Jfarmtng Early days of farming on Prince Edward Island was by necessity a primitive mixed farming operation. Land at this time was under heavy forest and trees had to be cut. The Acadian set¬ tlers' first crops were wheat and pea. By 1763 Captain Samuel Holland surveyed the Island dividing it into 67 lots and 3 transits. For the most part it was British residents who became proprietors of the 64 lots and rented it or sold to the farmers. The proprietors failed to fulfill certain conditions and so land development was very slow. The 1841 census showed each local farmer with a small number of hogs, horses, cows, sheep and a few acres of arable land. Crops grown were hay, oats, barley and potatoes. Despite hard¬ ships immigrants came to the Stanley Area and leased or bought land with average size being 50 acres. An 1860 map and an 1881 atlas show there were 14 farmers on the Hope River Road. By 1928 there were half that number making a living off the land. Today there is only one resi¬ dent farmer on this road. The system of proprietorship ended in 1875 when the Government of Canada purchased any lands still in the hands of the proprietors and resold them to the tenants. Islanders were very unhappy with absentee landlords and today are very sensitive about land ownership Around the turn of the century each farmer would have a mixed farming operation with a few acres of potatoes, hay, grain and a livestock population. Gradually dairy herds became part of the mixed operations. Cheese and butter factories sprang up and hog production became a viable industry. Farming has taken on a much different face in the last 30 years due to increased mechanization, larger operations and increased mobility of goods and services. The dairy and potato industry dominate the rural scene. There are few family farms in operation today in Stanley Bridge . Retired farmers continue to live on their farms and lease their lands to active farmers. Others have sold their farms and buildings to large landowners. Although there are only three active farmers in the Stanley Bridge area: J. Alfred Fyfe , Ernest MacEwen , and George MacEwen , the land in the District is still intensely farmed by those who rent the land. Great chunks of land have been swallowed up in resort, cottage and business development. One Stanley native who contributed to improved farming practice was Michael Coughlan . obituary taken from the Guardian 1917 reads: His TmSP MR, M. H. COUGHLAN It la with a Nine of deep r«(rcL || thai [he Guardian today fa. called upon j to chronicle the ileain of ukiUw val- I ued and nighly esteemed son of Prints 1 In the person of Mr, i Michael Harrington Couphiau, Dla i trie* Representative for King's County I of the Provincial Department of Ag- jj rieuiuut". aCr; Coughlan's death occur 1 rod m Montague on Friday morning [ after ea Illness of about ten days of typhoid fever. On Thureday morning ;'. the Department of Agriculture recsiv- rifed the sad Intelligence that no hope 1 was entertained for him and on the ■: following day the new* was received 'that he had passed away at 7 o'clock the* morBinr. Decaaaed was a natl J of Hope River , a section of this Island Slwhlch'haa produced many very bright 9 and Intelligent men. Mr .Coughlan Wis XsingQttl rprtY jean ot Ut, He «»■ <^ TBW mOTMUl. LSJUS—J WSJ K mMTTg of Hope River , a section of this Island I which has produced many vary bright and Intelligent saen. Mr .Coughlan was about forty years of age. He waa ed¬ ucated at Prin<r« of Wales College and after graduating from that iDetKutfon •pent a number of years teaching scaooi In hie native province. He el' terwarts Wt tor Western Canada where he bomesteeded his profession of school teaching. Upon ble return to P E Island bs resumed teaching her* and after the death of all father he devoted some time to farming at Hope River . He later attended Agricullu- rsi College puttie* be two years all Truro and two at Oae+ph. Hs entered upon Mi present position with the P. ■ B. I. Government In May of last year and wia an sealoua and devoted worker who will be greatly missed. Tbs body was brought to, Charlottetowo from Montague by train on SeUrday fore¬ noon'and left by the afto-naoo train for hhr lat» home tn Hop*R?ver. The funeral took place on Baxter Sunday a large number or friends paying the.fr last tribute of respect to'ooe wad vi generally esteemed by sL. 59