Farren's Point
The early beginnings of Farran's Point were typical of the many small loyalist villages along the St. Lawrence. The area was first settled when Jacob Farrand, an officer in the King's Royal Regiment of New York, received a large land grant as payment for loyal service to the British crown. Sometime in the early nineteenth century, before 1811, he took arrived and took possession of his land.
Very little is known about Jacob. His land was situated right on the waterfront west of the Long Sault Rapids. Nearby was a smaller rapid that went on to bear his name. In 1847, a small canal and lock was opened in order for up-bound vessels to deal with the three and half foot rise in the water. The canal was enlarged in 1901.
)
Main Street [ca. 1910]
It was Farrand's son, Charles Curtis Farran, known as C.C., and later on the Kerr brothers, George and Joseph, who were responsible for the village's early growth. C.C. owned several mills that included a grist mill, located at the lock, a carding mill, sawmill and shingle mill. He also owned a huge general store as well as lands north of the village just west of the railway station. Farran built a power station near the rapids and for many years owned all power rights in the area.
Joseph Kerr, an newcomer from Ireland, was also a mill owner who went on to become very prosperous. Joseph, along with his brothers, George, Thomas and William, owned two sawmills, a grist mill, farms and a large general store with branches at Wales and Aultsville. All the brothers were active in politics. Joseph Kerr served the community as Reeve and both Joseph and George were active at the provincial level. The huge Kerr home, built on a corner lot that included a store on the east side, was often referred to as Buckingham Palace.
)
Farran's Point Canal [ca. 1939]
The success of the Farran and Kerr operations attracted a number of other businesses to the area and by the mid 1800s the little community boasted a population of around 300. The mills were located along the shoreline at the south end of the village. The business district was situated further north with most of the businesses located either on Mill Street, which ran north from the Farran Mills, or on the north side of the highway, known locally as Main Street. The community was bounded on each side by property owned by the Kerr brothers.
By the late nineteenth century the village boasted two hotels, the Baker Stage Coach Inn and a second hotel run by Edward Denney. There was also a combination bake shop and confectionery, owned by the Elliotts, a millinery shop and a couple of taverns. Both the Statas and the Gogo brothers, who were also shoemakers, owned general stores. Typical of many small rural towns, the village included an assortment of trades people such as wheelwright Isiah Dafoe, carpenter Robert Sheets, and the Duvals who operated blacksmith and tinsmith shops. There was a livery stable and a marble works, operated by the Stubbs Brothers. George Hickey opened the first post office in 1861.
)
Lock 22 [ca. 1950]
In addition to the school and homes for the mill workers, Farran's Point had two churches. A Roman Catholic Church, St Francis of Assissi, was located just east of the village. St. Francis shared a priest with the neighbouring communities of Milles Roche and Dickinson's Landing. There was also a Presbyterian church, St. John's, established in 1880 with a donation from C. C. Farran. The railway station and stationmaster's dwelling were located north east of the village, adjacent to the Kerr lands.
In later years, the most popular place in town was the open-air pavilion, located in Farran's Park. The pavilion offered a dance floor with live entertainment as well as a nickelodeon. There was also a family park near lock 22. The seven-room St. Lawrence Hotel was still open in the mid fifties.
At the time of inundation all that was left were the two churches and a couple of stores. Today the remains of Farran's Point lie beneath shallow waters and portions of the old sidewalks can still be followed during the fall and winter when the water levels are low. The dance pavilion was saved and can now be found at the Stormont Agricultural Society's fairground in nearby Newington. The community's name has survived in Farran Park, a locally operated campground.