- An 85lb, 4.5 billon year old meteorite was found between Hurdville & Broadbent in 1962. This is the 4th largest meteorite to be found in Canada. It is called the Manitowabing and is currently in storage at the ROM.
- Lumberjacks in McKellar commonly took up the profession by age 15 or 16
- Wrestler Whipper Billy Watson put on exhibition wrestling matches in the McKellar Agricultural Hall
- A Locust plague destroyed the settler's crops in 1873-74
- Bill Stroud ran a puppet club where children made their own puppets and his wife Lois helped dress them in costumes for a puppet show
- There once was wild horse on Taits Island
- A principal of McKellar School once stated that "girls need only to learn to count to 13, the number of eggs in a bakers dozen."
- The Hardie Family had an aviary that produced a ton of honey each year
- In 1886, Samuel Armstrong was elected the first MPP to represent the new district of Parry Sound
- The Broadbent Woodburing Co.was called the Button Factory by the locals
- It was possible to cut 1,000,000 ft of lumber per year at the Hurdville Mill
- In 1939, Peter Burnett owned a two-headed calf. After it died, it was mounted and shown at the McKellar Fall Fair
- Lake Manitowabing was originally called Manitouwaba from the Ojibwa Family Group that frequented the area
- The 1970's hockey movie "Face Off" Had three scenes filmed at the Hurdville Mill
- The Broadbent Church and the Site of the Hurdville Mill are included on the tour along "Ontario's Ghost Roads"
- Mrs. Samuel Armstrong had a pet deer that wore a stripe of red flannel around its neck to worn away hunters
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If you enjoyed this timeline or would like more information please visit the Evelyn Watkins Moore Heritage Room which is open
May &June Tuesday & Wednesday 2:00-4:00 July & August Tuesday & Wednesday 2:00-4:00 Saturday 11:00-1:00 September & October Tuesday & Wednesday 2:00-4:00 For more information please contact the office at 705-389-2842 or [email protected] History of the McKellar United Church A most pleasant feature of the early settlers was that they felt their settlement incomplete without a church in which they might worship. The material for the first church, built in 1869, was donated by them and it still stands to-day, 1947, as a memorial to their faith.
The Rev. Mr. Hanson came from Parry Sound every three weeks to preach. His week-ends were spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James McKeown. The first church trusties were Messrs. Chas. Stewart, David Patterson, Samuel Armstrong and John Armstrong. During the winter the Rev. Mr. Hanson would often spend a week in the settlement and hold revival meetings. In 1870 the first minister to be stationed at the McKellar was Rev. Samuel Tucker. There wasn’t a parsonage then so Mr. Tucker made home with Mr. Chas. Stewart, Squaw Lake. Thay had been the first wedding ceremony, a double one, was performed. David Patterson and Sarah McKeown, Samuel Armstrong and Catharine Taylor, were united in marriage by Rev. Samuel Tucker. During this year a long line of tea meetings was held by the settlers. The entire proceeds went to the support of the church. Rev. Samuel Tucker located on the farm where Garfield Jackson lives at present and the hill on this side is known as Tucker’s Hill. Mr. Tucker was succeeded by Rev’s. Torrance; Toye (who married a sister of Mr. Jas. E. Taylor. She and her family still reside in Toronto); Geo. McKinley; Wm. Nixon; D. Franks (whose son was here last summer); Thos. Snowden (after whom the Snowden Road is named); H. L. Partridge; Farrer. C. A. Belfrey, 1900 – 1903; A. Richard, 1903 – 1907; J. Nelson, 1907 – 1910; W. W. Anglin 1910 – 1912; A. Laycock; 1912 – 1916; H. Kippin and his mother, 1916-1917; R. J McCarten, 1917 – 1918 (when parsonage was burned); Mr. Ackland, July 1918 – Dec. 1918; Mr. Jarrentt of Orillia, Dec. 1918 – June 1919; Rev. A. Bushell, 1919 – 1922; H. Kippin and wife, 1922 – 1923; Rev. A. A. Janner, 1923 – 1926 (during the pastorate of Rev. Jenner the church was renovated and new pews and alter rail installed); Rev. T. W. W. Lane, 1926 – 1932; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1932 – 1935; Rev. Geo. Fish, 1935 – 1938; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1938 – 1941; Rev. E. E. Sykes, 1941 – 1946; Rev. D. Harris, 1946 -1947. The first recording secretary was Andrew Teneyok, who resigned in 1902, when C. J. McKeown was appointed to this office. Mr. McKeown rendered faithful service for 44 years and in Jan. 1946 he was obliged to resign on account of ill health. C. J. Angst was then appointed as secretary and the Quarterly Official Board expressed their deep appreciation of Mr. McKeowns’s long and faithful service in a tangible way, by gifting a reclining chair and an address written and read by the pastor, E. E. Sykes. Under the leadership of J. L. Moore, everyone in the village contributed willingly to such a gift. A tribute of appreciation appeared in the church paper, “The Observer”, and after Mr. McKeown’s death on Oct. 11th, 1946, a review of his consistent Christian life was also sent to the paper. Mr. John Angst passed away on March 4th, 1946, after a long and useful Christian life passed in contributing generously of his time and talent and money to the workd of the church. He will always be missed. The present trustees are George Angst, Clarence Angst, John McKeown and Wm. McKowen. The two elders are C. J. Angst and me J. L. Moore. The others, C. J. McKeown and Miss Vallentyne passed to their reward last year. Mr. John Angst left in his will one thousand dollars for the repairing of the McKellar church and Parsonage. We had two very interesting weddings in the Church in the early days, Mr. and Mrs. John Patterson were married December 25th, 1874 by Reverend Rueben Toye. Mrs. Patterson still resides at Sunny Slope and is eighty eight years old. Reverend Toye married Elizabeth Taylor on New Year’s Day in 1975. Pioneer Days Reminiscences: May 18th, 1933 |
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