By 1915, because of the War, Daddy had decided that he must farm his land. During the following years, he cleared a great many acres, installed a small herd of Jersey cattle, a flock of Shropshire sheep, some Bantam (much to the delight of the young) and then Barred Plymouth Rock chickens, etc. and opened up the sugar bush in the back acres. It was a nice little farm which, of course, never really supported itself! even if we and the animals ate home-grown produce. (``Enjoy that egg, it cost me $2. !'')
Figure: 1917. View to the Lake.
It was in 1921 when the water in the Lake was very low (due, I suppose, to some fiddling with the dam at the Outlet) that Daddy took the opportunity to build, with stones cleared from the 5 acre field on the Lake front (always known as Stumpy Field), a dry-stone wall all along that shore.
Figure: 1921 The Shore Wall. Stumpy Field Stones were used as Fill. The Crew.
Figure: Alma aged 8. A Lot of Clearing Still to be Done on Stumpy Field.
It wasn't until 1923 that a house for our farmer (now Raymond West) was begun simultaneously with a farm office and implement shed, quickly followed by the barn and the tearing down of the old farm buildings. For all these structures the wood was cut on the property, dragged to Magog, shipped by rail to Granby where it was sawn into lumber, dried and returned to Agwanis.
Figure: 1923 Building the Farm House. Views of Both Sides.
Figure: 1923 Building the Farm House. Views of Both Sides.
Figure: 1923 Building the Farm House. The Last of the West Barn.
Figure: Building the Farm Office and Implement Shed.
Figure: Finished. Note. In the Rear are the North Farm Barns.
Figure: 29 August 1923. Lumber for the Barn. Raymond West Driving.
Judge H. Just Visible Behind.
Figure: 3 November 1923. Barn Under Construction.
Figure: Summer 1924. Raymond Bringing in a Load of Hay. Alma.
During the years, too, as we grew older and swimming and boating activities gained in importance a small building containing changing rooms and a two storey boat house to take care of a motor boat and the sail boats were built along the shore (south) from the sandy beach where the canoe and row-boat were still kept in the old shed.
In the early days we used the steamer, The Anthemis, a great deal especially between Magog and Bryant's Landing just one-and-a-bit miles across the Lake. Therefore the skiff. It still had its use later on, however, because Daddy loved to fish -- perch and bass -- which were cooked and eaten for supper at the picnic spot on the shore. There was a huge flat stone for a table and a very workable fireplace surrounded by benches which Daddy had made out of cedar branches. It was a great place to be hospitable after a swim! This was on a spot, just south of the boat house, which had been cleared of shrub leaving only the big trees.
There was a very good diving board and a flag-pole on the end of the L-shaped big pier, and a raft a decent distance out.
Figure: Winter 1926-1927. Buiding the Big Pier.
Figure: It Was Built on the Ice,
Figure: Filled with Rock which Sank it into Place.
Figure: Raymond West (R.) was Foreman.
Figure: After 1930. The Boathouse and Raft and View.
And, then, in 1928, more lumber was produced and in 1929 the New House was begun. We moved in on August 1 , 1930. As Daddy noted in the new Guest Book: ``This house was conceived, planned and designed by Evalyn Isobel and Eratus Edwin Howard in consultation with Jane, Evelyn, Hazel and Alma Howard and many friends''
``Master Builder -- Raymond West; Master Carpen1er -- Roy Sheldon; Master Mason -- Joseph St. Jean.''
P.S. He did consult with Mr. Frank Peden, Architect, on one or two points.
Figure: Building the House. July 1929. Everyone, Daddy, Mother, Four Daughters,
Raymond West, Etc., Raise the Roof.
Figure: Building the House. July 1929.
Figure: Building the House. July 1929.
Figure: 21 Oct. 1929. Can you see the Ice House in the Rear?
Figure: Stephen Lyman and Ray Caron.
Figure: 21 Sept. 1929. Mother.
Figure: 13 Aug. 1932. Walter West Brings the Front Steps from the Workshop.
Figure: A Stone Pillar from the Shore to Hold a Lantern. (Again, the Ice House
in the Rear.)
Figure: In 1933 when Evelyn Married Jack Saunders Daddy Gave Them the Old Farm
House. They Spent a Year Remodelling It.
Figure: After 1930. ``The Pup'', the Ackroyd Dinghy which Regularly got Beaten
by Philip Fisher who Brought his over from Knowlton. (In Those Days Nobody
Raced either on Brome or Memphremagog.)
Figure: 1952. When H. G. Norman Owned It. Taken by Bill Drysdale, a Partner of
H.G.H.'s in Price Waterhouse.
Figure: April 1983. Taken by Tim Merrett. Derek Price, Owner.
For the use of the Foreman of the gang building the farm buildings a small square shack was constructed on the edge of the woods at the bottom of the High Pasture. This was later given to Jane who, with her minions the Twins, learned how to shingle it. She called it ``South Home''. In it were a bed and a desk and not much else. It was here that Jane did her ``creative'' writing. When she went to Oxford and subsequently married into the Indian Civil Service and went to India, Alma inherited it and used it as her lab. office, growing just outside her door the sunflowers and grain crops, in carefully tended plots, which she was using for her Ph.D. Thesis in Genetics.