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HomeNewsReflections Of Farm Equipment Delivery Day In Fenelon Falls And Bobcaygeon

Reflections Of Farm Equipment Delivery Day In Fenelon Falls And Bobcaygeon

KAWARTHA LAKES-Up to the mid twentieth century, many farmers spent the winter cutting wood (it was one of the few farm jobs that was easier to do with frozen ground, an important source of income and every family needed a lot of firewood) and thinking about what improvements they could make for the next year. Starting in the late nineteenth century, farm machinery started to become available, and could make a huge difference in farm families’ lives. In that era, most people spent of their time trying to produce and process the necessities of life by hand. Having a reaper, plow or harrows could save a tremendous amount of work.

Fenelon Falls today
Winter was also a time when families had more time for recreation—often beginning with Christmas. When the fields were frozen, the crops were in, the animals and children still needed to be cared for, but now there was time for fun. Families might really look forward to a brand-new sleigh! Imagine, being able to comfortably take the team of horses to go visit friends and family, sliding smoothly over the fields, rather than jolting along the roads in a buggy before the advent of pneumatic tires. When you got cold you could just run along behind until you warmed up a bit!
Bobcaygeon
Bobcaygeon today
In 1877 Thomas and William Robson opened a foundry on Cameron Lake (now Fenelon Falls’ beach park) that made fanning mills, ploughs and other farm implements. Six years later they added a retail office on Colborne Street, which soon branched out into ordering machinery from larger manufacturers like Massey Harris and Cockshutt. Monty Robson, the last owner, was a much-loved community figure, at the forefront of practically every community event going. The day that the village’s order came in was much like a winter fair, full of excitement and anticipation for what the new year could bring.
When the Massey Harris delivery came to Bobcaygeon, it was just as exciting of a day—bringing farmers the hope that maybe with the new equipment, life could be a little easier, and their children might grow up to be a little freer from the drudgery of providing for themselves. The equipment was expensive, requiring a lot of hard-earned coin that the families scrimped and saved to afford. But by harvesting a few more acres of wheat, or feeding a couple more cows, it might pay dividends in the long run… if the weather co-operated. One original photograph shows the Bobcaygeon Grist (aka Feed) Mill, with the lockmaster’s house in front of it. It has been a long time since the canal was at the heart of Bobcaygeon’s industry. Instead, today it is a place for family recreation, something that would have been unthinkable 125 years ago. In the end, farm families did succeed in creating a much more prosperous life for their descendants.

This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.

If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :

Maryboro Lodge Museum

Box 179

50 Oak Street

Fenelon Falls, ON

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