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| Among the teachers who taught in take Annis are the names of
Dorothy Jain, Annie Murphy, Seddie Crosby, Lillian Hewey, Cora Wile, Jessie
Tinkbam, Dorothy Vickery, Ethel Wetmore, Stella Sabean, Vivian Wyman, M12.dred
Cook, Miriam Durkee, Bob Clark and a Mrs. Doone. In Mrs. Doone’s year there
were 35 pupils and she bad to teach all the grades.
The building is now owned by Everett Killam who is taking it down for the lumber that may be found useful. At present the property belongs to James Hubley. Mr. Cossar donated the land on which the school was built but the deed was not given to the trustees until shortly before he died. There was a school renovating program in Frank Day’s time when the big window was put in on the south side of the school. That was after 1932. One of the collaborators of this sketch, was a member of a working party under Harry Swan as boss carpenter, who put down a new floor one summer during the vacation. COMMUNITY HALL — NO. .40 The Community Han was built in 1938 through the efforts of the Lekewood Community Club composed of the local young people of that time. For several years it was used for square dances, pie socials and other functions and served as a meeting place for all the young people. It has not been used since 1950 and remains closed. NO. 42 This house also mentioned in the page on the railway, was originally built in 1878 as a railway storehouse. It was used in this capacity for a year and then purchased by the Clarke in 1879, often referred to as the Joe Clark house. Joe had a daughter Della who was married to a man by the name of Stinger. They bad a daughter Mary, a rather large girl who is well remembered by some of the younger generation at take Lnnis. Mary always took care of the father and mother until they passed away. In 1924 the house and farm was sold to the Hubleys, the wife Ethel being the daughter of Fred and laura Jones. Barns and outbuildings have been added from time to time and the property operated as a farm. The son James, now acting as head of the family, is well known to the Lake Annis residents. A couple of years ago James, in preparing the evening meal, let the knife slip while he was cutting a piece of barn and it went through his thin cotton shirt and cut a gash in his abdomen. To use his own expression his “guts started to come out”, so stoically he reached for his mother’s needle and thread, which were on the kitchen shelf and “just sewed the edges together”, then calmly drove himself to the Doctor in Ohiq. Strangely enough he apparently suffered no ill effects. Fred Jones came from Wales on a ship to Port Clyde, N. S. He was tired of sailing and got himself a job at Dave Saunder’ s mill. For a short time he lived in the station at Norwood and in 1896 built a new home close to the railway track and just back of the school. This is shown as No.43 on the sketch. He was married to Laura Cossar the same year that he built his house and they bad three children, Florence who became Mrs. Killam mother of Everett; William, and Ethel who is Mrs. Hubley and lives in No.42. Mr. Jones died in 1929 having been head of the railway section crew in the Lake Annis section for a nunber of years. Mrs. Jones who lived to be 93, passed away in 1955. She had a wonderful memory and much of the information in this sketch was passed on to her grandson Everett Killam, who in turn has given it to the collaborators of this volumn. The house has remained in the family being now occupied by Everett Killam, a grandson, his mother Florence having passed away in 1945 Mr. Jones besides being boss of the section gang, did some farming which is still carried on by Everett, who is the foreman of the “Lake Annis Construction Co . which installs mail-boxes etc. ENTERTAIMNENT
What do people do at Lake Annis? This question has often been asked and nevar has anyone said they found time hanging heavy on their hands - there is never enough time to walk in the woods, boat on the lake, fish in the streams, and work in the garden; not to mention visiting with friends and neighbours. Early in the history of this resort, before the days of T.V. and Radio, the young people as well as the older ones, provided their own entertainment in the form of musicals and skits. The piano off the old Castilina, which was in “Orchard House" or Castilian Hall as it was called later, was well used. In the old log book were kept many of the programs for the impromptu concerts — here are two of the entries:— Wednesday — June 12, 1895.
Chorus — The Angels are looking on me. Note: The musical passed off very successfully, the preformers being showered with flowers. There were 150 invitations issued but on account of the darnrness only 4 managed to get here !! September 29th, 1908 The event of the Golden Wedding of Mr. & Mrs. George W. Johnson
and Silver Wedding of Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Killam was celebrated all day
with appropriate programs, poems suitable for the occasion were read as
well as letters from absent friends and members of the family. In the evening
the following numbers were given with great pleasure to all present:
The evening entertainment closed with games in which all took part.
