On June 21, 1979, the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority unveiled a commemorative cairn at Lockerby Conservation Area near Paisley. Mrs. Alice Weeden was invited to speak at this formal occasion. Here are more stories she recalls from her parents and grandparents, who lived in the now-disappeared settlement of Lockerby.
To Read Part 1 – CLICK HERE
When local farmers finally had electricity and bought their own grinders, the Lockerby grist mill was no longer the hub of the community. The Authority purchased the property and, determining that its restoration was impractical, tore the building down in 1976. But Lockerby was much more than its historic mill.
In 1856, a log school on Concession Six was built in one day by the ratepayers. The settlement’s only store was operated by Mr. Hornell. It was said he sold whiskey for 25 cents a gallon.
Though the pioneers worked hard, they always took time for community functions and relaxation. Several families had nine or more children so there was no shortage of participants. Most families had brought musical instruments from the old country or made their own to produce entertainment. Box socials were popular, with many a young man forced to pay a great deal of his hard-earned money to get to eat with his special girl.
Then there were barn raisings and quilting bees. On moonlit nights in winter, groups of people would skate on the river all the way to the 2nd Concession of Elderslie and further. They also enjoyed dancing to the violins. After a hard day’s work in summer, the boys would be off to the swimming hole. Skinny dipping was the custom. There were the picnics where Mother produced her special cakes and pies. The annual picnic was held in R.C. Pearce’s bush, but by 1890, it became so large with over 1,000 people attending, that it had to be discontinued.
After the mill was torn down, many of us realized that part of our local history was gone. With the support of relatives, friends and former property owners, and then the Conservation Authority and Ministry of Natural Resources, we now have this beautiful cairn … to remember the Lockerby settlement and days gone by.
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The original article from the 1980 yearbook of the Bruce County Historical Society was abridged by Bob Johnston
