Narrative of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario By F.J. Falkner - June 20, 1921 When in the course of my various wanderings I first saw Sault Ste. Marie, I thought that in all my life,had I seen such a lovely spot. The view from eastern end of Topsail Island struck my eye as extremely lovely. The low banks of the river on the Canadian side with their background of hills clothed in their early summer green thrown into relief by the dark fringe of spruce and at the foot of the hills, the gradual slope of the ground, in the middle distance with the few log houses scattered along the water front. Point after point covered with verdure to the water’s edge and in the distance the Hudson Bay Co.’s Trading Post. And then further south the rapids. On the American side the houses and docks and near Fort Brady with it whitewash palisades and their blockhouses and further east the old Indian Agency and some scattered houses of the early French settlers. If you can fancy this scene you must consider with me in this mid-summer it was an enchanting scene. Not very grand in comparison with scenery in other lands I have visited, India and South America, but very enchanting, the gateway of the golden west. I came up the river on the American steamer Planet, a side wheeler and landed on the American dock. Where I met an old friend, Joachim Biron who was the only ferryman. I now landed on the Canadian side at my Uncle’s, Mr. George Tey, home at the foot of what is now Elgin Street on the 17th. Day of June 1863. My first business was to locate any house I might find: first came a small log shack on the shore end of the dock (Pim’s), occupied by John Carney for a store, but where they sold whiskey as did all the other stores. Further up toward Queen Street was a house built for a boarding house and was kept a little before my time by a Mrs. Hetherington. Here the Hon. Col. Prince, Judge of the District boarded before he built the house in the point, which he called "Bellevue". Judge Prince was what you may call a grass widower and when his house "Bellevue" was finished, Mrs. Hetherington became his housekeeper. Col. Prince was a hale and hearty old country gentleman originating from the country of Hereford and settled under the old regime (Family Compact), near the town of Sandwich where he farmed his estate and where his family lived and Mrs. Prince died, leaving her daughter Bella and her son Charles in residence. Septimus (a Prov. And Dominion Land Surveyor), lived here with his father. Albert was in Law in Sandwich and Windsor. One son was a captain of Police in Toronto. Another Henry I think committed suicide in Chicago. Octavius I lost sight of. But hold as I am going altogether too fast. The next house in sight was the old Stone house then occupied by Sheriff R. Carney, our first Sheriff who before was stipendiary Magistrate before the appontment of Judge Prince. At the corner where Gillard’s store is now, there was a ________ store kept by J. Davidson, father of Mrs. Captain Towers of Pim Street. Next to that was an inn, kept by J. C. Phipps, surviving partner of Osborne and Phipps. A general store. Some distance west was the old Jesuit Church. Priest in charge when I came, Father Kohler. Next west of that quite a way was the Beaver Lodge. A tavern kept by C. J. Bampton who afterwards became Registrar. Still further west were some log 3 or 4 log houses, inhabited by French Half Breeds with the exception of the first which belonged to Dan McKay who came with his Uncle George Tey from Rice Lake and who worked for him. Then McKay or McKie for he was called either or both, was married to Miss McKay or McCoy as the pronounced it, granddaughter of Col. Alex McKay of the Royal Artillery and whose father was I think, the first to be buried in the old town cemetery. Now there where no houses west of that. That end of the city west and now dubbed French Town. Now we come on the south side of what is Queen Street to the Hudson Bay Co.’s houses which were situated in grounds of their own or rather fields and so can’t count as houses on Queen Street. On that side of the street (south). There were no houses, exactly speaking on the street line. Alex McCoy’s house was down by the shore back of where Hallam’s store is now. Next came George Tey’s, but that also was on the shore edge, where is now Bay Street. The next which you may call on Queen Street, was an old log house built by a half breed by name Joe Renault and occupied by William Stratton and afterwards by Col. Savage the first Registrar of the District. This is the gentleman who was told by Sir John McDonald that he did not know where