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MEMOIRS OF GEORGE AND PIKEBE W ARNICA PIONEERS OF INNISFIL rRBPARED BY TWKIK ORANDHON, ANDREW FREDERICK HUNTER, B.A., EDITOR AND P'JBLISHKK OF fHK BAKItlK KXAMINKR, FOR rniVATE GIIiVULATIOS AMONGST rUElli DESOhh\UA,S'TS. baurjp:, ont. : Thk BAnaiK Exam.nkk Pkimino and Phbilshin*; Huc.^k. 1891. G FOR I MEMOIRS V OP GEORGE AND PH(EBE WARNICA PIONEERS OF INNISFIL. I'RKPAKED By TUfilB QRANDSON,- ANDREVV FREDERICK HUNTER. B.A., Et.ITOR AM, PUBMSHER OF mK'BAKniK KXAMiNKB. FOR PmVATE CIRCULATION AMONGST THEIU DESCENDANTS. BARRIE, ONT. : Thk Baiikis Examiner Pkinting and PuBusnixo Hocsr. • 1891. VORIiECTIONS TO BE MADE. Pagk 9.— Linos 2 and 5. For ' Dutch' read 'aorman.' Hor ancostoi-a were not nativos of Holland. 13.— Line 6. For ' Ponotanguishene' read' the head of Kempenfeldt Lay. It IS asserted that Garrett Malloy had a h)atilry at Bradford at the time. ' " 14.— Line 12 in sec. 3. For 'Thorn' read ' Thorne.' " 22.— " 7. For 'Thorn' read 'Thorne.' 26. - "30. Omit the words ' Rev. John S. Clark made his home with us for eight months,' which does not appear to he correct. 200 copies printed. MEMOIRS OF GEORGE AND PHCP:re WARNICA PIONEERS OF INNISFIL. BY THEIK GRANDSON, A. F. HUNTER. b.A., BARRIK, ONT.. CANADA. I m INTRODUCTION. N the hope of conrncinoratin!4 the Uves of two pioneers of the Canadian forests, these pages have been written. After the death of Mr. Warnica in 1886, a brief memoir of his hTe was issued in pam- the present writer, but it did not all that was of interest in the his- ily. It was resolved then to retain issue another memoir when his ic. Most of the information in present pamphlet was in our possession at the time of his death, but was reserved for the future undertak- ing, which now appears. ^ 'fOf .fO* 'Mt- ««» fV^- ',0» 40*' i«« M^ ^ttf CHAPTER I. THE PARENTAGE, YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD OF GEORGE FREDERICK WARNICA. I. — HIB PARENTS. I EORGE FREDERICK WARNICA, the second of a family of four sons, was born in Salina, New York State, on the 20th of September, 1808. ^pj His patents, before their marriage at this place in 1806, had both passed ^ through some uncommon experiences, as will appear from the few facts about them that have been handed down. Many events of their lives are, accordingly, worthy of beinp related, especially so in the case of his father, G'3orge Frederick Hanning Wainica, a Dane, who will be the subject of our first remarks. The spelling of the name *' Warnica" requires a passing notioc. The Danish form of it was Werneck (pronounced ' V'arnick') ; but when he left Denmark and finally settled down in a country where the English language was used, the spelling became "Warnick." This is the form always re- tained by John, the eldest of his family ; but the other sons, including George, modified it still further into '• Warnica," which name now design- ates a numerous line of descendants. In regard to the year of his birth, Pome difficulty has also arisen. The inscription upon his gravestone in Barrie states that he died August 1st, 1847, aged 87 years. It would thus appear that he was born in the year 1760; another traditional account makes it 1770; while the announcement of his death in the Barrie "Magnet"' at thetiim; states that his age at denth was 83, as a consequence ot which the year of his birth would he 17G4. The latter date is likely to be the more correct, as his age at marriage in 180G has been always mentioned in family tradition as forty-two yeard. fllS FATHERS EARLY LIFE. It is v..jreforo possible to ftflfirm with somothing like accurttcy, that George Frederick IF.anninij W'>rriock, the ancestor of the family, Wi> 'torn in thn diatrict of Holatein, Denmark, in or about tlie y» ir 1764. }!•' was the third son in a family that was possessed of consitlerable wealth. \Vhen he became tighteen years of Agf, lie luft his native country of Denmark and travelled for four years in company with a jjentleman of means, neither of them boinj{ limitetl in their Expenses for the comforts or even the luxuries of life. In their travels these two visitea Sj'ain, Portujjal and several tropical countries, and were in fact visitors- to many lands. Then they returned to Den;.".ark where young Werncck spent a tew more yeais. When he arrived at old age, like many people advanced m years, he often took {)leasure in ndatin^ the exploits of his early life, so that many still living have heard from his lips the incidents of hi" evtsntful career. One of vtiese events, which ^'^ particularly aniiisin;j; and which l\ap|»ened dur- ing his .second sojourn in Denmark, [exhib.ts in a lemarkable mantier the iruj»etuo.-ind with 1 -ss regard for money than for his own injured feelings, counted out a second forty shillings. Th^ purpose of this second payment was not evident at fiist, but soon became so; for while the judge was counting tli<' money, he received a severe blow upon the head, dealt by VVerneck's fist, in consequence of whic'i His Honor rolled over upon the Hour. Consider- able excitement in and about court followed and policmnen were called in ; but in spite of the noise and confusion, it was evident that the young niiiii with injured feelings, who ha^l indicted the blow, had already paid the penalty. This strange event, which happened a century ago, demonstrates the excessive sensitiveness of his teniMeranient. During this, his secouil stay in Denmark, his mother died. Some time afterwards ho embarked again upon another voyage, not to return to his native country until half a centuiy had pas.sed, as will be seen further/on. Hi^ travelling was continued until ho was over forty years of a,e, having lasted from his eighteenth year, making a total of about twenty-two years. During this period he visited at least three fourths of the globe. A iemarkai)le event occurred during one of his voyages. It is super- stition, though it was believed by him. Onco while passing s )me rocks that rose out of the sei* near islands inhabited onl / by sea-fowl, the attention of the ship's crew was called to a group of meimaid.". Whatever the creatures were that he saw on this occasion*, they made a lasting impression upon ^^So iU and walruses are the Kupp<'8ed origin of luertnaid stories. 