Ruiter's sons, Jacob, settled near Adamsville, and built a mill, the first on record in these parts. His oldest son, John, had the land farthest west, now owned by Messrs. John and Henry Jones. He built a house, now occupied by John Jones, after his first wooden house was burned to the ground. Another son, Philip, had the next farm east towards Cowansville. To his daughter, Eliza, who married William Stevenson, he gave fifty acres of land adjoining and east of Philip's, while Nelson, another son, owned and cleared up the farm on River street now owned by Arthur Ruiter. He was always interested in things tending to the welfare of the village of Cowansville, and when it was incorporated, he was for many years a councillor. He died at a ripe old age on the farm where he started life, leaving a family of three sons and four daughters.

His son George, owned the south side of the river, and his house was where the residence of Mr. G. K. Nesbitt now stands. He also gave the present site of building to Trinity Church. He was one of the first to open a store and harness shop. The late Hiram Traver, married another daughter, Evelina, and built the white house opposite Mr. Nesbitt's, now owned by Dr. Oliver and used as a terement house. Some years later he built a shoe shop between that and the residence of Mr. F. P. Arsenault, which he also built. He was the first one to open a shoe shop, which he attended for a number of years. Later he built the brick building used as a tenement and owned by Mr. W. S. Cotton, on the corner of the south side of the bridge, and opened up a store which he kept for a few years, finally selling his stock to a young firm. He retired to ٤ farm near Mansonville, where he died some years ago.

Captain Ruiter's youngest son, James, owned the land on the north side of the river, keeping hotel for a time in his brother George's house, on the present site of Mr. Nesbitt's residence. He built the brick building now owned by Messrs. Strange and

a

Mr. Peter Cowan was the first postmaster and storekeeper in Cowansville. He was a Scotchman by birth, and came to this place about seventy years ago, young man, with his young wife, a Miss Hackett. They started life here, amid the hardships of a new country, his first home being in the house now owned and occupied by Mr. Charles Gleason. He built the old Eureka Block, the south end, as far as the tower being used for store and post office, while the north end was used for a horse-shed. Mr. Cowan was a good, influential and upright man in his dealings with the public, and was connected with the young town's welfare.

Quite a number of prominent men started their business career in Mr. Cowan's employ; for instance, the late Col. A. B. Foster, who built and operated our present railway; also the late David Brown, who was afterwards Sheriff of the county, and many others later. Mr. Cowan retired from his store, and farmed for many years on the farm known as Willow Brooke, now owned by his son-in-law, Hon. G. B. Baker. He built the present house which was lately occupied by Mr. S. S. Swasey, and spent his last days there. He was Sher,ff of the District for several years, which office he held until his death. His family consisted of four sons and two daughters. The daughters are now living, the eldest, Mrs. George B. Baker (Senator), the younger, Mrs. Charles Ruiter. The sons are all dead. The town was named after Mr. Cowan, changed from Nelsonville, which was the name of the town originally called by Captain Ruiter after Lord Nelson, of whom he was a great admirer.

The first church in Cowansville was built by the Congregational denomination, on the site of their present church, in the year 1852, fifty-four

years ago. The land was donated by Captain Ruiter for a church, either a Presbyterian or Church of England, whichever would take advantage of the offer and build first. As neither had taken any steps at the above date, Rev. R. D. McConnel, a Congregational minister from Brome Corner, took advantage of the offer, and secured the services of the late Freeman Eldridge, who was a builder and contractor.

Andrew Cowan built the first grist mill, a part of which still stands, and is owned by Mr. Nelson Buzzell. He also built the residence now owned by Mr. L. L. Chandler, our present post master, while Mr. Carter, a brother-in-law of Mr. Cowan, built the residence now owned and occupied by Hon. J. C. McCorkill, our present Provincial treasurer. A writer in the Bedford Times in 1867 when Cowan & Carter were both living says the grist mill was built by Messrs. Carter & Cowan.

The first doctors in Cowansville were the late Doctors Charles Cotton and Charles Brown. Dr. Brown lived in the house which is now the Methodist parsonage, and he built the store occupied by W. J. Bell and Co., where he kept the post office, and was also postmaster for some time.

*See footnote.

The only public building that Cowansville boasted of sixty years ago was what was known as "the old court house," used as court house, dwelling house, public hall, church, school and council chamber. It stood on the site of our present Academy and Town Hall.

Among the first teachers were Miss Lalanne and the Rev. J. C. Davidson, father of Canon Davidson, of Frelighsburg. Mr. Davidson was also the first Rector of Trinity Church, Cowansville.

Mr. O'Halloran was the first lawyer, and lived in the white house nearly opposite Mr. Nesbitt's, and is the oldest living resident of that time in Cowansville to-day. The late Hon. A. B Foster, was clerk for some time in Mr. Peter Cowan's store, when he was a young man. There was a little incident occurred in the store, but I cannot say for sure whether it was in Mr. Foster's time, or Mr. Alexander McKenny, who also clerked for Mr. Cowan for some years. When the clerk and the late James S. Ruiter, both young men of about the same age, were fooling with some gunpowder around the stove, the gunpowder exploded, and Mr. Ruiter was suddenly thrown or blown through the side of the building and landed in the middle of the street minus considerable hair, but not seriously hurt, strange to say.

Col. Foster was the clerk in the incident. See his life in "Some Early Shefford Pioneers."

After Mr. W. H. Kathan gave up the hotel business, he kept store for some time, after which he retired and built the house wehere Mrs. A. B. Foster now resides, which he occupied until he left Cowansville twenty or twenty-five years ago, when he moved to Ohio to live with a son, where he died a few years ago.

Mr. John Carr was one of the first furniture makers in Cowansville, using the house now occupied by Mr. M. Vail, next to the telephone office, and living in the house where Miss Stinehour now resides. Another one of the old settlers was Mr. Gilbert Wells, who built the house now owned and occupied by Miss Stuart. He was a farmer, tilling the land now owned by Mr. Henry Cotton, and also as far north and including the farm owned by Mr. Beattie.

Before closing, it might be interesting to many of our citizens, who seem to think that our present industries, such as the Dairy Supply Company, and W. F. Vilas Implement Works, were the only industries Cowansville ever had, to know that fifty

years ago, we had three sawmills, a large tannery, a woollen factory, and two shops within a mile of Cowansville, employing as many men as are employed in the present industries mentioned.

Cowansville, June 1st, 1906.