Collection 07-001 - John Pierce historical survey collection

Many documents are fragile.

All the original documents are enclosed in mylar.

Collection was acquired from Catherine Cramer [Pierce].

None.

For related records see: John Huston fonds, Cameron family fonds, John Reid fonds.

FINDING AID

Box 1

Original documents: correspondence, surveys, notes, plans, maps

JOHN HUSTON

Maps/Plans:
Folder 1:
"Estimates of Roads, Minutes of Surveys, Calculations [ ], Apparently nothing of importance;" "Mapped and Surveyed in March 1824 by John Huston, D'y. Surveyor" (original; showing section of property along Otonabee River)
"Copy of part of Deputy Provincial Surveyor J. Hustons Plan of Peterborough No. 39 Dated 1833" (linen)
"Copy of Plan of Part of Town Reservation of Peterborough... J. Huston, Depty. Pro. Surveyor, Sept. 1833" (linen)
"Copy from diagram of Peterborough, No. 39 by J. Huston, D.P.S. September 1833" (linen, copied by Dept. of Lands, Forests & Mines, 1911)
"Copy of part of D.P.S. Huston's Plan of the Town Plot of Peterborough... Crown Lands' Department, Montreal, 1st October 1845" (signed by D.B. Papineau)

Correspondence / survey notes :
Folder 2:
1820 May 2: William Middleton of Ireland to John Huston
added notation to letter saying this is the earliest known letter to come in to Peterborough area
1820 October 28: Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, authorizing John Huston to "practice the Art of surveying land" (seal attached); includes typed transcription
1822 March 1: Thomas Ridout to John Huston re survey of James Brown's property in Cavan Township
1825 January 20: Thomas Ridout to John Huston re survey of property in Cavan Township
1825 December 16: John [Smale], York, to John Huston re request to complete a Return of Townships
1826 August 20: will and testament of Joseph Redmond (John Huston's name on reverse)
1827 October 30: field notes of John Huston; Cavan & Emily, District of Newcastle meeting minutes (George Boulton supported as representative for County of Durham)
1829 December 3: G. Boulton to John Huston & 2 unsigned partial responses by Huston (one dated 3 December 1829) re salability of a property in Hamilton Township (all three letters on one sheet of paper)

Folder 3:
1812 April 30 (typed transcription only): John Huston Masonic Certificate
1831 April 25: Samuel Davidson to John Huston re order to survey road to be built across Hope, Cavan and Emily Townships
1831 April 30: Wm. Marsh to John Huston re order to survey road to be built across Hope, Clarke, Cavan & Manvers Townships
1832 January 4: David Thornton & Andrew Ormsby agreement over usage of properties in Emily Township for pasturing sheep and growing wheat; John Huston's name on bottom of document
1832 February 9 to 1834 December 31: John Huston account with Thomas Benson (4 items listed with prices)
1832 June 4: J.P. Hardy, Surveyor General's Office, York, to John Huston offering his services to Huston (Huston new head of the department, replacing Mr. Chewett)
[1832] June 5: Wm. Morton and William and Mary Lows agreement re crop of wheat grown by the Lows on Morton's property
1832 September 7: W. Chewett to John Huston re Huston's request for copies of vouchers
1833 16 January: William Mills vs Samuel Ramsey re Mills' accusation that he was assaulted and robbed by Ramsey in Village of Amherst, Hamilton Township; Mills oath witnessed by John Huston
1833 May 13: John Logie to John Huston re site of bridge across the Scugog and new line of road, Ops Township
1833 May 27: S.P. Hurd, Surveyor-General, to John Huston re "laying out of remaining part of the reservation for the Town Plot of Peterborough;" includes typed transcription
1833 July 30 to October 2: Pay list of persons employed by Surveyor Generals Department, Upper Canada, to survey "a part of the reservation of the Town Plot of Peterboro;" - names are missing; however, witnesses to signatures largely reveal who the employees were
1834 February 28: John Henderson affidavit re claim that Thomas Kilnbeck violently attacked his door with a club, and annoyed Rev'd Brannon's congregation while he was preaching, Cavan Township; sworn before John Huston
[1834] April 7: re deaths of John, William & Thomas Foley, three brothers, who drowned crossing Mud Lake (John Huston, coroner); on reverse, letter re statute labour performed by several Cavan Township people on the boundary line and concession line in Cavan Township (Note: much of this letter is too faded to read and parts of the paper are missing); includes typed transcription
1834 May 15: James Fitzgibbon, Bank of Upper Canada, to unnamed [John Doe] requesting that he write a new provisory note in proper format re money owed John Huston

