Gillies Township District of Thunder Bay Province of Ontario Gillies Township was surveyed in 1885, is practically six miles square and contains lots (21, 863) & mining locations (1,417) for a total of 23, 280 acres. Bounded on all sides by townships. O'Connor on the north, Scoble on the east, Pearson south and Lybster west. Rocky hilly terrain with one river, the Whitefish, flowing diagonally across from west to north. Opened for location although mining claims had been staked as early as 1885 and some have changed ownerships eight times. Found one mining location that had transactions eighteen timed since 1885. In the early days & when settlement was sparse the main occupation was lumbering, Logs, railway ties and full wood being cut and mostly shipped to the towns of Port Arthur and Fort William by rail, on the P.A.D. & W. Ry. As in every new settlement, roads were few and poor and too avoid too many culverts and corduroy's, meandering in any direction on the higher ground. Came out sometime to the intended place. Cordory was made by laying long poles parallel with the road and then laying shorter poles crossways upon those, used to cover low soft ground. Here the going was extra rough, for travel was by wagon in summer or else we walked. "On Shanks ponies??. ( Shanks are legs so shank's pony/ponies means walking ) As land was being cleared of the brush, grass see was scattered among the stumps to provide fodder for the cow the settler hoped to purchase. Horses were scarce and farm machinery more so. Hay was cut with a scythe, raked with a hand rake. In one instance, taken on a wheel barrow to a place where it was stacked. Usually the first crops of grain were cut with a cradle and bound by hand with bands of grain. Thrashed by a flail. When the pioneering home steader produced more butter than needed for the family use, it was taken to the general store in a roll and sold by the merchant in what ever size piece required, or as near as could be guessed. (Unlikely -Every store had a set of scales, if it had nothing else) Being of rocky formation, there was considerable prospecting in the early days with at least one mine. The Badger, in our township Silver was mined there as also in the Beaver, Porcupine and Rabbit Mines in O'Connor Township. The Lost Treasure workings have been thought to be in Gillies township. Stage coach from Port Arthur at the Lakehead, through Gillies Twp to Silver Mountain to the west, had a halfway house where horses were changed, perhaps passengers were fed. The building situated on the N1/2, N1/2 lot 6, concession 5 was large enough to accommodate as many persons as stage-coach could carry. Perhaps there were many times when all stayed there over night or even days in case of bad weather. The Silver Mountain road as it was then called passed between the house and the stables. The place was known as the Half-Way House until it was destroyed by fire. The Whitefish River flows through Gillies township from west diagonally north. Log drives were common in the spring of each year and river drivers were always hoping for plenty of water. Pioneers caught much fish in the spring, even making nets to take suckers, mullet and pickerel. Many were salted and smoked for as long as they could be kept. Moose, deer, partridge, prairie hen (until it became extinct), rabbits, wild geese and duck, speckled trout and white fish all supplied food for the pioneers. A moose hunt was an annual affair, something the fathers and older sons looked forward to for half the year and swapped yarns about all the years & years & years ago. The preparations and gathering of gear for those annual outings. It was a great day for the hunters. They came home with the equivalent of the winters beef too. There was a moose wallow on Uncle Jimmy Couch's lot N1/2 lot 4, concession 1 Gillies. 1899. On the Old Pee Dee started at Port Arthur at 9 a.m. Arrived at Murdock Siding (Now Hymers) at 5 p.m. Brush scrubbing the sides of the cars nearly all the way. Passengers rode in the caboose and as a special concession to the children, the conductor let them climb up into the cupola to look out. The writer remembers vividly that wearisome eight hour ride before she was six years old. At the above date, the mail for Gillies and part of O'Connor came from Beaver Mines. It was brought here by any person who went after it. Stage-coach carried it to beaver Mines from Murillo. After the meeting was held to give the hamlet ( to see what it could be called) a name the mail came to Hymers. On the Pee Dee? Must