Kingston, Ontario

“ During the first decade in the history of Upper Canada, Kingston did not rise above a small village, although it was honoured, sometimes, with the appellation of “city.” Rochefoucault says, 1795, that Kingston 428“consists of about 120 or 30 houses. The ground in the immediate vicinity of the city, rises with a gentle swell, and forms, from the lake onwards, as it were, an amphitheatre of lands, cleared, but not yet cultivated. None of the buildings are distinguished by a more handsome appearance from the rest. ”

“ A resident writing to the Kingston Gazette, December 26, 1815, among other things, says that the town of Kingston, “possessing so many advantages, it is time that its inhabitants should adopt some plan of improving and embellishing of it. The streets require very great repairs, as in the rainy seasons it scarcely possible to move about without being in mud to the ankles; from the breadth, they will admit of very wide footpaths on both sides, which ought to be paved, at least in every part of the town where the buildings are connected. ”

“ The emigrants now separated, some to go to the eastern townships or other parts of the Lower Province, but the greater number to proceed up the St Lawrence, and across Lake Ontario to the magnificent district then being opened up, bounded west and south by Lakes Ontario, St Clare, and Erie.
Donald found, to his satisfaction, that Mr Skinner was going in the same direction. Donald knew no more than at first who Mr Skinner was; he was satisfied, however, that he was a true man, with a single eye to God’s service. ”

“ A sober, honest, persevering man, would find it to his advantage to undertake the circulation of the Kingston Gazette, weekly, on the following route: say, to start from Kingston every Wednesday morning, go through the village of Ernesttown, from thence to Adolphustown, and cross either at Vanalstines or Baker’s Ferry, and so on through Hallowell, &c., to the Carrying place; cross the River Trent, and return to Kingston by the York post road. ”

“ It is an important station on the Grand Trunk railway, the terminus of the Kingston & Pembroke railway, and has steamboat communication with other ports on Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, on the St Lawrence and the Rideau canal. ”

“ Kingston, Ontario.
3 Grant Allen, son of the preceding, b. at Alwington House, Kingston, Ontario, February 24, 1848. Educated at Merton College, Oxford. A distinguished naturalist, and author of many scientific works and novels. Published, in 1894, The Lower Slopes, a volume of poems. Died October 25, 1899, at Hazelmere, Surrey, England.
5 William Talbot Allison, b. at Unionville, Ontario, December 20, 1874. Educated at Victoria University. He has published occasional verse in the Magazines. Resides in Toronto. ”

“ And, there yet stands the house where lived the little boy, who, now a man, is the leading spirit in our enlarged Canada. Upon this hill, and up and down its slopes, often played this, the foremost man in British America, Sir John A. McDonald. Those four townships, Kingston, Ernesttown, Fredericksburgh, and Adolphustown, were the early homes of those who faithfully served their country. How many thoughts are suggested as the student of history looks abroad on this the first inhabited land of Western Canada. ”

“ Timber Slide and Bridge on the Ottawa.
“The shores of Lake Ontario, including a space varying from ten to twenty miles inland, afford good scope for a settler of moderate capital. This territory, though not uniformly fertile, contains a large extent of excellent soil with a comparatively mild climate; and as the rigorous season is shorter, winter wheat even of fine quality may be produced. Toronto and Kingston, now considerable towns, present a ready market, through the medium too of respectable merchants, who are known to deal on liberal terms. ”

“ He lived at Kingston for many years, leaving when he died a natural son and daughter, by a daughter of Captain John. After his death, she and the two children removed to the Mohawk village. It was this son who first built the wharf here, and hence the original name.
Continuing our way up the bay, leaving to the east the pleasant inlet stretching up to Napanee, the first thing to attract our attention is the Parsonage and Indian Church, embowered in the beautiful forest trees. The Parsonage first strikes our view, where resides the amiable and worthy clergyman Mr. Anderson. ”

