FROM WELLAND COUNTY TO ST. THOMAS IN 1815

[People’s Press, 16 February 1904]

Mr. John E. Cohoe of the township of Wainfleet has favored the People’s Press with an old faded writing, the diary of a trip made from Welland County to the Talbot Settlement (now St. Thomas) in 1815-nearly 90 years ago. The manuscript was found among the papers of Mr. Cohoe’s grandfather-John Cohoe-who lived at or near Fonthill and died about half a century ago. The words inside the parenthesis are interpolated by the editor as explanatory. Mr. Cohoe tells us that he has been unable to locate the Dial McKinney’s referred to. Isaac Nunn’s, we are informed, is the farm now occupied by Cyrus Nunn in Pelham. From the diary it will readily be seen that travelling in this country ninety years ago was quite a different matter from the taking of a trip nowadays. The manuscript reads:-

April the 12^th, 1815, I left home about 7 o’clock in the morning and went to Dial McKinney’s and from thence about 9 and went through by Isaac Nunn’s and crost Chipawa at Robin’s, and crost the mouth of Swaygo, and mist our way and took a road that led to the south, from which we took to the woods, which hindered us a good while, but the day being fair we got out to the road and went on through Canborough and took a new road through, but got out before the moon sot and staid at one William McDaniel’s (probably McDonald’s).

13^th-Crost the Grand river and went by Justine’s place and so to the lake, and eat breakfast at Fite’s, and from thence went on the beach, and being fair, we got to one Wagner’s, and the next day crost the mouth of Patterson’s crick, and went through Dover and went by the Messodes (Methodist) meeting house and by the baptise (Baptist) meeting house and so on through Long Pint Settlement by old Thomas Welch’s, and from thence to Samuel Brown’s that night.

15^th-We went on and got on Talbert (Talbot) street and arrived at Jesse Terl’s (probably Tyrrell’s) one mile beyond the big Aughter (Big Otter).

16^th-Went on the street till we crost the Catfishes and then took a road down the Catfish to the Bostict road and got to Isaac Moore’s that night.

17th-Went through to the lake and so round to Jonathan Done’s and staid all night.

18^th-Went on the Bostic road and with some difficulty to find the way we got to Cornnal Tolbert’s (Col. Talbot’s) and staid that night.

19^th-Came back to Isaac Moore’s and heard the wipperwill for the first time this year, and staid the night.

20^th-Come on the Bostick road, and came to Tolbert (Talbot) street at Isaac Crane’s and came to William Keskedan’s and staid that night.

21^st-We came to Jesse Terel’s and got our breakfast and staid and looked at the lake till 2 or 3, and then I returned for Cornal Tolbert, and went on the street to John Melat’s  and staid that night.

22^nd-I went on to Tolbert’s and give in the numbers and came back 12 or 13 miles and it rained all day and was disagreeable traveling. Staid at Jeremiah’s Scrammer’s that night.

23^rd-This morning cold and snowed some, and about 9 or 10 o’clock broke away and the sun broke out and was more moderate, and came to Jesse Terles about 1 or 2 o’clock and went and looked at my land some more and towards evening came to the Little Auter (Little Otter) and staid that night at Thomas Nevel’s.

24^th-Came to Samuel Brown’s and got dinner.

(The record breaks off abruptly here, the remaining pages having been lost. The name of the writer is not given but it was evidently the diary of someone who went to buy land from Col. Talbot.)