LYONS, ELGIN COUNTY Excerpts from: O.L. Fuller’s, Counties of Elgin and Norfolk Directory for 1865 & 1866, Blackburn’s City, Steam Press, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario A small post village, in the Township of South Dorchester, and County of Elgin, East Riding. It is situated on the centre branch of Catfish Creek, and also on the Gravel Road running from Aylmer to Dorchester station. Lyons is distant from St. Thomas, the County Town, 18 miles, and contains a population of about 100.
DEXTER, ELGIN COUNTY Excerpts from: O.L. Fuller’s, Counties of Elgin and Norfolk Directory for 1865 & 1866, Blackburn’s City, Steam Press, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario This place was settled in the year 1855. It is a small post village, in the Township of Yarmouth, and East Riding of the County of Elgin. Dexter is distant from St. Thomas, the County Town, 10 miles; Sparta, 4 miles; and Union 6 miles. It contains a population of about 75.
ADVERTISERS IN THE CANADIAN HOME JOURNAL
THE COUNTRY CEMETERY
by Lloyd S. Babcock, Springfield, Ontario
“Behold and look as you pass by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now, soon shall you be. Prepare for death and follow me.”
or his death in the Ontario Vital Stats can be found. Are there any I.O.O.F. records available anywhere??? Bismarck was the name of West Lorne in the late 1800's. PHILIP STECK’S DEATH - CRUSHED TO DEATH UNDER THE CAR WHEELS AND AWAY FROM HOME - - THE BEAUTIES OF ODD-FELLOWSHIP -This week the cities, towns, villages and country were flooded with large, flaming posters announcing a cheap excursion to Niagara Falls, which was to start from Dayton, (Ohio) at 6 pm on Monday, the 5th inst. At Hamilton a large number who had never seen the Falls nor been in the Canadas concluded to avail themselves of this cheap transportation, and see both. Those who went from Hamilton, (Ohio) were compelled to leave on the Dayton Express at 9:23 am. Last Sunday evening Philip Steck, who keeps a saloon near the passenger depot, on the corner of Henry and Fifth Streets, met the ENQUIRER reporter at the train, and, calling him to one side, said he desired it mentioned, under Hamilton news, that he was going to the Falls on the excursion, accompanied by his family. He was looking well, and at the time was carrying his little one-year-old girl in his arms, having just been showing her the inside of the locomotive “cab.” A happy crowd of Hamiltonians left on Monday morning, among whom was Philip Steck, but not accompanied by his wife, as at first contemplated. Philip Steck was a well-known saloon keeper of Henry Street. He was a young man of thirty-five years of age, being born in Germany February 23, 1843. In January 1870, at St. John’s Church of this city, he and Miss Amelia Shitly were united in marriage by Rev. Stemple. They proved a very congenial couple, and have lived very happily together, the fruits of this union being one child, a sweet little girl, one-year-old last month. Philip was a member of the I.O.O.[F.] Lodge, No. 207, and of Encampment No. 89. He was also a member of Herman Lodge, No. 21, American Protestant Association. He held a life insurance policy for $1,000 in Class A of the Odd-fellows’ Beneficial Association of Columbus, Ohio. Yesterday morning the following telegraphic correspondence passed between parties in Hamilton and Bismarck, Ontario, which, up to nine o’clock last night, was all that could be learned of his death. Telegraph # 1 ......... from Bismarck, Ont. August 7, 1878, 9 A.M. Society Independent Order of Odd Fellows: Man killed here called Philip Steck, of Hamilton, Ohio, represented to be an Odd-Fellow. Does he belong to your Lodge? If so, what shall be done? Answer quick. JOSEPH WEILTON, N.G. Lorne Lodge, No. 173 Telegraph #2 ......... To the above the following answer was sent: Hamilton, Ohio, August 7, 1878 JOSEPH WEILTON, N.G. Lorne Lodge, I.O.O.F, Bismark, Ont. Have member names Philip Steck. He has one short leg, and wears an iron step on right boot. Left Niagara Falls last night for home. If him, answer immediately. FRED FREDERICKS, Sec. I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 207 Telegraph # 3 ........ To this, in less than an hour, came the following: Bismarck, Ont. August 7, 1878 FRED FREDERICKS, Secretary: This is the man. What shall we do with him? J. WEILTON Telegraph #4 ...... On receipt of this, Fredericks sent the following instructions: Hamilton, Ohio, August 7, 1878 JOSEPH WEILTON, N. G. Lorne Lodge No. 173, Bismarck, Ont.: Send corpse in large box, packed in ice. We will pay all expenses. Telegraph us when the body is started and write us full particulars. FRED FREDERICKS, Sec. Lodge No. 207, I.O.O.F. Later in the day a dispatch was received from one of the excursionists dated at Toledo, informing a friend that Philip Steck had fallen off the cars and was killed, and to inform his wife. The place where Steck’s body was found is a station on the Canada Southern Railroad, over which the excursion train passed on its return home. It is supposed that Philip, who is a cripple, having his left leg shorter than its mate, which was caused by hip PHILIP STECK’S DEATH AUGUST 7, 1878 Continued disease, attempted during the night and while the train was in motion, to cross from one car to another, and in doing so fell between the platforms and was killed. From the telegrams, it would appear that his comrades knew nothing of his death until their arrival at Toledo. A dispatch from the ENQUIRER asking for full particulars of his death, which was sent at one o’clock, up to a late hour last night had not been replied to. A dispatch received at ten o’clock states that his body had been shipped at 6 pm with full particulars of his death. Last night, in reply to a telegram, the ENQUIRER correspondent at Hamilton received the following special dispatch from the telegraph operator at Bismarck, Ont. giving an account of Philip Steck’s death at that point. Special to Branch Office Cincinnati Enquirer, Hamilton, Ohio. Bismarck, Ont. August 7. An excursion train bound from Niagara Falls took the sidetrack here this morning at six o’clock to let the Chicago fast express pass. After the excursion train passed some two hundred of the excursionists got off their train and were standing and walking on the main track, and were warned by the conductor of the excursion train to keep off the main track and their coaches. As the coming express neared the point of passing, Philip Steck still remained, although he heard the rapidly approaching train coming in. As it neared him he started to cross the main track to reach the coaches of the excursion train and when in the center of the main track halted, and stood still to look at the approaching express. When the express was only about fifteen feet from him, he made an attempt to get off on the die track to his train, when he was struck and thrown forty feet against the windows of the excursion train, fell back against the express and under its wheels, which cut off one leg and nearly the other. Besides this, one of his arms and shoulder were badly crushed. He was killed instantly. The Odd-fellows here took charge of his remains, dressing and putting them in a case and shipping them to his relatives and friends at Hamilton at six o’clock this afternoon.CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ------------- AUGUST 9, 1878 PHILIP STECK’S DEATH - DESCRIPTION OF EYEWITNESS - ARRIVAL OF BODY AND HOUR OF FUNERAL Yesterday’s issue of the ENQUIRER contained a full account of Philips Steck’s death, together with a special dispatch from Bismarck, Ont., where he was killed, giving an account of the accident as witnessed by the telegraph operator at that point. Today there remains really nothing more for the ENQUIRER to relate except that the body arrived home last evening at six o’clock on the Toledo Express. His funeral will take place today at three o’clock from St. John’s Church. The Odd-fellows, American Protestant Association and other bodies of which he was a member will be in attendance. The account telegraphed us was correct, as corroborated by eyewitnesses, who, however, differ a little as to where Philip halted when he attempted to cross. James Hannagan, the affable and accommodating young clerk in the County Clerk’s office, was one of the excursionists, and was accompanied by [John?] Hargitt, son of the county Clerk. Mr. Hannagan was one of the six persons who witnessed the accident. He says: “We were about 140 miles this side of Niagara Falls, on our way home, when we had to stop about a quarter of a mile from the station of Bismarck and take the side-track so as to let the Chicago Lightning Express pass us. We had to remain there about twenty minutes, and, it being six o’clock in the morning, about two hundred or more of the passengers of our excursion train got out. Some of them went down to a little creek near by and bathed their hands and faces in the cool water, while others gathered flowers and grasses by the roadside. As the express came in sight, miles and miles below (for there was not a curve in the road as far as the eye could reach either way), the Conductor called out to all of to keep off the main track, and those on the