Page 25 - from D.N. MacLennan's History of Grand River

ISSUE : Issue 17

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1977/8/1

'History of Grand River" owned by Alex MacLennan and later by K. A. MacAulay, there was a level piece of ground by a cove and a small brook, where there were seven round patches noticeably greener than the other hay when it was cultivated. I was told that this was Indians' camp? ground and was supposed to be richer from all the eels they used. There is no record of their being any Indians camped there af? ter the white man came. Early Settlers There is very little known today about the first white people to come to Grand River. The earliest that I know of were two who came to fish salmon. They stayed on Finlay- son's interval at the head of the tidewater where there was a ford at the first rapid. Nobody seems to know who they were. One of them had to go away and when he came back he could not find his partner. He asked the Indians and they told him the man went away As they were not very friendly, he left too Years later when the MacAulays on the other side were cultivating their interval, they found what looked like parts of a human with red hair. It was said that this man had red hair. Indian beads were also found there, and a couple of pike heads • boarding pikes used on man-o'-wars. They were sup? posed to be from the Tilbury that was wreck? ed at St. Esprit near Capelin Cove. A coup? le of cannons were washed ashore and the place was called Cannon Point. A large rock offshore is called Tilbury Rock. And on the eastern side at the head of tidewater is a small brook called Irish Brook after an Irishman who,lived there for awhile. His name is not known. There were several families down on the west side who moved away, some to P.E.I, and some to Ontario. Among them was Kenneth MacLennan, who lived on the farm later own? ed by John Matheson and his brother Big John. Young John was married to Margaret MacKay and had a family and land now owned by William MacLennan. Alexander MacKenzie, a brother to the blond tailor, was another who stayed awhile and moved to P.E.I. He lived on the place later owned by John Math? eson. And there was also a Fergusson down that side. Then about 1820-1822 there came more settlers from Loch Elsh and Loch Car- Left. "Carrie Nation," purchased from William MacLeod of L'Ardoise Highlands in 1902. Ta? ken at L'Archeveque. Left to right. Dan MacKillop, Donald John MacKillop, father of Dan. and Kenneth Dan MacKillop, brother of Dan, at the tiller. Right; D.N.MacLennan. 'iist Priz winner of Cape Breton's Magazine Contest in Local History, f

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