Wolfe Island Biographies 11

WARREN CHESTER GODFREY

By Vivian Godfrey Bloom, G-G-G-Grandaughter of Warren Chester Godfrey

Click on photo for larger version
Warren Godfrey and wife Emeline Hinckley
Submitted by Vivian Godfrey Bloom

Warren Chester Godfrey, supposedly born in New York State in 1800, came to Canada in 1812, after arriving on Wolfe Island from a ship coming up the river. It is said that the entire crew was dropped there and left to die of a plague which was rampant that year; thus forbidding ships and crews from stopping along the way. The Hinckley family of Wolfe Island took him in and thus nursed him back to recovery. On April 25, 1823 he married Emeline Hinckley, daughter of Samuel Hinckley 1770-1849, (and Mary Brown, 1771-1845), one of Wolfe Islands first settlers.

In 1835, Warren moved his family to Portland Township, then in 1837 moved on to the Hinchinbrooke Twp., Lots 1 & 3, and is said to have been the first pioneer and settler in the township. In 1846, he petitioned for and built the Portland Road running north through Hinchinbrooke Twp. He then also built part of the Kingston-Perth Road in North Crosby Twp.

In 1855, he was granted the job of overseeing the building of the colonization road, known as the Frontenac Road. As the original surveyor’s marks were becoming hard to find, Warren and an Indian friend set out with four weeks provisions on their backs to blaze out the trail for the road. They returned twenty-four days later having completed the job and had walked more than an estimated one hundred and thirty-some miles over very rough and miserable terrain. His son Chester H. stayed behind to farm the original homestead, while the rest of the family moved north with the building of the road, through Hinchinbrook, Olden, Clarendon, Miller, Palmerston and Canoto Twps. At its completion in 1869, when it reached the Madawaska River, it was sixty-two miles long. Warren had settled his family at a homestead in Mountain Grove in Olden Twp.

Three of Warren’s sons worked with him on the building of the road, Edmund, Coleman and Warren Jr. They had a wagon, two teams of horses, shovels, plows and scrapers. When the trail was passable for the wagon, it was considered a passable road.

In 1861, Warren N. Godfrey petitioned the county that, as they now had enough settlers to run their own affairs, they be allowed to separate from the neighbouring townships and form their own council. In 1862, Warren became the first reeve of Olden Township. Edmund Godfrey was the treasurer, Coleman Godfrey was a fence viewer. The first council meeting was said to have take place around a large stump!

The Godfrey family was very active in the small community life. Around 1860, Warren Godfrey and Hiram Vaness made the first drum for the Orange Lodge #982 and it was used in the very first glorious Orange Celebration, where the parade went from Mountain Grove to Parham. Their first building was a log cabin built at the corner of the cemetery in Mountain Grove. In 1877, the "Prentice Boys Lodge" #29 was organized in Edmund Godfrey’s home. Though not as well known as the Orange Lodge, it was a very busy group, which made much social life here through box socials, dances and various kinds of parties.

The census report of 1871 lists Edmund and Coleman Godfrey as manufacturer’s of mittens, mostly made from home-tanned deerskins. They sold mittens, gloves and moccasins, mostly to the many lumber camps.

Following his death, the Canadian government erected a large monument of polished granite as his tombstone, (Mountain Grove Cemetery) which reads:
"In memory of Warren Godfrey who died February 28, 1881 at the age of 81 years. He located and constructed the Godfrey (Frontenac) Road. Enough honour for the lifetime of any man."

WARREN CHESTER GODFREY
Born: 1798 in New York State - Died: Feb 28, 1881
EMELINE HINCKLEY
Born: Apr. 25, 1802 - Died: April 10, 1884

The Islands: Biographies: Wolfe Island Bio 11