Lanark County Genealogical Society : Smith's Canadian Gazetteer, 1846 : Ottawa District

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SMITH'S 1846 CANADIAN GAZETTEER : OTTAWA DISTRICT
Consists of the Counties of Prescott and Russell : it is the most north-easterly district in the Province, and is bounded on the north by the Ottawa River; on the south by the Eastern District; on the east by a portion of Lower Canada; and on the west by the Dalhousie District. The Petite Nation River runs through the west and centre of the district, and enters the Ottawa in the north-west of the township of Plantagenet; and there are besides several good mill streams in the district. Much of the land in the front of the Ottawa District is cold and wet; in the rear it is better; but the people of the district are much more extensively engaged in getting out lumber for the Quebec market, than in improving the soil; consequently agricultural operations go on very slowly. The district is settled by a mixed population, consisting of French Canadians, English Canadians, Scotch, Irish, English, and Americans. There is no large town in the district, and the principal villages are Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill, in the township of Hawkesbury; Caledonia in Caledonia; L'Orignal, the district town, in Longueil; and Hatsfield, in Plantagenet. In Hawkesbury West is an establishment for sawing lumber, which is the most extensive in Canada West, giving employment to above 200 hands. In the Ottawa District, 121,355 acres of Crown lands are open for sale, at 8s. currency per acre; to purchase any of which, application must be made to the Crown lands agent, at Vankleek Hill. Population of the district in 1842 : 7,944; since when it has probably increased one-fifth. The following abstract from the assessment rolls will show the rate of increase and improvement in the district :

SMITH'S 1846 CANADIAN GAZETTEER :
OTTAWA DISTRICT

Consists of the Counties of Prescott and Russell : it is the most north-easterly district in the Province, and is bounded on the north by the Ottawa River; on the south by the Eastern District; on the east by a portion of Lower Canada; and on the west by the Dalhousie District. The Petite Nation River runs through the west and centre of the district, and enters the Ottawa in the north-west of the township of Plantagenet; and there are besides several good mill streams in the district.
           Much of the land in the front of the Ottawa District is cold and wet; in the rear it is better; but the people of the district are much more extensively engaged in getting out lumber for the Quebec market, than in improving the soil; consequently agricultural operations go on very slowly.
           The district is settled by a mixed population, consisting of French Canadians, English Canadians, Scotch, Irish, English, and Americans.
           There is no large town in the district, and the principal villages are Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill, in the township of Hawkesbury; Caledonia in Caledonia; L'Orignal, the district town, in Longueil; and Hatsfield, in Plantagenet.
           In Hawkesbury West is an establishment for sawing lumber, which is the most extensive in Canada West, giving employment to above 200 hands.
           In the Ottawa District, 121,355 acres of Crown lands are open for sale, at 8s. currency per acre; to purchase any of which, application must be made to the Crown lands agent, at Vankleek Hill.
           Population of the district in 1842 : 7,944; since when it has probably increased one-fifth. The following abstract from the assessment rolls will show the rate of increase and improvement in the district :

Date.

No of
Acres
Cultivated.

MILLS
Grist.	Saw.

Milch
Cows.

Oxen,
4 years
old, and
upwards.

Horned
Cattle
from 2 to 4
years old.

Amount of
Ratable
Property.

1842

20,659

2,430

419

943

£86,387

1843

21,366

2,754

431

1,002

£178,571

1844

24,141

2,905

401

£96,528

**Government and District Officers in the Ottawa District:**
Judge of District Court	Peter Freed	L'Orignal
Clerk of Peace	D. McDonald	Do.
Inspector of Licenses	Do.
District Clerk	Do.
Sheriff	Charles P. Treadwell	Do.
Registrar of County of Prescott	Geo.D. Reed	Do.
Registrar of County of Russell	Do.
Judge of Surrogate Court	David Pattee	Hawkesbury
Superintendent of Schools	Rev. C. Gregor	L'Orignal
Treasurer and Deputy Clerk of Crown	Thos. H. Johnson	Do.
Warden	Arch. Petrie	Cumberland
Coroners	D. McDonald O. Gates H. Hughes	Plantagenet Longueil Alfred
Number of common Schools in operation in the Distrct : East Hawkesbury, nine; West Haweksbury, eight; Longueil, five; Caledonia, four; Alfred, two; Plantagenet, five; Clarence, one; Russell, one; Cambridge and Cumberland, three. Total : 38.

