B11

Joan MacKenzie

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GUEST COLUMN — On Halloween last we lost one of, if not the most historically significant place in the Miramichi. If there was any piece of architecture, any name of relevance, any chapter of history that could be connected with a family name and the beginnings of a community, it was this place. It was Woodburn Cottage. It was the Cunard name. And it was the last standing residence built for a member of the Cunard family in Canada.

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Woodburn Cottage was far from being a "cottage" and the person who had it built was no ordinary person. He was definitely my favourite Miramichier, a person who I have great respect for, based on what I have learned about him, and I only wish that I had the opportunity to hear him talk.

Henry, the seventh son of Abraham and Margaret Cunard of Halifax, arrived on the Miramichi between 1820 and 1823, sent by his older brother Samuel. He was sent to size up the area and its timber and to see how much of the pie was taken. The Port of Miramichi had great potential with its great white pine resource, and it was first come, first served.

Henry was followed by one of his older brothers, Joseph. They were men of opposite character. Joseph loved the spotlight, loved to wheel and deal — he was a promoter and a damned good one at that. He had foresight, he thought big, then went bigger. His entertainment was crushing his opponents politically and financially, and his favourite opponent was Rankin.

I would sum up Joseph as a wild card, while Henry was the anchor. And they stayed in joint business ventures for two decades. Henry was a community leader too, but took a different approach than that of his brother. He did not possess a taste for the political arena, he was modest in character, gentlemanly by nature, and truly liked by all. He promoted education and his main passion in life was agriculture. His brother Joseph built his steam sawmill in Chatham in 1836. It cut white pine deal and was the first steam sawmill on the river. To build it, he offered Rankin's two mill architects, John Petrie and Sheppard Frost (a very colourful man in his own right), a working interest in the business. There's more than one way to cripple the competition, and it worked well for him, but not so favourably for Petrie and Frost… or Rankin. On the first day of startup, the engineer, John Gillis, had to be retrieved from an early start at celebrations when Cunard and Frost realized that no one knew how to shut down the mill but Gillis. Both men supported him down Water Street to the mill on that summer's day.

Joseph had shipbuilding yards in England's Hollow, Kouchibouguac and Bathurst. By 1848 Joseph faced financial failure and went back to Liverpool. He made a trip back here in 1850. George Kerr, local trustee of his estate, managed his affairs and over the next two decades paid off all Joseph's debts. Henry drew away from business with his brother prior to the failure, probably because he realized that Joseph had an exuberant abundance of charisma but lacked in business management. By 1841 Henry hired Alexander Cormack to build Woodburn Cottage. It was an elegant Georgian style home. Henry previously lived in a quaint little house at the foot of Cunard Street, fronting Water Street, where a pet store is now located. Across from his home stood a beautiful two storey sandstone store, "Cunard Store," and behind that was Cunard's Wharf. In 1892 this building was razed to build another stone structure, the Customs House and Post Office, and the area behind that is now dubbed Waterford Green. Henry owned and operated a sawmill over the hill from his new home at Clarks Cove (now Morrison Cove). He had a wharf, store and brickworks as well. But it was from his grounds, livestock and gardens that he seemed to receive most satisfaction in his life. He was known as a gentleman farmer.

In 1852 Joseph Cunard, who was living in Liverpool England by now, arranged for the Miramichi Agricultural Society's grains to be entered at the Crystal Gardens Exhibition there. Henry was a director of the local society and this was quite an honour for the farming community here. This British exhibition focused on the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce and was promoted by Prince Albert. Henry carried on his business operations at the Cove, eventually selling his millsite to DesBrisay (now the former Weyerhauser Mill).

Henry and his wife Elizabeth died months apart in 1885. Henry's obituary states that he spent his later years creating trails through the groves on his property. His surviving daughter Elizabeth and husband Dr. Street, son of Hon. Ambrose Street, Rankin's man and political opponent to Joseph Cunard, lived on here until 1893. Many of the Cunard family are buried in St. Paul's cemetery, including Henry's daughter, but Henry and his wife are buried in St. Andrew's cemetery.

There are many family names here on the river whose forefathers, affiliated with the passion of political allegiance and their chosen side, gave Christian names to their sons, such as Richard Hutchison, Rankin and Cunard. Even Sheppard Frost named his son Samuel Cunard Frost. It was a time when politics reigned over the weather in conversation.

In 1893 Dr. Street disposed of Henry's lands. Surnames Jackson, Watling, Thompson, Stothart, Reinsborough, Keys, Miller, Parks, McKinley and on and on, were the highest bidders in his parcels of lands. Cunard's elaborate horse drawn carriage containing a seat in the back for the footman, worth $250 at the time, was sold for $7.50 to Hugh Marquis.

Woodburn Cottage was purchased by George Fisher, mill manager for J.B. Snowball. Snowball was the Miramichi's greatest influence in keeping Miramichi on the economic map for 50 years. Fisher did do justice to Woodburn and I am sure Henry would have been pleased with his passion for keeping the standard here. He too was a director of the Agricultural Association and also the Napan Creamery. He maintained a large stock of animals, flower conservatory, vegetables, grains, orchards and supplied a milk wagon to the town. He built an elaborate 600 sq. ft. heated glass greenhouse to grow annuals. He maintained all areas on a commercial level. He built a toboggan slide in the back portion of the fields for local residents. His standard and work ethic was matched only to Henry's.

To see Woodburn Cottage was like stepping back in time. It had its share of setbacks and losses, with a fire in 1903 and again in 1926, both times hitting the commercial business but only to bounce back. The image and character of this estate never changed throughout the decades. It was a place that resonated in dedication from its owners for its first hundred years. It is so sad to lose it. As a young girl my memory of the place was of taking my palomino pony through the trails and down to the dam, watching the fine bred horses grazing in the meadow by the train trestle, wandering through the apple orchards, trying to identify the different varieties of apples. I had no idea back then that this was Henry Cunard's home. I thought it was it was as close as one would get to a southern plantation on the Miramichi. Would have there been a different outcome on Halloween night if those responsible knew what this place and its residents had once represented within the community? I can only hope so. One thing that I have always believed of history is that it is as subjective and has as many interpretations as there are those who chose to think and try to understand. I also wonder if the standard that was kept back then and the pride of accomplishment is a quality that is still common in character today.

I wonder this, as I think of the persons who did this, with an obvious lack of regard or respect to others. I also wonder this when I hear of the notion to tear down the Morrissy Bridge, an architectural and engineering accomplishment in its day. As a society, when did we cross the line of deeming "convenience, easier, economical" as an easy out to stepping up to the plate and utilizing our grey matter to come up with ways to maintain our legacies. Five generations ago a "minimum effort" approach would not have cut it. Why not entertain the idea of turning the bridge into a seasonal vendors' strip? Can you imagine the number of people who would want to come here to the Miramichi to experience "shopping on the bridge?" In the winter establish non-motorized winter games and events, outdoor curling, snowshoe rentals to connect with the trails… whatever, but just be original in ideas. Is the bridge in that bad of structural shape? Maybe it is, or…