Sault Ste. Marie was, but it was somewhere in the bush in Algoma but that his duties would be light and that all the books he would require would be a pocket notebook. (Some change now, gentlemen. Eh!). This old house was remodeled and enlarged by Mr. R. Lang, was occupied by the late Mr. Godfrey. There were no more houses on Queen Street until we come to Church St. where there was a building occupied by Mr. John Carney, son of Sheriff R. Carney, as a store in conjunction with the liquor store on the dock. The next on the east was a house occupied by Albert Slater, Prov. and Dom. Land Surveyor, who surveyed the Great Northern Road. No more houses on Queen Street, down by the water back of Slater’s house there were log houses occupied by Michel Hines and I think, a family by the name of Cadeau. On Pim Street where the (bungalo) of J. M. Hamilton and the Post Office where Mrs. Luscombe, widow of W. A. Luscombe, lives yet. On East Street there were Sergeant Hines’ house on the one side and Dr. Simpson’s at the corner of East and Albert on the north side. I think I have accounted for all the houses. There used to be in the Crown Land Office a map of the town plot showing all the French and Half Breed claims at that recognized by the Government. Now I should not like to give any account of the habitants as I might get myself into a peck of trouble. Still, I might say without offending anyone that we, the white population were a roistering ward drinking crowd without any exception free drinks everywhere from the Judge down. Judge Prince was the beau ideal of an old country squire of the old regime. Time George 4th. Great on their wine and whiskey as the case maybe. Great at hunting and shooting. Which reminds me of what Colonel Prince told me personally. He said, When I got my appointment I was told that in Algoma there was lots of game and I came prepared. And he showed me what I shall call a perfect arsenal of shotguns and rifles. Single barreled fowling pieces, double barreled gun, deer guns, duck guns, guns galore. Swords and pistols amongst which he showed me the sword taken from Gen. ? Sullivan of the Army of Liberation from the U.S. Army at Sandwich when the redoubtable Col. Had some American prisoners shot without trial. Some 7 prisoners. I was acquainted with the brother of one of them by the name Tom Stafford. I once asked him if he did not feel sore at the Col. He said, No. My brother ought to have had more sense then to have been there. He only got what he was looking for. Tom Stafford was the butcher on the American side. I shall only mention a few of the principal people here. There was J. M. Hamilton. The gentleman who invited me to my first Christmas dinner in Canada. He was married to the daughter of the late Chief Justice Draper. He was our first Crown Attorney. Next Col. Savage, late Royal Artillery. Late Aide-De-Camp to the Governor of Corfu. One of the Ionian Islands under the protection of Great Britian. He was offered the military Governorship of the Military College at Kingston, but declined (on it) because of his shooting the white feather at the time of the Crimean War. Poor man. He surely was henpecked. Eve commanded and Adam fell. Next C. J. Bampton proprietor of the Beaver Lodge. The best is last, Joseph Wilson Esq., who succeeded his father as Customs Officer when I arrived. Noted in his diary ‘June 17th. Mr. Falkner arrived’ the only incident on that day. Joseph Wilson or Joe as he was called, was Customs Collector, Fishery Overseer, Crown Lands Agent, Magistrate and was General Government Factotum, a good friend, a bitter enemy, Highland Scotch to the backbone. A friend, the very best to all the Half Breeds and Indians and the dispenser of medicines to the Garden River Bands and everybody else. Besides being a good doctor. His aunt, Miss March who kept house for him, one of the kindest, most motherly of old ladies. A thoroughly good Scotch lady. A perfect lady in every sense of the word and one of my best friends. Joseph Wilson was the Capt. Of the first Volunteer Company that was raised here in 1865. He afterwards became Major Weymess M. Simpson, last Hudson Bay Co.’s Factor whose residence was at the Hudson Bay Post. He afterwards built his residence ‘Upton’ where Mr. Sergent lives now. Another good man. Big hearted, who always welcomed us young men and made us at home. His lady was a daughter of Capt. Geo. Ironside and sister to the late Symington Ironside. Dr. Simpson who with Mr. Henry Pilgrim lived in a house at the corner of east and Albert Streets. N. E. Corner, our first Doctor and a very nice man. He eventually married Miss Blanche Plummer. The