1. Handwritten “Curator’s Report”, 1976-1977, for the 1977 District Annual of the (South Renfrew District) of Women’s Institutes. The lady writing these historical notes was “Curator” of the Tweedsmuir Histories of the Stewartville Institute. Not signed.
2. Handwritten “Curator’s Report”, 1977-1978, for the 1978 District Annual of the (South Renfrew District) of Women’s Institutes. These historical notes were written by Margaret Wright (Maggie Wright) of Stewartville, “Curator” of the Tweedsmuir Histories of the Stewartville Institute.
3. Program of the unveiling of a plaque at the site of the former McNab Township Hall (built in 1859, collapsed under snow on March 2, 1971). This plaque was erected by the township, but donated by the Stewartville Women’s Institute. It was unveiled on June 16, 1974. Interesting spelling of “cairn”.
4. Clipping of report about the Stewartville Women’s Institute, March 1987 (Chronicle). Maurice Sullivan.
Related Material
See also Accession #1995-0052: Stewartville Women's Institute. -- 1949-1989 (G3.2)
The Stewartville Women's Institute was a branch of the Renfrew South District. It was organized in April 1949. The Stewart branch amalgamated with Arnprior in 2002 to become the Arnprior-Stewartville branch. In 2008 this branch disbanded with members joining the White Lake branch. The Stewartville W.I. dedicated its efforts in many areas such as child welfare, health, libraries, playgrounds, cooking and sewing.
Language
English
Acquisition Source
Donated by the Stewartville Institute, Jane Maisonneuve, Secretary-Treasurer, April 1995. Tweedsmuir Histories and CD donated by Anita Schubrink, August 2007. Jim Austin, the curator of the Waba Cottage Museum digitized the Tweedsmuir History Binders in 2005 and produced an updated version in 2014. Accrual of two files in June 2015 of miscellaneous material by Jane Maisonneuve.
Scope and Content
The Stewartville Women's Institute fonds consists of three Series: Minutes & Financial Records, Tweedsmuir Histories and Miscellaneous Material.
Series 1 Minutes & Financial records of the Stewartville Women's Institute G4.2
This Series consists of 11 bound volumes of Minutes and Financial records dating from 1949-2002.
1. 1949-1953
2. 1953-1958
3. 1958-1963
4. 1963-1967
5. 1968-1972
6. 1973-1979
7. 1979-1984
8. 1984-1988
9. 1988-1996
10. 1996-2002
11. Accounts 1991-2002
Series 2 consists of 6 binders containing Tweedsmuir History Collection I14.1
The series also contains a digitized version of same on CD. The 6 binders contain newspaper clippings of articles from local newspapers and some original photographs. Curators Mrs. M. Wright and Mrs. Jessie Smith compiled these histories over many years. Some families mentioned are Arnott, Campbell, Coreau, Duff, Graham, Lavallee, McIntyre, McLean, McNab, Michelson, Mitchell, Neill, Nieman, Okum, Russett, Scheel, Schubrink, Slingerland, Smith, Stewart, Sutherland, Taylor, Watt, Wilson, and Wright. Volumes 3 and 4 also contains the names of Bahm, Calberry, Carswell, Johnston, McCann, Roach and Young. Photos are listed at the bottom of each volume. Most volumes contain information concerning the branch, its members, and its events, as well as the following:
Tweedsmuir History Volume 1:
- History of early settlement of Stewartville and McNab Township, including an 1838 petition to oust Laird McNab and an1848 petition for Flat Rapids Cemetery.
- Indian encampment (p.28 & 211)
- History of Stewartville school (S.S. #5), Clay Valley School (S.S.#15), and opening of McNab Public School
- History of the Township Hall, and the Stewartville Presbyterian church
- McNab Telephone Co. Ltd (1945)
- Waba Cottage
- Gillies Closure
- Location of Ryan Creek
- Jesus Festival
- Lists of War Veterans, including photos of Edgar Stavenow and Harvey Smith
- History of farms in area.
- 1935 School of Agriculture & Home Economics banquet
- Building of Stewartville Power Generating Station
Photos in Volume 1:
a) B&W photo of Alexander Duff store built in 1869, photo taken in 1899.
b) B&W photo of Duff residence taken in 1920.
c) 4 B&W photos of Stewartville Presbyterian Church, various dates.
d) 3 B&W photos of Stewartville Bridge, Stewartville Sunday School Children, Stewartville Hydro Colony.
e) B&W photo of commemoration plaque re: original site of McNab Township Hall.
f) B&W photo of highland papers heading a procession
g) B&W photo of Mary Sutherland - first teacher for Stewartville School No. 5 McNab
h) B&W photos SS No. 5 1899 - Teacher's Miss Bellman, Maggie O'Connor 1900, Katie Carswell 1920, Stewartville School 1950
i) B&W photo of District President Mrs. John Henderson
j) B&W photo of Mrs. Robert Mullins - District Secretary
k) B&W photo of first birthday, April 25, 1950 at the home of Mrs. J. Watt.
