1873 Arrival Of Icelanders in Muskoka

Photo by Fred Schulz

1873 AND THE ICELANDERS' ARRIVAL IN MUSKOKA

OFF TO NORTH CARDWELL, AND A NEW SETTLEMENT

     THERE IS A POEM, WRITTEN BY REVEREND NILS WILLISON THAT CHARACTERIZES THE HOMESTEADERS WHO HEADED INTO THE THICK BUSH, BOGS, HILLS AND LAKES OF THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT. THE POEM WAS WRITTEN IN 1944, AND IT REKINDLES THE SPIRIT OF THOSE OFTEN BRUTAL YET REMARKABLE TIMES, OF HOME AND FAMILY ISOLATION.

     "HOW SOON THEY PASS - THE OBJECTS OF OUR LOVES.

     THE LILY BLOOMS, THE SONG OF THE BIRD IS HEARD;

     THEY ARE NO MORE. LIKE FAITHFUL HOMING DOVES,

     OUR DEAR ONES FOR RETURN TO GOD ARE STIRRED,

     OUR LOVED ONE PASSED THE NOON OF MAN'S BRIEF DAY,

     THEN NOON FOR HIM WAS MERGED IN FAIRER LIGHT."

      THESE ARE HAUNTING LINES WHEN RECITED, JUST NOW, WHILE LOOKING OVER THE VALLEY BEYOND THE TINY WOOD-FRAME CHURCH, SEEING THE NOSTALGIC CONTRASTS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW ON OLD FARMSTEADS....HEARING THE WIND BRUSHING THROUGH THE LONG GRASS ON THE HILLSIDE.  WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE REVEREND WILLISON LOOKING OVER THE PIONEER GRAVEYARD, AT THE TINY HEKKLA CHURCH, WHERE THE ICELANDIC COMMUNITY GATHERED TO PRAY.

     IN THE REFERENCE TEXT ENTITLED, "THESE OUR ANCESTORS WERE - DISTRICTS OF PARRY SOUND AND MUSKOKA," COMPILED IN 1974 BY THE SENIOR CITIZENS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, THE NAMES OF HEKKLA'S SETTLERS, BURIED ON lOT 16, CONCESSION 7, CARDWELL TOWNSHIP ARE LISTED. BURIED BESIDE THE FIRST ICELANDIC SETTLERS ARE PIONEERS OF OTHER NATIONALITIES WHO HAD ARRIVED IN THE COMMUNITY SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST FEW HOMESTEAD LOTS WERE CLAIMED. IN THE SHADOW OF THE HEKKLA CHURCH, CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE IN 1901, ARE THE TOMBSTONES OF REMEMBRANCE.....A TIME WHEN SETTLERS STRUGGLED TO MAKE THE BEST OF AN ADVERSE SITUATION. MANY PERISHED WITHOUT FINISHING THEIR TASK, WHILE OTHERS LASTED LONG ENOUGH TO WATCH THE FIRST PLANTING RISE IN STRONG SPRING SHOOTS. THE FORTUNATE ONES WERE ABLE TO TASTE AND FEEL THE TEXTURE OF SUCCESS AT HARVEST TIME.

PEACE IN THE CHURCHYARD

     The churchyard is a tranquil, spiritual place, obviously inherent to cemeteries, situated quaintly on a hillside overlooking some of the Hekkla pasture land, cleared in the 1870's, by the first settlers to build their humble shanties and barns. Many of the Icelandic names carved onto the tombstones are spelled incorrectly. It was not a reflection of dislike for the Icelanders, rather an ignorance of proper spelling of the often lengthy Icelandic names. "Bjarni" might be reduced to "Barney" by the English workers, responsible for tombstone inscribing.

     The homesteaders shared much common ground regardless of their motherlands, language, religion and cultural differences. They were all searching for fulfillment of promises made by government officials. Equally, many pioneers shared the agony of broken promises and shattered dreams, while still faced with the demands of everyday survival. For decades, the vision of prosperity was remote as settlers were forced to deal with crop failure, and endless homestead clearing and burning to create more arable farmland. And even then the amount of good farmland, located in shallow pockets between forests, bogs and rock, was little in comparison to the better agricultural lands to the south and west. Some disappointments followed the settlers to the grave. Other Icelanders joined the exodus to new and promising communities such as Kinmount, North Dakota and Western Canada. Today the only reminder of the Icelanders' attempt to settle in some of these hamlets, are the weather-worn headstones on cemetery plots, and obscure historical references found in regional archives. Yet there were parallel success stories in a majority of Icelandic settlements, and family members still occupy the communities set up as far back as the 1870's. Hekkla has many similar stories of perseverance and success. The names on the tombstones are a poignant reminder of the Icelandic-Canadian experience, from the first trail broken to the hamlet, by pioneer axe and saw, to the present, and the kin of those settlers, still residing in the district they helped open for all others.

