Snow Road Station & Mississippi Station,
Ontario, Canada
These five photos are among those which are hanging on the wall of the Snow Road Community Centre, which at one time was the second Snow Road School shown in two of these photos. Chris Gardner photographed them in their frames and kindly sent me these copies. The names and descriptions I've included with most of these photos are transcribed from the originals. In May 2012, Nelson Wells identified the location of the last two photos as Mississippi Station.
This was the first school in Snow Road. Built in 1881, it burned in 1893, when the second school (see the photos below) was built. Unfortunately no teacher or student names are available for this photo, but the teacher may be Bedelia Maxwell who was the first teacher, (see a Perth Courier story of Aug. 7, 1936).
Photo was taken in 1900.
Teacher: Miss Dobson.
Back Row, L to R:
Anne Adams,
Ethel Adams,
Edith Erwin,
Janet McKinnon,
Mary Millar,
Mary Kennedy.
Middle Row:
Delbert Millar,
David Richards,
Johnny Lee,
Alex Adams,
Tommy Nichol,
Mabel Nichol,
Major Gilbert,
Nettie Chambers,
Jane Kennedy,
Emma Millar,
Sophia (May) Kennedy,
Bella Millar,
Florence McKinnon.
Front Row:
Robbie Hannah,
Herb Kennedy,
Jimmy Erwin,
Walter Chalmers,
Anna Waite,
Edith McKinnon,
Ella Millar,
Jessie Millar,
Lizzie Law,
Effie Hannah,
Lizzie Chalmers.
Absent: Erma Waite (Lett).
Previous Teachers: 1st Miss Noris, 2nd Miss Atkinson.
Photo was taken circa 1916/1917 as Nellie Millar was born in 1911.
Back Row, L to R:
Marabel Johnston (teacher),
Allan Millar,
Calvin Buchanan,
Johnny Buchanan,
Isabel Millar,
Marjorie Buchannan,
Rena Gilchrist,
Netta Gilchrist,
Bessie Kennedy,
Vietta Millar,
Edith Trombley.
Front Row:
Ray Millar,
Ralph Geddes,
Eldred Gemmill,
Ernest (Joe) Trombley,
Hilda Geddes,
Gladys Millar,
Doris Geddes,
Cloris Duncan,
Doris Gemmill,
Nellie Millar,
Maggie (Peg) Kirkham.
The location has been identified as Mississippi Station.
General Store & dwelling built by Isaac Allan in 1890. Photo was taken in 1904.
Upper Veranda, L to R:
Jewel Allan and
Lillian Allan.
Lower Veranda, L to R:
Bob Brook,
Lucy Geddes,
Herb Brook,
Mordy Storms,
Mrs. Fred Clark (nee Minnie Allan),
Norman Clark (postmaster).
On Ground, L to R:
Paddy Hughes (holding horse),
Lois Allan,
Clarence Allan,
Roy Allan (in buggy),
Fred Clark (with foot on buggy wheel),
William Geddes (in long buggy with horse team).
The location has been identified as Mississippi Station.
General Store & Dwelling, Hotel, White House. Photo taken 1904.
The hotel was known as the Forest House – owned and operated by Spike Jones. Later it was sold to Isaac Allan and used by him as a General Store and dwelling until his new store and dwelling were completed in 1890. Then the old hotel was used as an undertaking establishment. It was torn down and sold to Isaac Kirkam at Clarendon and rebuilt as a dwelling.
Left to Right: William Geddes (standing on fence), Lucy Geddes (with white waist & dark skirt), Stanley Geddes sitting on Gertie Hughes' knee.
New – May 22, 2023
The white house – information from Wendy Moreton.
Wendy Moreton says in an email: "That white house with the Bay Windows was the home of the St. Pierre family for many years. Prior to that, it was home to the Bushell family, my Great Grandparents, my Grandma (Edna Bushell Revell) and her siblings. When my Great Grandpa died in 1922, my Mom was a preschooler, but she remembered her Grandfather being packed in ice and propped up in one of those bay windows for the wake. Then the horse drawn hearse came and took him up and over the hill, to where, my Mom didn't remember. It took me a while to find them. Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Bushell are buried in Crawford Cemetery, Elphin, Ontario along with many of my Great Grandma's family (Hughes and Floods, early settlers in Dalhousie Twp.) I don't live in the area but when I am able, I go visit them there.
"In the mid-1990's, Don St. Pierre wrote a lovely article for the North Frontenac News about my Great Grandma, Margaret Hughes Bushell following the death of the last of her daughters. Maggie went by Granny in the village I guess. She was the Midwife for the area, delivering all of Maude Kirkham's children.
"After Great Grandpa died in 1922, Granny moved to Toronto where some of her daughters had already gone for employment. Jimmy Erwin that is shown in the picture of the newer school at Snow Road, married one of those daughters, Lillie Bushell."
Many thanks to for these photos.
Can you provide names, corrections or details?