One of Malone's gold mines. (Nat. Lib. of Can.-Illustrated News)
MALONE
Driving north from the #7 Highway on County Road11 will take you through Deloro and up to Malone. Carrying straight through will take you to the Centre Line Road, and bring you back to Marmora.
From"Ontario Abandoned Places"
In August of 1866 Marcus Herbert Powell was prospecting a rock outcrop for copper on John Richardson's farm (Lot 18, Conc 5, Madoc Twp.). Powell was exploring a shallow pit on Richardson's farm when the ground gave way and he fell into a cavern. He discovered that the walls of the cavern contained a bright yellow metallic ore that he believed was copper pyrite. It would take a few weeks before a jeweller from Madoc would announce to him that the copper was, in fact, gold.
Powell's finding would cause a gold rush that saw prospectors from across the world race to stake claims in the area. Prior to this discovery Powell had built a mill approximately seven kilometers northwest of Eldorado. The mill site, built in 1855, was appropriately named Powell's Mills.
The site changed names and became known as Malone in 1863.
Despite the influx of eager prospectors, Malone never did see more than half of a dozen gold mines in operation.
The 1889 Sessional Papers regarding the Gladstone Mine - Lot 17. Concession XI Marmora Township (Malone)
Henry Bowerman owned and operated a local grist mill while George Richardson operated the local store and also served double-duty as postmaster when the post office relocated into the store (though the 1st postmaster was DN Powell). The first mail carrier of whom there is recollection was William Derry, who travelled on horseback from Marmora, which then contained three stores, to Malone and Bailey's Corners (the first location of Shanick). With the advent of the Central Ontario.Railway about 1883 the postmaster obtained the incoming mail at Malone station. The post office closed in 1968.
The town could also boast a school, butcher, Methodist church, blacksmith, tavern (operated by George McGregor) as well as a hotel (operated by Robert Arkles). George Richardson took over operation of the hotel in 1888.
mALONE HOTEL
The population stood at approximately 70 residents by 1869, a much smaller number than during the gold rush. Although most of the prospectors had left the Eldorado area by this time, a few determined prospectors remained in Malone. Two gold finds were recorded by 1871 with an average yield of 81 ounces. These finds brought a surge of over 350 residents back to Malone. Two quartz crushing mills were set up to process the ore. Unfortunately as much many gold finds these two finds proved to be small and isolated.
Life returned back to normal for the town of Malone. It was situated as a railway stop along the Central Ontario Railway where the shipping of lumber, cordwood and farm goods kept the town on the map.
Around 1890 however, the Crescent Gold Mining Company arrived and began explorations in the area. As a result the town's population wavered around the 100 mark. By the end of the century Crescent had three gold crushing mills in operation. The Sovereign mine operated from 1892 until 1900 although the amount of gold extracted is not known. As with mines that had previously come and gone, the lifespan of finding gold was short lived.
Two sawmills as well as two cheese factories (North Star Cheese and Champion Cheese and Butter Company) kept Malone active into the 1900's. When the lumber supply was exhausted however, the town's population slowly dropped as the mills closed.
In 1937, Bonters had a quarry in Malone, shipping an average of seven cars of white marble chips for terrazzo week.
Today the old hotel sign can still be found announcing your arrival into Malone.
BruciteMalone Quarry Photo by Maggie Wilson
Ellen O'Neill, with her sister, Margaret, and dog Elie c.1895 Their mother was Annie Shannon, father was John O'Neill from the Malone
Notes by teacher Gertrude Franklin
One of the pioneer settlers of Malone was Robert Neil, who lived in a small log house east of the brick structure now occupied by Pierre Murphy. In those early days, people travelled by jumpers and later by wagons drawn by oxen. One rarely saw a horse and anyone, who owned one was considered wealthy. At that time there were mud and corduroy roads which were. almost impassable in the spring.
Occasionally Robert Neil drove oxen to Belleville taking potash. His journey required four days. At the end of the first day he reached a small clearing below what is now Harold. Here the oxen fed and the driver rested wrapped in his blanket. At daybreak he started out again reaching Belleville in the afternoon.
West of Robert Neil's property was another small clearing on which a house and stable had been built. Here John Terrion lived.
