The following is a short history of the family, written by Kate (Katherine) McCallum who lived at McCallum’s Corner just east of Stratford, Ontario (Circa 1965).
I have copied her writing as she wrote it with a few minor changes in punctuation.
History of the McCallum Family
Lots 34-35, Concession 1, South Easthope
Perth County, Ontario
George McCallum, his wife, (the former Janet McLaren) and family of 4 sons, namely, - James, Donald, John and Duncan and daughter, Janet (Mrs. John McNab) and her husband, residents of Glenquaich, Perthshire, Scotland, (living four miles west of the village of Amulree) like many of their neighbors decided in 1844 to emigrate to Canada. All were prepared to leave the homeland, but the parents became ill, so Duncan, John and his wife, the former Jessie Menzies, came alone.
They started from Amulree, and arrived at Glasgow, Scotland. A letter dated July 1, 1844, written by Duncan to the parents in Amulree, stating that they were starting out from Greenock Bay in a small boat to reach the larger vessel bound for Boston, U.S.A., is in possession of the family.*1
In about one months time, Boston was reached, where the party disembarked. Boxes, bags and supplies were re-loaded on to the Canal boat, which brought them to Albany, New York, then to Rochester, via the Erie Canal, loading and un-loading some five times from Rochester to Buffalo, New York. From Buffalo they sailed to Hamilton, Ontario. Here supplies were again re-loaded on to wagons which brought the party to Haysville, Ontario, in August of that year.
They remained in Haysville until the spring of 1845, when they came to North Easthope where John and his wife took up a 100 acre farm (with some buildings) in the eastern part of the township, Lot 14, Concession 5. Brother Duncan remaining with them. Later in the summer they returned to Haysville to help with the harvest.
The same summer, the remaining members of the family sailed from Scotland landing at Quebec, then Montreal. They too, met with many difficulties, portaging past rapids, where the native French people demanded high rates for aid to immigrants. Arriving at Toronto, they re-loaded supplies on to wagons and in due time reached Shakespeare, and the farm purchased by John and his wife Jessie.
Late in 1845, George McCallum purchased from James Cairns, Lots 24-25, Concession 6, North Easthope. He and the rest of the family moved to this new location, while John and his wife Jessie, continued to reside on Lot. 14, Concession 5, North Easthope, remaining for a number of years. In September 1866, John and his wife Jessie, purchased Lots 34-35, Concession 1, South Easthope, Perth County, (they by the way were our grand-parents.). They moved with their family of 2 sons and 3 daughters - namely, - (George, John, Jessie (Mrs. Robert Riddell), Elizabeth, (Mrs. John (Shanty) Stewart, Jr.,) and Chistena who died, age 18) to their new home in April of the following year. This farm is situated on #7-8 Highway, half way between Stratford and Shakespeare, known as McCallum’s Corner. It was purchased from the Canada Company by Andrew Sparr in 1850. He kept it for five years then sold it to Mrs. Elizabeth Stewart in 1855.
As the farm was heavily wooded with the choicest of hardwoods including maple and oak, it furnished all the lumber and building material for the erection of buildings to be needed. In 1857, the present house was built to replace a log house. *3 The foundation was built of solid stone 2 feet thick, as were partitions for the basement or cellar as it was called. On the foundation solid oak timbers were used to support the rest of the building. They are still in perfect condition. The exterior of the house is red brick, which was purchased from a brick-yard in Stratford, located where the war-time houses are built east side of Kroehler Mfg. Co., Ontario Street.*2 The rest of the material was furnished from the woods on the farm as it was choice and plentiful.
The architecture used followed the style of many houses built at that time, high ceilings, large windows, paneled below - then framed in heavy trim. The deep base-board added to the luxury of the design which made the style unique. The house now 96 years old, was the first brick house built in South Easthope. There have been few changes made in it down through the years. A furnace and fire-place provide an improved heating system to replace stoves. Other than that it has stood up well.
The land was found to be rich clay loam and could be improved by tilling, so the process was done by hand. Oxen, then Clyde horses were used for clearing the land of timbers, in preparation of growing of crops. The hardiest grains, wheat, oats and barley being used and later supplemented by root crops to feed a fast growing stock of cattle and other livestock.
Hired help - which was plentiful spent most of their time in the winter in the woods, cutting trees to furnish lumber needed for added buildings, and fuel for stoves. As the winters were severe, much was needed. A brick-yard nearby was also supplied with fuel. In the spring, work eased up to gather barrels of sap from the maple trees, to be boiled down in a sheltered place, (the sugar shanty) in large iron kettles or pots swung over a fire. This was boiled for hours and carefully watched until ready for the so-called “Maple Syrup”. Gallons of it were made, stored in large stone jugs, and buried in the ground to be kept in perfect shape until used up. Later, when that was finished, Maple Sugar was made. (Pounds of it). These met the family needs until the next season.
Down through the years, crops were sown in cleared land, the first crop was FLAX, - which was harvested by hand. Indians coming from Brantford to harvest it and to gather wild Gensing root that grew in quantities in the woods.
John McCallum, passed away June 1, 1883, at the age of 70 years and his wife, Jessie Menzies, on August 27, 1900 at the age of 78 years. The farm then passed to his son, John, and his wife, Christena Wilhelm. Their family of eight consisted of Annie (Mrs. Bruce Marshall), Jessie (Mrs. Lorne Kennedy), Christena (Mrs. Illingworth Cassel), Katherine, Lillian (Mrs. Harold Frechette), John, Florence (Mrs. B. Marshall) and George William.
John McCallum, Jr., following in the footsteps of his father. carried on the farm operation living his entire life on the family homestead. The land grew bountiful crops which enabled him to increase his acreage of crops until his barn was destroyed by fire during a severe electrical storm. As this was in the fall of the year, all crops harvested were destroyed. Kindly neighbours came to his rescue and wintered the stock. The following summer, the present barn was built to take the pace of the one destroyed. The timber throughout was hand hewn. Some changes have been made to meet the needs required for the operation of the farm through the years.
In 1920, with the passing of John McCallum, the farm passed on to the third generation of the McCallum family, where George and Katherine now reside.
By Katherine McCallum 1953
*1 The letter she refers to was never found by me. If it indeed still is in the family, I would guess that my Aunt Christine has it as she took over the family home and Kate’s possessions when she died.
*2 This factory (at the corner of Romeo and Ontario Streets made furniture up until WWII when it was turned into a factory to make Mosquito Bombers for the war. My dad worked in that factory and mentioned that the shifts were very long and the men who worked there found stuffing that had been used in the furniture making and used that for a bed when they were tired. Also interesting about this factory is that they were in need of an engineer circa 1913 and my great grandfather, Charles Jones, was brought from Chicago to fill the postition. Until they moved to the “Little Lakes” (2 1/2 miles east of Stratford and very close to McCallum’s Corner, they did not know the McCallum family.
*3