8 EXPERIENCES JN THE ST A TES his memory, as he often spoke of thorn iu his later yeurs. When the'vessel drew near the plaoe where they were, he resolved to dhoot one to learn the real nature of the mysterious being, ana raised his gun for that purpose, but was prevented in the act by the Captain of the f hip, who explained the imprudence of the course he was about to pursue. Amongst sailors there was a superstition that the slaughter of one of thf se beautiful little crea^ turea brought upon the ship a sad end ; another *,radition made their ap- Clearance take place just before a great storm. The gun was taken down, jiowever, and the ship was saved. By almost constant travelling for twenty-tv o years, his financial re- sources, which had been large at first, began to fail. His capital, however, still amounted to about two thousand dollars ; bu'. it becamo more and moie evident to him that hi.s travels must soon come to an end. IMeasurn had been his chief objeot in travelling, and it hari rendered him useless in practical life. He had acquired the art of makijg himself interesting in all sorts of company ; he was a skilled musician and could play on a variety of musical ius^trumtnts, including the flute and the fiddle. But ail these ac- complishments were of iittle avail when he was forced to face the grave pro- blem of earning hia daily bread. Under these circumstances he alighted from his long rambles at Philadelphia about th»< year 1804 and cast about] to find employment of some kind. With the moaey he still had he bought a horse, a pedlar's van, and a supply of goods, and set forth to make his liv- ing or perhaps hi?, fortune. But all hopes pro/ed vain ; as a pedlai' he was a failure, and became almo.'^t reduced to pover'^y. What a contrast his con- dition now was to that in which his life had begun ! Too independent to return to Denmark and impose himself upon his friends there, he wandered up and down for some time land finally settle.i at Salina in New York State. Here he took rt house and afterwards inanind a widow by the mimo of Myor.* ; she had kept house for him for some tiniei before this. Their marriage was solemnized by .Magistrate Kinhey, who wili be nxentioned latei, and it '...ok place wlien Wornuuk was forty-two years of age ; this wduld bi* al)out the year 1 806. Widow ^Tyers already had a family of three sons* by her first husbandj *Their namea weiQ I'eter, Leonard and David. Adjoining Halina wu8 Onon- daj(a Luke, a Bmall sheet of water around which a carriage road ran, and at tht oppoBite bide of the lake stood the town of Liverpool. In the latter plaoe, P^ter Myors spent his life, having married a widow with one child. He v^na a blaoksmitli— a good iradcHman, but indclent. His ohief work was to inako and repair potash Uottlns for the suit werks near at hand. When visited by his half-biothors John and George, in 182!), some men brought two kettles to him to be repaired, and with diflioulty per- suaded him to work while they wore his guests. His fee was two dollars p«r ktttle, at which price it was pobsi'jje for him to have become rich. He has been spoken of iu very good terms. Leonard, th-j sQOond son, at the death of his father, had been adopted by a wealthy I'resbyterian. When the latter died, he left all his property tu Leonard, who removed to one of the new Western Statos. Theve he invested his capital in a distillery and nulls on an exteasivo sualo, whiuh before louji werri destroyed by tire, the loss rfsultiiig in his tinanoial ruin, and himself and family narrowly eHoapiug with their lives from the conflagration, Daviil, the third son, removed to Canada and ipent the groatet part of hw life at Stroud, whero he kept a tavern in the uui ly days. HIS MARRIAGE AT SALINA, N. Y. 9 and her life up to this time had been us remarkable as Werneck's. Her maiden name was Catherine Wolfe, and she was of Dutch descent. Her parents had come from Europe at an early date and had settled beside the Mohawk River, where si. -.• was boru. The valley of the Mohawk was chiefly settled by Dutch and their descendonts. In this valley the Wolfes lived, theif farm bordering upon those of their countrymen. In (Jctober, 1780, diH'ing the Kevolutionary War, che Mohawk valley wa.s desolated by IiKliaus and horrible atrocities committed on the peaceable inhabitants The peaceful settlement in which the Wolfes lived suifered devastation at the hands of the Mohawk Indians, and i^reat numbers of the defenseless inhabitants were slain. The parents of Catherine Wolfe, and likewise her grandparents, who lived in the same neighborhood Tell in this massacre, the murderous Indians bursting with tojuahawks upon them when at work in the haytield, and in a very short time slaying their defenseless victims. As Indians always do, they took the scalps from the unfortunate creatures they had killed. Catherine Wolfe was a child but two years old when this fatal calamity befeU her people. She had just been laid in bed before the advent of the bloodthirsty Indians, and when they scoured the premises for their victims, she was fortunately