Still farther west and on the opposite side of the road Richard Wolfe settled later. He was murdered in 1874.
About eighty years ago Betsy Brown lived where Chas. Kelly's house now stands. George Richardson helped to clear the land now owned by Dan McCrimmon and by Mrs. Richardson who has been residing for the past few years in Nebraska.
Bill O'Keefe wrote to say, "Great information about my 3rd Great grandfather Robert Neil".
PUPILS OF THE MALONE SCHOOL
Former pupils who have taken up professions are:
Joseph Murray(doctor in· Ottawa) Patrick Terrion (teacher) Edith B. N.ickle (nurse) A. J. Nickle (teacher), W. L. Terrion (priest) F. J.Nickle (doctor).
Scholars of S.S. No. 6 who enlisted for the Great War (WWI) were:
David McCann, who reached France Dr. F. J. Nickle, Navy Vincent . Terrion Andy Gawley, John McCann W. J. Nickle. (Navy)
Secretary-Treasurer’s Accounts
The only descriptive report with respect to work on the Malone gold prospect is by Vennor in 1872,
Vesuvianite Malone Quarry photo by Van King
"Neil's Mine is situated on the west half of the 14th lot, in the 10th concession of Marmora. I discovered and traced out the vein on this lot in Sept. 1867, before any mining locations were being worked in Marmora. Specimens of quartz with mispickel, brought down at that time, and subsequently examined, yielded me by assay, in the laboratory of the Geological Survey, upwards of $5.00/ton. During the years 1870 and 1871, an opening was made on the vein by Mr Neill, the owner of the lot, but with what result, I have not been informed. The geological conditions of this deposit resemble those of the Williams vein, on the 7th lot of the 9th concession. It almost immediately borders on the great granite area existing to the eastward but from which it is separated by a granitic and greenstone breccia,
S.S. 6 THE MALONE SCHOOL
with description written by Gertrude Franklin, teacher 1937
School Section #6 Malone circa 1910
The inspectorate in which the school is situated was under the direction of Mr. MacIntosh for many years. Following him was Mr. Minns. The present holder of the office (1937) is Mr. A. W. McGuire of Tweed, who has been the inspector about fifteen years.
TEACHERS
In the 1862 log school house:
W.H. Minchin, who was related to the Laycock family, had the experience of teaching in both schools with an interval between. He also taught at Wiley's school and was the holder of several. public offices.
Miss Catharine Dolan (1873)
Miss Annie Smith(1875). It is recalled of Miss Annie Smith, the first teacher in the new school,. that on its opening day she paraded the children, two by two ahead. of her from the old building to the new one.
Teachers in the new 1875 school house
1875 Annie Smith 1876 W. H. Minchen 1877-8 Miss Bridget O'Donnell 1879-80 J. W.McPhail 1881 Miss L. Murray
Miss L. M. Murray was a sister of Jas. and John Murray, who still reside in Marmora township and village.
1884-5 & probably 86-7 T.P.Hart
T. P. Hart who taught there several years, was married to a sister of Daniel Neal who is the oldest living scholar of Malone school now in the district.
1888 Thos. Lafferty 1889 M. Gallagher and L.Breckell 1890 Miss Minnie Geary 1891 Miss M. E. Hall 1892 Miss Nora O'Reilly 1893 C. Jones
C. Jones may be identified as Clive Jones, son of the late Dr. H. M. Jones, who was a medical practitioner for so many years in Marmora.
