Madawaska

A Community – Alive and well

1867 to 2014 and onward?

By Richard M Clouthier

Former resident 1950 to 1970

Nov 13, 2014

MADAWASKA

Overview

This community sits astride Highway 60 in the Township of South Algonquin, District of Nipissing in the province of Ontario. It is a community that has seen its hay day in the late 1800’s during the white pine lumbering boom under JR Booth, peaked in the 1920’s and then hit with a succession of crippling blows leading to the present day “ghost town” status in terms of significantly decreased industry and population.

The Name

Madawaska derives its name from the Madawaska River. The river (230 kilometers long) prior to 1941 had a reputation as a dangerous and fierce whitewater waterway dropping some 224 meters from Source Lake in Algonquin Park to its Arnprior connection to the mighty Ottawa River.

Its reputation can be attested to by the number of log drivers killed along its length – drivers whose crosses have long disappeared.

Post 1941, the river itself was significantly tamed by hydroelectric dams and reservoirs that backed its waters up in storage for power generation purposes. Today, sections of the not-so-mighty Madawaska River are still noted for a fabulous white-water rafting experience.

The community of Madawaska has always been attached to the river by its very site location. Albeit, a part of the community had to be relocated around 1941-42 when rising waters flooded the eastern portion.

There are several sources as to where the name came from for the river and the community. It is controversial to say the least. These sources are:

Derivative of the Maliseet word for Porcupine “Matuwehs” or

The Mi`kmaq word “Matues”

Another word that is said to be locative “Kak” for “Matuwehskak” or “Place of the Porcupine”

The Malseet-Passamaquoddy dictionary states it derives from the Malseet “Matawaskiyak” where one river runs into another with watergrass

Which also has a similar meaning to the M`kmaq word “Madawaak”

Sources 1-5 are related to the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick) where “Madawaska” is a common name also.

Algonquin word “Madouesak” meaning “Land of the Porcupine”

Another source says it is derived from the Algonquin sub-nation “Matouweskarini” or “People of the Shallows”.

Residents of the community say it was named after the Algonquin word for “a bay at the river junction”. The Algonquin band that lived there called themselves “Matouweskarini” meaning “the people of the river shallows”.

Local Indian Conawaga reserve “queer or strange running water”

First parish priest (Catholic) 1931 said it came from New Brunswick – “mad-wesk” which meant “porcupine”

I myself remembered my mother telling me the name meant “mad waters” which kind of rang true with the rivers reputation in days of old. Where she learned of that meaning, I cannot recall.

The History/Development

Settlement Era - European

The community itself is said to have mainly developed during the overseas hunger for the white pine lumber – the square timber era”. That’s not to say that settlers had not come along the Opeongo Road (surveyed 1852; constructed 1854-1865) from Ottawa and settled in the locale but not in the numbers that would have seen a community pop up. As a country, Canada was promoting settlement. However, farming was too difficult to become sustaining due to the terrain – rock, hills, and thin soils.

The Square Timber era

The catalyst was the need for the huge white pine for ship building from massive stands in the area and the coming of the railroad to transport lumber and grain all the way from Georgian Bay to Ottawa. All of this was under the rule of JR Booth, a lumbering giant of the day (JR Booth and white pine or square timber are two separate but intertwined stories). Settlers followed the lumberman and the railroad – moved in, cleared land, raised families, farmed and provided crops to lumber camps and railroad camps.

In 1867, JR Booth had acquired competitively the Egan Estate tract of land (See Note 1) and timber – the estate of 650 square kilometers butting the area upon which the town developed. He established his headquarters utilizing a large farm on the property (plus general store, post office too) on the estate initially. As the hunger for timber increased, he found old transportation systems could not keep up. Hence, he became involved in railroad development.

The railroad (see notes - built 1885 to 1896) from the east Ottawa followed the old famous settlement road, the Opeongo Road, westward through Algonquin Park to Depot Harbor on Georgian Bay. It is said that with this railroad development came more settlers and supporting population. The community of Madawaska grew on a site chosen by engineers and surveyors due to its flatness and sandy soil. The site became a divisional point. From this point, Booth also constructed a spur line north 32 kilometers and split that into two – one going along the McAuley Creek area and the other toward Crotch Lake and the Park. The spur line allowed JR Booth to access more huge timber.

The railroad operation grew as timber demand grew. At one point in time, the operation contained a rail yard, switching yard, a modern roundhouse for steam engine repair and maintenance (upward of 35 locomotives it is said), a coal chute, a water tank, a station, freight shed, employee housing, and a steam driven dynamo for electricity to light the operation.

The first railroad (SEE NOTE 2) was taken over by the Grand Trunk eventually and under new management became one of the busiest and best paying in Canada. Mail was delivered by train. A passenger service was started – Canadian Railway News catered to the travelers and built a hotel restaurant complex. At peak, the railroad ran as many as 4 passenger trains daily as many freight trains as the line could handle – grain and boat freight from Georgian Bay, pulpwood, ties and telephone poles from along the line. Four to five hundred men and 90 teams of horses sent load after load of Booth timber to Ottawa.

Of course the community of Madawaska grew right along with it - three churches, schools, other public buildings, and population. JR Booth closed up shop at Egan Estate and moved to the community too (headquarters, general store, post office). He constructed a house to hold his agents – it still stands today and is in use.

Murray Brothers Lumber Company was founded by Thomas and Michael Murray around 1902. This facility grew over the years – used logs from all over the area.

The community itself was bustling and social activity prevailed – an orchestra, drama clubs, and dances. Two major banks opened shop as well. Expansion occurred – Dawson in the southwest and Boneyville (near the original first bridge across the mighty Madawaska around 1912).

Madawaska looking west – date?

Bad times followed the good of course!

The square timber era decreased, After World War 1 in 1918 through 1919 to 1920, rail business slumped due to the economy as well. CNR took over from Grand Trunk in 1921 and the rail era spiraled downward. By 1926, the line was at its last – it was normal to have only 1-2 days a week with train traffic. There was a flurry of activity in the feldspar mining to the north of the community that helped the economy and rail service. However, high rail rates and poor demand killed the sector.

During the depression of the 1930’s, Booth closed down for 2-3 years. Population dropped to 200 souls. Afterward, he went back to using the river for log movement but only to Barry’s Bay where he had set up a mill (sore spot with the Madawaska community who felt it should’ve been theirs). Most of the rail operation was dismantled and shipped away – the only reminders being rusting rails and roundhouse wall sections still standing – a grim reminder of the days gone by.

Old Roundhouse walls stood for decades after the hay-day

AIRPORT you say – yes, Madawaska had one from 1933 to 34 just north of the community. It didn’t last long though – bad timing.

By 1942, Ontario Hydro had built the Bark Lake Dam – flooding resulted. The mighty Madawaska was being tamed. Boneyville was bought out and evacuated – homes, 2 churches and 2 schools. Most of the homes were not relocated. The Anglican and United churches were moved westward into the community proper. The Catholic Church and two schools were dismantled and rebuilt in the western area as well. A new highway to Barry’s Bay along with 2 new bridges over the Madawaska and Opeongo rivers came about.

Bark Lake Dam

TODAY

2013- Looking west along Hwy 60

Life in the community changed dramatically. Train traffic had all but ceased eventually. The lumbering industry settled down into a mini-version of the Booth era with pulpwood and saw-logs from smaller companies cutting in the area. I remember in the 1950’s still some train traffic and a railroad station still functioning albeit on a very small scale. The infrequent lonesome train whistle could be heard for many miles in the area.