Folder 4:
1835 "Copy of Diary at Balsam Lake" - survey notes, descriptions of landscape & trees, pay lists for Huston and employees showing days, hours and remuneration
1835 March: List of lots in Cavan, Monaghan, and Otonabee Townships surveyed by John Huston "by order of the Honble Peter Robinson Commissioner of Crown Lands;" also, 2 draft letters by Huston requesting that he be assigned the jobs of surveying the town plot in Verulam Township and the "New Township north of Eldon"
1835 April 28: T. Ward, Clerk of the Peace, to John Huston, requesting that he keep a record of persons arrested by Constables in his jurisdiction as the Constables' accounts will not be passed without the corroborating magistrate's certificate
1835 July 5 to August 26: John Huston account with William Beamish (8 items listed, including a saddle, stirrup irons, etc.)
1835 December 16: John Huston acknowledgement of allowance received "in lieu of a ration" from Samuel Proudfoot Hurd, Surveyor General of Upper Canada, re Huston's survey of land between the eastern boundary of Eldon Township and Balsam Lake, and "also the tongue of land running into said Balsam Lake intended for the settlement of the Indians"
1836 February 19: Application to John Huston by Thomas Milburn, Town Clerk, and 11 others representing freeholders of the Townships of Smith, Emily, Ennismore and other "back townships" re the disadvantage of having a "marsh or beaver meadow lying right on the allowance for road"
1838 April 17: [M] Macaulay, Surveyor General, to John Huston re survey discrepancies on properties on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake
1838 June 8: Petition to John Huston by Jonathan Hodgson & 14 other freeholders of Cavan Township, asking that he reconsider the plan to build a road through the 13th lot in the 13th concession, saying that it is not needed
1838 June-July: John Huston account of work done in Dummer Township, Smithstown, and Cavan Township; also, an unsigned draft letter written in very faint pencil [by Huston]: it is a thank you letter for recommending that he teach his own son to become a surveyor, but he responds, "I have endeavored all in my power by council flattery and force to get my son to learn. I sent him to school to Hope, Port Hope & Peterboro, all to no purpose, learn he would not..."

Folder 5:
1839, winter: Thomas Short, Ops Township, oath declaring that he and William Killabee attempted to join the Durham Volunteers under Captain John Huston's company but were prevented from doing so by Major Elliott, who sent them to the guard house and "compelled" them to join Captain Brown's Company instead
1839 April 21: John Huston to George S. Boulton - wants Boulton to use his influence with the Lieutenant Governor and the Military Secretary Col. Halkett to get him attached to a Regiment; he, himself, will engage to furnish a company of men; includes typed transcription
1839 April 30:
"Muster Roll of Capt'n Hustons Company Number one Durham Volunteers, Head Quarters, Cobourg," 96 names listed
"Bounty paid by Cap'n Huston to the Durham Volunteers," 68 names listed
"Nominal return of Capt'n Huston's company," 64 names listed
"Coats, trousers, pr. shoes, caps, stocks," list of items issued to 44 individuals (dated 26 January 1839)
"Militia General Orders" from the Adjutant General's Office (dated 12 December 1838)
1840 January 2: J. Knowlson to John Huston requesting that he settle his account with him as he has "some large payments to make"
1840 April 19: John Huston map and report re his survey of Teasdal Whitfield's property in Cartwright Township
1840 May 9: C.T. Baldwin to John Huston re valuation of a surveyed clergy reserve lot in Emily Township
1841 February 26: John Huston map and note, and calculations re Mr. [Rai--]'s property, [Cavan Township]
1842 January 27: John Huston notes re survey of Secord and McCallum properties in Cobourg
1842 February - March: John Huston "Diary of time whilst employed by N. H. Beard, Esq. Civil Engineer" - re survey of route from Port Hope harbour at Lake Ontario to the head of Rice Lake at Mr. Black's landing; also properties along shoreline of Rice Lake and east side of the Otonabee River in Monaghan Township, and properties in Hamilton Township and properties along north shore of Lake Ontario
1843 July 31 & August 5: John Huston account for survey of Chief Crane's property on Big Island in Scugog Lake