A PERSPECTIVE ON THE YEAR 1873

     To get a proper perspective of Muskoka, at this time of pioneer settlement, circa 1873, we will firstly examine what the settler might have witnessed and physically endured on the land and water journey northward, from the transportation linkage from Toronto, by rail, then steamer, and cart. A journal entry written in the 1870's, by another pioneer, (published in the text of "Muskoka and Haliburton," by Florence Murray), reports on the treacherous journey, as being most discouraging. "We landed at Washago, and after standing for more than an hour on the quay, took the stage-wagon for Gravenhurst; the vehicle being so crowded that even the personal baggage, most essential to our comfort, had to be left behind. Oh, the horrors of that journey. The road was most dreadful - our first acquaintance with corduroy roads. The forest gradually closed in on us, on fire on both sides, burnt trees crashing down in all directions, here and there, one right across the road, which had to be dragged out of the way before we could go on. Your brother with his arm around me the whole time (I clinging to the collar of his coat), could hardly keep me steady as we bumped over every obstacle.      "In the worst places, I was glad to shut my eyes that I might not see the danger. Your poor sister had to cling convulsively to the rope which secured the passengers' baggage (ours was left behind and we did not see it for weeks) to avoid being thrown out and for long afterwards we both suffered from the bruises we received and the strain on our limbs. At last, long after dark, we arrived at Gravenhurst, where we were obliged to sleep, but we had a good supper on board and a gentlemanly Englishman, a passenger by the stage and well acquainted with Muskoka, took us to a small hotel to sleep. The next morning we went to Bracebridge."

     The following excerpt is a translation of Icelandic journal accounts, regarding the venture to Muskoka's North Cardwell in 1873.

     "In a previous chapter to the one I am attempting to translate, I (the late Bena Grenke), read that a group of Icelanders coming to Canada were 165 people; 115 were supposed to go to Muskoka. They had been promised shelter, 200 acres of free land and other provisions, providing they stayed three months. After that time they were free to go wherever they wished. There was some trouble about the 50 people who were to go to Milwaukee by the immigration officer, as he felt they should stay in Canada but their papers allowed them to go.

 From there, "On August 22nd, 1873, these people left Quebec City by railway to Montreal. It was dark when they arrived at Cobourg but they continued their journey arriving in Toronto the next morning at 8 p.m. August 27th. It had taken them 42 hours, 510 miles from Quebec to Toronto with stops. The Milwaukee people left Toronto for Wisconsin, going to Sarnia, across the St. Clair River and on to Milwaukee."

     An abbreviated journal account, dealing with the movement of settlers northward, introduces the reader to the eventual arrival of the Icelandic party in Muskoka.

     "They left Toronto by rail on August 29th, arriving at Washago at 2 p.m. From there by horses and wagons, they travelled to Gravenhurst, which took a number of hours. After spending the night in Gravenhurst, they continued their journey by boat (steamship), to Rosseau, arriving very late in the evening. All passengers spent the night at Immigration House on the bay."

     For clarification of the situation, "Immigration House," is described by author D.V. Stott, in his book entitled "Kawandag.....The Story of a Changing Market," with the following reference:

     "On the point of land closest to Inglenook, was a structure known originally as the Immigrant Shed. Built by the government in the 1860's, this three or four room frame building was designed to house travellers who were making their way via the Muskoka Lakes to the free grant lands. Some settlers had the necessary funds to arrange proper hotel accommodation but the poorer folks would seek shelter in this shed while waiting for the next stage to depart on the Nipissing Road."

     The Icelander's journal entry continues:

     "Early the next morning, August 31, the Immigration Officer, J.B. Beat, and some villagers, came to welcome them as the news of their arrival had been sent to Toronto. They were taken into the Immigration House, and provided with bread, meat, syrup and tea. Icelanders felt bad at not receiving coffee. (A beverage consumed by many Icelanders). There was not enough room in the Immigration House for the big group so most of the men slept outside in the bush back of the house. They didn't  mind as the weather was warm. They were fed for three days and after that each was on his own but they could sleep in the Immigration House. Some men got a bit of work but none got steady occupation. When the Icelanders arrived in Rosseau they were told that there was land fifteen miles north of Rosseau that they could  get ownership of."

     Additional journal documentation list the following names part of the original group of Icelanders in Muskoka: "Vigfusar Sigurdsson, bookbinder, Anton Kristjansson, Bryn Jolfur Jonsson, Thorsteinn Hallgrimsson, Bjorn Skagford, Benedikt Jonsson bardal, Rafn Jonsson, Bjarni Snaebjornsson, Jakob Lindal and Sigridur, a widow. These immigrants were advised by the town officials that crown land could be procured north of Rosseau. These Icelanders travelled by foot to look at this land but found it unsuitable for farmland. Some Danish, Swedes and Norwegians later settled on this land and praised it. After looking over this crown land to the north of Rosseau it was decided to travel easterly six miles into Cardwell Township. Four men were in this party. The names were Baldwin Helgasson, David Davidson, Anton Kristjansson and Jon Hgalmarsson. A guide from Rosseau went with these men as it was completely through forest that they had to travel (in part however, along the Rosseau River). It seemed fertile. Also a road was promised to them for the next summer. (A waiting period lasted two weeks before permission was granted for a claim) These men were to cut wood for seventy-five cents a cord. This remuneration was not adequate to provide for food and shelter, and winter wasn't far distant. Two hundred acres of land with a house 14 feet by 16 feet was purchased for one hundred and fifty dollars by Baldwin Helgasson and David Davidsson. An agreement with settlers and with the district management to build three miles of road was entered into at forty-five dollars per mile. Food was advanced to them with the understanding that payment would be charged against their earnings. Although inexperienced with the use of axes and road-making, three quarters of a mile was finished before winter set in. Their wages would have averaged fifty cents per day. They had measured for the road and blazed the trees on each side where the road would be. Had it not been for the generosity of two friends, one in Canada and one in Iceland, the first winter for the immigrants would have been grim."

     We will re-join the history of Icelandic settlement in Muskoka, in tomorrow's blog. Thanks so much for joining chapter three of this important aspect of regional history. Please join me again.