Farmsteads in Victoria County, Ontario

The Joseph DuMond Ranch

East Half Lot 12, Concession 8

Bexley Township

Victoria County

This 200-acre parcel patent was granted to Lancaster Hiram Schofield on October 20, 1856. On June 30, 1857 John Gordon Mackenzie purchased the complete 200-acre parcel from Lancaster Hiram Schofield.

On May 1, 1869 Joseph DuMond/Demo (SIC) and John Bowins purchased the east half of Lot 8 from John Gordon Mackenzie of Montreal, Hochelaga County, Quebec for $400. The two men deposited $60 and John Mackenzie held a mortgage for the remaining $340. According to the Indenture of Bargain & Sales, Joseph DuMond moved from Somerville Township to the ranch. On May 13, 1873 the two friends formally split their property in half. John Bowins and his wife Claire Leua? sold the south half of the east half of lot number 12 in the 8^th concession to Joseph DuMond for $1. Joseph DuMond and his wife Elizabeth sold the north half of the east half of lot number 12 in the 8^th concession to John Bowins for $1.

On October 11, 1877 John Bowins and his wife Helena sold their interest in the east half of Lot 12 to Joseph DuMond for $20. A quit claim deed was issued on that date at Coboconk, Ontario.

Joseph DuMond died intestate on October 11, 1905 surviving Olive DuMond, Joseph's widow and his only children, Mary Reid of Digby Township (Victoria County, Ontario), Lousia St. Thomas of Lindsay, Ontario, Amelia Breaw of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and John Demoe. On April 27, 1918 John Demoe purchased the property from Olive, Mary, Louisa, and Amelia for $1. A quit claim deed was issued. This grant was "subject to the conditions and agreement that the party of the second part (John Demoe) will support and maintain his mother Olive Demoe on the ranch for and during the term of her natural life in a manner suitable to her station & condition in life, furnishing and supplying her the said Olive Demoe with all necessary and proper food, clothing, medicine and medical attendance and will at all times, furnish and supply her with the use of one cow and will pay all the proper funeral expenses of her the said Olive Demoe. "

On July 16, 1923 Olive Demoe died. March 25, 1921 she was 83 years of age.

On September 2, 1952 John Demoe and his wife Clara sold the ranch to Nathan Lloyd Pearce for $1,300 ending the 83 year Demoe ownership of the east half of lot 12 in the 8^th Concession of Bexley Township. Nathan Pearce paid a $300 down payment and John Demoe held a mortgage for $1,000.

The Stephen Ernest DeMoe Farm

North Half Lot 16, Concession 11

Somerville Township

Victoria County

Stephen Ernest DuMond/Demoe purchased the north half of Lot 16 Concession 11 of the Township of Somerville, Victoria County, Ontario on April 16, 1907. David had purchased the land from Robert Dennistown in 1876. Robert received the land originally from the Crown, probably for the purpose of logging as the Dennistowns had major logging operations in the area during that time. Stephen purchased the 100-acre plot for $1,100 from David John Abernethy. A $400 mortgage was held by Victoria Loan & Savings Company. Stephen owned the property outright when he paid off the mortgage on December 19, 1911.

Stephen accumulated a number of nearby properties in the area to expand his farmland to about 550 acres. On Concession 11 he purchased Lot 13, approximately 250 acres; the north half of Lot 15, approximately 100 acres; the north half of Lot 16; and the south half of Lot 17, Concession 13..

After Stephen died his wife, Rose, sold all of her land on the 11^th Concession, except a house on a lot 150 ft. wide by 250 ft. deep on the North East corner of Lot 16. She sold the land to her son, Woodrow, and his wife, Olive for $2,500 on June 8, 1944. Woodrow and Olive paid off the mortgage to Rose by July 20, 1967.

The John DeMoe Farm

E½ Lot #16 and E½ of E½ Lot #17 Concession #3,

Fenelon Township

Victoria County

The County of Victoria Registry Office records the following changes in ownership of the

E½ Lot #16 and S½ of the E½ of Lot #17 Township of Fenelon.

Crown to John McMerkley on 30 August 1837, 100 acres, E½ Lot 16 Con.3

Fenelon Township.

John M. Merkley to Alexander Fraser 12th February 1838.

Honourable Alexander Fraser and Ann, his wife, to Benjamin Holmes, 18th

November 1844.

Benjamin Holmes and his wire, Elizabeth, to Malcolm Cameron, 27th March

1845.

Malcolm Cameron and his wife, Christine, to Sir Allen Napier McNab, 25th

April, 1846.

Sir Allen Napier McNab to Thomas Clark Street, 3rd January 1849.

Thomas Clark Street to Caroline Cummings 13th November 1849.

