Enterprise Man Recalls History

Mr. Louis Allen Parks Recalls Early Growth of Community

One of the oldest couples in this vicinity in the persons of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Allen Parks, recently celebrated the sixty-first anniversary of their marriage. Mr. and Mr. Parks are the oldest living couple remaining of those who are closely connected with this village since its earliest days. Mr. Parks was born and has lived all his life upon the farm on which he now resides. His father, Henry M. Parks, came from North Fredericksburgh over a hundred years ago, settling here and clearing the land. His grandfather was one of the U.E.L. settlers.

In spite of his eighty-three years, Mr. Parks well remembers many interesting things when Enterprise was known as “Thompson’s Corners,” named from Robert Thompson, who opened and operated the first general store. He also operated a potash works on the now vacant lot on Main street just across the road from Bell’s hardware shop, now owned by B.N. Sparks. This potash works was a great boon to the new settlers who were able to dispose of their ashes, made in the clearing of their farms, to Mr. Thompson for the necessities of life.

The First Tavern

The first hotel (or tavern as they were then called) was built and operated by William Lawrence on the lot upon which the Bell hotel now stands, and forms a part of the same building. The first barrel of whisky was brought from Camden East by the late Jethro Card, and the means of transportation was an ox-sled. The price paid was ten-pence a gallon. Eli Hawley was the first blacksmith and a man by the name of Scott, the first shoemaker. Mr. Parks well remembers when there were three sawmills on the stream then known as Jackson’s Creek; one located where W.S. Fenwick and son now have a mill, one farther up the stream owned and operated by Thomas Wagar, grandfather of Thompson Wagar, and still another operated by Richard Tucker.

The schoolhouse in which Mr. Parks attended school was situated on the corners known as “Mike Wagar’s Corners.” A large elm tree now marks the place near where this old log building stood. When Mr. Parks was a boy there was no road from Thompson’s Corners, to where his home is located. This land was a cedar swamp and at some seasons of the years was impassable.

Would Not Build Road

Mr. Parks remembers when the settlers started an agitation for a road to be made through this swamp. At that time instead of a board of councilmen, commissioners looked after such matters throughout the united counties of Lennox, Addington and Frontenac (Kingston being the seat of the counties’ affairs). The nearest commissioner to “Thompson’s Corners” was Squire Clark, who lived at Camden East. Squire Clark was sent to look over the ground to see if it was advisable to build the road in question. After going carefully over the ground through which the settlers were asking the road to be opened, Squire Clark reported to those in authority that in his opinion the road could not be built and the land would never be any good if the road was built. So the matter rested for some time until the settlers took things in their own hands and cut a road through to the Corners, falling the trees crosswise, forming what was known as a corduroy road. The land was drained and now forms some of the best farming land in this vicinity and the road is now being surfaced and will be one of the best roads in the township.

Barley-Growing Popular

Mr. Parks well remembers when the growing of barley was one of the greatest assets to the farmers at that time. The grain was drawn to Napanee, Bath and Kingston in wagons and was sold to American distillers. It once reached the peak price of $1.70 a bushel.

Resembled Stonewall Jackson

Some years ago, Mr. Parks was a visitor in Montreal. One morning, while sitting in the waiting room of the hotel at which he was staying in that city, Mr. Parks was accosted by an American gentleman who said he had been a personal friend of General Stonewall Jackson (of Confederate fame in the American War of the Rebellion of 1861-64), and that he had never seen anyone who had such a striking resemblance to his dead friend as Mr. Parks. The stranger wanted to know if by any chance there could be a relationship. Mr. Parks explained his mother was a Jackson and that she was a descendant of a family of that name who came from the United States as United Empire Loyalists.