1894 Miss Amelia, Holt R. P. MacKenzie and E. J. Stewart 1897 Miss Madge Keating 1898-1900 Miss Martha Chambers 1901 Miss Annie Farrell,later Mrs. Jas. Sheridan She also taught at Shanick 1902 C. McKay 1903 M.L. Ried & Miss MableTuffy 1904 M. Clatchie 1905 Arnold Craig 1906 Lyn Empey 1907 Miss Mable R. Smith, Irvine McIvey, and Miss Violetta Hart 1908 Miss H. E. Shoebotham 1909-10 Miss L. E. Blair 1912 Miss Valerie Fry 1913 Miss Delta Empey 1914 Miss Della Empey and, F. J. Nickle 1915 J. Nickle & Miss Skeoch 1916 Miss L. Easton 1917 Miss D. Empey 1918 Miss A.J. Nickle and L.E. Rorke 1919 L.E. Rorke & Miss Jennie Devolin 1920 Misses Jennie & Bessie Chamber 1921 Misses Clara Hamilton, Marguerite Coulter& E. Nicholson 1922 Miss E. Nicholson & Mrs. Anna Bouchard, 1924 Mrs. Anna Bouchard & Mildred Gawley 1925 Misses Mildred Gawley & Emma Blakely 1926 Misses Emma Blakely and Marguerite Finnegan 1926-28 Miss Marguerite Finnegan 1929.Misses Marguerite Finnegan &W.Adamson 1930 Misses W. Adamson and Margaret White 1931-2 Miss Margaret White 1933 Misses Margaret White & Gertrude Franklin 1934 Miss Gertrude Franklin 1940 & 41 Miss Flindall 1942 Miss Bristol 1947 Miss Marguerite Hulsman
Education in the Malone district began in a year that is remote from the earliest recollection of the oldest living scholar to have attended school there. That individual recalls his father having told .him that a few ratepayers got together and built a shack which was the beginning of better things to come. Even its location cannot be ascertained now. Only the mere mention of its existence remains.
As far as can be conjectured, the erection of a log school-house was about three-quarters of a century ago. (1862) This building, facing south, took shape on the north side of the main road and west of the house now owned by Miss Ellen Terrion. The land on which it stood was bought at that time for a small sum from the late Henry Derry.
Furniture in this old school was vastly different to what may be seen in a modern rural school. The solitary desk was the teacher's. The scholars were seated on long unvarnished benches. There were no eager glances at the clock to divine the closing hour of study as the teacher's timepiece regulated the periods devoted to reading, writing, arithmetic and spelling. Scholars' equipment of that time would be considered meagre in these days. It consisted of a slate and pencil and sometimes the occasional book.
It was about the summer of 1875 that a new school was constructed about one mile north-east of the log school-house on land purchased from the late Ed. Nihill for one dollar plus the old school property, The dimensions of the new building were 30 by 24 ft. Its construction was undertaken by a Mr. Fox of Eldorado. Originally it had more windows than at present. Some windows were boarded up to improve the lighting system and to make more space for blackboards. Included in its present number of desks are twelve purchased in 1905 at $39.26. Now the school is lighted by five windows on the west side and one on the east. There is also a small window in the porch which faces the south.
Fuel for the building is accommodated in a frame structure, 18 by 17 ft., which is situated in the north-east corner of the school grounds. An interesting item in the account book runs as follows: Nine dollars was paid for six cords of wood in 1883.
Reminiscences of those early days, given by octogenarians of today, (1937) whose memories are good, include references salaries and the boarding ·of the teachers of thosebygone days. Thus we learn that the teacher's salary. was about $200 to $225, and that each ratepayer boarded the teacher for a period of one or two weeks according to the amount of' taxes paid.
SCHOOL SECRETARIES
W. D. Nickle has held the position of secretary of S.S.No. 6, Malone, since 1905. Included among his predecessors are: Ed. Nihill, WmBroadworth John Murray, Sr, Thos. H. Derry, Dan Thompson, Geo.Richardson, W. J. Derry, Jas. Terrion, W.H.Derry, VincentTerrion HenryNickle, Chas. KelIy.
The present trustees (1937) are John Laton, WaIter Gawley and Henry Weese .
SCHOOL TRUSTEE SIGNS WITH AN “x”
THE MALONE STORE
Written in 1980 by unknown author
There has been a general store in Malone for at least 80 and more years, probably even 100. There is not one today. Joyce and Gerald Fox decided to close the store that they have run since 1954 and remove one of the last props for this tiny community north of Deloro The store had its last day of business on January 31, 1980.
"It wasn't for lack of business that the store was closed. The store always ran itself and kept us for years" Joyce Fox said, "but it is not quite what it used to be."
There are a number of problems: steadily spiraling prices seemed to have cut into profits, and obtaining stock has become more and more difficult. Whereas when the Foxes first started operating in 1954, everything would be delivered. Now they have to order goods through Deloro or through Lynch's Frosted Foods in Marmora, and then travel to pick them up.
