The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

0 There were no stores in the nearby settlement that later became Renfrew Village, until about the year 1840, when John Lorn McDougall, who had been in the service of the Hudson Bay Company in the Northwest of Canada, opened a general store. He had lived for some time at Golden Lake where he engaged in the fur trade with the Indians of that area. McDougall was a linguist in Indian and Gaelic, as well as English and also rather an orator. In the early years of the settlement the community was fortunate in having several tradesmen who were able to supply some of the needs of the settlers. A Mr. Londeau, who lived near the Holly homes, and one of the numerous Campbell men, were the shoemakers. A Mr. Portugue,whose home is now part of Whelan's blacksmith shop, was the tinsmith. Not getting enough work at making and mending tin pans, basins, pails, etc., he worked around among the farmers during the summer. James Brown who lived on what is now the property of Miss Charlotte Munhall, was the local cooper, that is he made the oak butter tubs and barrels and tubs for other uses. In those early days it was generally understood that the summers make of butter would not "keep" until the autumn where it was marketed, unless it was packed in oak butter tubs. There were several "weavers" in the community. James Graham, Mrs. Sam Riddell's father, a Mr. Cherry, also a Mr. Weir. The last named lived where John L. Hodgins lives. Those weavers had come from the old country, 1.9. Scotland or England, where living conditions had become very difficult and the Government of Britain had encouraged them to emigrate to Canada. The first blacksmith in Admaston was Joseph Rhelion whose Shop was later purchased by Frank Saunders. The shop stood on the lot now owned by Mr. Henry Kusuler, whose present home was then occupied by the blacksmith. Some years later the Admaston Post Office was kept in that house, until the office was closed. Mrs. Frank Saunders was last Post Mistress. Mr. Phelion had previously been doing blacksmith work for the lunbermen in their "shanties", so he was quite capable of assisting the settlers to equip themselves with tools and primitive equipment for use in clearing their farms. In 1845 Tom Faichney and Arch. Thompson opened a blacksmith Shop in what later became Renfrew village. Several years later the first buggy made by them in their shop was sold to Elias Moore of Admaston, who gave an old horse as part payment. In 1845 a grist mill was opened on Smith's Creek in the same settleâ€" ment (Renfrew) and it is altogether likely that the "grists" from Admaston clearings were taken there for grinding. A sawmill for sewing lumber and also a tannery for tanning hides into leather were established about the same time as the grist mill. so gradually the pioneers were able to secure more of life's necessities nearer at hand. About the year 1847 Dr. Carswell began his practice of medicine in _ Renfrew village. He also served the surrounding community. 5&3