overlooked. On this occasion the Indians had left her grandmother for slain, having taken away her snalp, and, as they thought, had killed her outright. But she revived and lived for about twelve years after this, by which time her lucky little granddaughter had grown up to childhood and was able to realize the misfortune that had be- fallen her friends, and al.so the pitiful appearance of her grandmother's scalpless head — a sight that made a lasting impression upon her mind, and which she clearly remembered until her death in 1838. Just how many sisters and brothers she^ had is not exactly known at this da\, but two of her sisters 'isfiaped besides herself from the fatal massacre in which their parents perished ; and it is possible that others of the family made their escape also, of whom there is now no record. After this sad event, the tiiree young sisters W!;re removed to Salt Point, the name of which was changed iu later years lo Salina, now a place of considerable importance on account of its salt wells. In course of time all three sisters married there. The two elder ones became the wives of Mt)hawker8,* and remained at Salina permanently. Catherine, the youngest, first married Myers, and then G. F. H. Warnica, who had now brought his travels to an end. By this marriage she had a family of tour sons — John, George Frederick, Joseph and William. *One became the wife of a man namei Kinney, a magistiato and officer of aome kind. When viaited by .Tohu and George in 182t), their sou had grown up to early manhood and had charge of a grocery store. The other married a laboring man named Helnier, whom tho brothers did not see i,u 1829. He is ! drew near, bang went the musket be- side it, clouds of snowjlew into the uir and nothins could be seen ; while the *'dingledy, dingledy," of the cow-bell soon grew fainter and fainter in the distance. TiiH backward condition of Upper Canada as they found it in 1815, was a subject on which George Warnica talked with great jileasure in his laanied 8tHinm to Innistil to do settlement duty on this land. Unco while they were goii;};; home the^ wine caui(lit in a severe storm on Lake Simcoe. Their boa.t was driCtoil oil" to wards Georgiana Island, and when near Ihat place it taej^au to till with water. Young (reor^e jumped overboard into the water and by hard work brougiit the boat to the shore ard savncl the lives of Lis father and Stanim. They always said in alt^r yoars that hn had rescuotl them from a watery grave. Hu disgusted and Irighteued was Stamm on ti.is occasion with the difficulties and dangers of the trip to his luuishl farm, that for a small suui he disposed of it to Warnica and never afterwards returned to it. Thus the Warnicas came into posse-ssion ot a bush farm in Innistil, to which tliey permanently removed hum Maikham in March, 1825, The testimony of all is conclusive as to this date, and alsu that they bad been backwards and forwards tor two years before this time, doing settlement duty. The hardships which they experienoed in reaching their forest home ovpj" the ice ot Kempenfeldt Hay, and tlirough the deep snow to their land are incredible. Nu other settler lived ueaier than Davui Soules »t Big Hav Point, six miles away. The route by which they reached it was up Yonge Street to Koache's Pojnt, whence the remainder of the journey was made on the ice by way of B\'z bay Point. 'J he family were moved up by Fred tjjuantz, one of the Berczy settlers of Markhan>. Where Toileudal of the present stands, they had to leave part of their loads owing to the depth of the snow and return for it. Tueir oxen had a dilHcult undertiking to wade through the deep snow v.'ith a small quantity of lumber to build a cov- ering for the auiumls. Their h"st c bin was at the uorth-westeru corner of their lot, and not lar from the Tollt lulal Creek up which they came. A large willow tree in recent years stands at the site of their hrst abode, a small log house iu the midst of a cleared patch of ground, near Painswick. After seitlcmtnr they wwre actively employed in clearing the forest on their fajui, aud raising u crop of wheat. To get their gram ground into flour it was necessary to take it to Tyson's R^'d Mills at Holland Landing. This place was al)out thiity miles distant, but was the n»;l the two eldest sons, John and George, left home early in the morning witn a grist, b)und for- Holhnd Landing. The journey was made through Lake Simcoe in a row bo-it. They had h'ld their grist ground and were on their way back, intentling to reach home that night if they could. But about; nine o'clock in the evening when near JJe Giassi Point they were overtaken bv a rainstorm and forced to seek shelter on land to save their *The patent deed of this farm wAf isanecl to .Stamin by the Crown, July 13ih, 1825, the -ettlemmil duty tiavimj Ixitm duly ^jerfoiniod by tljat time. Althou^ii it WHS Qut ibsiied till l^ii,')— atter \Vaiiiiu.i« luid kuctled upon the land— the lot had been tHkon up twii yuarH beiore tins, vi/... ia 18°2H. Jolia 8^ .iiu'ii duud tra,ii»ferrmg tlio luuil to VVanncii was made Outobor I9th. lS23, the price pnul for theMOO aor»« heiug £10. 