History is being preserved online in pictures -
allowing us to look back at Yesteryear
allowing us to look back at Yesteryear
A rainy day meant, “make your own entertainment” as television, DVD players, ipads and electronic games had not been heard of. Cliff and I were in Gramp’s wagon barn, where he sat up on the front seat of the two seater carriage, wearing an old top hat and pretended he was the stagecoach driver. Since I was a passenger going from Saint John to Sussex, I was in the seat behind him, dressed in a pair of Aunt Sadie’s white cotton gloves, an old bonnet we had found in the attic, one of Gram’s long aprons and I held an old valise on my knee.
We heard a vehicle coming into the yard and through the cracks in the door, we saw it was some of Gramp’s kin.
As quick as a wink, we changed our personalities and became the visitors as we knew exactly how the visit would go.
First there would be exchanges of news of the families, the weather, the crops and then a “Do you remember?” That comment always led to the box of photo albums being dragged out.
I could not understand the reason the older generation wanted to relive the past as all I thought about was the future and what I would do when I grew up.
Age has changed my way of thinking. I find myself dragging out the albums and spending hours looking at pictures of years gone by. And it seems whenever relatives or friends come to visit for one reason or another, we end up looking at photographs of the past.
On the internet, we can view pictures that bring back memories of buildings, and street scenes that are long gone or have been so changed, that one would not recognize them.
Grant Kelly has placed many of the photographs of the Saint John area, taken by Joe Michaud in the 1950s and 1960s plus several from the Isaac Erb collection, and other photographers, on line at http://www.facebook.com/VintagePhotoandFrame where you can stand on top of the Admiral Beatty and view the surrounding area; be in the crowd at the aftermath of "Streetcar Riot" at Market Square, July 24, 1914 when Cars 71 and 84 were overturned; admire the boys in Laws Bakery ball team of 1952; Girl Guides selling cookies, on the steps of 274 Princess Street in 1952; "Herman Murphy House" at 98 Coburg; CYO on the corner of Cliff and Waterloo in 1953; The Byng Boys Club at 82 Milford Road in 1937; Aerial view of Tuberculosis Hospital in East Saint John circa 1957; Willet's blacksmith's shop at 46-48 Waterloo Street circa 1900; Beyea Farm on Cottage Road; Robert Lawton farm on the Old Black River Road on April 1911; Animal Rescue League on St. David St., and many many more.
Ronald J. Jack has set up a blog site for “The Lost Valley” in Saint John at http://thelostvalley.blogspot.com/ where you will read many stories of activities, personalities and get a chance to view photos of the area. For example there is a picture of Nairn’s Lunch counter that catered to generations of kids at nearby Dufferin and St. Peter’s Schools, as well as employees of New System Laundry, which was just behind these buildings. Another one of interest is Saint John Police Officer Greg Cusack, the first constable to patrol the Rockwood Park area on horseback, with his horse Digger.
On the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website of Historical Images of New Brunswick http://archives.gnb.ca you will find a database which contains 2,271 historical images of New Brunswick such as: Dalhousie Grammar School exterior with students posed in front circa 1890, Billings and Flemming Lumber Company at Elmwood, Taymouth Railway Station circa1901, and Picnic on Cherry Hill in Harvey Station - a wonderful find as names of individuals are given.
Thanks to those who had the foresight to preserve and make available online the photos of yesteryear, our history is being preserved in pictures - allowing us to look back on the past.
******
Picture:
Soapbox
Derby racers at the finish line, 1958. Courtenay Avenue, East Saint
John, with Richard Street intersection in rear ground. Photo by Joe
Michaud, from the collection of Vintage Photo and Frame Limited.
©2012
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Query 1836
Downing - LeBlanc: Interested in any information about Cyprien Downing (born 1834, died possibly 1892-93), son of Francois Downing and Anne Le Blanc of Cap Pele, New Brunswick. Brothers and sisters were Damien, Osithe, Marguerite, Hippolite, Marine, Madeleine, Francoise, Suzanne and Bibianne. Lived also in Moncton.
Contact: Amy McGuiggan, 467 Main Street, Hingham, MA., 02043, USA or email to ninepoints@comcast.net
Query 1837
Carson: Thomas M. Carson was born Nov. 15, 1845. His wife was Lavinia born Aug. 9, 1848. The Carson family was from Quaco (West Quaco), New Brunswick, Canada. Possibly originally from Scotland. Sons names were Raymond, Walter, Ira, Omar and Clarence. Seeking additional information on this line? This is not the Thomas Brass Carson line.
Contact leub@theellisschool.org.
Query 1838
Smith - McDonnell: Henry Smith lived in St. Andrews in the 1851 Census He is listed as Widower, a farmer, age is 80 and his birth about 1772. His son, Thomas and his daughter-in-law, Julia McDonnell, is listed as well. I am interested in learning when he immigrated from Ireland, where in Ireland Henry came from, his wife's name, his date of death and place, as well as information relative to the marriage of his son, Thomas and Julia.
Contact kathy.usher@yahoo.com
Query 1839
Darling - Frazee - Fenwick: Joseph Darling possibly born about 1768 in Southhampton, Nova Scotia died 4 Feb 1843 in Studholm, Kings, Co., New Brunswick. He married Abigail Frazee (1785-1832) and second wife was Mary Fenwick (1789-1864). Joseph's father was John Darling born circa 1753 and died 20 Jan 1819 and is buried on the Matthew Fenwick Farm, Kings Co., N.B. I seek information on his mother and other relatives.
Contact handar@rogers.com
Downing - LeBlanc: Interested in any information about Cyprien Downing (born 1834, died possibly 1892-93), son of Francois Downing and Anne Le Blanc of Cap Pele, New Brunswick. Brothers and sisters were Damien, Osithe, Marguerite, Hippolite, Marine, Madeleine, Francoise, Suzanne and Bibianne. Lived also in Moncton.
Contact: Amy McGuiggan, 467 Main Street, Hingham, MA., 02043, USA or email to ninepoints@comcast.net
Query 1837
Carson: Thomas M. Carson was born Nov. 15, 1845. His wife was Lavinia born Aug. 9, 1848. The Carson family was from Quaco (West Quaco), New Brunswick, Canada. Possibly originally from Scotland. Sons names were Raymond, Walter, Ira, Omar and Clarence. Seeking additional information on this line? This is not the Thomas Brass Carson line.
Contact leub@theellisschool.org.
Query 1838
Smith - McDonnell: Henry Smith lived in St. Andrews in the 1851 Census He is listed as Widower, a farmer, age is 80 and his birth about 1772. His son, Thomas and his daughter-in-law, Julia McDonnell, is listed as well. I am interested in learning when he immigrated from Ireland, where in Ireland Henry came from, his wife's name, his date of death and place, as well as information relative to the marriage of his son, Thomas and Julia.
Contact kathy.usher@yahoo.com
Query 1839
Darling - Frazee - Fenwick: Joseph Darling possibly born about 1768 in Southhampton, Nova Scotia died 4 Feb 1843 in Studholm, Kings, Co., New Brunswick. He married Abigail Frazee (1785-1832) and second wife was Mary Fenwick (1789-1864). Joseph's father was John Darling born circa 1753 and died 20 Jan 1819 and is buried on the Matthew Fenwick Farm, Kings Co., N.B. I seek information on his mother and other relatives.
Contact handar@rogers.com
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