Folder 6:
1844 January 21: Thomas T. [Dennessy] to John Huston re delay in surveying due to deep snow; includes handwritten copy of a letter from T. Bouthillier, Crown Lands Department, to Thomas T. [Dennessy] dated 6 January 1844 re dissemination of information relating to surveys of Clergy Lands
[1844 February]: John Huston notes re survey dispute over property in Cavan Township owned by Mr. Porter
1844 April 10: John Huston to Thomas Foster, Constable for Cavan, re conviction of John O'Bryans for assault and battery on John Stewart of Cavan; includes letter from Thomas Foster dated 1844 April 17 re his inability to locate "goods and chattels" belonging to John O'Bryans to be sold in payment of the fine
1844 July to November: John Huston account with James Welch, for drinks, meals, oats, & hay
1844 December 10: Letter signed by 16 freeholders from the Townships of Darlington, Manvers, and Cartwright, to John Huston requesting a new report on his survey of the road leading from Bowmanville to Manvers
1844 December 31: [John Huston] to Honourable D.B. Papineau re payment for the assistant who accompanied him while he surveyed the Clergy Reserves of the Colborne District, including Dummer Township and and Belmont Township
1845 January 6 (2 sheets): Petition by freeholders and householders of Millbrook, Cavan Township to His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Governor General of British North America re refusal of the clerk of the Cavan Township to call the annual Township Meeting - lists all the businesses operating in Millbrook and gives the population as 270
[1845]: undated John Huston reference to the above 1845 January 6th petition re the annual Township Meeting in the village of Millbrook; on reverse, undated survey notes
1845 February 3: [R--] Brodie, Millbrook, to John Huston re his prescription of magnesium and rhubarb, and Hartshorn drops, and sleeping powders
1855 January 23: Rob't A. Maingay to John Huston re political climate - references to Mackenzie, the Radicals, Boulton, and "Sir John" and the formation of a Rifle Company to each Militia Regiment in the Province

Folder 7:
n.d.: Alexander Brown note to John Huston requesting survey in [Hamilton Township]
n.d.: survey notes
n.d.: survey notes for Portage Road
n.d.: re Militia Bill and request for help in canceling"the appointment of a junior officer who was promoted over three or four senior officers" [not identified as John Huston's but appears to be in his hand]

JOHN REID

Maps/Plans:
Folder 8:
1847: Plan of B.Y. McKyse park lots, Monaghan Township, i.e. "subdivisions of the northerly part of the 10th in the 12th concession of Monaghan"

