hemingway advised us to do!

C A Bill Pellow on delivery circa 1910

In his article 'In the Beginning', George notes that a "basic need for the community was a cemetery which had been provided for in 1885. The CPR deeded land for the "Chapleau Protestant Burying Grounds" to Thomas Nicholson. If my memory serves me right, there is a small plaque at the entrance to the cemetery.

Across the road on Birch Street and along Grey Street is the Roman Catholic Cemetery but I was unable to find out when it was established --- help someone please?

In no time at all Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, St. John's Anglican Church and Chapleau Methodist Church (later Trinity United Church) had been established.

Sometimes when writing about early Chapleau, it is difficult to get exact dates but it seems that curling and hockey were underway, on outdoor rinks located on Lorne Street near Cedar Street. In fact that is where hockey was played first in the "old old rink" and Chapleau Memorial Arena until 1978 when the A W Moore Arena opened in the Chapleau Recreation Centre.

Vince Crichton wrote that the Chapleau Curling Club was formed and the first sheet of ice was available that winter, but he was unable to confirm who was responsible for making it happen.

Nonetheless by 1929 with a now enclosed curling rink/arena in the same location the Northern Ontario Curling Association bonspiel was held in Chapleau, and again in 1932. A rink comprised of Leo Racicot, Harry Morris (my grandfather), Vince Crichton and A. Kinahan reached the finals in almost all events.

We also know that a Chapleau hockey team made a road trip to Sudbury in 1893, and lost. Have no idea who the players were as I found out about the trip on a Sudbury hockey history site.

The Chapleau Brass Band held its first meeting on December 6, 1888 and as George wrote "thus establishing the tradition of a Town Band that lasted for over a century. No parade or official event was complete without its presence."

By 1890, fraternal organizations made their appearance -- the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1886 and the Oddfellows, Missanabie Lodge 266 in 1888.

By the 1890s, the first "pleasure boat" arrived and "going down the lake" became a popular pastime with the Old Fort in Mulligan's Bay being a popular place for gatherings  before camps were built.

From the earliest years, Dominion Day was a major celebration in Chapleau, and by 1900 baseball teams had been formed.

By 1893 a volunteer fire department had been formed but George related that prior to 1901 when Chapleau was incorporated as a municipality, "policing seems to have been a hit and miss thing with a succession of local men being commissioned by the provincial government to keep the Queen's peace." (The Queen being Victoria!)

Fast forward just a bit. I have included a photo of C.A. "Bill" Pellow with his  wagon circa 1910 to show how deliveries were made in the community's early years. As well I have included a photo of the "Pig Pen" from the early 1930s to show the boathouses which dotted the shore of the front river, and a few on the back river as an increasing number of people got boats.

Pig Pen note boathouses

This is just a glimpse at part of what was happening in Chapleau between 1885 and 1901. George summed it up: "In the sixteen years that had passed since the railway had cut its way across the Canadian Shield, the tiny population had created a lively community complete with churches, schools, a Mechanics Institute, a volunteer fire department, and a town band. Finally endowed with its own municipal government, Chapleau was ready to take on the 20th Century".

And it sure did. I deeply appreciate the work of citizens like Vince Crichton, George Evans, Hugh Kuttner and most recently Doug Greig, who have devoted themselves to the history of Chapleau. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Virgin forest, lakes, rivers, thin ribbons of steel in cleared section marked Chapleau as CPR arrived in 1885

Chapleau from present golf course

If you were "suspended" high above Chapleau in early 1885 what would you have seen?

I had never really thought about it until I was rereading parts of 'Pioneering in Northern Ontario' by Vince Crichton recently. 

Vince answers the question: "... all that one would have seen at first glance would have been a virgin forest, many lakes and rivers, and two thin ribbons of steel that had been laid in a cleared section..." which would become Chapleau, a divisional point on the Canadian Pacific Railway. 

You may have seen canoes paddled by First Nation peoples -- Cree and Ojibway -- carrying furs from their trapping grounds to trading posts in the area, the only signs of human habitation. 

In my 1984 book 'Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love', I wrote that in 1885, the CPR issued instructions  to put in a spur for a boxcar to be set out at Mileage 615.1 which subsequently would be about the middle of Chapleau. The boxcar would become the first station, office building and train dispatcher's office. A station had been completed by 1886.

I added that Chapleau had become a community made up of surplus boxcars and tents with a population of about 400 people by the end of 1885, 95 percent of them men.

Vince noted that "... a few crude homes were erected on the hill in the vicinity" of where the Lady Minto Hospital was located on Elm Street. This is the area referred to as 'Old Chapleau' and by the Spring of 1886 for example, Richard Brownlee had established his first barber shop in a tent at this location, as was the first Austin store. They had both moved "downtown" by the end of 1886.

