Now Available! The Magic Cat

It's now available as an Ebook from Amazon Kindle! Price is $1.99 and is available here....http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077PIXIM There is a spot on the page for likes on Facebook, so show me some love!

The Magic Cat is now available for purchase in print form from my Createspace estore here https://www.createspace.com/3771751 or from Amazon.com retail within the next 5-7 days.. Price is $5.99. ISBN 9781469916767

Mild Morning

The Waterway Built by Necessity

By : Dennis Stein

  Ontario contains by far one of the most beautiful waterways in North America, residing right here in Ontario, and the only continuously operated canal system on the continent. The Rideau Canal, with 47 locks, spans 202 km of lakes between Kingston at the foot of Lake Ontario, and Ottawa.
  The canal was designed and engineered by Leiutenant Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, charged with the daunting task of finding a safe passage for British ships from Montreal to the Great Lakes, out of range of the american guns after the war of 1812. Begun in 1827, and opened in May of 1832, the rideau is one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century, its exquisite stonemasonry and buildings standing today just as they were when the canal opened. The Rideau begins in the Ottawa river, rising 275 ft, through 35 locks to the summit at Upper Rideau Lake, and then descending 166 ft. through another 14 locks to Kingston. During the war of 1812, when naval strengths were a continuous issue, a secure supply route between Montreal and Kingston was a must, and thousands of labourers were contracted to perform the massive construction of 45 locks, (plus 2 locks on the Tay canal), and 52 control dams. The conditions were hard, with many men dying of malaria. Yes, you heard right,... Malaria. Approximately 500 men were lost to the disease during construction through the harsh Ontario wilderness. Some of the areas between locks had to be flooded to achieve the 5 foot uniform depth that the canal was designed for, and the control dams accomplished this task, including the dam at Hog's Back, which suffered three collapses before it was able to be completed. All of the work was done by hand, through virgin forest, swamps, and wilderness with few roads, and fewer settlements. Pickaxes, shovels and wheelbarrows were used for excavation, and powder was used to blast in some areas. The large stones which line the locks and dams were cut mostly by French Canadian stonemasons, and lowered into place by simple hand cranes. Despite cost overruns, 2000 men per year worked to complete the Rideau Canal in a few short years, accomodating ships as long as 90 ft. It takes from 4 to 6 days to travel the complete waterway, and picnic sites with full facilities have been established by Parks Canada at many sites along the system. Original blockhouse buildings, which were built along to route to defend the canal against attack, still stand today.
  Many people traverse the Rideau Canal each year by boat or on land, and Parks Canada staff operate the lock system just as it was in the 1800's. It has been designated a World Heritage Site, and government money is being spent to preserve the waterway for future generations to enjoy...

Lost Loyalist Gold In The Thousand Islands

By : Dennis Stein

  If you haven't heard of William 'Billa' Larue, the witch of Plum Hollow, or the 'Legend of the Black Cattle', you don't know what you're missing in local Ontario lore. A great treasure legend, with a ghost story to boot. I first was told the story over 25 years ago, by a man in Mallorytown, and it has captivated me ever since.
  William Larue, or 'Billa' as he came to be known, was a United Empire Loyalist who came to this country before 1800, and was given a crown land grant of 200 acres on the west side of Larue Mills Creek. All of the 'loyalists who had remained loyal to Britian after the American Revolutionary War had been rewarded for their service with land in the original nine Royal Towships. He erected a mill on the creek, and amassed quite a fortune. He ran the mill at night to grind flour for bread and during the day to cut wood for British defenses when England requisitioned his mill during the war of 1812. As time went on, he bought up land around him, eventually owning about 1000 acres in the area around Larue Mills. Billa and his wife Abigail had nine children, but at least six of them died while still very young, the times being as hard as they were. Some of the daughters in particular lived little more than a few months or years. It was well known that Billa kept his fortune concealed somewhere on his property, and several attempts at locating it by fortune seekers have occured over the years. Supposedly, on his death bed, Billa uttered what may have been the only clue to the gold's location. "My treasure lies there..." He was in one of the upstairs bedrooms, overlooking the small family cemetery to the west of the original house, which still stands today. Did Larue mean his fortune? Or was he refering to his children? Whatever the case, William larue died in November of 1832, taking his secret with him to the grave. He left everything to his daughter Sarah Larue, not to his wife, instead offering her a measly sum of forty pounds if she agreed to live somewhere else. She died two years later...
  One famous attempt at recovering Larue's fortune happened around 1855, when a small group of men, after consulting the witch of Plum Hollow ( a local fortune-teller named Elizabeth Barnes ), set out for the property in hopes of unearthing Billa's prize. They began to dig at a certain spot on the west side of the old house, under cover of darkness. They excavated a considerable hole, and suddenly one of the men hit what he thought was a large round stone, with the sound of coins beneath it. It was then, as legend has it that all at once, a cold wind blew through, and the men were suddenly surrounded by dark silhouettes which they thought were black cattle. They became so afraid, that the dig was quickly abandoned, and the group ran off, fleeing the frightening scene. It was decided that they would return the next morning in daylight. The following morning, the men found their picks and shovels, but no sign of the stone or any gold within the hole... The concensus was that a spirit of some kind had whisked away the gold, and re-hidden it so as to protect it from being found. One of the gentlemen amoung this group later detailed the story exactly, a man by the name of Haskin, who lived in New York state, who claims he was the young man in the hole when the stone was struck. He was nine years old at the time. All of this interesting story can be pieced together, and at least partially proven to be true. T.W.H. Leavitt's History of Leeds and Grenville devotes space to the story, and the local Service Ontario office has copies of his original land grant information, as well as a copy which I have read of his Last Will and Testament.
  Did some of the men return to the hole in the night and take the fortune? Did Sarah Larue get the location from her dying father? Perhaps. Or just maybe, the gold is still buried out there somewhere, awaiting discovery. Definitely an interesting piece of local history and folklore from the earliest days of settlement here in Ontario...