Correspondence / survey notes :
Folder 9:
1845 October 29 (typed transcription only): "Field notes and diary of a survey to show the true position of Park Street in Peterborough, by John Reid;" oath sworn by Reid before Thomas A. Stewart, J.P.
1845 December 18: D.B. Papineau instructions to John Reid to "verify the survey of the northern boundary of the Town of Peterborough;" includes typed transcription
1845 December 18: John Reid pay list of party employed in verifying survey of northern boundary of the town of Peterborough; includes typed transcription
1846: John Reid account for the work performed surveying the northern boundary line of the town of Peterborough in 1845
1846 January: John Reid "Field notes... of a survey to verify the survey of Smith Street in Peterboro"
1846 January 10: T. Bouthillier to John Reid re his objection to calling upon Mr. Wilmot for an affidavit as to true position of the road allowance on the northern boundary line of Peterborough as "his memory is, owing to his great age, very much impaired"
1846 January 13 - January 26: John Reid "Diary taken while making a survey to verify the survey of Smith Street in the Town of Peterborough"
1846 January 21, January 26 and 1847 May 4, May 31: 4 items discussing the location of the northern boundary of Peterborough (John Reid, Samuel Wilmot, Thomas Milburn) - typescripts only
1846 October 12: John Reid "memorandums of survey and leveling made for Mr. Short in Otonabee," mill site property
1849 October 26: John Reid certificate re survey of Samuel Hartley property in Peterborough
1850 October 26: John Reid certificate re survey of Samuel Hartley property in Peterborough
1850 December 12: John Reid certificate re size of Lot 12 Concession 2, Douro Township
1854 July 1: "Description of the Roman Catholic part of the Cemetery at the Little Lake" & rough notes re same
1855 April 4: Andrew Russell, C.L.O., Quebec to John Reid re record keeping procedures and problems with a survey performed by Mr. Deane
1855 June 5: Joseph C[ ], Commissioner of Crown Lands, Quebec, to John Langton, M.P.P., Peterborough, re Langton's letter recommending that John Reid be instructed to make a change in the "bearing of the exploring line to be drawn... from Burleigh Rapids"
1855 June 13: Andrew Russell to John Langton re John Reid's exploration of the Madawaska; suggests that Reid take one of Ottawa surveyor Robert Bell's men, McAuley, "a first rate explorer, who knows the Madawaska country well... but keep him from liquor, which Mr. Reid can easily do by taking none with him;" includes typed transcription
1855 July 7: John Reid's "pay list of wages paid to surveying party" for survey of Cameron Island in Balsam Lake
1855 August 9: John Reid to the commissioner of crown lands requesting permission to hire axemen and chainbearers to help him survey Cameron Island and make an exploratory survey north from Burleigh Rapids; also a list of the areas of 35 broken lots in Somerville Township
1856 May 3: John Reid description of part of lot 5, concession 11, Monaghan Township
1862 September 25: Andrew Russell to John Reid requesting information re expenditures and survey details
1869 April 28: Affidavit of Rodger Molony re Douro Township lots, sworn before John Reid & Denis McMahon
1870 May 3 & June 18: J.W. Sootheran letter to John Reid and a signed statement re survey of a property on boundary between Hope and Cavan Townships
4 envelopes addressed to John Reid

ALFRED J. CAMERON

Maps/Plans:
Folder 10:

• [W.J. Hambly &] Alfred J. Cameron map of Peterborough, covering area between Communication Road and Dennistoun Ave., shows Barnardo Home, Grace Church, Nicholls Hospital, Dixon Park (undated, linen)
• Map of the Town of Peterborough and Village of Ashburnham / Alfred J. Cameron, 1896 (published)

Correspondence / survey notes :
Folder 11:
n.d.: [Alfred J. Cameron] charts of information re traverse surveys of Maple Lake No. 1; Maple Lake No. 2; [Cauchon] Lake; Loon, Beaver, Deer, Rat and Mud Lakes; Portage, Balsam, Crooked and Thomson Lakes; Clear Lake, Red Pine Lake, Moose Lake, Brulé Lake and Bear Lake; Birch Lake; Mink Lake [note: these are not identified as Cameron's but appear to be in his hand and cover the areas that he is known to have surveyed]

Folder 12:
1889 April 27: John A. Wilde to [Alfred J.] Cameron re his search for information re Mr. McAvery
1891 April 2: Richard P. Cook, Peterborough, oath sworn before Alfred J. Cameron re Clementi survey of his property in 1857
1900 October 8: Adam Airhart, Marmora Township, oath sworn before Alfred J. Cameron re position of survey post on his property
1900 October 8: Thomas Lawrence, Marmora Township, oath sworn before Alfred J. Cameron re Bolger survey & position of a survey post on his property
1900 October 10: [S. Stewart], Department of Indian Affairs, to A.J. Cameron re "Returns of Survey of the Mud Lake Indian Reserve"
1901 July 4: Alfred J. Cameron to J. Curry, re Bolger survey at Jack's Lake
1904 May 5: [ ] White, Crown Lands Department, to A.J. Cameron re procedure for sending in bonds
1904 May 5: [ ] White, Crown Lands Department, to A.J. Cameron re Teefy Township
1904 May 5: [ ], Crown Lands Department, to A.J. Cameron re appointment of two men to Cameron's survey party
[after 1897]: [Alfred J. Cameron] 2-page note mentions surveys of an unidentified area in 1856 by John Reid, 1881 by Clementi, & later by Hewson
n.d.: Alfred J. Cameron to John Thackeray, "Indian Agent," re account forms; mention of Caddy survey

PIERCE [& PIERCE]

Folder 13:
Survey diary, 1948 re Manitoba-Ontario boundary survey (notes include references to the people on the survey crew, tales, recipes, etc.)