l) B&W photo of Women's Institute taken at Stewartville 1951
m) Colour Photo of Mrs. Robert McGregor - District President 1953
o) B&W photo of Mrs. Hector Scheel - District President
p) B&W photo of Conference at Guelph 1951
q) B&W photo of Pte Edgar Stavenow - killed in action 1944
r) B&W photo Pte Harvey F. Smith - killed in action 1945
s) B&W photos - House built by Allan Stewart, House built by J. H. Wright
t) B&W photo of Smith home
u) B&W photo of little John Scheel
v) B&W photo of home of the Campbell
Tweedsmuir History Volume 2:
- History of early settlement of Stewartville, McNab Township, and Arnprior
- Bonnechere Manor opening 1958
- Waba Cottage – cornerstone laying
- McNab Township financial statement 1914
- Dedication of Goshen Cairn 1989
- Dedication of 1st Township Hall Cairn 1974
- Stewartville church fire 1984
- McNab School opening
- Arnprior Hwy 17 bypass (p.118)
- Stewartville bridge opening
- Wood sawing bee (p.135)
- Mayfair Pavilion by Staye (p.150)
- Newspaper clippings of local events, wedding, and obituaries
Photos in Volume 2:
a) B&W photo of bake sale held at "One Hour Cleaners" 1979
b) B&W photo of Clay Valley Ball Team
Tweedsmuir History Volume 3:
- Naming of Scheel Road
- McNab Public School – 20th anniversary with many school activities
- Letter explaining why Lord’s Prayer is no longer said
- WI – its roll in event of emergency
- 1974 unveiling cairn commemorating the first township hall; program, including address by WI
- Presidents and Secretaries of branch; some photos of members & events
- Cairn at Pine Grove
- Claybank WI – photo of 4 life members at 70th anniversary
- Photo of White Lake Orchestra
- Yearly mystery tours
- Two Island Marble Factory at Dacre
- Some history of Arnprior airport
- Photo in newspaper of last wooden culvert (p.124)
- Annexation by Arnprior (p141)
- Stewartville bridge
- Many activities by McNab Township Council
- Smith’s Dairy (p172)
- Some anniversaries, weddings, and obituaries
- Quilts and crafts by Eva Mitchell
Tweedsmuir History Volume 4:
- WI activities
- McNab Public School activities, including Agriculture Week
- Start of A. J. Charbonneau school
- McNab Council and activities within township
- Histories of Smith Homestead (p.136) and Mitchell farms
- 1844 petition for Flat Rapid Cemetery (transcription) (p144)
- Stewartville Dam history and program for their 50th year open house (1998)
- Start-up of Arnprior & District Archives (p.140)
- 1998 Ice Storm
- Arnprior-Braeside-McNab Seniors Home Support (p.160)
- 1998 open house of Stewartville dam (p.163)
- Mushroom farm (p.183)
- Wedding and anniversaries
Photo in Volume 4
a) B&W photo of Mr. & Mrs. Lester Neill
Tweedsmuir History Volume 5:
- A few newspaper clippings from the 1940s and 1950s, with most afterwards from 1960s & 1970s
- Series of Newspaper articles on early history, including:
- names of locations (p.12-13)
- Percival Clooney info (author of Kinsmen) & his 1892 poem (p.14-15),
- Laird McNab (before and after coming to Canada) and of Arnprior (p.19-21)
- McLachlin Mills & lumber yard (p.22-29)
- History of Laird McNab & Arnprior, including McNab’s 1845 purchase on 18 ac. on Conc. A (p.30-33)
- History of Arnprior & McLachlin with photos (p.34-46)
- P.53 Stewartville Hydro dam and changes at various other dams in the 1960s
- P.67 Gillies Inn demolished at Braeside
- P.86 32lb. muskie caught
- P.92 Scheel Windows (1970) with photos
- P.103 Rebuilding Waba Cottage at White Lake
- P.106 Kennedy sawmill at Waba – before and after fire (1970)
Tweedsmuir History Volume 6:
- P.6 & 9 old curling club on Elgin St. with photo
- P.8 Baker & Kennedy Marina
- P.10 Mac Beattie
- P.12 New Dam at White Lake, including photo of original dam (p.28)
- P.44 Last log drive on Waba Creek (1971)
- P.33 Information on Arnprior dam (1971)
- P.25 John Watt and homeopathy in Arnprior
- Some wedding and anniversary announcements
Series 3 consists of a small amount of Miscellaneous Material: G4.2, I14.1
- Book entitled Ontario Women’s Institute Story (1972), commemorating 75 years
- Book entitled Fifty Years of Achievement (1948), commemorating 50 years.
- Letter of thanks for donation and certificate of appreciation from the First Glasgow Station Brownies (November 16, 1985).