“ Lawrence, I am to make this particularly an object of my attention, and report how far it may be necessary to occupy either, or both, and what works I judge advisable for that purpose.” “With respect to Kingston, and what is there called the harbour, and where the town is laid out, is not the best, situation on this side for vessels, as it lies rather open to the lake, and has not very good anchorage near the 424entrance, so that they are obliged to run a good way up for shelter; the most eligible situation is to the east.” ”

“ Many of the loyalists, who were constantly arriving, procured food and a few other things at these places.
In 1817, there were in the Township of Kingston sixty-seven stores and shops, this includes the different denominations of shops kept by mechanics. In the whole of Midland District there were about eighty-eight merchants’ shops: twenty-four storehouses. Mr. Gourlay says, at this time, that Kingston is the third place in the Canadas, Quebec and Montreal being first.
When want no longer rested upon the inhabitants, they began to look even for comforts and luxuries. ”

“ It was not until 1783 and 1784 that the large proportion of the exiles came to Western Canada. They settled chiefly on the northern banks of the St. Lawrence, in what are now the counties of Glengarry, Stormont, Dundas, Grenville, Leeds, Frontenac, Addington, Lennox, Hastings and Prince Edward, where their descendants have acquired wealth and positions of honour and trust. The first township laid out in Upper Canada, now Ontario, was Kingston. The beautiful Bay of Quinté is surrounded by a country full of the memories of this people, and the same is true of the picturesque district of Niagara. ”

“ The sterility of the surrounding country, and the growth of railways have lessened its commercial importance, but it still contains a number of small factories, and important locomotive works and ship-building yards. As an educational and residential centre it retains high rank, and is a popular summer resort. ”

“ For instance, the denizens of Kingston regarded the settlers up the bay as somewhat behind them; while the people of the Fourth Town spoke disparagingly of the Fifth Towners. By the settlers of the Sixth and Seventh Towns, the citizens of Sidney and Thurlow were looked upon as stylish. But the wheel of fortune turned with many a one.
Amusement, and diversions of different kinds, when properly used, are not only allowable, but even salutary to man’s physical and mental state; but if uncontrolled by reason; if irrational from want of education, they may easily run into excess and immorality. ”

“ A few years of exposure to the wear and tear of pioneer life would 212quite destroy the best supplied wardrobe, however carefully husbanded, or ingeniously mended by the anxious wife. To replace the clothing was far from an easy matter to the settlers, many of whom had no money, certainly no time for a long journey to Montreal or Albany. After a few years, Kingston became a place of trade, but the supply of clothing was scant and dear, placing it beyond the reach of mostly all. ”

“ They are either procured from Lower Canada or the State of New York, and cost three dollars a head. They thrive in this country, but are high-legged, and of a very indifferent shape. Coarse wool, when cleaned, costs two shillings a pound.”
The above information was derived, the writer says, from Mr. Stuart, the Curate of Kingston, “who cultivates, himself, seventy acres of land, a part of 2,000 acres which had been granted him as a Loyalist. Without being a very skilful farmer, he is perfectly acquainted with the details of agriculture.” ”

“ Early Kingston must be regarded as a town growing up in the back woods, with a population governed and influenced more or less by the society of officers and soldiers, and while the former gave dignity and tone to the higher classes, the lower portion of society was correspondingly and for evil, affected by the presence of the soldiers, with the numerous groggeries, and low houses of entertainments, which particularly in former days, were found to exist in connection with military establishments. ”

“ The number of inhabitants in 1836 was 6000.
At the present time, 1867, Kingston is said to cover an area of 2930 acres, while Toronto boasts of 5885 acres.
R. Gourlay says, in 1816, that Kingston “is now progressing rapidly in population and buildings, as well as in business. From 1811 to 1816 the number of dwellings increased from 130 to 300; 433but it is estimated that 100 more will have been erected at the close of this year.” Much of this prosperity was doubtless due to the war, causing so many troops to be stationed there ”