have been that. Gillies Township was organized into a Corporation 31 May 1920 by Judge Hugh O'Leary at Port Arthur. Population of Gillies at that date was around 442. First meeting of the newly formed corporation was held at Hymers in the Orange Hall January 10th 1921. The Declaration of Office was taken by Arthur Hayward, Wm Mitchell, Albert Parker, Wm, Edwards in presence of the Reeve Charles Prouty who had previously signed the Declaration of Office in the presence of Mr. Wm Jordan, J.P. Motion A. Hayward & Wm Mitchell that W.G. Williams be appointed for office of township clerk. Carried. Mr. Williams given Dec.of Office by Reeve Motion A. Hayward & Wm. Mitchell, that Mr. G.E. Hymers be appointed treasurer. Carried. Mr. Hymers signed the Dec. of Office. Motion Albert Parker & A. Hayward, Clarence Prouty be appointed auditor for Council. H.P. Sisson tendered office as treasurers Auditor and accepted. Motion A. Hayward & Wm. Mitchell that Wm Jordan be appointed assessor for 1921. Signed Declaration of Office before Reeve Schools 1901. The first opened in the fall with Elizabeth Roberts, a young lady from Port Arthur as teacher. The School was public, in the union section of a part of each township, Gillies and O'Connor. The School house was built of lumber, windows and door taken from a building at the Beaver Mine. Benches were made for seating the pupils until proper school desks could be supplied. Heated by a large box stove on cold winter mornings, the pupils sat or stood about the stove to study lessons. Always a lesson that required no immediate writing as we wrote on slates. Pupils took turns carrying the water from a creek if it was clean water, or from a well in the hamlet of Hymers. Public Schools Immediately after O'Connor became an organized township, (became an organized township Jan 1, 1907) the Union Public School Section was dissolved. The portion of Gillies or perhaps it would be better to say "a" portion was named No. 2. A large frame school house was erected on R.157 in Concession 6. This school burned in April 1931. Up to that date pupils in the south part of the sections had so far to walk; a van (is a big box or wagonon a sleigh ) drawn by horses had been in operation for a few years but was unsatisfactory. Before anything could be done about building a new school, the rate payers in the south part of the School section insisted on dividing old Public School Section No. 2. Children could not walk nine and ten miles a day. Transportation was not satisfactory; so the School Inspector Mr. L. J. Williams attended the ratepayers meeting to see fair play and composed the resolution that divided the old No. 2 section. On July 4th, 1931 Gillies Council passed By-Law No. 62 on the same resolution the Inspector had submitted to the ratepayers. Making a new section No. 2 -5th Concession and The other No. 4 - Hymers Churches 1899- Protestant Church services were held at the settler's homes in the young community. Whenever the Minister from Murillo, Mr. Wooton would come here. Then in the large upper room at Mr. Geo. E. Hymers boarding house. After the Public School was built in 1901 part of the services were held there. 1900-Subscription for the church was $62.75 but in the collection plate was $6.52 from Feb 10/1900 to May 12/1900. 1901-St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was dedicated by the Reverend Mr. Murray, Port Arthur, on June 26th, 1904. (could be 1901) Built on the lot that was bought and paid for by Mrs. Wm. H. Jordan, some of the members of the congregation working twenty-two days. The writers father having done so. At that time we had a resident Minister stationed here. A manse was built on the property near the church for their use and there were other resident ministers. Mr. Jas. R. Grant was ordained here by the Rev. Mr. Murray from Port Arthur Presbyterian Church. The manse burned in 19__. The church was made United in 19__. The Anglicans erected the Church of the Advent on the north west corner of the Sisson farm in 19__. With so large a congregation there was a resident minister stationed here, followed by a second, yet it is regrettable that as the elder members passed away and the others moved elsewhere, the church property had been sold. St. Phillips Roman Catholic Church was built in (1930) Cemeteries Sept 11th, 1900. meeting of the Burying Ground Society. Meeting was called to order by chairman J.J. Welsh. Submission & Conditions of the purchase of site, made by Mr. Hahn, the owner of the site. Moved and supported that we, the