12 THEIR PIONEER OCCUPATIONS. flour from destruction. Doubling the Point they put on shore* in the ad- joining covo. A troop of hun^^ry Indian dogs saluted them upon landing by loud bai'kinj,', frc a which they knew that Indian camps were there. The Indians had rel/i-ed within tl.air wigwams ; but upon their arrival one old fellow crawled out of his quarters and invited them in to pass the night. They consented, and after the flour had been secured from the drizzling rain by covering thj boat over it on the shore, they followei the Indian to his wigwam. Each one was given a blanket, and after wrapping themselves the members of the Indian's wigwam. Returning, as they were, auiongst up, and stretcliing around the fire family, they passed the night in his from a trading establishment, they had a quantity of tobacco, with some of which the old Indian's hospitality was repaid in the morning. He was de- lighted with the tobacco, and when they left the encampment he gave the father two ducks recently shot, one for himself and the other for his wife at home. About this time, traffic over the Nine Mile Portage from the head of Keni})enfeldt Bay to Willow Creek was abundant, and gave employment to the settlers with their teams. With his yoke of oxen, George and his brothers often hauled goods across this Portage. - They lived but four miles from the eastern end of the Portage ; they frequently found employment in that way as the four suns were now growing up to manhood and some of them were obliged to iind work away from home. Their mother who was a thrifty and tidy person made some of the clothing worn by her sons from Hax, grown and manufactured at home. For a time, George possessed but a. single shirt, one uiade from this home- made linen. Often he would lie in bed over night while this one was being washed, and on rising in the ;::orning would find it again ready for use. Such was roughing it in the bush in early times ! About the time ot their arrival in Innisfil a movement was on foot anions; the settlers of the Peiietanguishene di?)veinment at York for the King's deeds of the farms, and so the promise lapsed. Land, too, was of little value then. *Theae facts of his tragic end wer« learned by a letter from one of his daughters about 18S0. ^ ...UJUIXJ' Id END OF THE WA YSIDE INN. 5 • John CarnUhers, a travelling catpchis*'. of the early Presbyterian Churclj, usod soinotiniea to lodge at the Wai'uica Fnn o»i his nortliem traveln, and has left brief notices of thesM visits in his Retrospect. On a journey north waid in 1832 he writes in his jourmtl : VVedncsflay, 26th July.— Lorii^ed for f;h*e niyht at Wurnica's Inn, a Dane from Ooponhayen ; he apeakn Eiii;li'«h in a tolt^r^hle way — has a good address, and no doubt has f)ften administHred to the nfOHssiiy and comfort of the weary traveller in the foreRt, with or without pay. More of my kind hoat^ next jour- ney. On his return south from the military post at Penetanguishene, where he had been, he writes ; Mondiiy, 6th August. — Took my course south to Lake Simcop, then rounded K.dmponfoldt \i>^y — ^nd ni-dit coming on, 1 harl nqam to iod^a i»t Warnica'a Inn. Returnins; from a second visit to Penetanguishene in the following spring, Carruthers writes : Wednesday, 20th Mnrch. 1833. — Grossed KempenfeUlt Bay into the Town- ship of Innistil, and delivered an exhortation at Warnica'a Inn. His wife was very sick and not likely to rtoover. t)ur prayers vvere earnest in her behalf. Mis. Warnica did recover on that occasion. Sir Richard H. Bonny- castle, in his book, The Cunadas in 1841, makes a casual reference to VVar- nica's Inn. Speaking of the Main roatj he says: "The road goes along the waterside of KempenfeMt B ly ; and, indeed, you travel throu;?h the water, in some seasons, to Varneek's tavern, four miles ; then to Clnmeut's, ten miles." Bonnycastle made this journey in July, 1835. No doubt many such references to the Warnica Ini;i occur in the wiitings of early travellers through Innisfil. The little log house which they had built upon their fust arrival in In- nisfil and which they had used as an Inn for travellers whs soon succeeded by a larger hewed log house. The latter was built in the tail of 1831 near the site of the large house at Painswick, lately occupied by \)r. Armstrong. To help his father in its erection George came from Thornhill and spent two weeks at the old homestead. Tins second inn was at the fork of the Main Road, the site having been chosen where travel along both branches would puss it. Here the old man unfortuiiately tell into tippling and drink- ing habits, and got into financial difficulties. For a debt he owed, he con- veyed in 1835 his interest in the farm, to William C. IJos.*^ a wine and spirit merchant of Toronto for <£500 (svi tlio deed asserts) and never appears to have acquired any interest in the property afterw.uds. Fie wms then coin- pellod to leave the house by being sheriffed out at a time when his wife lav sick in bed, whom notwithstanding hfu- feeble condition the sherifi''s officers carried out in the bed into the public liighway. The debt which he owed is yaid by descendents of the family to have been about S250 — an amount much loss than the value of the property. A mm from Toronto, either the creditor or one who had bought the farm, came and by a stroke of policy persuaded John, the eldest son, to sign over his clain), and henceforth all proprietorship of the farm was at an end so far as the Warnicas were con- cerned. In those days the laws of entail gave a claim upon the estate to the eldest s.n, and thus John's signature was a necessary step before the farm passed out of their hands. DESMAJIK REVISITED. 17 After Una t,h«i old tolks removed to a houue near the present Village of Stroud oil its north side. Here thny continued to live until the death of the mother on 24tli Sopteraber, 1838.* lier remuins were laid tit rest in the old Episcopal burial j^round in Buirie. Old Mr. Warnicii afterwurda uiiirried a woman in jMiirklnuu, the widow of Captain Sheatz, an officer who had served in the war of 1812-lr». For aome cause or other he did not re- main lonf^ with her. Owing to their separation he deciiled to return to hiH native Denmark and spend the remainder of his life with his friends there. This design wns rather imprudent, for he had been absent nearly half a century without receiving any word in the meantime of what had been tcauHpiring. Similar mistakes liave been made fre(juently by emi- gi!