The Sharpes of Prince Township. From trees to a turkey

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.

How many times have children listened to their parents and grandparents tell stories of old?

There is often a desire to pass along family history that others have not heard. Family stories can be fascinating and often instill a sense of pride in those of us who are still living. As we age, we begin to feel a responsibility to ensure that the present generations know the facts that helped shape who we are.

The Sharpe family is a well-known family name and in fact a historical name within Prince Township.

Wesley and Mary Sharpe are now in their golden years. Wes will turn 94 this April and this couple will celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary this year.

When sitting with them for a visit, one quickly learns that both Wes and Mary hold valuable information about their family histories and many interesting facts about Prince Township.

They are both a wealth of information about the land and the beginnings of a quiet township, about who lived where and which families were related. Mary and Wes commented that in years past, they knew all the families from Goulais Avenue to Gros Cap.

They know stories that nobody else knows.

John Sharpe and Elizabeth Kathleen (Clark) Sharpe came to Canada in 1842.

They landed at the Bay of Quinte and there started their family. They eventually found their way to Prince Township where they would live out their lives. John is buried at the historic Prince Cemetery on the Southwest corner of Town Line and Second Line and so the Sharpe family roots were planted so very long ago.

There was a time when the landscape in Prince was vastly different from what is seen today.

In the mid-1800s, most of the area where Wes and Mary now live was a thick bush that was forested with many varieties of trees, primarily tall white pines. These majestic trees still stand proudly in the exact area, though not nearly as thick as in days of old.

Before any of the property in the area was acquired, a large percentage of the pines were cleared from the rugged terrain.

A company from Sault Michigan, the Pick Timber Company, had the rights to log and remove the white pine trees. The lumber was then sent down the Big Carp River to Pointe aux Pins to build sailboats worthy of Lake Superior.

Wes’s grandfather, Joseph Sharpe also wanted to continue living his adult life in Prince Township and in 1880 he purchased 160 acres of land from the federal government. He was also granted an additional 160 acres (northwest of his property) of Crown land by the federal government.

The area of property he owned spanned from the corner of Second Line and Town Line to a half mile west, then a half mile north and then another half a mile back east. Wes reported that he knows of a very large tree stump, about four feet in diameter that sits far back on his property, an indication of the size of trees that once stood there.

In 1887 Joseph married a girl, whose name now holds historical significance within the surrounding area of Korah Township. Isabel Fletcher became Joseph’s wife and together they had seven children. Isabel Fletcher was said to be one of the first white women born in Korah Township and later in her life Isabel Fletcher Public School was named in her honour!

This brings us to another interesting fact in the Sharpe family history.

While growing up, Wes was told the story of the water-powered sawmill that had been built on the Big Carp River within the Sharpe family property. Although he did not see the mill for himself, Harold (Harley) Sharpe, spoke of the sawmill and passed the story down as was told by his father Joe, who was also told about the sawmill by his father.

Wes believes that the mill was situated at a location on the Big Carp River where there is, to this day, a visible narrowing of the river banks. The water would be damned up to assist with the functionality and operation of the mill.

Wes has in his possession a family photo of the sawmill with a picture of his great-grandfather or possibly his Uncle Dan standing in front of it. Wes has also found some interesting metal pieces in the earth around his property which he believes are likely remnants of the mill, one being a sturdy universal.

Aside from the water-powered sawmill, a man who is 94 can certainly recall some interesting childhood memories.

As a young man, Wes wasn't interested in school so, by grade 7, he decided school wasn’t for him. Education wasn’t as important back then as it is today and if farm work was to be done then children were needed at home. He was told that if you’re old enough to work, then you’re old enough to quit school.

When Wes was a teenager, his Dad told him there was work down at the Pointe. Wes took employment with the Federal Government and helped with the surveying of the proposed Sault Ste. Marie Airport.

Shortly afterwards, he began working at Algoma Steel where he was employed for 40 years.

Throughout his life, Wes was also an area trapper and he and Mary went on many trapping adventures. He was hired by the Department of Highways and became the go-to trapper for nuisance animals in Prince Township, most commonly for beavers. Mary accompanied her husband on many trapping outings, helping to carry pelts and simply to enjoy the company of each other.

Living in the country, one has to be comfortable with the many types of wildlife in the area including bears, deer, wolves, beavers and even wild turkeys.

A somewhat unconventional pleasure of Mary’s day is seeing and interacting with her pet turkey. “Turkey” as Mary fondly calls her, has chosen to bond with Mary. Turkeys are known to be highly intelligent creatures, like cats and dogs. They form strong social bonds and Turkey decided about three years ago that she would make Mary her friend.

Turkey ambles around Wes and Mary’s property, enjoying her daily routine of waiting for Mary to have a little visit with her, feed her, and when her day is done, she flies up into her nearby tree where she sleeps through the night.

As Wes and Mary sit at their kitchen table, they reminisce about the past. Throughout their 70+ years of marriage, they have experienced many wonderful times and also some challenging times that required them both to be resourceful and hard-working. Over the years many things have changed. However, they continue to live in the lovely home that they built together when they were newly married.

It is said that our family history goes beyond the names and dates we find in our family tree.

It’s about what makes us who we are. It’s about people with whom we can form deep connections. It’s about people who lived and breathed and suffered and triumphed. It’s about roots and branches and leaves and entire forests. It’s about all of us.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.