“ Rochefoucault says, in 1795, speaking of Kingston, “In this district are some schools, but they are few in number. The children are instructed in reading and writing, and pay each a dollar a month. One of the masters, superior to the rest, in point of knowledge, taught Latin; but he has left the school, without being succeeded by another instructor of the same learning.”
“In the year 1788, a pious young man, called Lyons, an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church, came to Canada, and engaged in teaching a school in Adolphustown,” “upon Hay Bay or fourth concession.”—​ (Playter.) ”

“ Frequently some articles of family use was exchanged for goods, which were deemed of more use. The trade of merchants at Kingston steadily increased; but not a cash business. A credit system was initiated and carried on. Goods would be purchased with an engagement to pay in wheat or potatoes, or something else, at a certain time. Here and there along the bay were Indian fur traders. They, also, began to exchange with the settlers. ”

“ The richness of the soil, and lying more immediately at the mouth of the Bay, contributed to its prosperity, and a village before many years sprung up, which for a time rivalled even Kingston itself, in respect to rapid increase of inhabitants, the establishment of trade, building of ships, and from the presence of gentlemen of refinement and education, and in the foundation of a library and a seminary of higher education.
444Gourlay says, in 1811, that “the settlers are most of them practical husbandmen. Their farms are well fenced, well tilled, and accommodated with barns.” ”

“ We have the certain statement of John C. Clark, of Ernest town, now dead, written ten years ago, that his father, Robert Clark, who was a millwright, “was employed by Government, in 1782–3, to erect the Kingston Mills preparatory to the settlement of the Loyalists in that section of Upper Canada.” The place selected for erecting the mill, was upon the Cataraqui River, seven miles north of the Fort, now the entrance of the Rideau Canal, where are situated the first locks of that artificial water way. When in a state of nature, the place must have been strikingly beautiful ”

“ The settlers required clothing, grain for sowing, and stock; these wants in time, led to trade, two kinds of which were introduced. One carried on by merchants established at Kingston, the other by pedlars, Yankee pedlars, who would come from Albany with their pack in a canoe or small batteau, and who plied their calling along the bay shore from clearing to clearing. Both the merchant at Kingston, who waited for his customers to come to him, and the pedlar who sought customers, asked for their wares, only grain or any other produce. But wheat was desired above all others. ”

“ The first steamboat on Lake Ontario, the Frontenac, was built upon the shores of the Bay, at Finkle’s Point, Ernesttown, eighteen 601miles from Kingston, and within the corporation of Bath. She was commenced in October, 1815, and launched the following season. The three years of war had caused many changes in Upper Canada. On the whole, it may be said that the war materially benefitted the Province. After peace, things did not relapse into their former state. A spirit of enterprise was abroad, especially in the mercantile community. ”

“ Kingston Township contains, not only the city of that name, but various villages; “one of the nearest to that city is that of Waterloo, a very pretty and neat little hamlet, about three miles from town. It contains about 300 inhabitants, and has its Town Hall, Church, Stores, Inns, &c.”
“In the neighborhood of this village, is the Cataraqui Cemetery, laid out on a rising ground crowned by a grove of small pine trees. Much care and skill in landscape gardening has been displayed in rendering the ground picturesque and pleasing ”

“ Kingston, 1, capital (13) of Frontenac County, Ontario, on the NE. shore of the Lake, 150 m. E. of Toronto, an important commercial town with shipbuilding and engineering works; is the seat of Queen's University, military and medical colleges, and an observatory. 2, Capital (47) of Jamaica, on a great bay on the S. coast, on the edge of a sugar-growing district; exports sugar, tobacco, and dye-woods, and imports cotton, flour, and rice. 3, a town (21) on the Hudson, N.Y., has great blue stone-flag quarries, and cement-works, breweries, and tanneries. ”

“ One, too, is deformed, the other a person of desirable appearance. Jealousy crept in with love. But, at last, the preference was made, and disappointment, like a thunderbolt, overset the mental balance of the first itinerant minister in Canada.” He subsequently removed to New York, where he continued to live for many years, and recovered his mental health. He had purchased lots in Kingston, which he returned to sell in 1816; at this time he was perfectly sound in mind, and was a good man. He visited Adolphustown, and other places, preaching here and there, and finally returned to New York. ”