«nt,8 expecting to find the state of affairs in their mother country little changed from what they were at their departure. He expected to livo comfortably with his surviving friend-s on the property upon which he considered he had a just claim. In this frame of mind he made his depar- ture for Denmark. In September, 1842, he took passage in the ship JStepha7ti from Nevf York to Hamburg, and for the passage (l$24) he hypo- thecated his claim upon the Jot in Inniftil of which he had been deprived a few years before. The claim was of no value ; it was, however, accepted by the owner of the ship, Mr. Robt. M. Sloman. All Warnica's hopes of spending the evening of his life in Denmark proved vain. On his arrival there he found none of his relatives alive, except one nephew who was very poor. [Another account states that he found only two youngraen ot his name, and these were entirely ignorant of their ancestors.] His native district was dilapidated almost beyond recognitiou, and he after wards described it as the lo)iesomest place he ever saw. The district had been ravaged by war in his absence, and the estates of his family had been confiscated. < ving to this condition of affairs he found himself in an awk- ward predicaniuat, for he had not brought enough money to return to his fanuly in Canndn, and it would take a lung time to couununicate between the two countries in those days. He was essentially in a foreign land with- out a friend, and his position was such as to retpure immediate attention. Accordingly lie was obliged to apply for charitable assistance to his native jjaiish upon which he had a just claim according to the Danish laws. Thus his life, begun in wealth, ended in dependenre. The parish otlicials de- cided to send him back to America rather than maintain him in J)enmark, and so paid jjts pas^iage to ^'ew York, where he airiveil, but ho could pro- ceed no further ihiough lack of funds. He could not write English, but se- cured there someone to write for him a Ibttur to his sons in Canada asking for money to bring him to Innistil ; none of them were in a position just at the time to render him any assistance. This letter mentioned thit in liis possession were' valuable papers --doubtlessly referring to the laud claim papers wiih the ship owner. Fortunately he had been a member of the Fseemason fraternity for many yeais, and he applied at the headquarters of thiit order m New York for assi^tanue, which ho duly received. J>y tra- velling from place to place in dependence upon that order, he at last reached Canada, and spent the remainder ol his lite with his son George. At first *0n her gravestone the year ol her death ib incorreutly given as 1843, wm t . 18 CLOSE OF A REMARKABLE LIFE. hifl fiimily were inclined to doijbt thrtt lie hail ever been in Denmark on tlilH occasion, but tijcy becorne finally convinced, as he yuvo very aocnrato d«(- tails of everything n« had seen, and, n)oreov«r, he was naturally of an honest disposition, and would not intentinmilly decoivo them. It ha8 been stated th'it he was a good musician ; notwithstanding this, he never kept a muscal instruinent of his own, his reanon being that such music as tha*-- of the fiddle would lead liis family into undesirable company, so he never gave thorn an opportunity to form a passion for it. Once vhile plav ing the fiddle for a social gathering Mt Mann's in Kempenfeldt he was unfortu- nate enough to stumble and fall with his fiddle. Some one immediately asked if the fiddle was broken, upon wh'ch he hurled the fiddle at the questioner, complaining that the welfare of the liddle was thou^'ht of more consequence than the welfare of the player. This concluded the musical prot;rammo of the occasiim. To the end he retained this extreuudy impetuous disposition. Jn stature he wa? not large, and he is said to have been so bowdeggeii that a wheel barrow could be trundieil beneath him. After his final visit to Denmark, he frequently regretted that ho had lost the proper rhythm and pronunciation of his native Danish tongue, a re.sidt of travelling in so mfiny countries where different Dutch diidects were spoken. On August 1, 1847,* his eventful life came to a close, the last years of which were in striking contrast with the first. He was buried beside his first wife in Barrie. A plain gravestone, now broken down, marks the resting |)liico iu the old Epis^ copal burial ground, of the two who spent such unusually eventful lives. Through neglect, his seconre were, however, descendants in more than fini; branch of this fiimily, as the .subject of this sketch possessed in recent years a photograph of one of her cousins who had passed her life there. The Hortonn belonged to the Presbyterian faith, of which they were staunch adherents ; of Klizabeth it has been said that she was well versed in the fiihle, and nf!ver read other books except perhaps an occasional Now York paper which her daughter Phiubo received before tiie Canadian press came into exicteuce. tThis family consisted of the following members • — Hannah Lyon, born Oct. 17th, 1704. Samuel Sarah Abigail Barnabas Phccbo .luly 7th, 1797. Jan. 24th. 1800. Dec. 13th, IS02. Mar, 7th, 1S05. Aug. IGth, 1S0«. The eldest child, Hannah, lived to be but eighteen months old. 111! EVENTS OF HER YOUTH. >1 an* to John !nyra to .'ineuian You^e nde ho8- n'.r mar- I'iilniyni however, skt'tcli Uor life John Lyon wm the firHt to build a