One letter dated 1 November 1980 was from Mr. John Mervyn MILNE (1903-1983).. MILNE was a St. Mary’s historian working on a book about local farms. His cousin owned the Otwell farm after John F. OTWELL left and MILNE worked there as a teen. Another letter from 27 August 1982 from another St. Mary’s historian, Margaret FACEY, indicated that she was compiling information for a Tweedsmiur Book.
Most of the information shared we already knew, but the following items are of interest:
1.) South of the farm is a street called Wellburn. The name was coined by local residents from the “well” in OTWELL and “burn” from the area’s first storekeeper/postmaster James BURNS.
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| Wellburn Street Sign, 1984 by Arlene ROLA |
2.) In the letter, MILNE states that John F. and Mary purchased the 100 acre farm on 12 January 1861. The property was mortgaged 20 August 1865 as security for a loan for $250.00. A double house was then built on the property – half lived in by John F. and Mary and the other half by their son Maurice and his growing family. Also on the property is a carriage house and a barn, both thought to be of the same age as the house.
3.) According to MILNE’s father, the pickle business survived after the fire of 1882, but “it could not keep up with the expensive tastes of the women in the family. They bought expensive clothes and entertained lavishly. When the family left the premises, the upper rooms were left undisturbed for years. When my brother went through them early in 1918, he reported closets full of fancy dresses. They were taken out and burned by my cousins. When I went through these rooms several months later I noticed the floors literally covered with long fancy hat pins… that would be collector’s items today.”
- I’m sharing this paragraph as I found it humorous, but likely not factual. It appears that the family broke apart when Maurice was committed in 1889. Most of the family left the area and probably couldn’t take all their belongings. There were six females living in the household and one would expect a lot of dresses and hat pins for that many people. I would suppose too that 1880 style dresses to a 1918 eye would look fancy.
4.) “The local newspaper announced the birth of a daughter on Nov. 6 1888; which I accept as Jane would be only 41 years of age at the time, but I have in my notes the birth of another daughter to Maurice Nov 5, 1910.”
- We have no information on children born in 1888 or 1910. Maurice was committed in 1889, so 1888 is a possibility.
5.) A newspaper article of 29 December 1904 stated that John F. went to live with his daughter-in-law Mrs. Maurice OTWELL, No. 63 Adams Ave. East Detroit, Michigan.
- This confirms the verbal family history passed down to cousin Herb OTWELL.
6.) “The name of the factory in 1888 was Western Pickle and Sauce Works. They made a shipment of 250 gallons to one firm alone in Toronto in that year.”
- This is the third business name we have found after the name “J.F. Otwell & Son” was sold.
Mrs. FACEY shared a photo of the back of the house that was taken by a later owner, circa 1930s.
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| Back of house circa 1930, from collection of Arlene ROLA |
Arlene drove to St. Mary’s and took photos of the farm in 1984. The owner at the time was Jean STERRITT, but she was away during the visit.
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| Otwell Farm Street View, 1984 by Arlene ROLA |
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| Back of House, 1984 by Arlene ROLA |
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| Barn and Carriage House, 1984 by Arlene ROLA |
Thank you cousin Marybeth!
