Howe Island People 6

"This is a picture take at St Mary's school SS#1.1949. L-R
Brother Mike, Wilf (myself) and oldest bros. Joe. This picture
was really precious as my Grandmother made our school clothing.
Prior to her getting married to Israel Garrah she was a
seamstress in New York USA."

Thanks to Wilf Garrah for this photo and info!

Garrah Boys- Mike, Wilf & Joe Summer 1944
"This picture is of Lot 9 Howe Island the homestead of Isreal and Margaret (n Leavis) Garrah. The barn has follow down but he shed and house are still standing. The house is clapboard but it's over top of logs. Mary Ann and Bill Dixon now live in the house. I sold it to them in the late 70's. This farm was in the Garrah name from the early to mid 1890's. Dad used the barn for hay up until the early 60's and then it was overcome with wrought, decay etc. The old ruins are still there. My Aunt Evelyn b 1896 and later brothers and sisters were born and raised here. The little SS#2 school, St. Joseph's was on their property just east of the homestead. I've already sent you a photo of a portion of the school and my Grandfather Israel coming out the door. This house had a well dug right in the basement after the house was built years ago. My Dad told me that a man used dynamite to get dug deep down in the well and never disturbed a picture on the wall. In later years when my Aunt Loretta (Ne Quinn) lived there. To get to the basement you had to lift a small trap door by the kitchen stove. This allowed you to get coal, preserves, water etc, from the cellar without going outside. My Aunt Loretta had a hand operated pump installed by the kitchen sink which was a big time saver (automation) as you could pump water directly from the well upstairs. This feature mint that you had to keep a fire going inside all winter so the pump wouldn't freeze. It was not uncommon in those days to let the fire go out at night. My Dad recalled that some mornings when he got out of bed that his head of hair would be covered with frost. Of course most of the time my Grandfather headed off to start the fire at the school. Just a short walk away. I recall us letting the fire go out at the homestead on Lot 4 just down from Cassidy' Point. I got up one morning and my goldfish was frozen solid in the bowl. I waited for the bowl to thaw to free the fish but as it unthawed the fish went into a final roll. Game over. Many a load of hay I helped my Dad put in the barn on the old homestead. It was wonderful as children living with our Grandparents. My Aunt kept her 2 cows in the barn as well when she lived in the house in the early to mid 50's. I'll send you a picture of the House as it was in the 60's but at some point in time they most have covered the outside with clapboards as in the inside all the logs were visible."

Information and photo from Wilf Garrah.

"This picture was taken on Lot 4, My Dad's farm which is older farmhouse on the way to Cassidy's point on Howe Island. The building on the left was used as a storage shed and later a turkey house. In the opening you can see the St. Lawrence River and in the distance is the mainland across from Howe Island. In the photo is L-R my oldest Brother Joe, Clarence Boucher (Gananoque) a friend of my Dad Ira Garrah, Wilf (me) sliding down unto his shoulder and my second oldest Brother Mike. I must have been about 4 or 5 years old at the time and I remember this photo like it was yesterday. Thank God and my Mom & Dad for a good memory. My Mom passed away when I was almost two years old and my Sister was 6 months old. This photo would have been 2-3 years after my Mom passed away August 8th, 1945. My Dad had many friends that helped him out during the summer time. I was too young to remember my Mom but God love my Dad. Our lifetime growing up was always spent with him and certainly moments to cherish. He would remind us quite often that farming was easy but the big job was keeping track of us."

Photo and information from Wilf Garrah

Garrah children
"L-R Brother Mike, Sister Mary, Me-Wilf and my Brother Joe. For a number years Jack and Clara Wilkinson had a cottage on this point of land just opposite the east point of the Cassidy farm. You know the piece of land just as you go through the gate to the right that is almost an island by itself. This was the land in dispute when the Wilson farm was being sold, transferred or whatever. The Wilkinson cottage was moved from waterfront east of Picketts ferry.
Now of interest to you would be this little green boat that my Dad used for trapping in the marshes on the Garrah farm and pulled across the road going to the spit head to get to the Wilson Bay trap line. It was unique in that both ends were pointed that it would permit him to go front or backwards and make easy controlling the boat. Often I heard my Dad scolding our black lab dog for trying to hitch a ride in the boat with him. It was too tipsy and would hold only my Dad. We children scurried along the shorelines in visible site as my Dad had a fear of us being to close to the water. The first year my Dad trapped these marshes along with his friend Pat Norris they made $500.00 in muskrat hides. Good money in those days. The spring time of the year came alive with the melting of snow, birds singing, muskrats swimming, fish spawning and all those good things. Good days for us to remember."
Thanks to Wilf Garrah for pic and info.

Click on Photo for larger Version
Howe Island Hockey Club
"Mid 1960 picture of the Howe Island Huskies Hockey Club.

L-R top. Jim McReynolds, Wilf Garrah, Tony Gauvin, Ralph Hall, Bob Foley, Mike Garrah, Coach Jim Thompson L-R bottom Pat Norris, Dennis Mullins, Philip Driscoll, Dewy Hall, Russ Duffy, Dale Bevins.

Note: The Island were permitted to have 3 player imports on the team. They were Ralph Hall and Dewey Hall from Gananoque and Dale Bevins from Kingston. Tony Gauvin qualified as his wife Ann Marie was from Howe Island, Dennis Mullins parents had a cottage on the Island. We did win 2 consecutive Championships with all games played in the old Gananoque Arena. It was so cold in the old steel building you had to come outside and get warm. Many a night the games were replayed later in the Old International Hotel in Gan. All in all they were glory days that probably had more meaning in later years."

Thanks to Wilf Garrah for photo and information!

The Islands: Island Photos: Howe Island People 6