erist tnill in^this Provinoo, or at leant in the miiUand portion of it He alao erected a saw-inill and h dis- tillery which wtiH likewixe the first of ita kind. Thene millH were situated on Yonge 8treet at his farm (lot 33). In their construotion and manane- nient he was assisted in Mome way by Nicholas Miller of the adjoitiing lot (N'o. 34) who was a miller by trade as well as by name. To brin;^ their mills into existence Ihey made a dam on the small creek crossing Yon'^e Street at the place. The neighbors, generally, helped in the wurk. The griHt mill had a capacity of about two bushels por day, and it rosembled a eotloe mill. Tiiis advent of thexe pioneer industries is sketched as follovrs in the *HistoTi/ of York County (page 126) [C. Blaokett Robinson, Publisher, Toronto, 188 — .] In some instances the stutemonts are incorrect, espeoially the fij4ur»i8 : — The firtt gaw-mill in Vaughan was hiiilt in 1801, by John Lyons, who came til CdiiariM from New York Blate in 1704, and after living for a whil« in York (Toronto) settled on lot 32 (should be lit 33) oonceaaion 1, in Markham. The mill wng built on the main branch of thn Don, where it croflses Yonue Street. In 1802 he constrnoiud a nmHil uriRt mill with a dnm over 200 fuHt long and ten feetir. height. The pond WHg ugud to conoeal artiolua takun from tho GJuvern- ment warehouse in York Ht the time the Amerioana were in poaaession of the town, durint, the war of 18)2- The invaders itenerously preaonted the auttlera wirh a quantity of auncnltnnd implementM belonging to the Canidian (iuvern- mont, and when they loft a search was made through the oountrv for theve articlea. Many of the residents in thii locality nonai^^nod their share of the plunder to the Writers of Lyon's Mill Pond for safe-keeptng. John Lyona died in 1814 (ahould have been 1813). and hin miils and other reitl ealato wre purchrtsed by William Purdv. who iidtled u)any improvementa. Hia sons, in con- ni'otion with their cousin William Wright, buiU a tannery and a grist mill. Vhe ' Lyons' mill was afterwards uied as a oardinu: an., fullinc mill. John Lyon belonged to the Light Horsemen during the war of 1812, but waa not in action. He died, August 24th, 1813, and his remains were laid at rest upon his own farm. His executors were Mes-srs, Hoshol and Henson, the surveyor. Benson is said by tnomber.s of the family to have mismanaged while administrating the estate. As widow Lyon whs in com- lortable circumstinces, she was not without suitors, one of whom was one J)ck- • liardt of Markham, bqt she never married again. After a life containing perhaps mure than the ui^ual share of trials, she died in 18.50 and was l)uried in the Thornhill cemetery. Her daughter Phoebe had grown up to womanhood and had married George F. Warnica in 1829 as already stated, retainiuL' distinct memories through life of th« scenes of her childhood, Htid of Toronto in its infancy — *he old Court House and its other celebrated landmarks. •The sarno work (pigfl 118) also tfives the following information, which is, how- ever, inoi>rre'.'C in anme particula>'8 : — "Another early pioneer in the industrie* of Markham wast Nicholas .Vliller, who built the first mill on the Hmnber. Id 1794, Mr. Miller settled on l»t 3.S, couceasion 1, of Markham, and built a small grist mill on a tributary of the Don." Uut again on paice 117, the same book reads :— "On the north half of lot 33, John Lyon bnilt a distillery, in 1810 (?), and ran it for a long time. To the north- ward aji^ain, on the same creek, Nicholas Miller built the first flour mill in the town- ship, in the year 1793. It was an oldfaahioned coffee mdl, on a veiy small scale." The foregoing information is incorrect on various points. John Lyon died shortly after 1810, \i'i.. in 1813, ao that the distillery must have antedated 1810. 1 111! I . I I ! !! M^'i :r^!; ! i; I I CHAPTER III, THE YEARS OF THEIR MARRIED LIFE. |lHE attachment of the brothers, John anJ George, was to great that the tormer felt himself unable to got along without the company of his P brother, and so George was persuaded to leave Thornhiil where he had been working the farm of liis mocher-in law, since his marriage in 1829, and return to Innistil. Here he purchnsed N. i lot lu, concession 12, from the Canada Company, just beside John's farm, and also the south hail' of the same lot from Mr. Thon:. Their removal to Inuishl took place in March, 1832, and on this farm they continued to live until his death in 1886. By slow degreed the district (ieveloped. ^While their family were small the husband had to take various ways to support them. Tlie navy at Peuetanguishene always made a market for farm produce there ; but as a rule it was sold at low prices, and was not sufficiently profitable to make ends meet without doing something besides farming. Accordingly he often made shoes at nights for the neighbors ; and though his work was rough it was weJl thonglit of in a pioneer settjbnient, as these times were long before the days of fashion. There was also much teaminar to bo done. Although the Nino Mile Portage fell into disuse about 1830, as a result of which through tiaffic practically ceased, still there was much local teaming required in a country so youug and just developing. By this means he often found oiicasioi coinmo time. f. Uie Ini own ; "I livim of an ^iitiisfi), 'i the men roll log.j with his hands — I as any other novice would — and to pick up brands and carry them to tho II j H M ! hll ■ I I m\ 24 MORE INCIDENTS OF THEIR BACKWOODS LIFE. logheaps. His dresH consisted of the ordinary Indian biankst. George drove t)ie oxrh, and for sport several times drove them so as to swing the lojjf