- A Century of Fashion (booklet) published by the Women's Institute in 1997 as a Centennial project
- Member profile of Gladys Irene Palmer Sullivan (photocopy)
- History of South Renfrew District by Eileen Brydges, Burnstown WI
- Newsclipping
- 92nd District Annual Program May 14 2005 hosted by Arnprior-Stewartville
- approx. 25 colour photographs with identification of members enjoying activities1980's - 1990's
Access Restriction
Tweedsmuir Books - please use digitized version rather than original. Available in resources folder. Searchable online through the FWIO Virtual Archives.
Accruals
none expected
Related Material
See also: Golden Jubilee, A History of Renfrew South Women’s Institute, 1913-1963 in Reading Room.
See also file folder: “Stewartville Women’s Institute” in Peter Hessel fonds 1994 0021.
Group of women pose for photograph outside wooden building including: Mrs. Archie Yuill Sr., Lillie Fraser, May O’Reilly, Laura Cameron, Kathleen Fraser, Rita Cunningham, and Bella Bennett.
Book 1 Page 15: One of f photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Anne Merrifield, Mrs. MacMahon, Bessie Phillips, Gladys Armstrong, Mrs. R. Mullin, Mrs. C. Young, Mrs. Beattie , Miss Mirna Russell, Mrs. Wellington Carmichael, Helen Bronskill.
Book 1 Page 15: One of two photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Annie Meek, Mrs. Merle Thomson, Mrs. Della McNeil, Mrs. Merrifield, Muriel Hanson, Bessie Phillips, Mrs. MacMahon, Mrs. Robbins, [Mrs.] Beattie, A. Bradford, Mrs. Gladys Armstrong.
Group of Institute members packing boxes for overseas during W.W. I at Mrs. Hugh Graham’s residence. People identified as: Mrs. David Bole. Mrs. Hugh Graham, Mrs. John Duff, Mrs. James Legree, Mrs. M. H. Levi, Miss Irene Bole, Miss Anna Legree, Mrs. Joe Shaw, Miss Annie McNeil, Mrs. Wm. Campbell, Mrs. William Cunningham, Mrs. Robert Robertson, Mrs. Robert Barrie, Miss Mildred Cunningham, Mrs. William Young, Mrs. Frank Levi, Mrs. John Shaw, Elva Graham, Mrs. Kennedy, Viola Graham, Kenneth Campbell, Mrs. Roy Gourley, Mrs. McGill, Mrs. Alex Stewart and Mrs. Thomas Taylor.
Members gathered outside identified as: Mrs. Moir, Mrs. H. Jackson, C. Green, P. Moir, Myrtle Schleivert, Jackson (girl), Green boys, Letty Wallace, Minnie Nieman, Verna Campbell, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. A. Stewart, Mrs Bruce Campbell, Mrs. Mary Kerr, Jean Green, Mrs. Abraham, Mrs. Donald MacMillan, Mrs. John McMillan, Mrs. H. Nyde, Mrs. Archie McLaren, Mrs. Donald McLaren, Mrs. Charles Jackson, Mrs. Charles Wallace, Mrs. George Green, Mrs. A. Ritchie.
One of two photographs on page. Date based on information in article on page 93 of Scrapbook. Photograph taken at the home of Gordon Campbell on the occasion of the Women’s Institutes fortieth anniversary.
One of three photographs on page located at centre. Date based on clothing and car in background. Members identified as: Mrs. James McMillan, Mrs. Robert Stewart, Mrs. D. J. Campbell, Mrs. John Wilson, Mrs.
Book 1 Page 15: One of four photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Anne Merrifield, Mrs. MacMahon, Bessie Phillips, Gladys Armstrong, Mrs. R. Mullin, Mrs. C. Young, Mrs. Beattie , Miss Mirna Russell, Mrs. Wellington Carmichael, Helen Bronskill.
Book 1 Page 15: One of four photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Anne Merrifield, Mrs. MacMahon, Bessie Phillips, Gladys Armstrong, Mrs. R. Mullin, Mrs. C. Young, Mrs. Beattie , Miss Mirna Russell, Mrs. Wellington Carmichael, Helen Bronskill.
Book 1 Page 15: One of four photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Anne Merrifield, Mrs. MacMahon, Bessie Phillips, Gladys Armstrong, Mrs. R. Mullin, Mrs. C. Young, Mrs. Beattie , Miss Mirna Russell, Mrs. Wellington Carmichael, Helen Bronskill.
Book 1 Page 15: One of two photographs of various members at meetings and/or social events. Members identified as: Mrs. Annie Meek, Mrs. Merle Thomson, Mrs. Della McNeil, Mrs. Merrifield, Muriel Hanson, Bessie Phillips, Mrs. MacMahon, Mrs. Robbins, [Mrs.] Beattie, A. Bradford, Mrs. Gladys Armstrong.