Gatherings and Stories at The River

I was looking through some family photographs and discovered something that I hadn't noticed before. these first three photographs were taken on the same day in front of the house next to the Mock Orange Bush by the garage, and judging by the age of Loreen, I would guess it was about 1951.  

Grammy is cut off at left, and that's Loreen and Grampy. In the background you can see the old water tower that used to be along the tracks by the bridge.

Winnie, Grammy and Ola

Mary Ann

These next three were taken obviously in 1957, at another family gathering. This is Audrey, and Carl holding Keir, again by the Mock Orange, which is still there and thriving.

Joan and Betty

And this is Parker, Grammy's youngest brother, and his wife Edith.

The following photograph was given to me by Aunt Hazel. Before she married Big Walter she was the housekeeper for Syd Munn who lived across the tracks from our house. Walter used to stay with Mary Ann and that's how Walter and Hazel met. They were married in 1951.

Syd moved into the house as a child with his parents in 1904, and he told me about watching our house being moved down the tracks to it's current location in 1907. He lived there 90 years. The first photo is Syd at the back door of his house. I took the following picture in February of 1986, after spending a weekend with Winnie and Joyce (wow, that's 25 years ago!). 

Hazel also gave me a set of small tourist photographs of Murray River. The first is the Baptist Church, when it still had a belfry. The story is, Dan Munn (1852-1911), my great-great grandfather, built it.

This next shot is the Murray River Christian Church roughly across the street from the Baptist Church. It is still there, missing the belfry as well, and is now a private residence. Many years ago it was an antique store and over several summers Ola and I would walk down the tracks to it and explore the antiques.

This is the Murray River Train Station. It is also still standing, but it was turned 90 degrees and moved about 50 feet east and attached to the back of what was Baird's Store and became storage space. Wouldn't it be great if it were moved back and restored as a restaurant or museum (or both) along the Confederation Trail!

This is a view of the river and bridge looking south. There were many more buildings at the corner that you can see in this photo. In 1954 there was a fire in what was the downtown core of Murray River and all of those buildings were destroyed.

The next photo is Doctor Lester Brehaut's house. it is also still there, and the two oak trees in the front were planted by the doctor and his wife when they were married and moved in, circa 1901. I found on the net that his telephone number was Murray River 5, and the telephone agent for the River for many years was Sadie Murdoch, whom I remember us visiting in the summers when I was young. Incidentally, Ira Munn, Grampy's father, had a phone by 1935 and his number was Hopefield R 6-5.  Sadie ran the phones from 8 am to 9 pm Mondays thru Saturdays and 1:30 pm to 3 pm Sundays and holidays.

Dr. Brehaut delivered Grampy and Dad. He died December 4, 1960, aged 85.