Correspondence & notes, 1934-1971
1934 March 1: Ralph Purser to J.W. Pierce re his paper on the perpetuation of survey monuments
1934 October 31: Description of land in Morrison Township, Muskoka District, prepared for Mr. Strickland by J.W.P. [Pierce]
1942 December 8: Gerald Marryat to J.W. Pierce re Pierce's address on the history or Peterborough; mentions his own great-uncle's book that talks about the the Peterborough area, written 100 years earlier
1951 January 29: [J.W. Pierce] to H.S. Howden: re land surveying committee - question about the survey of Madoc Township by John Ryder in 1820 and the survey of Elzevir Township by W. Conger in 1821
1953 November 16: [Hannes Hietala] to John [W. Pierce] - mentions his two papers attached to the letter, 1. "The Survey of Northern Ontario," and 2. "Mohawk Lands Determine Orientation of Townships"
1969 December 30: Pierce & Pierce to Albert F. Allman, Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, re an editorial for the Ontario Land Surveyor (editorial attached)
1970 April 1: note from Ian Voyer to John Pierce requesting a raise in pay
1971 June 30: J. [Pierce] to Mr. Whitney, Stoney Lake, re ownership history of Lots 48 & 49, Concession 15, Smith Township

Miscellaneous

• New Orleans attorney tongue-in-cheek letter re legal transactions pertaining to a parcel of land in Louisiana (copy), n.d.
• account of a testimonial dinner for F.W. Beatty who participated with J.W. Pierce in the survey of the Ontario-Manitoba border
• "Survey Post Found;" report re old survey records in the office of Pierce and Pierce pertaining to an area north of Belmont Lake in Belmont Township
• W.A. Beninger December 1961 note re his finding of bottles planted in 1910 at site of original wooden survey posts in Nipissing District
• etc.

Miscellaneous correspondence & property documents (identifiable)
Folder 14:
1817 December 3: Grant of 600 acres to Daniel Delisle Brock, William Brock, John Savery Brock, Irving Brock (4 brothers of Sir Isaac Brock), Monaghan Township
1820 April 27 (typed transcription only): T. Ridout to Zaccheus Burnham and Richard Birdsall re survey of Asphodel Township
1825 February 19: Thomas Ridout to "Any Licensed Deputy Surveyor of Upper Canada" re John Harvey survey, Smith Township
1833 November: Affidavit of Justification, read to several named people of Ops Township in the presence of G.S. Boulton
1836 September 23: Deed, from Barret Dyre, Hallowell Township, to Andrew Hamilton, Toronto, re property in Harvey Township
1838 August 23: Richard Wright Marmion, J.P., to William English, Constable re sentencing of James Shields who "did bite off part of the nose of said witness Abraham Hartley...", Ops Township
1842 October 7: Indenture between Laurence Maguire, Cavan Township, and David Lugden and George Lugden, Cavan Township - very detailed lease conditions
1843 (typed transcription only): Diary entries "from the Records of Thomas J. Dennehy" re surveys in the Stoney Lake / Burleigh area (attached to typed note "Copy from Retracement Surveys - F.W. Beatty"
1867 August 12: Funeral notice of Mrs. Wm. Greer, Millbrook [or Port Hope]
1897 October 15: [Thomas] Fawcets, Dawson, Yukon District, to "My dear Wilkins" re feasibility of mining on Bonanza and Eldorado Creeks; also details about the logistics of mining for gold in the Yukon under new regulations
1898 June 20: L. Tallan, Calgary, to Mr. Wilkins, requesting a loan of money - says he lost all his money on a drinking spree and promises never to drink again; decries at length the evils of drinking; mentions "that was a terrible thing about John Burnham"
1919 February 22: L. O'Rorke, Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, to F.W. Wilkins, Norwood, re placement of Wilkins' name on the list of Ontario Land Surveyors
1924 21 March: Copy of correspondence sent by Deputy Minister of Lands and Forest to O.L.S. re survey in Rowe Township
1932 April 11: Copy of correspondence sent by L.V. Rorke, Surveyor General, Deputy Minister, to Ontario Land Surveyor of North Bay re survey of Horden Township
1939 June 19: Copy of correspondence sent by Surveyor General to Ontario Land Surveyor "to retrace parts of the north and south boundaries of Algonquin Park"