side upon which the sidetrack was were ordered to get inside of the coaches. The express was coming thundering down at a speed of sixty-five miles an hour, as learned afterward, it being an hour and a quarter behind, and running to make up time. I was standing on the step of one of the coaches of our excursion train, looking at the express. Steck was on the opposite side. You know he is lame and wore an iron rest. Well, he started to come over to our train and when within three feet of the main track, and before stepping on it, he stopped and looked at the approaching express. He seemed to measure its distance and resolve in his mind whether or not he should attempt to cross. This, of course, was but a second; then he sprang forward, stepped on the main track, and when in the center faltered an instant, then turned as if to step back to the side from which he had attempted to cross. Before he had fairly lifted his foot the locomotive of the express struck him, hurling him full forty feet in the air. He shot up like a rubber ball, falling back of the engine and tender of the express, when the baggage car struck him, hurling him over against the windows of our excursion train. Striking this sideways, his arm was thrust through the window right into the faces of his comrades. A third rebound sent him back a second time against the express, when he was struck the third time by the train and again shot up into the air, and fell like a bullet from a Spencer rifle right straight down under the express. It was but an instant, and no one had time to speak or even call out a single word. The express never stopped, and showed no signs of having killed a human being, but sped on its way, and at Lima is reported to have killed a second man. I and another man got off, and were the only persons who PHILIP STECK’S DEATH AUGUST 7, 1878 Continued would touch him. He was dead before we reached him, and, picking him up, we carried him to the side of the road, arranged his clothes as best we could, and closed the poor fellow’s eyes. We found his body was badly bruised, and his side and back appeared as if the upper part had been almost wrenched from the lower, his lame foot and leg were cut off, and there was an ugly gash in the back part of his head. I didn’t examine his body closely, as I was terribly shocked at his sudden death. I found his watch and some money and pinned them in his pocket; we then wrote his mane and where he was from on a card and pinned it upon his breast. I told three men who were there the name of Philip and his address; there were a number of his German friends and members of the same Lodge to which he belonged on the train, and I thought some one of them would get off and bring the remains home, but none of them did. Bismarck is a little place of three or four houses on the Canada Southern Railroad. Our train that day passed several of the lightning expresses, but I tell you there was not a passenger of our train seen out of the coaches, or even on the steps, when they passes us.” This story is corroborated by such as saw it. One, Mr. Henry, from the country, says Steck halted when within ten feet of the track, then started on the run to cross, but was caught. He says he bounded back and forward three different times between the express and the excursion train. On the arrival of the body last evening, the following letter was found inside of the case. BISMARCK STATION, ONTARIO, CAN. ------------ August 8, 1878 FRED FREDERICKS, ESQ. - Sir: I was called to hold an inquest on the body of Philip Steck, a passenger on the excursion train bound west, killed by No. 7 express going west, when at full speed, excursion train standing on siding waiting for express to pass. On making diligent inquiry as to circumstances, I found that there could be no blame attached to any person beside himself. I think his lame foot had all to do with it, as he was crossing the track when the train came along and was caught by it. I do not deem that an inquest would be of any value, therefore, I bought a coffin and some clean clothes for him, fixing him up as well as I could, and send him home, very sorry to do so under such heart-rending circumstances, more particularly as I learn that he leaves a young wife and child. On his person, I found $15 in money, a watch, shirt-studs and cuff-buttons. I will send his watch, which is badly bruised, and his studs and cuff-buttons by express, according to your directions.GEORGE W. LING, M. D. Coroner, Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada P.S. - We have packed his clothes in box addressed to you. Send with coffin. G.W.L.
