Memories
of Fifty Years Ago
Gagetown Reunion
will mark 50th anniversary
of expropriation
I think the aroma of potato
scallop, brown beans and raisin brown bread reached our nostrils as soon
as we made the turn off the highway and headed down the lane to the Field
Day, that was being held in Claude's Meadow near the shore of the Hammond
River.
The men had a roaring fire going in a kitchen range. The ladies were busy
setting the tables and getting the tea made.
Children were enjoying three-legged sack races while the almost grown-up
boys competed at hitting the bull's eye with a .22 rifle.
A great deal of laughter was coming from a group of women who had entered
the rolling pin throwing contest.
Car load after car load arrived for this once-a-year event.
I think the phrase that was used the most was, "Do you remember?"
From August 1 to 4, hundreds of former residents, descendants and friends
will be remembering the 50th anniversary of the expropriation of homes and
land in 20 communities to make way for Base Gagetown, the largest training
area in the Commonwealth.
They will share their memories, meet old friends, renew friendships and remember
life as it was before expropriation, as they gather for a reunion at the
Fair Grounds in Gagetown.
The exhibit booths of families and communities will be a great attraction
to many.
For those not familiar with the former communities, the reunion will be an
opportunity to learn about the way of life of the residents and the history
of the communities, from the 1820s.
Registration and the opening of booths will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug.
1.
The official opening and unveiling of the monument dedicated to the former
communities and the families, as a lasting remembrance to the part they played
in Canadian History, will take place on the grounds of the Queens County
Court House Museum on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Put on your dancing shoes for the square dance on Saturday evening at the
Queenstown Community Hall. By the way, this building was moved from Dunns
Corner in 1953.
At 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon an interfaith service will be held with pastors
and former missionaries, who have family roots in the area communities, participating.
For those who are interested in genealogy, two seminars will be held in the
Royal Canadian Legion Building. Terry Punch will be there on Saturday afternoon
at 2 p.m. and the New Brunswick Genealogical Society will be holding one
on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
The display from the New Brunswick Provincial Archives will provide an opportunity
to do some tracing of your family tree.
Entertainment on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and on Saturday afternoon
will be provided by the many talented family members of the Camp Gagetown
communities.
There will be bus tours of former communities and cemeteries on Saturday
and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. courtesy of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.
More information at http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/davmc/Tour2.
The general public is invited to attend all events.
The daily admission is $5 which also covers the Queens County Museum adjacent
to the fair grounds and the Tilley House.
By the way, the Base Gagetown Community History Association Inc. was officially
organized in July, 1998 to collect the history of over 20 communities and
the genealogy of the 750 families that resided prior to 1953 in the 500 square
mile area in Queens and Sunbury Counties of South-Western New Brunswick, Canada,
now occupied by Canadian Forces Base Gagetown. To learn more, visit their
website at http://www.bgcha.ca/
- a treasure trove of information!
* *
Query 1094
Coleman: I would like to know about Colemans in Hampton or Norton from
1845 and up.
THOMAS COLEMAN, RR#2, Box 2500, Holden, Maine, USA, 04429. E-mail
Paucole@aol.com
Query 1095
Smith - Folkins: Joseph Richard Smith married Sara Elizabeth Folkins
on 4 August 1851 in Studholm Parish, Kings County. Any information about
him and his parents would be appreciated.
JOSEPH W. SMITH, 287 W. Sabal Palm Place, Longwood, Fla., USA, 32779-6056.
E-mail nightowljoe@juno.com.
Query 1096
Kelly - Bass: David and Jane Kelly were listed in St. George Parish in
the 1881 Canadian census. Daniel Bass was a labourer who lived with the Kelly
family at this time.
NANCY BUCK, 688 4th St. N.E., Portage La Prairie, Man., Canada, R1N
3G2.
E-mail n-buck@shaw.ca.
