27

Steamer "City of Haileybury"
1900
Lake Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
National Archives of Canada

28

The year 1897 brought change to Liskeard. The rapids on the Ottawa River had been bypassed by the building of a rail line between Mattawa and Gordon Creek (now South Temiscamingue) shortening the travel time and improving access for settlers wishing to reach the Little Clay Belt. Would-be settlers from southern or eastern Ontario could now take a CPR train from Mattawa to the port of Gordon Creek which was situated above the rapids at the south end of LakeTemiskaming. From there, they could take a passenger steamboat up the eighty-mile length of Lake Temiskaming to Haileybury or Liskeard. Pioneers who wished to purchase farms in the townships north and west of Liskeard could take smaller launches from Liskeard up the Wabi River or up the Blanche River.

As well, the economic depression which was keenly felt in southern Ontario and the word-of-mouth promotion of the Clay Belt played a role in the steady stream of settlers to the area. In 1895, John Armstrong had participated in the Canadian National Exhibition by bringing a display of grains and vegetables which were grown in the Little Clay Belt. Positive reaction to this display resulted in an excursion of prospective settlers from the Markham area. About 80 men, women and children arrived by steamboat to Liskeard in May, 1897 to see the available farm land. Many of the excursionists stayed and this influx of people added to the original families created a feeling of community.

29

Liskeard, England
2000
Liskeard, England


Credits:
Temiskaming Shores Public Library Archives

30

One other important change was the re-naming of the town. The name "Liskeard" which George Paget had bestowed upon the "Wabi Settlement" was proving confusing. Liskeard was the town in Cornwall, England where Henry Stevens May was born. Unfortunately, in southern Ontario, there are towns of "Lisgar" and "Leskard" and the similarities of the pronunciation and spelling of all of these towns resulted in delayed mail. Postmaster Robert West asked for suggestions for a new name and that prompted a suggestion- John Armstrong wished to name the town "Thornloe" after a visiting Anglican bishop and this was adopted unofficially by those living in "Liskeard". In 1902, the townsfolk were considering incorporating the town and it was essential to finally decide upon a name that everyone could agree upon. As some citizens were still calling the town "Liskeard" the compromise was to rename the town, once and for all, "New Liskeard".

31

Mr. August Kindsvater
1900
Sutton Bay, Harris Township, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Temiskaming Shores Public Library Archives

32

A steady stream of settlers continued to arrive in the New Liskeard area over the next decade. The Census of 1901 shows that 158 people were living in the town, made up of 34 family groups.

The early settlers had a lot to contend with. With no roads or railway in the region, outside communication was reliant upon the lake - when completely frozen or completely free of ice! There were several months in the year when the lake could not be used at all for safety's sake.

33

New wooden sidewalks
1900
New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Harold and Elizabeth Hie

34

The first homes and commercial buildings in the town site of New Liskeard were built on a river bank and until wooden sidewalks were built, walking on sometimes wet clay was problematic. Once the town site became more populated, it became necessary to build a bridge to connect the north and south sections of town.

G.L. Cassidy, author of Arrow North: the story of Temiskaming, writes " Up to this time (1897), the only connection between the north and south segments of the town was by small boats, but the spring floods on the river with their loads of logs often caused difficult log jams, and interrupted the boat traffic, some of it needed to carry children across to school. The river-drivers, who were trying to loosen the jams, would often take the schoolchildren across on their backs, to the evident delight of both parties."

35

The first permanent bridge built in 1898
1898
New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Harold and Elizabeth Hie

36

Samuel McChesney, one of the newer arrivals to New Liskeard in 1897, proposed to build a pontoon bridge across the river if every family in town would contribute one dollar.

37

The replacement of the original bridge
Circa 1907
New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Harold and Elizabeth Hie

38

With the $22.00 he collected, he constructed a floating bridge which could be opened up to allow boats (and logs) to pass. A "proper" bridge ( a narrow, wooden platform supported by steel girders) was built in 1898 and in 1907, a larger bridge was built.

39

Train service arrived in New Liskeard
1905
New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Harold and Elizabeth Hie

40

The settler's isolation was a great concern and a push was made to have the railroad built north of North Bay on the Ontario side of Lake Temiskaming. New Liskeard's citizens had made appeals to the provincial government for several years before finally, in 1902, it was announced by the Commissioner of Public Works for the Ontario government, that a railway would be built linking Lake Temiskaming to North Bay. The Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was the name given by the province and work on the railway line commenced in the spring of 1902 and by 1905, New Liskeard had rail service!