"We were tired of being tied down. We kept it open seven days a week, and we thought we would like to have more time with the kids, and more time to ourselves. A recent deal that would have sold the store and the adjoining house fell through, and since the stock had been allowed to run down, we just decided to let it go. Maybe if we had been younger, and if we hadn't been at it so long......but I beginning to find it tiring," Joyce said.
They were married at 18 and Mrs. Fox worked at the5-$1.00 store from the time she left school. " George's father came and told us the McCann's, the previous owners, wanted to sell. It was a pretty big undertaking for us, but it paid for itself in two years and it has been good since then." They built the house themselves, and Joyce ran the store. "It was just like having a job at home. I can work and be right with the kids." They had two children, Julie and Kevin, who schooled in Marmora.
The Malone store has records dating back to 1880. According to G. Franklin (teacher) in 1937, Jacob Tennyson kept store in a small log house on the Tennyson hill. The next known details of the village store was its existence at the rear of the present store. Mr. C. J. Vizard was the proprietor. He in turn sold out to W. D. Nickle in 1898 who extended the premises and continued in business about thirty-nine years with the exception of two years when the store was taken over by John Fitzgerald. In the years between Mr. Nickle and the Fox's ownership, the store was run by the Charlie Kelly, and Thomas and Bessie McCann.
In the time that the Foxes owned the store, they have seen the changes come. The closing of the Bonter quarry near Malone (it produced white marble for terrazzo floors) in December of 1965 eliminated the demand for hardware, work clothes and boot at the store.
The closing of the post office two years later also had its effects. Meanwhile, active farming had been reduced with fewer and fewer families shipping milk and the old homesteaders sel1ing off their farms to Toronto retirement and weekend buyers who were less likely to patronize the store in Malone.
"When we first came here, it was a lot like a community centre. We had the only T.V. in the area and the men would come down in the evening, drink pop and watch TV the store. We had an old big box stove then to heat the store."
THE BAD NEWS IN MALONE
Marmora Herald May 24, 1906 “During the electric storm on Friday, David and Henry Lough of Malone received a shock that knocked them down. One of them was unconscious for a few minutes but soon recovered.”
On June 22, 1906, the Marmora Herald reported that David Lough’s barn was struck by lightening!
Charles Kelly Obituary
Thomas McCann, Malone Store owner, Marmora Police Chief, Deloro employee, and guard at Don Jail, Toronto
The Death of John Scott July 1915
Teacher describes break-in at the school house
FAIRLY CAUGHT Nov. 30, 1922 Malone school
On Sunday November 19th Malone School house (S. S. No. 6 Marmora) was entered by two young men carrying a gun. Entry was made by raising a window. They proceeded to amuse themselves upsetting things in general. The teacher's desk was ransacked, the books all thrown in confusion, and her jack-knife taken from the desk drawer and placed in one of the boys pockets. The maps, weights and measures and all school equipment was roughly handled and thrown about the floor. Ink was poured about the school in several places and the clock put clean out of business. The pupils books were removed from their desks and a number of them defaced by drawings and writings.
Just as they were ready to leave the building, the teacher arrived on the scene, saw the two in the schoolhouse and went to see what was going on. The two young men Gordon Bedore and Tom McCinnon took a hasty departure through the window and jumped the school yard fence. The teacher looked the school house over and missed her jack-knife. Meanwhile, the two intruders were firing random shots with their gun. The teacher went to the school fence and demanded her knife but Bedore and McCinnon ran away and hid.
The teacher hid in the school. After a while McCinnon came stealthly back and was in the act of placing the stolen knife in the entry of the school house when the teacher appeared. Bedore was waiting at the school gate for the return of McCinnon. The teacher advised the two to put everything back to its place in the schoolhouse. She unlocked the door. The two young men entered and started to put thingsright. You would naturally think that after being "fairly caught" they would have had the principle (or good sense) to put everything back into place but they left before completing their work. I, think it would be wise for them to look up the penalty for disturbing school property.
Mrs. Anna Bouchard. Teacher S. S. No. 6,
NOTES: Thomas Davis McKinnon - Born Jan 14, 1905, Confirmed June 1, 1915
Thomas Gordon Bedore - Born Sept. 22, 1905, Confirmed May 27, 1919, Married Mary Delphine Foley, Sept. 4, 1928
