Front row: Nora and Brian.

WESLEY GAIUS SEARS

Wesley Gaius, called “Gay” Sears was b. in 1853 and d. in Jan. 1926 (according to his daughter, Louise, in Gardiner, Me.) or 1929 (according to his granddaughter, Bertha Allen). He m. Mary Jane Baker, a daughter of John Granda Baker. She was b. in Freetown 2 Dec. 1853 and d. in Gardiner, Me. in 1925.

Gay was a blacksmith. He came to Freetown to work at his trade and met and m. Mary Jane. They lived in Freetown for some years near where Garth Drummond resides in 1985. They later went to Maine where he carried on blacksmithing.

Gay and Mary Jane had sixteen children. Three died in infancy. It is known that two children, James Lewis b. 2 Aug. 1871 and Mary W., called Mamie, b. 12 Sept. 1880 were b. in Freetown. There may have been others b. on RE]. but data is insufficient to report.

AUSTIN ALEXANDER SCALES It was about 1920 when Austin Scales developed his first interest in Freetown. It is recorded that he made a trip to Freetown on 29 Apr. 1921, in connection with potatoes that he had grown on the farm then

. owned by Jonah Lewis (code 66).

Austin Scales was one ofthe first mink ranchers on Prince Edward Island. He developed a type of pen for mink that revolutionized the business at the time. It was interesting to note that he sold two pair of mink to Mr. J.C. Jardine, a Freetown native, for $240.00 on 3 Oct. 1914. Austin was interested in raising foxes and in 1914 he purchased shares in the Willow Hill S.B. Fox Co. and the New Annan S.B. Fox Co. The first sale of potatoes was recorded on 1 June 1914 when he sold 579 bags @ 88¢ per bag delivered to Halifax. It should be mentioned that he purchased latin, geometry and algebra books in December of that year and studied on his own. In 1915 he increased his shares in the Willow Hill S.B. Fox Co. and also bought a half interest in three male silver black foxes. He stopped ranching mink in 1916 and sold a number of mink skins. This same year he went to study at the Ontario Agriculture College, Guelph, Ontario. He was successful in obtaining a scholarship from the Department of Agriculture of P.E.l. for attending this college in 1917. In 1918 Austin purchased his first car, a second hand Chevrolet with 800 miles on it for $600.00. Its cost new was $725.00. On the 6 Sept. he was judging grass for the Department of Agriculture and he secured a salary from the Department in 1919. In 1920 Austin went on a trip, which took him to Vancouver, Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York. On Apr. 20th 1920 a sale of potatoes was made at $4.75 for 90 lb bag F.O.B. St. Eleanors. It was in 1921 that he became interested in purchasing farm land and on 25 Mar. 1922 he purchased a farm in Freetown near the railroad station from James Smith (code 74). The farm consisted of 147 acres and the price was $8000.00. This same year he built a warehouse 30 x 50’ with a 10’ cellar on the farm, which was convenient to a railway siding. He utilized lumber from the farm in the amount of 37.476 feet to build the

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