I didn't know there had been a huge swamp which extended almost the entire length of Monk Street. Vince wrote that a long board walk from the station was built along Elm Street.

Vince explained that a creek drained the area which flowed across the CPR tracks between the station and th east ice house, across that part of town south of the YMCA, over to Aberdeen Street emptying into the Nebskwashi River in the vicinity of what is now called the Cedar Street bridge.

The CPR diverted the creek and it flowed into the river across from what is now commonly called the Memegos Property.

Notwithstanding the obstacles, Chapleau was established. From all reports I have seen the winter of 1885 was very strenuous for the early citizens on the fledgling community. It must have been for they had left their old way of life to build a new one far from any comforts they might have known. Apparently it was a bitterly cold winter and disease was rampant, and fire was a constant threat. 

Vince noted that all the houses were kept warm with "a pot-bellied heater with a large gaping mouth through which the fire was banked for the night with a copious amount of good white birch." 

"The kitchen stove on which the lady of the house cooked and was her own pride and joy, also burned wood... There was always a large wood box to the side that was filled each day with split wood to provide heat for those wonderful victuals that were consumed each day".

Actually, as I reflect on growing up in Chapleau, when my mother Muriel (Hunt) Morris, my grandparents Edythe and George Hunt and I moved into the house on Grey Street in 1945, it was primarily heated by a large wood stove on which my grandmother prepared our meals, and my mother used to heat water for washing clothes and Saturday night baths.  The house was also not insulated until about 1950. It also heated the house.

Mr. Fortin would bring us a load of wood each Fall, and then bring his sawing machine to cut it  into stove lengths which we would store in the "back shed" -- that was a job for me and my grandfather. 

Many houses were still using wood stoves when I was a kid.  Our house was never cosier!

It seems to me that rapid changes started circa 1950 in many aspects of our lives. Vince called the chapter from which I have a taken excerpts "It was a good town". Indeed it was, and for that matter still is. 

Yes, you can take the person out of Chapleau, but you can't take Chapleau out of the person! More to come!   My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Bachelors of Chapleau sponsor first dance in Town Hall with Alf Comte and Grand Orchestra providing music

The sign suspended over the centre of the auditorium in the Town Hall was illuminated bearing the word "Bachelors", according to the first edition of the Chapleau Headlight in 1915.

The newspaper was reporting on the first dance in the Town Hall sponsored by an organization called the Bachelors of Chapleau. The town hall was opened in 1914. 

About the banner the Headlight asked, "Original, what?"

The Grand Orchestra under the direction of Alf Comte was in  attendance and the favourite dances were waltzes, two steps, three steps, four steps and barn dances.

The newspaper reported that the bachelors were all in full evening attire while the ladies were "divinely beautifully and gorgeously gowned, some of them wearing new dresses."

Some of the bachelors who organized the dance  included Dr. Steve Wilkinson, (who was the general convenor),  and L.E. Wilkins, Davy Moran, and Lorne Nicholson. 

Some of the patrons for the occasion who received the "bachelors" and their dates were T.J Godfrey (reeve of Chapleau), G.B. Nicholson (reeve from 1901 to 1913), R.J. Anderson, W.R. McNamara, R.W.McEwan, H.C. Mulligan, W.C. Guthrie, V.T. Chapple, G.L. White, William McMullen and R.J. Allan.

There were even ushers to guide the guests to their tables and provide refreshments.

On the program, was printed the following toast:

"Here's to God's first thought -- 'Man'

Here's to God's second thought -- 'Woman'

Second thoughts are always best,
So here's to Women!"  

by Margaret de Valois

This article from the Chapleau Headlight also mentions that Chapleau had its first public library in 1888, first of all in a railway coach, then  in the Mechanics Institute.

The institute was the "centre of the social and intellectual life of the community" until it burned down in 1906. I was astounded to learn that when it burned down its library housed more than 2000 volumes "made up of the best books that could be secured." Apparently Sir William Van Horne of Canadian Pacific Railway fame made many contributions, and at one time donated 50 reference books on scientific and mechanical subjects.

The CPR was very busy through Chapleau in 1915 moving over 450 cars a day with 56 crews handling the work.

Even after more than seven years of writing Chapleau stories weekly, I continue to be fascinated by its life and times from almost the first days the community came into existence, and a review of those days is a story for another day.

Thanks so much to all who commented on the "Because of Her" columns. More to come.  As always, thanks to Bobby and Margaret Rose (Payette) for loaning me the Richard Brownlee Papers. My email is mj.morris@live.ca