Thomas C. Macklem and wife to Joseph Augustus Woodruff, 7th May 1653.

Joseph Augustus Woodruff and wife to Thomas Clark Street on 11th of

November, 1855.

A Quit Claim Deed Thomas Clark Street to Caroline Macklem on 10th of

March 1859.

Caroline Macklem to Thomas Cowin Moynes for 75.0.0 pounds, 19th April

1862.

Thomas C. Moynes and wife to Isaac H. Moynes for $400.00, 2nd of

December 1874.

Thomas C. Moynes to Isaac H. Moynes E Lot #17 Con. #3 Fenelon for

$1,200.00 in 1882. Total farm acreage is now 150 acres.

Isaac H. Moynes and wife, Mary Jane, to Isaac Naylor for $3750.00 on September 3, 1892.

Isaac Naylor and wife to John DeMoe for $8,000.00 on March 1, 1920.

John DeMoe and wife Clara to Joseph W. DeMoe, 2nd June 1942.

Joseph W. DeMoe and wife, Grace, to the Municipality of the County of

Victoria for $1.00 a 10 ft. strip of land along east side of the farm, 16th January

1964.

Executor's deed to Grace DeMoe on 30th May 1977. Grace DeMoe personally

and as Executrix of Estate of Joseph W. DeMoe to David and Ruth

MacMillan, 1 acre, being part of E½ Lot #16 Con. #3, Fenelon Township.

Our earliest information about an owner of the property is of Isaac Moynes. He was born in Lincolnshire England in 1625 and came to Fenelon Township in 1832 when was but 7 years old. He was 49 years old in 1874 when he bought this property E½ Lot 16 and 6 years later he bought the 50 acre parcel S½ of E½ Lot 17 Con. 3, Fenelon Township.

Isaac Naylor bought the farm, 150 acres, for $3750.00 in 1892. Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Naylor had three children; one son, Jack, who did not return from the 1st World War; Lola (Mrs. Kelsey) and Maime, a teacher who lived at home. Mr. & Mrs. Naylor lived on the farm until March 1920; they then retired and moved to Fenelon Falls.

John DeMoe and his wife, Clara, from Bexley bought the farm for $8000.00 in 1920. They had four children; one son, Joseph W. who remained on the farm and three daughters, Blanche (Mrs. Traynor), Betty (Mrs. Eddy Roddy) and Evelyn (Mrs. Goodman). They all reside in Lindsay, Ontario.

Mrs. Clara DeMoe, Joe's mother, raised geese for many years. The geese were slaughtered and picked two days before Christmas and then sold. At this time the price was more favourable.

On goose picking day, many of the neighbouring families attended the "goose picking bee"; the adults to help with the picking and the children, because they did not have babysitters then. The children loved to go and play anyway. Bob Wessell remembers the children played "Hide and Seek" all through the house, and listened to the Edison cylinders on the gramophone. The geese were killed outside or at the barn and the "bee" were busy at the house picking the feathers and down. what Bob Wessell remembers clearly is the cleaning up in the late. afternoon and the setting up of huge tables for all the people to sit down to and enjoy a bountiful supper. He remembers the beef stew served on one occasion. "The atmosphere at that supper was marvellous".

In 1932, Joseph DeMoe married Grace Ewen of Saskatchewan and they lived on the farm with his parents. Joseph DeMoe bought the farm from his father and mother on 2nd June 1942. Mr. and Mrs. John DeMoe remained on the farm living with Joe arid Grace until 1952. They retired and moved to Fenelon Falls Mrs. John (Clara) DeMoe died December 9, 1963 and John DeMoe died September 17, 1967.

Joseph and Grace DeMoe had seven children; Patricia (Mrs. Ken O'Rielly) of Little Britain; Carl, who married June Bellerby of Shelburne - now living in Lindsay. James, who married Jean Richardson and lives at R.R.#t, Cameron; Joan, (Mrs. Carl Webster) who lives at R.R.#1, Cameron; Katherine (Mrs. Allan Jones) who lives at Powles Corners, R.R.#2, Cameron; Ruth, (Mrs. David MacMillan) who lives at R.R.#1, Cameron; and Karen (Mrs. Gordon Fleming) who lives at home with her mother, Grace DeMoe, R.R.#1 Cameron.

On 16th January 1964, Joe and Grace sold to the Municipality of the County of Victoria for $1.00 a 10 ft. strip of land along the east side of the farm (Victoria County Road #21). The county erected a new fence along this line.

In 1972 Joe and Grace had a farm sale selling their cattle and farm implements.

On 18th January 1977, Joseph DeMoe died suddenly leaving the farm to his widow, Grace. The property was transferred to her on May 3, 1977.

