Search just our sites by using our customised search engine

Unique Cottages | Electric Scotland's Classified Directory

Click here to get a Printer Friendly PageSmiley

Fallbrook Farm Heritage Site
Update 6


The author of this article, Wayne Gates, grew up on Fallbrook

Mon, 31 Mar 2008

Hi Guys

     Just wanted to make sure the info is duly recorded. You will see that Tom has now included the possibility that we have the site of a sawmill now to consider. I wondered all along how the ice would have conveniently been hauled up out of the location in the gorge. What I am thinking is that the ice house may be in fact the remains of a sawmill that was as many redundant buildings, used for a subsequent purpose, the icehouse.

     There is no doubt that the sharp drop in the gorge would have held millions of gallons of water in reserve for dry times. If say, most of the virgin timber has been cleared off the closer farms and there is a more productive and cost efficient place, to get lumber at a lower price within reasonable distance, then some at least of the number of sawmills would be out of customers. Take also into consideration that as men age they need a place to retire and had an older fellow had soul ownership or use of the building in his late years, it may just have timed out of the race in his waning years, and the building era of that region.

   Tom has gone so far as to say that the sighted channel looks u shaped rather than v shaped which is usually the case for an eroded channel. The creek  now has a flat bottom side to side since the water has washed the soil away down to bedrock.

    We now have a purpose for people to settle on a small parcel of land (20 acres) as well the parcel that would have been located within by the original survey. It shows in the 1877 atlas that there were located at the Tee junction  just south of the arch barn two buildings (very close ) to that corner. That whole hundred acres is a billy goat's paradise since it is located right on the brow of the escarpment along which the Bruce Trail winds I doubt it would have provided other than pasture, woodlot/lumberyard, and quarry. I do not remember ever seeing a limekiln there.

   Even the Arch shaped building which houses the interpretive centre is a historical building albeit much more recent since it is formed of wood laminated into arches as opposed to the structural steel supported version of later years. So we have:

An Indian encampment
year round version, so there had to be local means of support probably the falls to  net fish, the nearby rough ground has provided cover for all types of fauna even while we were there. Deer have into the forties and fifties been plentiful or made a comeback.
In olden times there would likely be black bears using any caves as dens. Certainly beaver in the day and other pelts would have served the natives for a time for trade goods                                                  
 
A squared log cabin   
which by the way is written they were the type built in (Esquesing
village) Stewarttown mostly Irish Protestant chased out of Ireland by Lucy Emslie. She goes on to say the earlier settlers there arrived from 1819 on which is very close indeed in time.

Saw or grist mill
to provide income for the family and highly valued cash for expansion of land base for future farming operation. It is very arguable to say that this building may have preceded all else in terms of building.

The vaulted bridge
which it may be fairly easy to establish was built by Scottish
Masons since it is likely they would have had some sort of remuneration from the township in form of relief from tax or possibly cash. Tom's picture is excellent!
     
Lime Kilns
To provide lime for masonry work if you have access to the 1877 You will note that the owner of the land could have readily transported  hardwood firewood to either a kiln located between what became the home of Alma Sinclair and the McKechnie families near the pioneer graveyard at the corner of the ninth and townlines.

As yet no STILL
sited from which it may have been possible to create the elixir of human life for social engagements  WHASKY.
It was very likely the musical instruments could have been carried across the ocean but I am sure the ingenuity and canniness of the local  Scottish was no less.
  
The early built
bank barn we have at least some pictures

The mansion
on the hill locally designed and built by local residents. I hope John
Irene can locate a good photo of it.

Finally
I will lay my donut allowance on the possibility we have a wood core taken and in the hands of one capable of reading it's date for us.
If not we have a person willing to take one by stealth if  the guidance could be acquired from a knowledgeable source. 


Return to Fallbrook Farm Index Page


 


This comment system requires you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator has approved your comment.

comments powered by Disqus

Quantcast