Township of North Stormont

Moose Creek

• The History
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The History

Residents of the progressive village of Moose Creek, about 25 miles north of the Seaway City, believe that the name of their village was coined by hunters. Near the village there is a miniature waterfall, which rarely freezes completely over. This made a good drinking place for the animals.

The moose followed the creek for quite a distance to get to this drinking hole, and the hunters followed too. When the moose came they held sway, and the other lesser animals kept out of the way. Thus to distinguish the different waterways, among the hunters, it became known as Moose Creek.

The first settlers were mostly of Scottish origin. The first site of the village was on the west side of the creek, on a high ridge of land. The first house was built there by a Mr. McFall. Besides this house were several business places, including a shoe shop, where the best ladies shoes in this part of the country were reputedly made, and a tailor shop. The first general stores in the community were owed by Mr. Steinberg and Mr. Vineburg. In Mr. Vineburg's store, there was a wide range of merchandise. For example, "high wines" or "white whiskey" was readily available. It came in a barrel with a tap, and a tin mug hung beside it. It was sold by the cup or the quart. It is recorded that a quart of this "high wines" sold for twenty-five cents.

Chief Industry

Mills were the chief industry in Moose Creek in that time. All the land, that is now the village, was bush. A saw mill was built along the creek where a dam was built, and water power was used to run the mill. Trees were hewn down and brought to the mill; thus land was cleared for cultivation.

The young men worked on the farm in the summer, and went to "Shanty" in the winter. "Shanty" was a term used by the men for logging camps, put up by large lumber men. Some of these "shanties" were located within a few miles of the village. Because of the limited transportation facilities then available, the men stayed in the shanty during the week and returned to the village on Saturday nights. Those night Mr. Vineburg's store was an important meeting place.

With the cutting down of the trees more land was cultivated. The crops grew larger. Sheep were raised in large flocks because they could graze among the stumps in rough land and the wool was needed for clothing. This led to other industries - a saw mill, a carding mill, and a shingle mill.

The construction of the Canada Atlantic Railway between Montreal and Ottawa, through Moose Creek, was the beginning of a new era for the community. The first train, a freight, went through Moose Creek at 2:30 on the afternoon of Oct. 31, 1881.

From these interesting beginnings, Moose Creek continued to flourish. It is an excellant example of a community where English-speaking and French-speaking citizens live in happy harmony.

by Emile Aubé