Settler of township lots: Lot 8, Conc. 5, Stanhope
Location: The map point is the approximate location of this 100 acre lot at the north east corner of Walkers Lake and Buckslide Road. This is the location of S.S. No. 3 - Boskung School.
Land acquisition:
Other land:
Dates of residency:
Interesting facts:
Joseph Beatty was the Reeve of Stanhope from 1874 to 1876. In 1874, the first county council met in session with Joseph Beatty from the Municipality of Stanhope and Sherborne. Source: In Quest of Yesterday by Nila Reynolds. Published by The Provisional County of Haliburton, Minden, Ontario 1973 pg. 114
The Beatty farmhouse (for some time a post office in later days) still exists, well-renovated to suite changing times, at the top of the rise. Source: Stanhope 125th Anniversary 1866-1991, supplement to The Times, Minden, 1991 (written by Carol Moffatt).
Neighbours gathered at the home of Joseph Beatty, a genial Belfast emigrant, who every Wednesday and Saturday night since the 1879's, when the post office was established, brought the mail from Minden. He never arrived before 8 or 9 P.M., and by the time the mail was sorted and its contest digested, the air in the Beatty kitchen was blue with the smoke from assorted strong tobacco blends. Some came great distances, so before they started home, mrs. Beatty often served the assembly tea and sandwiches. Source: In Quest of Yesterday by Nila Reynolds. Published by The Provisional County of Haliburton, Minden, Ontario 1973 pg. 311-312.
Boskung Post Office - 1878 to 1962: The post office at Boskung was located in the homes of the Postmasters. From 1878 until 1958 the office was open year around. It then became summer only until it finally closed in 1964. Joseph Beatty Sr. was the postmaster from Jul 1, 1878 to Dec 26, 1908 - His name is incorrectly recorded as John on the Library & Archives Canada website. It has been written that the neighbours would gather at the Beatty residence on Wednesday and Saturday evenings awaiting Joseph's arrival from Minden with the mail, and of course visiting and catching up on the local gossip. Apparently at election times these gatherings would be much less jovial. Joseph Beatty Jr. was the postmaster from Feb 9, 1908 to Mar 19, 1924 .Note the overlap in dates, with Joseph becoming Postmaster over ten months before John ceased to hold the position. It is probable that Joseph Sr. was unable to fulfill his role during that time as a result of illness, since the cause of vacancy is shown as "death".
Preceding landowner: The Crown
Succeeding landowners: both lots
Link to Settlers of Algonquin Highlands family tree
Photo: Joseph Beatty, Member of First Council. Source: Ancestry. ca. Carolyn Farrell originally shared this on 03 Aug 2018