ALFRED.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the south-west by the townships of Longueil and Caledonia; on the north by the Ottawa, and on the south-west by Plantagenet. In Alfred, 6,320 acres are taken up, 682 of which are under cultivation. This is a triangular-shaped township, which is but little settled. There is one saw-mill in the township. 10,865 acres of crown lands are open for sale in Alfred, at 8s. c'y per acre. Population : 220. Ratable property in the township : £3,069.
CALEDONIA.
A Village in the township of Caledionia, in the Ottawa District, five miles south from the Ottawa River, and nine miles from L'Orignal. This is the situation of the "Caledonia Springs" which are now generally well known in Canada, by reputation at least. The village owes its existence altogether to the situation of the springs, the discovery of which has been the sole cause of the formation of the settlement. There were but two or three houses in the place, which were kept for the reception of visitors to the springs, till the property came into the possession of the present proprietor in 1836, who immediately commenced improving the situation, by clearing and building. The springs were secured from the drainings of the land, cleaned out, and encased. A large hotel has been built for the reception of visitors, capable of accommodating 150 persons, and a bath house; and a circular railroad has been laid down round the grounds for the amusement of invalids. There are also in the village two churches, stores, saw mill, post-office, a resident physician, three taverns, and other boarding houses, and a small paper called "Life at the Springs," is published weekly. The principal tavern, the "Canada House," is kept by the proprietor of the springs. There are four springs in the place, called the Saline, Sulpher, Gas, and one more lately discovered, called the intermittent. The Caledonia water is bottled and exported. [Three-quarters of a page of Analysis of the Waters of the dfferent Springs is omitted].
CALEDONIA.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the east and south-east by the townships of Hawkesbury West and Kenyon; on the north by Longueil; and on the north-west by Alfred and Plantagenet. In Caledonia 8,111 acres are taken up, 1,594 of which are under cultivation. This township is as yet but little settled. It is principally known and visited for its Mineral Springs, the water of which is bottled and exported under the name of "Caledonia Water." 18,481 acres of Crown Lands are open for sale in Caledonia at 8s. currency per acre. There are one grist and two saw millls in the township. Population : 714. Ratable property in the township : £7,087.
CAMBRIDGE.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Plantagenet; on the north-west by Clarence; on the south-west by Russell; and on the south-east by Finch. In Cambridge 2,878 acres are taken up, 161 of which are under cultivation. The "Petite Nation" River runs through the centre of the township from south to north. Cambridge is as yet but little settled, and 10,800 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in the township at 8s. currency per acre. There is one saw mill in the township. Population in 1842 : 108. Ratable property in the township : £963.
CLARENCE.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Plantagenet; on the north by the Ottawa River, on the south-west by Cumberland, and on the south-east by Cambridge. In Clarence 4,682 acres are taken up, 734 of which are under cultivation. A branch of the "Petite Nation" River runs through the south of the township. Clarence is but little settled, and there are 21,631 acres of Crown lands for sale in the township, at 8s. c'y per acre. Population : 200. Ratable property in the township : £2,524.
CUMBERLAND.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the north-east by the township of Clarence; on the north-west by the Ottawa River; on the south-west by Gloucester; and on the south-east by Russell. In Cumberland 10,654 acres are taken up, 1,616 of which are under cultivation. A branch of the "Petite Nation" River runs through the township. There is one saw mill in the township. Cumberland is not much settled, and there are 14,081 acres of Crown lands for sale, at 8s. currency per acre. Population in 1842 : 713. Ratable property in the township : £5,895.
HATSFIELD.
A Village in the township of Plantagenet four miles south of the Ottawa; contains about 80 inhabitants; grist and saw mill, one store, two taverns.
HAWKESBURY EAST.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the east by Lower Canada; on the north by the Ottawa River; on the west by Hawkesbury West; and on the south by Lochiel. In East Hawkesbury 24,037 acres are taken up, 4,746 of which are under cultivation. The land in this township, particularly that bordering on the Ottawa, is mostly poor and cold, and much of it is wet. There is a settlement in the south of the township, called "East Hawkesbury Mills," containing grist, saw and oatmeal mills. There are four grist and seven saw mills in the township. 1,296 acres of Crown lands in Hawkesbury East are open for sale at 8s. currency per acre. Population : 1,751. Ratable property in the township : £18,946.
HAWKESBURY VILLAGE, or HEADPORT.