Another entry — July 1st, 1908, mentions ‘a lovely evening at Orchard
House”
Such programs to which everyone was expected to contribute, provided fun for all and much latent talent was discovered. The Yarmouth Herald reports at some length on an evening musicale held
at Sunnyside on Sunday evening, August 5th 1928, speaking of the artists
in most glowing terms • The program was published in full —
Miriam Guest of Yarmouth is well remembered for her fine work on the violin, Mrs. Frank Cain, a sister-in-law of Sadie Green, had her home in Newark, NJ. and was on a visit to lake Annis. Katharine Vickory, Olive Cann Perry and Paul Vaka are still summer visitors. The Herald speaks of this Musicale as the first of a series held on Sunday evenings • The second, a week later was held in Castilian Hall and the third on August 19th, at the summer home of Dr. and Mrs. Douglas McLeod. In later years more formal musicales were given at Sunnyside when Mary Winchester, an accomplished musician, entertained the residents. One summer she had a number of pupils who gave a recital at Olive Perry’ s. Many a “sing-song” has been hold at various homes or around a little portable organ in the Hawey’s Grove. Sunday night was a favourite time for a good hymn sing. Many outdoor Church Services were held in the yard of the E.J. Vickery’s when the minister for the lake George circuit would conduct the service. One summer Ministers from Yarmouth came for the services which were attended by about 50 or 60 people who were enthusiastic about Church Meetings out-of-doors. The old benches from Wesley Church in Yarmouth proved useful, and other benches were brought from the Community Hall to seat the congregation. For many years various groups of young people came to lake Anriis for house parties. The Killam cottage was often filled with friends of Lydia and Camber, George and Mabel; Douglas and Nellie, and later there were groups of young people at the Lewis Cottage. Henry with his pals and Esther and Adaline with their particular friends. Then the never to be forgotten group, with Douglas Wyman, Ruth Lewis, Bernice Bere and Herbie McLeod, sometimes known as the Gang, for they were full of capers. Janet Crowell, Bee Lyman, Katharine Vickery, Harriet Hill, Tommy Kirk, Dorothy Blacka&r, Ted Chipman and others held many a gay party at Lake Annis. Recently there have been Community Picnic Suppers which have proved very popular; held at the larger homes when the weather was bad. Two most successful Flower Shows have recently been held. These flower shows were not for perfect bloom but for display of imaginative arrangements and we have found many artists in our midst. Speaking of Artists — Lake Annis has been the rendezvous of Artists. Mabel Dry’s Studio is well known; and wany people have come here to paint. Sadie Green, Esther and Clem, and Bill Crowell as well as Barbara Crowell have exhibited their paintings; and in earlier days Miss Sadie Allen. Now a younger generation is growing up and in 10 nere years there will be another gay group of young cottagers to stir up some excitement. It is doubtful however if they will make villages out of twigs and build tree houses in this faster moving era. While on the subject of entertainment one might mention more active forms which have had their day in the community; the dirt tennis court and baseball field at Camp Mooswa. The grass tennis court on the lawn in front of the McGray house with it’s tall wire backstop. The dirt court built by the MacLeods at the corner of the station road on the site formerly occupied by Dave Saunder ‘a store before it ws moved across the road. The tennis court that the MacLeods had near the railway track on their road from the main highway to their cottage, No.38. Both the Killams and the MacLeods croquet lawns which were used when the game was popular. Quoits was also played in various locations as the spirit moved. POETRY We may be using the word rather loooely but as some of it certainly rhymes it may be the correct word. Apparently in the early days it was quite customary for visitors before leaving, to write in the cottage log book. Often it was in verse. These are from the Killam log which is probably the most complete in the village. March 1903 — by W. D. Ross. When days are cheerlessAugust 1903 — this is the first of a full page of rhymes, each verse dealing with a member of the party. In this case it no doubt refers to Pat Jolly who was a friend of Camber Killam and possibly George. ‘Tis an awfully jolly party
A is for take Annis this exquisite abode. SIGNED “ME”
There are many others some of which are very clever periphases of well-known
poems.
So that the credit for writing original verse will not go entirely to the older generation, here is a poem by Webster Culver, husband of Beatrice Lyman (grandchild of S. A. Crowell), which is part of a lengthy write-up given to the take Annie Flower Show in August of 1963. Lake Annis is aflame to-day
In spite of thunder and lightening, and a heavy downpour of rain, the flower Show was held, not in the Crowell’ s Patio as planned, but on the veranda at the Goudey-Manuge home. There were 30 exhibits from 13 homes. These were not necessarily displays of perfect blooms, but arrangements to illustrate captions, quotations, names of books, songs, movies etc. The variety of excellence of the displays this year made it very difficult for the judges to come to any decision, but finally after dividing the classes for men, women and children, the displays were judged on the basis of beauty and originality. The article goes on to describe many of the exhibits and ends up by
saying that plans are already underway for something on a larger scale
next year.
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