Forgotten on Franktown Road

Driving north along Franktown Road, just coming into town, I pass this empty, abandoned house. I admit, empty, abandoned houses always catch my eye....but this one did for another reason.....


It has a second, empty, abandoned house attached to it at the back! This house in the rear appears older, more typical to the area. Very much like our house.



Driving around the corner gives another view...


It certainly is empty. Can anyone fill me on this house's history??

Tin Roof

A lovely little bit of tin roof and siding on Beckwith Street.

C.P.R.

I walked the old CPR tracks for quite a while the other day, taking photos in case the tracks disappear one day while I'm not looking! I didn't find any treasures, but I did notice these white ceramic insulators up on the hydro pole. They caught my eye because insulators usually are made of glass.




And then, lo and behold, while browsing at the Gore Street Flea Market in Perth, what should I find? Two CPR white ceramic insulators! Only $1 each!

CPR

In 1882 the new Canadian Pacific Railway Company moved its eastern Ontario machine shop operations from Brockville and Prescott to Carleton Place. Railway car shops were built here and employed up to 200 men.

14 Argyle Street's own Thomas Burgess worked for the CPR.


When we moved here 13 years ago, trains still went by our window several times a day and we would pause our conversations until the whistle had stopped blowing! No point in trying to be heard!

A year ago (or is it two??) the trains stopped, the rails started getting rusty, and now there is talk of pulling up the tracks. Sad.

It has been so cold here lately. I really don't know if I can stand it much longer! But look at how beautiful this is:

Water levels dropped overnight and suddenly the Mississippi is full of dripping diamonds! Wow.
The iron bolt in the rock may or may not be old, but it reminds me to imagine the days when the river had so many docks on both sides - busy with industry and tourism....

These photos were taken along the trail behind the arena. Quiet and peaceful and COLD.

Forgotten Carleton Place

Every day at the museum, I come across photographs that make me realize all the things that have disapeared in Carleton Place. So many lost buildings. So much lost history.

I'll try to keep some of the remaining history alive by taking photos. Remind people of what is still there....

One of my favourite blogs is "Forgotten New York" http://www.forgotten-ny.com ...well, this will be kind of like "Forgotten Carleton Place"!





The beautiful double door above is on the north side of the old mill building by the back bridges. Originally McArthur Mill (c.1871), later Bates and Innes.

The internet is amazing!

Well! I have been volunteering at the museum in Carleton Place on Monday mornings. It has renewed my interest in researching houses in town, and in taking more "before and after" photos. This morning I googled Carleton Place images, and while scrolling down found this photograph of a woman named Charlotte Burgess (nee Weekes).

Recognize the name? She and her husband Thomas owned our house from 1886 until 1902. I wrote a post about them a while back. I didn't have the complete story though. The 1901 Census did not list all of their children.

This is Charlotte and her husband Thomas Taylor Burgess.

From the Perth Courier: "Married at the residence of the bride's father, on the 23rd Jan. 1877, by Rev. A.L. Peterson, Mr. Thomas Burgess of Carleton Place, to Miss Charlotte (Weekes), third daughter of Mr. E.F. Weekes of Lombardy."

They had seven children: Mary Jane, Lawrence, Maud, Bella (1887), Florence (1885), Loretta (1881) and Melvin (1890).


Here is Thomas again. He was a section foreman for the CPR. His brother Nathaniel lived with his family just around the corner on Brick Street.

So cool.