A Village in the township of Hawkesbury West : situated near the Ottawa, four miles east of L'Orignal. It contains about 250 inhabitants. Churches and chapels two; viz., Episcopal and Congregational. Professions and Trades : One grist and saw mill, distillery, carding machine and cloth factory, four stores, two taverns, one blacksmith. About one mile west of the village are Hawkesbury Mills, one of the largest establishments for sawing lumber in Canada, giving employment to between two and three hundred hands. Here are a grist and three saw mills, store, and various machanics supported by the establishment.
L'ORIGNAL.
The District Town of the Ottawa District : in the township of Longueil, situated on the Ottawa River. This is a poor little place, and is merely supported by the district offices being kept here, and the travel through it; the land in the neighbourhood being mostly poor and wet. The situation must be pleasant in summer. A stage runs daily to Point Fortune, to meet the steamboat from Montreal; and is met again at L'Orignal by the boat to Bytown. Population : about 200. Churches and chapels, three; viz., Episcopal, Catholic, and Presbyterian. The following government and district offices are kept in L'Orignal : Judge of District Court, Clerk of Peace, Sheriff, Inspector of Licenses, Treasurer, Registrar of County of Prescott, Registrar of County of Russell, District Clerk, Deputy Clerk of Crown, District Superintendent of Schools. Professions and Trades : One physician and surgeon, one lawyer, one grist mill, one saw mill, four stores, two taverns, one cabinet maker, one blacksmith. Land Agent : G.D. Reed.
OTTAWA RIVER.
The second River in point of size and importance in Canada. it takes its rise in the unsettled regions to the north, flows to the south and south-east, dividing Upper from Lower Canada, and forming the northern boundary of the Bathurst, Dalhousie and Ottawa Districts; and enters the St. Lawrence just above the island of Montreal. There are two large islands in the river, the one being called "Black River Island," or "Petit Allumet Island," and the other "Grand Calumet Island;" both of which are situated in the north of the Bathurst District. Two expansions of the river are called "Lac des Chats," and "Lake Chaudiere." The Ottawa has several rapids in it, the descent of which is too great to allow of steamboats or other vessels ascending them. Passengers ascending the river from Montreal are therefore obliged to take stage from Montreal to Lachine; from thence the steamer runs to Point Fortune, where the stage again conveys the passengers to L'Orignal; whence the steamboat takes them to Bytown. The steamboats on the Ottawa are of an inferior class to those on the St. Lawrence and the lakes; their accommodation is neither equal, nor are they so well found. Much of the scenery on the Ottawa is magnificent, particularly that in the neighbourhood of Bytown. The country on the banks of the Ottawa is not generally well adapted for farming; much of the land being of poor quality, and the winter of rather too great length. The principal importance of the Ottawa arises from the immense quantity of fine timber cut on its banks, and the banks of its tributaries. The principal portion of the timber carried to Great Britain from Canada is conveyed down the Ottawa -- the preparing of which gives employment to a great number of hands. Great improvements have been made in the Ottawa within the last year or two; slides and dams have been constructed at various places to facilitate the passage of lumber down the river; and many obstructions in the course of the stream, such as rocks, &c., have been removed. Previous to making the improvements, goods and supplies for the use of the lumberers, &c., were landed from the steamboat at Portage du Fort (nearly five miles below the foot of the Calumet), and stored there until the canoes, with orders for them, arrived from above. The articles were then carted over the Portage du Fort one mile, at a cost of 6d. per cwt., and were canoed thence to Miller's Bay: from Millers Bay they were carted to the Dargee Bay, three miles, at 6d. per cwt; they were again canoed to the foot of the Calumet, less than a mile; and from thence were partly carted, and partly carried by men, to the head of the Calumet, at the rate of 7½d. per cwt. Canoes are manned at an average in the proportion of one man to every four hundred weight of lading; and a canoe coming down for a load, almost invariably took three days from the time of landing at the head of the Calumet, until it was again loaded and ready to leave on its way upward. Each canoe-man, with finding, costs his employer at least 5s. per diem; therefore canoe-men, forwarding made a cost of 3s. 9d. per cwt; and, allowing the damage to the bark canoe, which is always subject to much injury from loading and unloading, not to exceed 3d. per cwt., the whole cost of cartage, &c., is 5s. 7½d per cwt; whereas, in consequence of the improvement effected last year, supplies, &c., were forwarded over the same portion of the Ottawa at 1s. 6d. per cwt., being a saving of 4s. 1½d. per cwt; and in this charge of 1s. 6d. per cwt. is included an allowance for a month's storage at the Calumet, when required. The difference in transport is therefore 4s. 1½d. per cwt; and, as the quantity of pork, flour, goods, &.c forwarded during the past season amounted to nearly 364 tons, the saving to the lumber trade at this point, in the matter of forwarding alone, amounts to £1,501 10s.

