Someone asked about a saloon.... An article taken from the Observer regarding this picture of the train. Added a couple other pictures to help with the visual. This is the afternoon passenger or the down train pulling into the station from Edmonston. The block building built by Scott Rideout of Somerville was the former William Stevens home. Much later it was occupied by The Observer with Fred Stevens the founder and Editor. It has been occupied by many families since. The Barretts owned it before it was torn down and made it into apartments. Beside the block building on its south side was an exceptional flower garden with hollyhocks that you can see along the fence. This was owned by the CPR and the Stationmaster and the section crew maintained it. To the left of the train is what folks knew as the J. T. Lavigne building with a pool room downstairs and their living quarters upstairs. The old building was built as a saloon at the time the railway was reaching Hartland in 1874. Many people occupied this building; Ziba Orser, Uncle of Phillip Orser, (For many years Ziba ran hardware stores in Hartland) he sold it to A. R.Rigby and eventually Ray (CR) Dewitt who was the proprietor of his hardware store. Jimmy Lavigne took over the building mid century. Occupants of the apartment above over the years were: Ziba Orser, Charles Carr (wrote a book and a section of it was on Hartland) and Edward Gillin, father of John Gillin.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:15:21 +0000