MINDEMOYA—“Where did the early settlers in the Mindemoya area go to obtain necessities such as flour, sugar, clothing and implements?” On Wednesday May 17, with rainclouds hovering in the west, Pat Costigan began an historical tour of King St. east of the main corner, engaging her audience with this question, like the experienced teacher she is.
Pat Costigan, nee Williamson, retired teacher and dedicated volunteer with the Central Manitoulin Historical Society, didn’t grow up on Manitoulin, but she has delved into the history of her Mindemoya relatives and the growth of their community. She painted a lively picture of life in the community for the dozen or so people who joined the walking tour despite the uncertain weather.
So…did the early settlers buy their goods in Sandfield? Manitowaning? Michael’s Bay? No, for the most part they went nine miles to Providence Bay, by horse and buggy.
Settlements normally grew around natural harbours and along rivers, but in 1899 William McKenzie took a chance and built a general store at the junction of Hwy 542 and 551. A year later he sold it to Francis Wagg, and his son A.J. Wagg built a creamery kitty-corner from the store. With these two enterprises, Mindemoya thrived, and the location proved even more sound as automobiles replaced other forms of travel. Wagg’s general store still stands, now expanded, as the well-known Manitoulin business, Jake’s Home Centre.
In the early days, due to a shortage of housing for the employees at the store and creamery, Francis Wagg and his son “A.J.” also moved houses to Mindemoya from as far away as Honora Bay. The house next to Wagg’s store, and a house further along the street that is now Rainbow Tax and Accounting, are among the buildings that were moved from Honora Bay. That must have been a huge undertaking for the time.
Pat Costigan led her troupe of eager listeners along the street, explaining the background of each building. The Cooper/
Williamson/McCutcheon/Wilson Corner Store has been a gas station since the 1930s. Wagg’s Boarding House is now the private home of the family who own Jake’s. The Oliver Bond house now belongs to Community Living Manitoulin, and Oliver’s plumbing business, started in the 1930s just a few doors down, is still a plumbing business after all these years. Just past that, a restaurant has served hungry customers since the 1920’s. It started as Andy Williamson’s The Village Grill, and his daughter Sadie Williamson continued to run it until 1958. It burned down shortly after she sold it, but the new owners rebuilt. The current owners, adopting a rooster decorative theme, call the restaurant The Roosterant, an imaginative play on words.
Along the street the group continued, past the Andrew and Charlotte (Becks) Williamson house, the church, the Rolston/Wagg/Williamson house and more.
At the former Mindemoya Consolidated/Continuation School, finished in 1922, Ms. Costigan explained why the rather imposing school was a real boon to the community. For the first time, young people in the area were able to obtain a secondary school education without moving away. Between 1922 and 1969 most of the children of Central Manitoulin went to this solid brick school, and many still hold a strong sentiment for their old alma mater.
At the next stop, the clouds in the west became more threatening and Ms. Costigan quickly explained that the uniquely designed War Memorial Community Centre was an ambitious project in the early 1950s. To help pay for it the local women formed the Everywoman’s Club, putting on fundraising dances, euchre parties, and suppers, whatever they could to raise the money for the new building. Efforts such as these illustrate the strong sense of community in Mindemoya.
Luck had been with the walking tour for about an hour, but darker clouds sent the group hurrying back to Mindemoya’s new Welcome Centre, losing no time to avoid getting soaked by the coming rain. So ended the 2017 Jean’s Walk, with delicious home-made cakes, tea and coffee.
“Your Guide to Jean’s Walk: An Historical Walking Tour Part II” researched by Pat Costigan and produced by Norma Hughson, is 60 pages sprinkled with photos both new and old. It will be available for sale at the Pioneer Museum in Mindemoya in July and August.