Farming was a secondary concern as far as Joe was concerned. He preferred the work off the farm. Besides his farming enterprise, Joe worked in the Canadian Arsenal, Lindsay as a foreman in the foundry during World War II. After the War he continued in the Arsenal as a carpenter. He worked at the Arsenal for 23 years from 1940-1965. From 1963-1971 Joe continued to work the farm and work. as a carpenter for contractors in the area. Joe was Building Inspector for the Township of Fenelon from March 1971 until January 1977.

Joe DeMoe continued the mixed farming and the milking of a large number of cows after his father retired. They sold the cream. They also raised a lot of chickens mid geese.

It is not known when the barn was built on the property, but during the tenure of Isaac Naylor an addition was built to the barn in 1898. His daughters' names, Lola and Maims, were stamped in the concrete when the addition was built.

While Isaac Naylor lived on the farm, the present house was built by Weldon Brown in 1909. The old house was situated a little east of the present house.

A saw mill was set up in the bush on the farm. Much of the lumber including the wide maple floor boards and roof shingles used in the building of the house came from the bush on the farm and were processed through this saw mill. The present large two storey red brick house built in 1909 included a cistern. Water was pumped from the cistern to a tank in the attic. This water was used in the bathroom. They also had a large water tank located behind the stove in the kitchen and this was heated in the winter when the wood stove was used. Built into the southeast corner of the house there was an open verandah with an open balcony above. In 1961, the area was completely enclosed.

The telephone was installed probably in 1909, by the Islay Telephone Co. Hydro was installed in June 1947. For heating a wood burning furnace was installed in 1909 A new wood burning furnace was installed in 1960. All the wood used came from the bush on the farm. Everyone in the country had a woodpile but the DeMoes had the biggest woodpile at any "sawing bee". Bob Wessell ordinarily attended. One reason why DeMoes had a large woodpile was because they kept their entire house heated, whereas, most people closed part of their house for the winter. A forced air oil burner was installed in 1970.

It has been reported that a cistern was located on the front lawn and Mr. Naylor stated that this cistern was filled in and included in the fill were old law books. It would be an interesting and ambitious undertaking to do some digging and possibly confirm this report.

An open drain across Lot #17 to the road east or the farm was dug in order to drain the land. There is a steel culvert at one point which provides access to the land at the other side of the drain.

There is an old log building among the farm buildings. It was used to house the horses years ago.

There is a driving shed In the line up of farm buildings. Also, there is a small wooden building over one of the three wells on the farm. It was a dug well and periodically it went dry. They had it drilled deeper 10-12 years ago (?1967). A picture of the farm taken many years ago indicates that there was a well at the north end of the barn with a windmill. There is a dug well in the yard east of the house for use in the house.

At one time there were 10-12 apple trees on a part of the farm near the road. These were Duchess and Transparent apple trees.

One of the signs of spring on the DeMoe farm had been the tapping of the hard maple trees in the bush arid the making of maple syrup. Between 200 and 300 trees were tapped each year until perhaps, lately, when fewer trees are tapped each spring. They had 5 iron kettles and boiled the syrup over an open fire. The hard wood bush is located on Lot #16.

In 1930 Joe supplied hard maple wood to Islay School for $8.00 per cord. No wood has been taken out of the bush in the past 30 years except for their personal use. Joe and Grace's first car was a ten year old Ford for which they paid $125.00. They bought their first new car, a Chevrolet, in 1950 for $2000.00.

David and Ruth MacMillan bought one acre of land being part of E½ Lot 16, Con. 3 Fenelon Township on May 3, 1977 and have built a new house. It is located on the southeast corner of the farm.

For comparison purposes, the property taxes on the farm in 1948 were $103.00; 1951 - $152.00; 1957 - $276.00; 1977 - $693.66 and in 1978 - $700.15.

Joe and his sisters attended Islay School. Joe and Graces' children attended Islay School, S.S.#2 and Fenelon Falls High School. Karen attended Sir Sandford Fleming College and is a Registered Nurse. Ruth is a hairdresser. Joan is supervisor in the library at Sir Sandford Fleming College, Frost Campus, Lindsay. Catherine is a Registered Nursing Assistant having taken her training in Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindsay. Patricia does clerical work at Lindsay Specialties Ltd.. Carl is owner of Pleasant View Park (mobile homes). Jim is a foreman at Union Carbide (Canada) Ltd. with farming a secondary enterprise.

Grace lives at home and is our Islay-Zion Women's Institute Treasurer. She is active in the community and in her church, St. Aloysius Church, in Fenelon Falls. Grace always has an open door for her family, including 22 grandchildren and one great grandson, and her many friends and neighbours.

March, 1979