Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives

Format

textual records

Collection/Fonds

Peter Hessel collection

Description Level

File

Fonds No.

0021

Series

1

Subseries

POS1

Scope and Content

This file consists of:

1. Renfrew County Directory and Postal Guide, October 1, 1924, “containing a complete list of every rural route in Renfrew County and much other valuable information”. Published by the Renfrew Mercury in 1924. Justices of the peace, police magistrates, medical practitioners (physicians), coroners, officers of Renfrew County Liberal Association, the Dominion Cabinet, Catholic priests of the Pembroke Diocese in Renfrew County, Presbyterian ministers, division court clerks, women’s institutes (South Renfrew: 12 listed). Postal delivery addresses and rural routes (all subscribers listed) including: Arnprior (route 1 — courier: W.J. Donaldson; route 2 — courier: J.E. Hogkosson; route 3 — courier: Joseph Thoms); Braeside, route 1 — courier: J.H. Coburn); Burnstown; White Lake, (village plus route 1 — courier: Duncan McNab; route 2 — courier: Robert J. Hendrick). Rates for parcel post mailed in Ontario. Local ads include: G.F. McNab, General Insurance Agent and Real Estate; J.S. Moir & Son, Hardware, paints, sporting goods, auto accessories, Portland cement); Neil Campbell (Insurance); T.P. O’Toole (Family Druggist), Edwin Farmer (Boots and Shoes), W.W. Handford (Photographer), E.D. Osborne & Son (Department Store, grocery in basement).

2. Photocopy of a list of “Rural Mail Men, Glasgow Route and Braeside Route”. No date.

3. Photocopy of a partial list of Canadian post offices with stamp images, showing “Waba (Renfrew-O) 1890/on”. Waba stamp not reproduced.

4. Handwritten note by Peter Hessel: Waba Post Office operated from August 1, 1889, daily mail from Arnprior, p. 224, letter book, Stewart Brothers, Aug. 1, 1889, signed by John Stewart) — see Stewart Famco Fonds;

and handwritten note by Peter Hessel: Waba Post Office first opened in 1890. Ref.: Canadian Post Offices, 1755 - 1895, by F. Campbell. Card for Waba at the Canadian Postal Museum. (Ref.:) E. (Eric) Manchee, 2420 Rector Ave., Ottawa K2C 1M3, 828-6346. See item No. 17 in this file.

5. Five-page typewritten account with maps, by E. (Eric) Manchee, 2420 Rector Ave., Ottawa, “A Stage in the Development of Postal Service in Renfrew County”. James Morris (Canaan, 1839), Arnprior (1841), Castleford (1832), Burnstown, Bagot, Pakenham (1832), Fitzroy Harbour (1832), Renfrew (1848), White Lake (1848). Map shows mail routes between Perth and McNab/Arnprior/Castleford/Fitzroy. 2 copies.

6. Original document: “Certificate of Post Office registration”, with White Lake stamp, September 8, 1883.

7. Envelope with 2-cent stamp and cancellation: Arnprior, Feb. 13, 1933.

8. Original small metal lapel pin (“long service medal”) on small card (about 12 mm in diameter), with handwritten note: “When a postmaster for 25 years, you are presented with this button”. On button: “Servire Populo” (in the service of the public). It belonged to J. [John A. Hough (postmaster at White Lake; see below). Donor or origin unknown.

9. Clipping from unknown newspaper (handwritten: 1959): “White Lake Postmaster Retires”. After 37 years of service as postmaster, John A. Hough (74 years old) of White Lake retired. His father, John Hough, was also postmaster (from 1908 to 1923). Post office in the same building since 1908. Before the Houghs, John Yuill and before him A. Stirling had been postmasters at White Lake.

10. Information sheets from the National Archives of Canada, Canadian Postal Archives, regarding availability of Canadian Official Postal Guide. Attached: handwritten notes by Peter Hessel re some local post offices (Dewar, Clay Bank, Stewartville (Balmer Island), Lochwinnoch, Waba, White Lake, McNab (Canaan), Carswell, Glasgow (Harvey), Braeside.

11. Letter from Eric B. Manchee of Ottawa to Peter Hessel, dated July 6, 1989 re postal history. Canaan post office, Canaan church. Burnstown post office and churches. Peter Morris. Dowswell. Greenlaw farm.

12. Photocopy of text and picture regarding Arnprior post office, from “Holiday Number (Chronicle), No. 1904. Reference to and excerpt from an article by Will Lee “a few years ago” in reference to Arnprior post offices and postmasters. Russell, A. Bates, Mr. deRenzy, William Harvey, Alexander Young, David Goodwin, W. Bates, Dowsell (Samuel Dowswell?).

13. Clipping of Leo Lavoie’s column, “Arnprior’s Post Offices” (Chronicle, Nov. 18, 1998). Jamieson farm in Fitzroy, Daniel Goodwin. John Russell. Samuel Dowswell, H.W.W. Gardner, Edward deRenzy, E.A. Bates.

14. Event sheet: Article on mail delivered to mouth of Madawaska River on Christmas Day 1811. Chronicle, June 27, 1930, page 4.

15. Postcard of a sketch of the Arnprior Post Office building and another building, by E. Robertson. No text.

16. Photocopy of title page, PHSC Journal, Sep. 30, 1992 and of an article by E.B. Manchee (pages 79-86) entitled, “The History of McNab Post Office, Upper Canada”. Illustrations of McNab postmarks. McNab hammer.

17. Photocopy of post office card for Waba (front and back), from the Postal Museum. Richard Toop at the museum can answer questions. Postmasters: John Stewart ([established] August 1, 1889 to August 1925 [resigned]), Alexander Stewart (December 1925 to September 1934 [death]), Duncan Gordon Stewart (November 1934 to Nov. 30, 1948 [closed]). From “Canada Post Offices, 1755 — 1895) by Frank W. Campbell.

18. Envelope addressed to D. Stewart Esq., “Waba Brook Mills, White Lake, Ont.”, postmarked Thorold, Ont., October 23, 1870 (registered letter from unknown source). On the back, stamps of Brockville dated Oct. 29th, one illegible stamp (... Bay) dated October 29th, and Arnprior, dated Oct. 30th.

19. Photocopy of article in Arnprior Chronicle-Guide, no date (1988?), “An honour for Hubert Gardner (91 years old). Gardner Street named after his family. Father was Herbert Gardner (born in Pembroke). Herbert Gardner purchased a men’s wear store in Arnprior (JOHN AND ELGIN) - LATER Bread Basket location). Married Susan Howe. Hubert born in 1897. Father was appointed postmaster in 1913. Hubert served in WW I. Hubert worked with his father at the post office. Gardner’s Men’s Wear then in the building later occupied by the Arnprior Pharmacy. In 1941 Hubert became postmaster after the death of his father. Resigned in the late 40s. Gardner’s Men’s Wear closed in 1968. Son: Major Russell Gardner in B.C. Hubert founded Arnprior Lions Club (early 1950s). One of the oldest members of Branch 174 of Canadian Legion.

20. Colour photograph (faded) of Arnprior Post Office workers circa 1980. Wayne Hanson, Harold Sadler, John Marcellus, Larry Hebert, Bob Thompson, John Geldert. donor unknown

Related Material

See also Chronicle, Nov. 6, 1930, p. 1: History of Arnprior Post Office. Goes back to the first post office in Arnprior.

See also Chronicle Feb. 28, 1930, page 2: auditor’s report for 1900 lists new post office cost at $25,000

Accession No.

1994-0021

Less detail