Miscellaneous survey notes & plans (surveyor not noted, usually no date)
Folder 15:
Note: The survey notes sometimes include small diagrams, maps, or plans. In most cases, the surveyor and the date are not evident. In some, properties are identified by owner's or institute's name, or by lot, concession, township, etc. Some names indicated on the notes and survey plans include:
A. Anderson's farm at Rice Lake
Flaherty's lot; Brousseau's lot
Peterborough Union School, 1874, signed by G. Fell, Harvey
"Hazelbank" property plan
Red Heads; Johnsons (P. Alexander's lots)
Elias Thompson plan of embankment at Dixons Mill Pond
Bridge & causeway, Cavan
Cavan properties: Wm. Cotnim, George Hutchinson, Jas. Dyell, George Sharp, John Hutchinson, Catton Gifford, Isaac Hodgins
Mr. Purdy
Church land, Emily Township
List of properties beginning with "Cricket Place - Old Cricket Grounds"
Hugh Moncreif note re Clergy Reserve
Bridge, Emily Township
Douro Township, 1866: Anthony Bisnet, Francis Lefoy, Francis Brabant, Joseph Brabant
Ops Township: numerous names
Field notes of the alteration of the streets in Port Hope
Burk's & Secord's land, 1827
Thomas Medd, Francis Henderson
Little Lake Cemetery
T.B. Clementi
J.W. Pierce note, 1941
M.A. McNamara, Robinsons Island, "T.A.S. grounds" along Otonabee River [Thomas A. Stewart high school], also named properties along river towards city centre
Six Mile Township mining claim
Peterborough town map (depicts several businesses, linen)
plus unidentifiable survey notes & plans

Box 2

Speeches, biographies, newspaper clippings, published Examiner plan of Peterborough, publications, photographs (folder 6)

Folder 1: Speeches and presentations by J.W. Pierce and J.G. Pierce, 1930s - 1992

Folder 2: Biographical accounts of George Alexander Stewart, Theodore B. Clementi, Mutius V. Clementi, John Huston, Thomas Ringwood Hewson, George Matthews, George Hilliard, Richard Birdsall, Gren Rogers

Folder 3: Newspaper clippings relating to surveying, the Pierce surveyors, history of Peterborough, etc.,1882-1947, including a 1934 Peterborough Examiner clipping "Old Letter of Peter Robinson Written to Jno. Huston in 1825 Found in City by Jno. Pierce"

Folder 4 : Miscellaneous published items:

• Plan of City of Peterborough Issued by The Peterborough Examiner Ltd., 1929
• Postcard: The lights of George Street, Peterborough, 1913
• St. Peter's Cathedral, Peterborough
• The City and County of Peterborough Past and Present, 1968
• The Nicholls Hospital Trust, Peterborough, By-Laws, Rules and Regulations, 1937 (Nicholls Hospital account information loosely inserted)
• The Pagoda Bridge, Jackson Park, 1987
• Ontario Historical Society: The Annual Meeting, 1934
• Peterborough Facts: Making the Smiling Easy, [1975]
• Algonkin Forest and Park, Ontario, 1886
• Why a Provincial Park in Peterborough County?, [1945]
• The Consolidated By-Laws of the Municipal Council of the United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, 1862
• Visual '67: Photographs of Centennial Celebrations, Peterborough and County

Folder 5: Miscellaneous

• G. Marryat "Copy of Report on the Marmora Iron Mines," 1942
• Ontario Land Surveyors' Association, 1940 - "Permanent Survey Monuments" by F.H. Peters
• Dr. E.G. Faludi address: "Peterborough in the Next 20 Years," 1961
• Broadside: "W.A. Carnahan, Merchant Tailor, Norwood, Ont."

Photographs
Folder 6:

• 34 black and white photographs relating to the survey of the Ontario-Manitoba boundary, 1921.