sister of the late W. H. Plummer. Sargeant Hines was an old veteran of the Crimean War. Constable and Francis James Hugmes, Chief Constable who lived in a cottage at the head of Brock street almost opposite the St. Luke’s Rectory. Joshua Trott who use to keep a small store just west of the dock where Etienne Jolineau’s house is now. Or close to it. He was a great old genius. There use to be a tale about him that without injury to anyone is worth mention. Col. Savage’s lady thought a great deal of herself and her family in England. She use to deal with Mr. Trott. One day wanting some table salt she went there and said, "Mr. Trott, have you any salt?" "Surely, Madam, I have salt. Any quantity of it" and he dug up a scoop full of common land salt for her inspection, "Oh, that isn’t what I want at all" "Well", says Trott, "Isn’t that good enough for you?" "Mr Trott. Do you realize who you are talking to. Do you know I se to ride in my carriage and four in the old country?" Trott, "I don’t care and if you did you will be glad enough to ride in a wheelbarrow here." There is only one family of importance that I remember. David Pim P.O. David Pim succeeded Capt. Jos. Wilson. In Wilson’s time the post office was in one of the Hudson Bay Co.’s store houses which formed part of the western side of the H. B. grounds. I distinctly remember the old sign "Post Office and V. R. Customs" on the building. The more northerly of the two. By and Bye, I forgot to mention the Burchard family. James Butchard the brother of Mrs. Pim, built and occupied the building now belonging to Frank Bennetts on the north side of Wellington Street. These are all the people of consequence when I arrived here after having traveled from the utmost end of the world and I was in no ways disappointed with my first view. It was at least an agreeable rest after living 4 ½ years on the western coast of South America (Peru and Ecaudor) within constant view of the stupendous range of the Andes and the interminable swamps of tropical South America. Now, something about the buildings. The Hudson Bay buildings must have been built somewhere about 1845 when the Company’s people were flooded out of the old XY Post on the creek. I read in the Sault Star that the H.B. Post never was there. That is not so as data for that is given in Mr. Capp’s book ‘The Annals of Baw-a-ting’. Doubtless Captain Wilson’s diary would decide the point. If it is obtainable. Otherwise the Archives of Canada would furnish the desired information. However, Mr. Capp’s information was obtained directly from the Archives, access to which was obtained from the Gov. Librarian at Ottawa. The river was much high in those days and the low shore south of the wood yards was covered with water and we use to go there to pick water lilies. Any Half Breed can tell you about the height of the water. The Hudson Bay Co. had a dock and warehouse on the shore. In front of their old buildings where their schooners from Montreal or Three Rivers use to land its cargo and we young fellows use to bathe there and dive off the dock so that the water question is pretty well settled I think. Of the French Half Breeds I can’t say much and a few remark may suffice. Two Davieau’s, Hyacinth and Joe. Also their father, a pure Frenchman whose name is perpetuated in Davieu’s Creek which runs through the Steel Plant grounds. The Miron’s and the Biron’s. The last tracing descent from the Biron at one time a Marshal of France in the long gone by. The Boissineau’s. The old man living at the waterside south of where Joe Boissineau lives now The old man was celebrated for his roses. The true Provence Roses from Provence in France. Oh such roses for size and fragrance. Then there was old man Mastat who was with Dr. Richardson in his Artic Exploration when thet had to eat the dead bodies of their companions. At least that was his tale. It is possible and even probable as that party underwent untold hardships. Then there was old man McCoy, the son of Capt. Alex McKay of the Royal Artillery and Old Contain. I can partly locate several graves of the departed, but I don’t suppose that would interest anybody. Reference source: Hamilton Papers. Sault Ste. Marie Museum, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. [ Home ] This view of Sault Ste. Marie was sketched by artist F. J. Falkner in 1868. It was done looking southwest at the corner of Queen and Elgin streets. The largest house in the centre of the picture was the residence of Judge Walter McCrea, successor to Colonel John Prince, Algoma's first judge. Photo source: "In Other Years" Sault Star Newspaper, Sault Ste. Marie Ontario September 11, 1997.