undersigned company purchase this site from Mr. Hahn at the rate of $5.00 per acre Motioned carried. This society is to be known as the Pine Grove Burying Ground Society. Mr. N. Hahn Mr. J.J. Welsh Mr. Geo. Hymers Mr. M. Couch Mr. Wm. Jordan Mr. Jacob Turk Mr. Albert Parker Mr. Alex Brown Jr. Mr. Alex Brown Sr. Mr. George A. Newberry Mr. G. H (McILmoil) Mr. Lonzo Sutherland Mr. Arthur Sitch Mr. Malcolm Brown Mr. Isaac Turk Mr. Duncan Brown Mr. Manford Woodbeck Mr. Baruck Woodbeck Mr. Donald McColl Sr. The Pine Grove Cemetery is situated on the N.E. Corner N1/2 Lot 6, Concession 5, Gillies Twp. The first person interred was Mr. Wesley Newberry who died at Badger Mines, August or September 1900. Mr. Newberry came from Loon Lake near Apsley, Ont. May 6th, 1900. This cemetery was abandoned in 191___(perhaps Feb 1933, last burial was of Fred Yurick) as being unsafe for use because of a fearful stench in the earth when later graves were dug. The Riverside Cemetery on S1/2 Lot 7 Concession 6 was bought from Mr. Alex Brown Jr.(Established 1911) First person interred there (that the author remembers)was the infant son of Mr. And Mrs. J.C. Hymers 19___(Death reg. gives date as Jan 30, 1913). According to the cemetery records & death Registrations, there were previous burials before this date. Halls August 25, 1903. the Orange Lodge was formed. The Early meetings were held in the Old Red "Union Public school" at 50 cents per meeting. A building committee was appointed Feb 6th, 1904 composed of the following members John Whittaker Alonzo B. Sutherland Wm Jordan J.S. Stirret J.J. Welsh June 13th, 1904. Charlie Shaw, a carpenter was appointed to superintend work done by members. September 1904. The Building was completed sufficiently to hold meetings there. It was also rented for 50 cents a meeting. The ladies Aid holding their first bazaar there. The early community grew up around the Presbyterian Church, the Public school and the Orange Hall. Picnics and celebrations were either held around the hall or in Robt. Hymers field, Lot S1./2 8, concession 1, O'Connor twsp. One Sunday school picnic was held across the river behind the manse. The first exhibit of Whitefish Valley Agricultural Society was held in the Orange Hall fall of 1912. The hall was packed with exhibits and the grounds with people. Enthusiasm ran so high that in spite of a steady drizzle of rain, the fair was completely successful. Elections were held there as were entertainments. Showers for Brides. Municipal meetings, church services, even school was held in this hall after the first No. 2 School burned in 1931. Stores 1900. Mr. Walter Sitch had a store in the community 1900. Mr. Alex Brown Sr. and family arrived at what is now Hymers, starting the 1rst store which had been in continuous operation until Christmas night 1955. Six different owners. Some remodeling and an addition to the building. A general store had been in business on Lot 8, Plan M17 for 54 years. 1904. Old Crofts store was built on Lot 1 Plan M17 or perhaps it was owned by Jim Arthurs who took over. Next operated by George Williams then G. E. Hymers. It was razed by fire in 1931. A bank & Sutherlands store on the corner of Main St, Hymers Confectionary in the same building years later and occupied by Peter Kilchuk when it burned. Now we have Lennox General Store and Connell's Confectionary (Sold 1961) 1899 or earlier a saw mill owned by a Mr. Judd was located on the N1/2 lot 7, concession 6 1902 Mr. John Stirret and family moved into the settlement bringing a sawmill and I believe they brought the upper and lower stones of a grist mill, lying here-abouts 1904. Mr. Archie Bishop bought Mr. Stirrett's mill. Mr. Stirrett immediately set up another one a few rods away and both were very busy. In October 1906 the first telephone system was installed by a local company that had an agreement to put their line on the railway co. poles. The Womens Institute and farmers Club jointly under took to build a hall on Lot 10 Plan M 17 in 1912 & 1913. Success crowned their efforts and many and varied gatherings were held there. The Farmers Club disbanded in _______ and the W.I. carried on alone. W.V.A.S held their exhibit in the W.I. Hall before moving into their own building on N1/2 lot 8, concession 6, Gillies. W.I. Hall burned after a dance. Cause of fire unknown In 1915 the Whitefish Valley Agricultural Society hall was ready for the first exhibit. Special trains were chartered to bring people to the fair in the early years. Reprinted courtesy of Linda Turk & Hymers Museum ."