The Vanished Village - Jewett’s Mills, New Brunswick


1804-1967
Evelyn Gordon and Harry Grant

D
ad’s choice of such a large turkey for Christmas dinner made me wonder if he thought Mum was cooking for a mill crew. Food was not to be wasted so for nearly a week, we had been eating turkey in some form at every meal. Turkey with potatoes and gravy. Turkey sandwiches. Turkey with pancakes. Turkey ground into hash and mixed with potatoes. Finally today’s turkey soup signified the end.

Cliff and I were certainly pleased to get back to our regular bedtime lunch of hot porridge covered with cream and brown sugar. As we were eating Gramp walked into the kitchen and asked, “Is that real oatmeal or rolled oats?” 

As usual, I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Now if we had lived near Mactaquac, I would have known about taking the bags of oats to Jewett’s Grist Mill and real oatmeal being brought home.

In 1972,  Evelyn Gordon and Harry Grant published, “The Vanished Village” - Jewett’s Mills, N.B. which portrays life in a village that was founded by Daniel Jewett in the early 1800's and disappeared in 1967 with the rising waters of the Mactaquac Hydro Development.

The first saw mill and grist mill were built by Daniel Jewett. Some of the pine sills used, were sixty feet long and twenty inches square, hewed with broadaxes from the timber growing nearby. A dam across the stream was built of  wood, stones and packed earth. The original water-wheel was in use for more than a hundred years.

A pit for tanning of leather for shoemaking was constructed. The bark from the oak and hemlock trees was used in the colouring and preserving of the hides.

In 1858, Daniel and his growing family moved into their new spacious home, named the “Lily of the Valley”,  that had been constructed of lumber sawn in the mill. It had a cellar-kitchen and a large table that always had room for one more guest.

Tragedy struck in March of 1859, when Enoch, Daniel’s brother fell upon a saw while working in the lumber mill and had his arm severed. Due to this accident, a wool carding mill was set up for Enoch to operate. Farmers brought in their washed handpicked fleeces to be converted into machine-combed soft rolls. The housewives then took over, by spinning yarn to be used in knitting.  The sale of knitted products at the farmer’s market at Phoenix Square in Fredericton, put some coins into their purses.

On the sentimental journey to the time before “The Dam”, you will visit the lumber making business from the cutting of the tree to hearing the whine of the circular mill saw, spend time in Grandma Jewett’s bedroom, dining room, kitchen and parlour, learn of soap making, hear stories of the native residents, the early black settlement, religion and community affairs.

“The Vanished Village” - Jewett’s Mills, N.B. by Evelyn Gordon and Harry Grant is available at several libraries in New Brunswick.

A copy of  “The Vanished Village” - Jewett’s Mills, N.B. by Evelyn Gordon and Harry Grant is available for purchasing from rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca.  Information at http://www.rubycusack.com/Book-Vanished.html
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Query 1127
Lamoreaux - Cross - Woodruffe:
I seek proof of the possible daughter relationship to James Lamoreaux and. Martha (Patty) Cross of Hannah (Annie) Lamoreaux, who was born 4 Feb. 1799 in either Gagetown or Grand Bay. She married Zelotus Harvey Woodruffe and died 6 Aug. 1857
    -Howard Ray Lawrence, 17919 Baker Riley Way, Mokelumne Hill, CA, 95245, USA. E-mail to howardl@inreach.com.

Query 1128
Brig Breeze Ship:
The Big Breeze sailed from Dublin, Ireland on 12 April 1834 with 108 passengers. What happened to the 75 people who were forced off at Dipper Harbour as 3 died in transit and only 36 made it to Saint John on 4 June 1834? Captain W. A. Robinson stated, "The remainder went on shore by force."
    -Carmela Kelly, 7013 Seaview Terrace SW, Seattle, WA, 98136, USA. E-mail Ckelly3377@attbi.com.

Query 1129
Thompson - Welton:
Aaron Thompson married Emily Grace Welton in January 1865
at Hardwood Ridge, Northfield, Sunbury County.  Aaron was born in New Brunswick, emigrated
with his family to Maine, died there in 1903, and was buried back in New Brunswick in an unknown location. I seek information on his origin, parents and siblings.
    -David Scott Drane, 405 West 23rd Street #4J, New York, NY, 10011, USA. E-mail drane@aya.yale.edu.

Query 1130
Hampton-Belyea:
I am interested in finding information on Emma Pheasant Hampton (1862 - 1904) who married George Henry Belyea. They are both buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in West Saint John.
    -Donald D. Erwin, 5 Law Ave, Hampton, NB, Canada, E5N  5C1. E-mail dderwin@nbnet.nb.ca.
   
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