Murray Brothers Lumber Company had established a mill in the early 1900’s. Short of a few private cutters, this company provided most of the real local lumbering employment (a few citizens worked at McRae’s at Rock Lake, a few for Department of Highways and Lands and Forests). Even this company changed in terms of size and business – logs decreased (yards became barer) and costs went up to bring from greater distances, shifts decreased from a high of 3 at one time, the company privatized a lot of the trucking side of the business.

Over the years, the population dwindled to a few hundred souls. The Catholic school closed due to insufficient numbers leaving a Public school – celebrated its 50th year in 1992.

General stores and gas bars came and went:

Bernard Coulas’s Texaco to general store - the Texaco changed over the years -Texaco with restaurant, tire shop, general store to no tire shop only gas and restaurant, gas and store only, store no gas to today’s general store and gas.

2013 General store

Cameron and then Little Alex Dupuis’s BA/BP - the BA/BP station changed names and hands a few times – Gulf, Sabatine’s Store only, to a canoe rental shop (Algonquin Bound).

2013 Algonquin Bound shop

The old post office – mail delivered by horseback, originally Murchison atop Reynolds’s Hill west of town (John Taylor postmaster; in town postmaster Fred D Chaddock; then postmaster Ralph Carswell in a smallish building near the Public school closed; a scaled down version operated (by Elvin Towns) from the general store building.

The old Orange hall where numerous dances and festivities were held at one time, even in my day, became the local library and ceased to operate and exist in favour of a new Madawaska Community recreation building – library, rink, event place.

2013 Community centre

The old Booth building for agents is gone; replaced by a store and apartment type complex.

2013 – On this site, gone now

The old train bridge was revamped to meet modern safety requirements in terms of non-train traffic. There are no longer any vestiges of the old roundhouse walls.

2013 Train Bridge revamped

The Future

This community has endured for over a hundred years – seen boom and bust! However, families still occupy the area – some of the original or relations and a number of new people. Some tourism and some lumbering (Murray Brothers Lumber/McRae’s) still provide pay cheques for some locals who chose to stay.

No one knows for sure what the future holds.

NOTES:

John Egan - 1811 to 1857 – Canadian politician from 1847 to 1854 in several capacities – once owned the Egan Estate which went up for sale and was bought by JR Booth

Ottawa Arnprior Parry Sound Railroad; later Canada Atlantic; later bought by Grand Trunk and finally by the Canadian National Railroad

REFERENCES

The Algonquin Story – Audrey Saunders – Chapter 6 Stories of the Lumber Dealers Pages 66-75

www.woodbusiness.ca/sawmilling/family-ties:

McRae Summary by Bill Tice Sept. 2009

Murray Brothers Lumber Company - own website – Founded 1902 Thomas and Michael Murray

www.bytown.net/madawaskavillage/htm

History: The Madawaska River – Township of Greater Madawaska official web-site

www.madawaskahistorical.org/mhs_place_Names.html

Township of South Algonquin at southalgonquin.on.ca

www.township.southalgonquin.on.ca

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madawaska_River_(Ontario)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rudolphus_Booth

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Egan_(Canadian politician)

Barry’s Bay This Week June 2, 1992 Madawaska Public School Celebrates 50 years

The Madawaska Story – Youth Grant 1984/edited by Mr. Harold O’Reilly

White Pine: Ontario Celebrates Its History – Ministry of Natural Resources 1984 Gov’t of Ontario

Ottawa Valley Forestry 1984 Forestry Capital of Canada

A Pictorial History of Algonquin Provincial Park – 1980 – Ron Tozer & Dan Strickland

Ontario: An Informal History of the Land and Its People – Robert Choquette, Ministry of Education, Colleges and Universities

Bonnechere Museum at bonnecher.ca/cul

Evening Citizen – Fred Inglis, Staff Writer 1952 –four articles including Community is One of Ontario’s Fabulous Ghost Towns

Township of Greater Madawaska at greatermadawaska.com

Township of Madawaska Valley at madawaskavalley.ca

Page 1 of 16

Richard Clouthier

2016-05-20

ADM

TWP of South Algonquin