a<:ainst the old ohap's bare legs, if possible. But these at- tempts, althongh executed with all sei-iousness, failed, as tho aged chief was too active to be so easily caught. Dinner time can:e around at last, and the chi«^f was invited to have sometiiing to eat with the rest of the loggers, to which he readily consented. Amongst other things a large quantity of bread and milk had been prepared for this meal, and the men secretly ag" reed with each other to forego their shares of it and give all to their red- skin guest, in order to see how much an Indian could actually eat. A .lix- quart basinful was first given him, which he consumed with great facility. The basin was filie(i again, and emptied, and again tilled and emptied ; hut towards the close of the proceeJinu's, the. old fellow began to ffar that the undertaking would get the better of him. He triumphed nevertheless, the total quantity oonsumpd bfing upwards of four gallons , but it is iieedless to say that he did no further logging that, day, locomotion in his case being a dithcult task. The old chief's record for eating seems to he unsurpassed. In thoi'e years the uncommon physical strength of George Warnica rendered him of g-.eat service in chopping -iud logging the foi-est, not only on his own farm, but also throughout the neighborhood. He helped to clear much of tho land upon which Bariie is bnili. He had seen a large nuraberoftlie well-known men of early tirn^'s, whose names are familiar to readers of Canadian history. Of Sir John Franklin he a' ways had a distinct recoiled ion, having seen him in lt*^25 on the occasion of his passing through the district. With some of the leading spirits in the Rebellion of '37 he was acquainted. He had never seen Matthews, but had met ^"llllliani Lyon Mackenzie on several occasions. He was per- sonally acquainted with the unfortunate Samuel Lount. Lount was a pros perous blacksmith in the years preceeding the rebellion, in Holland Land- ing, which for many years was the neaiest trading post to the Warnica family. Once while in that village, George was suddenly sli material onncil of iil to con- iety. We iieuda ia Ho continued to represent the Northern Ward in the Innisfil Council until 1853, when he was defeated in tlie election by the late W. 0. Lirtle who had unsuccessfully opposed him till that year. After this he did not actively enfjrt<:;e in municipal affairs. Sometime during his term of office he secured the appointment of Wm. Main of Cherry Creek, to th« [>osition of Township Clotk. Mr. Main was a gunsmith, and in rather needy circumstances. It soon became evident after liis appointment as Clerk that he kept the township accounts in a careless manner, and the one who had secured the office for him was obliged to insist upon his removal. Main was aucceeded in office by Benjamin Ro3s, who letained it for a number of years. (yipu O'Hrion, TNIr. Lolly and others at an early date (about 18.35) wished to have au Episcopdi vn church at Tollendal, so subsoripliona were raispd an l a ''bee" was made for the purpose, attended by many settlers of the neiudiborhood including O. V Wainicn, Nath, Wood and others. While fellina: trees on this occasion Mr. Warnica nearly came by his death from one of the trees fi\lliii!» upon fiim. The men cut timber and built the frame of a lurtre meeting house. This structure was never completed, but the frame ^'■ood uncovered for many yesir.'i. and one piece after another blew away un- til the whole became diniol' hed. When quite youny, G. F. WHrnica joined the Lutheran Church. This body had no appointnieutu in Innisfil, and upon removing thither his con- nection with it lipsed. The .Methodists were the chief missionary visitors to the back woo Is in which they lived after 1832, and hence they became connected with the Methodist Cl.uvoh, and ever remained with it. In the early days, their place of attending church was Barrie, where the Method- ists hid regular pc^aching after 1836. Their house was die boarding place of ministers on the circuit for several years ; and it wa^* also a stopping, phice where many of the transient missionaries and others would stay. Brother Warnica, as he was called in church circles, always had plenty of accommodation for men and their horses, and his hospitality was frefpiently turned to account. Throughout the years of their married life, especially thf'ir earner ones, many ministers came and went, their dwelling being iilways open, with^uit money and without t)rice. AI:out two years before her deiith, Mr.s. Warnica made a list of the Methodist ministers who had either bearded with them or stayed while on visits to the settlement. Mer list is given herewith : — Rev Mr. Berry. .\n early mia.sionarv travollmg to Penetanguishene. Suyefi with us over uifcjht in our shanty, in April, 1832. Rtu- Rdbi^rt Corson (from Mtirkham). Rev, Ezra Adams (Yonge Street), Rev. .I'lUMthMij Sc')tt (fmiM C(dd water. ) Ttiese atayt'd while on misamn tours. R.'V. TluHiiasi McMullen (abou' 18.38.) Lived in Parrie after ho wns mar- lied, but lived with ua b"fore. Rev. Mr. McMulIen jind wife, with Rev. !)