Title

Farran's Point

Part 2

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 22Lock 22 [ca. 1920]

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 Mille Roches and Dickinson's Landing. A Presbyterian church, St. John's, was 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 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.