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Lyons
---- Barber
Since
the history of a community is comprised of the events in the lives of
the local families, each family becomes a part of the whole.
William
Lyons (1866 – 1953) was born in Uxbridge, Ont., but had moved with the
family to Dundalk at an early age. He came west to the district
south of Killarney about 1890 and in the following fifteen years
purchased a section of land in the Lena and Plum Hollow districts which
he still owned at the time of his death. One quarter is now owned
by a son, Gilbert J. Lyons.
The
widowed mother, Margaret and other brothers and sisters of William
Lyons, came from Dundalk, Ont. in the mid ’90’s. After spending
some them with him, they settled in the Rose Valley area. These
were John, George, Isaac and sisters Sarah (Mrs. T. O. Foster) and
Isabelle (Mrs. W. J. Hodgins). A half-brother, Joe brought his
young family from Algoma early in the century. Many members of
these families still live in the district. Three sisters had
married and remained in Ontario.
On
March 17, 1897, Wm. Lyons married Eva J. Barber (1878 – 1946) – both of
Irish descent with United Empire Loyalist background. Their
family consisted of Wm. Jr. (deceased 1898), Eva May, Lawrence W.,
Gilbert J., Garnet (deceased 1910) and Norman E. Of these, Eva
M., Lawrence W. (deceased 1941), G. J. and N. E. have taken active
parts in the local community. The present generation is made up
by Larry and Kathryn Lyons, children of G.J. and his wife Winnie
(Smail) and Marilyn Lyons, daughter of N. E. and his wife Nell (Coates).
John
Barber and his wife, May, arrived with their family from Clinton, near
Seaforth, Ont. in the mid- ‘80s, after having been at Snowflake since
1881. They settled in the Plum Hollow district – in fact when the
school district was formed, it was named by him for the home district
in Ont. The older members of the family were among the first
pupils registered in the new school. Many of the family, --
Chas., Ernest, Eva J. (Lyons), Mabel (Scott), Middleton, Lance and
Bertha (Watson) settled locally and have helped in community affairs.
It must
have been a custom in the early days to refer to families by the
location of their farms. One early recollection is that “going to
20” meant a visit with the paternal Grandmas and “going over to 4”
meant some spoiling by the Barber Grandparents and the young uncles and
aunts.
Summer
travel was by buggy or surrey and in winter a team of drivers pulled a
sleigh or top-cutter. Small wonder that groceries were purchased
in large quantities as the ten-mile trip to Killarney was not a
frequent event.
Social
life centered around the school. Concert parties from Killarney
added to local talent on special occasions. Many stories of box
socials have been told.
C.N.
R.
line coming from Greenway to Wakopa about 1905 (and later to Deloraine)
established Lena, with a school, a store and a post office as well as
some other services.
As
roads improved, interests broadened and before the World War of
1914-18, days known as “early” had become history.
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