(^vrfl, wife and child, came to soo us at, one time. Gave up my own bed to s'lino iif them and slept on the floor. Rov. Wm. Price. The young uian at Barrie in the Centenary year. When !,h(i 0> nte,nary rneeting of tlu) Mfthoib.st Church wa.s held at Kempenfoldt in 1839, we hai^ a^out thirty .stay over night at our house. Rev. Sylvester Hulburt. Succssor to McMullen. B55 26 METIlhOIST MINISTERS OF THEIR ACQUAINTANCE. I' I ! ' :iM ! Was afterwards con- Stay od Rev. Wellincton Jeffers. Made hia home with us nected with the Christian Giiar(lia7i. Rev. J. RicJiardaon. Misaiunary travelliug to Penotaiiguishune. with fatif^UJ'd horse on hia way north. Rev. Henry Rnid, From Notlawaaaga. Raw Michael Fawcett. Rev. John Lever, (1841-3) Rev. Reuben Robinson, Rer. Mr. Clapperton (a " British Methodist.") Amongst other travelling missionaries, white and native, who stayed at various times were : — Rev. Geo. McDonijal!. afterwards a missionary to the North West ; Rev. John Williams (from Penetang Road.) Revs. Wm. and John Ryerson. When Rev. Wm. Ryeraon preached for- merly on Yomze Street. I heard him many a time. Rev. Conrad V-tndusen stayed several days on one occasion. Rev. J. Sawyer. Indian preacher. Rev. W. Herkimer. An In both huuband and wife in eutly years. Amongst stationed ministers there were : — Rev. Horace Green (1844-6 ) Rev. Luther O. Rice tl847-9.) Rev. Lewis Warner (1860-3 ) Rev. John D(.nse (1854-6.) Rev. J. W. Cawthurn. Rev. Sylvester Culbert. Rev. Alex. Campbell. Rev. Andrew Edwards. During the term of the latter, Stroud became a separate congregation ; till this time, both were in the same circnit, having a church in each place. Stroud being nearer after the separation the family regularly attended wor- ship there. Rev. John S. Clark. Made his home with us for eiaht months, part of his term he was stationed with Barrie congregation ; in the with Stroud Rev. Thomas Stobbs. Made hi.s home with us in hia first year, ried next year to Dr. Lachlan Taylor's sister. Rev, Erastofl Eiulburt. Rev. Thomas D. Pearson. Amongst visiting ministers about this period were : — Rev. Lachlan Taylor who made his home with us in the fall of 1862, when he was Hround with his Egyptian mummy, and called my husband his man Friday. Rev. Enoch Wood, President of Conference, who conducted the opening services at Pain.swick. Rev. Stephen Brownell. From Morrison's Corners (now Criighurat.) VVould sometimes stwy at our place on his journeys U> and no. Amongst the ministers of the InnisHl circuit who visited in later years, were • — Rev. Mr. Langford. Rev. Mr. Holmes, Itev. James W. Stewart, Rev. H. S. Matthews, Rev. J W. Totten, Rev. W. L- Scott, and Rev. Wm. Tnornley. The last named of these became more intin)ate with them than any others in their declining yelws, having visited them upwards of eighty t 'tues during his pastorate of three years. A sum of money was loaned on easy terms by Mr. Warnica towards the erectioi\ of the new church at Burrie, 1/1 earlier latter part Was mar- year.-i Foray note cwivti with. credi durini near tery. ships •neuioi THEIR LAST YEARS. 27 Lewis Rev. J&n, mar- jr years, kley. |\an any |ty 1 lilies on easy Bunie, which was opened in March, 1864. He never received the whole sum, bu t forn;ave a portion of it for the assistance of the church. In former times, camp meetings were more frequent than hitterly, and they always took an active interest in these eventf. Dr. and Phoebe Palmer, of'New York, the esteemed publishers and editors of the Guide to Holiness and other periodicals, as well as books, attended one or more of the district camp meetings. During their stay in Canada they spent a short time at the War- nicua' ; and in the writings of Phoebe Piilraer, when alluding to their Cana- dim tour (in Oiiide to Holiness) she refers to the visit and stay at Waraicas'. It will thus appear that their useful connection with the Me- thodist Church extended over a long period. The brick cottiige ia which they spent the largor part of their married lives, was built in 1852. At the time of the construction of the Northein Railway in 1853, the farm of G. F. Warnica was damaged by its passing perh;ips more than any other property on the line from Toronto to Colliaj,'woo(i. To com|)ensrite him for his extra loy.^ he was promised a flag statiou and handcar for his own use, but he would accept no favors at the hands of the railway. He was appointed a magistrate about 1860 and served in this capacity during the remainder of his life. Their Golden Wedding was duly celebrated in 1^79, when a large num- ber of descendants and friends were present. In his later years G. 1*. Warnica ditl uat take an active part in busi- ness, but his earnest activity for the welfare of the township in bygone years deserves to be remembered. He was the last member of his father's fuuiily to survive. He reached the close of his life on Sept. 25th, 1886 The funeral procession on the 28th to the Methodist cemetery at Stroud w.is very large. Rev. Messrs. "thornley and E. W. Mur[)hy conducted the burial ceremony, both speaking in the highest tonus of the deceased. In the later years of Phoebe Warnica's lite she did much nee(,lie-work ; and as to the rpaality of it, the following paragraph from the Aurora " Banner"' of Feb. 4th, 1884, will give some idea : — Mr. Bice, nf this place, hhs shown lis a cap made by an old lady over HO years old. The cap was made by Mrs. Ptiwbe Varueck as a present to Mrs. Forsyth, i)f Uxbiidge, » niece of tho old lady. zVct-onitjanyini the present is a note from the old lady, saymg th6 work was dcme without i^iaases, hnvinj; re- ceived hev second sight. !She also says she can see to thread tho tinest needle without any difficulty. The work itself is a raatvel of neatness, and woujd be a credit to many <^f the young ladies of«the present day. Mrs. Warnica survived her husband until Dec. 3ist, 1890, having lived during her widowhood of four years with her youngest daughter-, Abigail, near Thornto.i. She was buried beside him in the Stroud Methodist Ceme- tery. Tiie lives of these two pioneers contained more than ordinary hard- ships and it is hoped that the precerling brief sketch may tead to keep their men)ory green amongst their descendants in future years. i . ■ i !!