History of the Cottage: Part One

Alexandra’s maternal grandmother, Pat Grafton, is lively, outgoing and warm. She is also a walking encyclopedia of experiences and stories. We are honoured that she has accepted our invitation to guest post, and over the next few weeks Pat will string together an incredible hundred year history of the family cottage on Ile-Cadieux (near Vaudreuil-sur-le-lac). I first laid eyes on some of Pat’s written memoirs in 2009 during their early development. Their vivid narrative quality and the obvious fun she was having creating the document moved me to both encourage its completion and start digging into my own family history. This work was finished soon afterwards, with the advice and feedback of a professor friend and Pat’s granddaughter Victoria helping with the compilation, layout and digitization of images.

What follows over the course of these installations demonstrates the centrality of place in personal history. Place anchors and binds subjects over time; the stability and safety of place ensures the continuity of relationships and identities. No post to date has been as true to the complete theme of this blog. Enjoy!

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Pat, 2009

The Cottage at Ile Cadieux

Memoirs of Patricia Grafton

This is the story of a cottage and five generations of a family who have lived in it since 1916.   It is now 2009 and the fifth generation is still enjoying it.   

The Background

The land was purchased by W. R. Eakin in 1910 for $200 and in 1916 the property, complete with cottage, was sold by Eakin to Herbert A. Layton (my grandfather-in-law) for $1900.  H.A. (as he was always called behind his back) immediately extended the house on both sides, had a fieldstone fireplace built, screened in the large front verandah and smaller back porch and installed indoor plumbing.   That design remains today (see description attached).

The cottage as it was in 1916 when purchased from the Eakins.

 H. A. chose this location because of the incredible view of the lake and sunsets, and because of its then difficult access from Montreal – he did not like to have visitors!  In those days one would have a long trip on a narrow road along the lakeshore, then take two ferries, one from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to Ile Perrot, and one from Ile Perrot to Dorion.  From Dorion, one would drive on another narrow road about four miles and walk over a small bridge to the island.  In 1918 the bridge was enlarged to accommodate cars. This was a great help to the islanders and, as a result, many more cottages were built.                              

Two photos of the incredible sunsets that H.A. loved.

H.A.’s sons, Armitage and Frank, were in the army training at Petawawa at this time as this was during the First World War. One day they surprised the family by arriving on foot at the cottage.  It seems that they asked and received permission to hop off the train that was taking the soldiers to Montreal for a short leave.  The train slowed down for them and they got off a few miles from the island and hitch-hiked a ride from a farmer to the island.  This was their first view of the Island and they fell in love with it as everyone else had.

Moving to the country each year in those days was a major undertaking.  Before the family moved out, shutters had to be removed from all windows, mattresses aired and the pump started.  When the Layton/Grafton families moved, they brought carpets, curtains, china, etc.  There was quite a social life for the ladies, as husbands and fathers came out only on weekends.  Formal teas were held and much visiting back and forth took place.  This lifestyle continued through the 1920s and until Mrs. Layton died in the thirties.  Her daughter, Alberta, then took over the responsibilities of the summers in the country.

After H.A. retired in the early 1940s, all the family went to town for the weekly shopping on Friday of each week with the old gentleman at the wheel of his 1940 Oldsmobile  - quite a hair-raising experience for the passengers:  H.A. did not learn to drive until he was over 70 and insisted that the proper way to drive was very slowly and in the middle of the narrow roads.  This made for much honking and shouting from the line of cars following him, to which he paid absolutely no attention; it was very uncomfortable for the passengers.  He drove back and forth to and from the country in this fashion until he was 92 and quite deaf.  Fortunately, a small accident in the city prevented him from further driving.

Thursday of each week was actually the commencement of the Friday shopping day to Montreal.  The ritual started early in the morning with the heating of large tubs of water on the stove in preparation for H.A.’s weekly bath (needless to say there was no hot water available at that time).  When the bath was ready, H.A. would be called and would disappear into the bathroom for one hour but before he was called, great rushing around took place to make sure everyone in the household had performed their daily ablutions beforehand.  That evening the grocery list was made out in preparation for the Friday shopping, and menus for the following week were planned by Mrs. Grafton (my mother-in-law) aided and abetted by the two maids.  To my recollection, this always seemed to take about two hours and left Mrs. Grafton in a state of exhaustion.