Sketch of Port Rowan
by Al Abbott

Port Rowan is a soporific town on Long Point Bay, with a national and international reputation as it is annually visited by sportsmen and tourists from far and near. Allow me to mention the attractions in the following order: fishing, yachting, shooting, skating, churches, etc.

Formerly its streets had to be planked and the main road, north as far as Courtland, was of plank construction, which has been partly overcome by draining and concrete.

It is one of Ontario's oldest towns, formerly called "Duitcher's Corners," and had a large export trade by water of grain, lumber, shingles, pallwood and potash. The water was sufficiently deep to allow the lake boats too load and unload at its quay. There were two passages, east through the deep Hole and west through the Cut, which is now blocked by silt, which is fast filling up the bay.

John Anderson had a grain warehouse just east of the dock, where farmers stored their grain for shipment by water as a railroad then has not been thought of.

Ship building was carried on largely, and many lake boats were built and officered by the citizens, namely Captains Allen, Cowan, Colliet, Barrett, Dease, Spain, Wisner, Foster and others.

Fishing is carried on extensively and supports a goodly share of the population, either directly or indirectly, as the visitors must have guides and other help.

Yachting is a safe sport as the water is not deep nor are storms troublesome, as the bay is landlocked. The fleet of launches lying at anchor is quite a sight for a landsman.

Shooting in the fall also provides good sport as ducks congregate in large flocks on the tranquil water or in the ponds, where they are fed and where [blinds] are located from which they are shot. Quite a revenue is derived from this source, as foreigners have to carry a license, which few try to evade.

Skating, when the bay is frozen over, and ice-boating are invigorating exercises, which afford much pleasure to young and old, some of whom are experts.

The town has four churches: St. John's (Anglican), Baptist, Neal Memorial (Methodist) and the Free Methodist. Rev. Mr. Wood was rector of St. John's, and Goldsmith describes him admirably in "The Deserted Village":
Unpracticed he to fawn or seek for power
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour;
For other aims his hear had learned to prize
More bent to raise the wretched than rise.

Elder Wm. McD[e]rmand was the first pastor and the meetings were held in James Ellis' barn, and hundreds were unable to get inside. To quote Mrs. Ellis: " It was a mighty reformation. The work was accomplished by the spirit of the Lord and was miraculous. Everyone was under conviction and it seemed as though nearly everyone was converted."

The Methodist parson was one Neal, and a new and up-to-date church was been built and named in his honor. The old edifice is now the town hall and lock-up.

The Free Methodist have quite a nice church, and their worship is manifested by "getting the power," which, if you read history, was a common occurrance [sic] during the early age of all churches.

The High School has produced some of Canada's most prominent citizens. Mr. Cartyle was the first master, followed by W. W. Rutherford, Judge Mabee, chairman of the Railway Board; Prof. Wilmot [sic] Miller, provincial geologist, Prof. Jaques, Dominion meteorologist; Prof. Wm. Gordon, metallurgist of the U.S. steel trust; Rev. Oliver Mather, Alex. Mowat, P.S. L., Peterborough, and a host of pedagogues, your scribe being one of them.

The town has suffered several severe fires at different times, but the energy and thrift of the citizens soon had new and better buildings erected in the place of the ones destroyed.

In 1813  Cooper kept the only hotel, and Burnham the only store. Since then the following have been built and burned. John Stearn, Ocean House; Saxon Bay Cliff. Cantral, Manson. The only hotel now is the St. Charles, kept by Chas. Smith, and it is not large enough to accommodate the rush during the sporting season.

James Ellis, who settled in 1803 on 200 acres on which the town now stands has had the chief residential street named in his honor.

The railroad, the outcome of one promoter (Collier), has been a boon to the district, although it split the township and was the incentive for the incorporating of the town in 1891. But such is business.

Major Ryan set up the first printing press. "The Spirit of the Age" and James McQueen was the printer. It was a Conservative sheet and was well edited.

Mr. Lees kept an apothecary shop where Biddle's livery now stands. C. Biddle and H. Allen were in the dry goods business as was also Al Dedrick, of checker fame. John Baker was the smithy, and C. Crossley had a large carriage factory. Byron Franklin was the doctor. Filo Bennet was customs collector, R. Richardson the M.M.P.; Simon Mabee the J.P.; John Smith the bailiff; Peter Mabee the auctioneer; C. S. Killmaster was the banker; Killmaster & Chase the lumber merchants; Major Stowe was the fife and drum expert and few could excel him on parade and general training days, which all able bodied men had to undergo every year.

This sketch would not be complete without mention of Norval, the taxidermist. He was an Englishman placed by Lord Lorne when Governor-General, to set up the feathered species found on Long Point. So well was that work performed that the display at the Centennial in 1876, was awarded the highest honours, and he was offered a chair in one of the leading institutions of learning, but refused the offer, preferring to live in the environment most congenial for liberty and relaxation, free from care and anxiety. As a punster he had few equals and was a general favorite with the children, who would follow him almost like the "pied piper" of story book fame.

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[Transcriber's Note: Additional paragraph breaks were added by the transcriber]
 

Article Index
Allen, Capt.
Allen, H.
Anderson, John
Baker, John
Barrett, Capt.
Bennett, Filo
Biddle, C.
Burnham, [Mr.]
Cartyle, Mr.
Chase, [Mr.]
Collier, [Mr.]
Colliet, Capt.
Cooper, [Mr.]
Cowan, Capt.
Crossley, C.
Dease, Capt.
Dedrick, Al
Ellis, James
Foster, Capt.
Franklin, Byron
Goldsmith (poet)
Gordon, Wm.
Jaques, Prof.
Killmaster, C. S.
Lees, [Mr.]
Mabee, Judge
Mabee, Peter
Mabee, Simeon
Mather, Oliver
McD[e]rmard, Wm.
McQueen, James
Miller, Wilmot
Mowat, Alex.
Neal, [Rev.]
Norval, [Mr.]
Richardson, R.
Rutherford, W. W.
Ryan, Major
Smith, Chas.
Smith, John
Spain, Capt.
Stearn, John
Stowe, Major
Wisner, Capt.
Wood, Rev.