It's Done!!!

My first book is finished, and ready for printing!!! It should be available on Amazon.com within a week or so, and available for Kindle as well... Once I approve the proofs being shipped to me in the next few days, it should be ready for sale!

The Royal Townships : The hard life of the Loyalists

By : Dennis Stein

  The end of the American Revolutionary War meant difficult times for those who remained loyal to the crown. Most of the 'Loyalists' fled with only the clothes on their backs, leaving their homes, livestock, and all possessions behind. They took refuge in Quebec, under Governor Haldimand, who took on the responsibility of caring for the Loyalists. Most were former militia or British regulars, along with their families. Their situation quickly became dire, and they petitioned the Governor, who in turn sought help from the British government. England wanted to reward the Loyalists for their service, and set out to award lands to be settled to the west. Nine townships were surveyed, with lots being awarded by lottery to the loyalists and their families, in acreages based on their rank. Even lone men who had no families with them, and were not from the military in any way still received small parcels of land. The lottery upset some of the former British officers, who argued that they should be able to choose their lots as opposed to drawing them by ballot. The system remained in place however, and by the spring  of 1784, the loyalists were settling on their lands, having been brought up the St.Lawrence river by batteaux, which were capable of handling 3 to 4 tons. Seed and some livestock had been procured, and each settler was given an axe and a hoe, while several families would share blacksmith and carpentry tools. Glass and nails were hard to come by, dificult to transport, and expensive to buy, and to add to that, most of the loyalists had not arrived until summer on their lands, leaving little time to plant any kind of crop, let alone clear land or build suitable shelter. During the summer of 1784, tents could be seen along the St. Lawrence river, and it could be imagined that the Loyalists suffered a tough first winter. But after two years, after meeting criteria for clearing land for crops and/or livestock ( 5 acres ) and building of a house, the settlers would receive crown patents for their land.
  As time progressed, more settlers came, and things became somewhat easier. The land became 'improved' with roads along each concession, and cleared land for farming. Buildings and small towns sprang up slowly, and the earliest beginnings of Ontario were carved from the wilderness. The Royal Townships seeded the birth of a new British colony, and Canada was truly born.

Morning on The River...

The Mighty Fort Wellington

By : Dennis Stein

  Fort Wellington was built during the War of 1812, to defend British shipping routes on the St.lawrence river. Constructed in the town of Prescott, its ramparts stood watch over the river against the threat of American invasion, and guarded the entrance to the Galop Rapids. It was never attacked itself, being constructed of earthen ramparts forming a square,along with horizontal pickets, and casemates dug into the ramparts used for storage. British authorities always voiced an opinion that the fort was poorly built, and only a modest military threat,  but her most important military asset was the 24 pounder cannons on the southeast and southwest corners of the ramparts. These guns could fire directly on buildings in Ogdensburg, New York, and guard against american ships traveling the river. The fort saw action in November of 1813, when an american army under General Wilkinson approached from upriver, making their way to a planned attack on Montreal.  Wilkinson was afraid of Fort Wellington’s guns however, and landed his troops upriver from Ogdensburg, marching them through town at night, while his empty ships slipped past. Wilkinson was stopped by a much smaller force of British, Canadian and mohawk warriors at Crysler’s Farm near Morrisburg. After this, the war of 1812 came to an end, and the Fort was mostly abandoned. Inside the ramparts, the timber buildings and casemates quickly deteriorated.
  In the spring of 1838, trouble was brewing once again in Upper Canada. A rebellion was being organized by a group of former Canadian political dissidents, including William Lyon Mackenzie, who along with americans called the Hunter Patriots planned to attack and seize the Fort, and the town of Prescott. Their attempt to land at the wharf in Prescott was repelled by Canadian militia, who had been tipped off as to the approaching trouble. The Hunters landed at Windmill point, and were defeated shortly after. During this time, the Fort had been rebuilt to counter the American threat, now hosting a central three story blockhouse, an Officer’s quarters, Latrine, cookhouse, and a guardhouse. The cannons were remounted, and a stone caponiere was dug through the south facing rampart, accessed from the main yard through a tunnel.
  The fort continued to serve Canada even during the first and second World Wars, housing soldiers on their way overseas to fight. Today Fort Wellington has been refurbished to look as it was in 1864, with tours from May until LabourDay. The third floor of the blockhouse has been made into a museum, and Parks Canada interpreters provide a glimpse into the past, while fully clothed in period dress. A new facility is now being constructed next to the fort, to house the ‘gunboat exhibit’ formerly housed at Mallorytown Landing, and should be open soon. For more historical articles, point your browser to www.thefineprints.blogspot.com.