QUERIESSubmissions for printing and editing are at the discretion of the editor .LOCKSLEY , William - b late 1800's. Possible Home child who came to Canada to work on area farms. Killed in Action WW1. Listed on the Frome Church Congregational Honour Roll.WARNER - James b late 1800's. Possible area farm labourer. Served in WW1 and listed on Frome Congregational Church Honour Roll.Pat TEMPLE - SMITH - John Andrew SMITH mar Charity _______? Possibly in Middlesex Co. Who was Charity ? Both interred in Sparta South Cem. John Andrew d Nov. 4, 1900 ae 77 yrs. Charity d July 25, 1892, ae 74 yrs 4 mos 4 dys. John Andrew SMITH remarried Maria Catherine _______? Where did Maria Catherine go after John Andrew Smith’s death in 1900? John Andrew and Charity resided in Westminster Twp, Middlesex County before moving to Yarmouth Twp, Elgin Co.&WILLSON - Searching for descendants of Mordecai WILLSON and Rachel VanSickle. They had 16 children all living to adulthood . Moved from the Ancaster area about 1849 or thereabouts to Southwold Twp just west of Port Stanley. Many descendants of these 16 children are not all accounted for and any info would be a help.Lloyd and Norma Smith. POOL / DOBIE - My grgrandmother, Janet POOL was from Yarmouth N.S. She married John Dobie of Ekfrid Twp. Ontario, Canada, at St. Thomas, Ontario on 2-14-1843 by Rev. McWilliam, “Scottish Minister of St. Thomas”. I wish to find the parents of Janet (POOL) DOBIE. Janet b in Scotland ca 1823/26. Witnesses were William POOL & Alexander McQUEEN. Wish to find early census records for the POOL(E)S in St. Thomas. Any Obits, cem records or articles, etc. will be appreciated. CH: 1. Agnes Dobie b c 1844, 2. William Dobie b c 1846, 3. (My family) Mary Ann Dobie b 1848, 4. John Dobie b c 1851, 5. James Irving Dobie b 1858 . John Dobie & James Irving Dobie d in Toronto, ON in 1919 & 1923.M. FORD COVENY/ROURKE: Matthew COVENY (1821-1889) mar Sarah ROURKE (1823-1891) in St. Thomas, ON - lived in Union area for a time prior to settling in Dover Twp, Kent Co. ON. Had 9 ch: Michael, John, Richard, Mary Ann, Sarah Jane, Matthew, Edward, Ellen and Daniel. In 1861 census they are living in Yarmouth Twp and living with a Michael COVENY, widower, 88, and Sarah ROURKE, single, 80.Peggy O’ROURKE, BROWN / McNUTT : I am researching Luke BROWN (1818 - 1909) and his wife Charlotte McNUTT ca (1825 - 1889). Both b in NS - d Dunwich Twp. Elgin Co. Ch: Louisa PAGE, Jane, Caroline, Henry, Christine SHARP, May, Charlotte, James C., Luke H., Marvin, Martha and Daniel. Wish to exchange info with anyone who knows info on this family.SANDRA NAEHRIG, snaehrig@magnet.ch WHITE / PENNOCK / BARKER: Seeking information on James WHITE and Ann (Mary/Nancy) SCOTT, immigrated from ? Ireland c1834-36. Lived in Westport area of North Crosby, Co. Leeds-Grenville. ch: Joseph - lived in Jaffa, Elgin Co.; Martha - married Sterling PENNOCK of Elgin, S. Crosby Mary - married Enoch BARKER of Westport, North Crosby; Benjamin born at sea? lived in Jaffa, Elgin Co. & John b. Yonge Township, lived in Markdale, Ont.Brenda Edmonds,
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