Tales and Items of Interest

DIGGING A CELLAR

ca. 1904 Courtesy of Marguerite Godfrey

In the days before modern machinery, cellars were dug by manual labour. As seen in the pictures, a team of horses and a single plow were used to loosen up the ground in the area and the loose material was loaded into a cart, hauled and dumped nearby. After they got down a few feet the plow would not do the job and they finished with picks and shovels. When the required depth was reached a floor was levelled off and the foundation made. To do so, sandstones were shaped by hand with hammers and chisels, then placed to support the house.

Neighbours worked together to construct houses and barns in group efforts know as “Bees”. Likewise, neighbour women came together to help each other with domestic tasks such as quilting, rug making or hooking etc. The women usually provided a dinner afterwards and a social time was enjoyed. [These occasions were called “F rolics” in the days of David Ross (see “The Diary of David Ross”).]

These pictures were taken ca. 1904 at the old Wyatt home on the Suffolk Rd. near the northeast comer of St. Peters Rd. where Dewar MacDonald now lives.

My great grandfather, Thomas Stetson, drives the team of white horses. One source states the others to be Esther Wyatt, Ambrose Ferguson and James Wyatt, father of Esther.

Prepared by Cecil Stetson

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