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The Bloomfield
Area Remembered by David G. Keirstead
“The Bloomfield
Area Remembered” includes Warneford,
Central Norton, Guthrie Road, Dickie Mountain, Bloomfield Station, Bloomfield
Ridge and Passekeag.
The material has been divided into 10 sections, commencing with “Early
Settlers and Early Times” in which one learns about Simon Baxter, James Innis,
John Cook Hayes, John Smith, Fortune Hodges, Martin Butler and others.
The evolution of the roads, bridges and the railway gives a look back
at the means of travel throughout the countryside.
Having a place to worship and a place to bury played an important role,
thus 56 pages are devoted to this topic.
The memories of residents and former residents provide an insight into
not only the activities of the community but the folk who made the community.
The 80 pages on Family Trees and People give a glimpse of the many families
of Bloomfield, with photos being an extra bonus.
This add-to-book of nearly 500 pages published in 2004 with 100 photos
is unbound. The pages are ready to be placed
in a three-ring binder. The author hoped that in this way readers will add
material to their copy thus creating a treasure of life and happenings in
Bloomfield, as well as keeping the community’s history updated.
Book 8013 $45.00 plus $12.00
for shipping within North America.
Payment is accepted by
credit card online through PayPal
at https://www.paypal.com/ (My account rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca) or
cheque, or Canadian or International money order. If you have any questions,
contact Ruby by email rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca
***
Ruby M. Cusack:
The empty pails rattled in the trunk as we drove to Bloomfield
to visit Grampy.
As soon as we reached his house, we hurried to the orchard to pick yellow
transparent apples before the darkness overtook us.
When the pails were filled and carried to the car, we went around to the
front of the house, where we found Grampy sitting on the steps. He was smoking
his pipe, and seemed to be lost in thought, while gazing at the full moon
as it appeared over the horizon.
When Mum sat down beside him, he said, “I have been thinking about Captain
Simon Baxter, who received a 5000 acre grant in 1782, making him the first
permanent settler in the this area. He built a log house and then later one
of stone. He and his wife Prudence are both buried in the Big Rock
Cemetery right over by the bridge.”
He gave a few puffs on his pipe and continued, “I wonder what Captain
Baxter thought about as he sat and looked at the full moon?”
Without waiting for Mum to give an answer, he started to talk about the
suspension toll bridge on the Kennebecasis River, just below the Ox Bow
that was built by Justus Wetmore and James Whitney in the 1830s and was
washed out in a freshet. Then he told about the building of the new Baptist
Church at the foot of the hill.
It seemed each time, Dad suggested that we should be leaving, Grampy started
another interesting story.
Speaking of interesting stories of Bloomfield, you will find many of them
in David G. Keirstead’s, “The Bloomfield Area Remembered” including
Warneford, Central Norton, Guthrie Road, Dickie Mountain, Bloomfield
Station, Bloomfield Ridge and Passekeag.
The material has been divided into 10 sections, commencing with “Early
Settlers and Early Times” in which one learns about Simon Baxter, James Innis,
John Cook Hayes, John Smith, Fortune Hodges, Martin Butler and others.
The evolution of the roads, bridges and the railway gives a look back
at the means of travel throughout the countryside.
Having a place to worship and a place to bury played an important role,
thus 56 pages are devoted to this topic.
The memories of residents and former residents provide an insight into
not only the activities of the community but the folk who made the community.
The 80 pages on Family Trees and People give a glimpse of the many families
of Bloomfield, with photos being an extra bonus.
A house is just a house until one learns the story behind it. For example
the Isaac Ketchum house was said to have been built in 1790 and was used
for church services before there were churches in Hampton, Lower Norton or
Bloomfield. In 1805, Mary Upham, the wife of Judge Joshua Upham purchased
it. About 1820, it came into the hands of the Fairweather family, where members
of the family lived for many years. In 1901, Grace Fairweather was married
there to F. Warren Titus.
The 1844 report of James Brown, the Inspector of Schools, stated the Floyd
Settlement School, later called Bloomfield Ridge School was 15 feet by 16
feet. Only 11 students were present on the day he visited. The teacher, Francis
Campbell, was a 66-year-old widower. The Inspector noted, “He teaches one
or two at a time from Books, with little oral explanation.”
This add-to-book of nearly 500 pages published in 2004 with 100 photos
is unbound. The pages are ready to be placed in a three-ring binder. The
author hoped that in this way readers will add material to their copy thus
creating a treasure of life and happenings in Bloomfield, as well as keeping
the community’s history updated.
Payment is accepted
by credit card online through
PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/ (My account rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca) or
cheque, or Canadian or International money order. If you have any questions,
contact Ruby by email rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca