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Pioneers of Our Community

The Kirkland Lake region in the early 1900's was a rough environment for men and women alike. Early homesteading at the time sometimes involved living in tents or buildings lacking insulation and running water. It was in an environment like this that women like Mabel Fetterley would use hard work to make a living in to support not only herself, but her nieces and nephews as well. Maria Martin worked in her husband's boarding house, and Lorna Murphy raised six children in what would be considered primitive conditions by today's standards. When Kirkland Lake became an established town, women were able to devote their energy to more than the needs of basic survival. They were in a position to create organizations relating to business, sports, local churches, and even leisure clubs.