Amount of expenditure on the Ottawa River for Slides,
and a Bridge at Bytown, up to 1st January, 1845.
	£	s.	d.
Madawaska Slide	6,335	15	8
Mountain do.	3,282	13	6
Calumet do.	8,202	19	1
Joachim do.	3,662	16	9
General expenditure	2,953	17	3
Travelling expenses	244	15	3
Bridge over the Ottawa, at Bytown	17,133	17	5
	£41,816	14	11

PLANTAGENET.
The principal branches of the Ottawa are the Mississippi, the Rideau, Petite Nation, and Madawaska, on the Upper Canadian side; and the River du Moine, River aux Lievres, and Lac des Deux, on the Lower Canadian side. There is no town of any importance on the Ottawa, with the exception of Bytown, which is the headquarters of the lumberers; and just above which are the beautiful Chaudiere Falls.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the east by the township of Alfred; on the north by the Ottawa River; on the west by Clarence and Cambridge; and on the south and south-east by Roxborough and Caledonia. In Plantagenet 18,075 acres are taken up, 2,356 of which are under cultivation. This is a large township, extending back the whole depth of the Ottawa District: it is divided into Plantagenet in front, and Plantagenet in rear. The Petite Nation River enters the township near its north-west corner, runs across the township, in a south-easterly direction, till it reaches the eastern border, where it makes a bend, and flows west, and a little south, to the north-east corner of Cambridge, which township it enters. Plantagenet is as yet but little settled -- 24,616 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in it, at 8s. currency per acre. There is one grist mill and one saw mill in the township. Population in 1842 : 934. Ratable property in the township : £10,589.
PRESCOTT.
A County in the Ottawa District : comprises the townships of Alfred, Caledonia, East Hawkesbury, West Hawkesbury, Longueil, and Plantagenet. It returns a member to the House of Assembly.
TOWN OF PRESCOTT. (See listing in Johnstown District)
RUSSELL.
A Township in the Ottawa District : is bounded on the east by the township of Cambridge; on the north-west by Cumberland; on the south-west by Osgoode; and on the south-east by Winchester and Finch. In Russell 4,936 acres are taken up, 504 of which are under cultivation. Several branches of the Petite Nation River are spread over the township, on the banks of which there is a great deal of pine timber. Russell is as yet but little settled; and 19,335 acres of Crown lands are open for sale in it, at 8s. currency per acre. There are one grist and three saw mills in the township. Population in 1842 : 196. Ratable property in the township : £2,390.
RUSSELL.
A County in the Ottawa District : comprises the townships of Clarence, Cumberland, Cambridge and Russell. It returns a member to the House of Assembly.
VANKLEEK HILL.
A Village in the west of the township of West Hawkesbury, eight miles south from the Ottawa River : it contains about 250 inhabitants, who are principally of Dutch or German extraction. There are in the village a stream grist mill, carding machine and cloth factory, saleratus factory, two asheries, one foundry, six stores and two taverns.

Post Offices in the Ottawa District
List of Post Offices			Distances in Miles from:
Name of Office	Name of Town, Village or Township	Name of Postmaster	Toronto	Kingston	London	Cobourg	Chatham	Goderich	Barrie
Caledonia	Caledonia, t'p	W. Parker	341	164	497	269	563	556	419
Hawkesbury	Hawkesbury, t'p	C. Hersey	344	167	482	227	548	499	404
L'Orignal	L'Orignal, v	T.H. Johnson	350	173	488	278	554	699	419
Osgoode	Osgoode, t'p	D. Cameron	303	163	491	281	556	458	413
Plantagenet	Plantagenet, t'p	P. McMartin	351	174	468	279	534	600	429
Vankleek Hill	Vankleek Hill, v	N. Stewart	337	160	489	373	555	492	304

Magistrates who have qualified in the Ottawa District
George McDonell	L'Orignal
Alexander Grant	Do
John McDonell	Hawkesbury, East
David Pattee	Hawkesbury, West
Chauncey Johnston	Longueil
Josiah P. Cass	Do
Elisha Cass	Do
John Kearnes	Plantagenet
James Molloy	Do
John Chesser	Do
Neil Stewart	Hawkesbury, West
Daniel Wyman	Hawkesbury, East
Elisha F. Loucks	Russell
Hugh McLachlan	Hawkesbury, West
Charles A. Low	Do
William Coffin	Do
Peter Stirling	Caledonia
Elijah Kellog	Longueil
Archibald Stirling	Hawkesbury, West
William Wait	Longueil
Archibald Petrie	Cumberland
Nicholas Giffard	Clarence
Hiram Wyman	Hawkesbury, East
John Brady	Alfred
Thos. Blackadder	L'Orignal
Richard B. Hatt	Chesserville(Plan) [sic]
D.R. McDonald	Longueil
Charles Hersey	L'Orignal
F. Robertson	Hawkesbury, East
Duncan McDonell	Vankleek Hill
Kenneth Fletcher	Plantagenet
Edward St. Julien	Canadian Settlement
Wm. McDonald	Hawkesbury, East
Peter Van Kleek	Hawkesbury, West
John McMaster	Caledonia
Peter McLaurin	Do, Scotch Mills
Archibald McBean	Hawkesbury, East
Thomas Higginson	Do
William Parker	Caledonia
Humphrey Hughes	Alfred
Alexander McCaul	Clarence
Ralph Wilson	Cumberland
Allan Cameron	Do
Archibald Loucks	Russell
Peter Freel	L'Orignal

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