Chapter III

John Lewis and Sons,

Lewiston Peg and Shank Mill,

also building of two vessels at

East River, Sheet Harbour

The two sons of John Lewis Sr., were George and John. The company moved to Lochaber Mines area at the had of Salmon River, Bog Lake, in 1895. They named the area Lewiston and started building a peg, shank and clothes pin factory at that time.

There was considerable white and yellow birch within logging distance of Lewiston, sufficient to supply the factory. Birch was harvested as far south-east as Quoddy Big Lake and as far north as the Anti Dam area. Birch was also cut on the 7 and 12-mile streams driven to Lochaber Mines Flowage, then hauled to Lewiston by double teams and truck wagons.

The way in which this hardwood material was harvested was to fell it in leaf in July and August and was left to lie until fall, then it was junked to the proper lengths, yarded by horses to brows for sledding in the winter months. It was then stream drive to Lewiston or to Lochaber, to a point as close to the factory as possible. My father told me that he had hauled

Peg Factory at Lewiston, 1895 to 1921. (1) factory; (2) warehouse; (3) company store; (4) boarding house.

birch from Lochaber to Lewiston along with Odis and Ripley Fisher.

Their operation produced an average of 20 cases per day, each case weighing 150 pounds, of ribbon shoe pegs, of which I have a roll. In addition to this they manufactured clothes pins which were packed in boxes made from softwood sawn at the mill.

Some of the contractors I remember at Lewiston were John (Jack) Spears, William Lowe of Moser River, Nicholas (Nick) Miller of Moser River, and Doe Rutledge, there could have been others that I cannot recall, when cruising the area of Skull Hill, so called, in 1956. I found a dug well that was logged up, apparently used by one of the company contractors at their camp location. Skull Hill was supposed to get this name due to the number of moose shot there.

Sample of ribbon shoe pegs, shanks and a clothespin that were manufactured at Lewiston.

Shoe shanks, of which I have a few, the bottle caps which were used inside metal caps before the use of cork, were also manufactured. The shoe shanks were shipped in small barrels. These barrels were supplied by coopers as far as 50 miles from Sheet Harbour. One of the suppliers was the Boutilier men at Mushaboom, who made other barrels as well. The copper received seven cents for a small barrel. The company had a boat, the Bay Queen, which would pick up these barrels, taking them to the warehouse at East River, Sheet Harbour. The horse teams returning to Lewiston transported them to the factory.

In later years this warehouse was used by Mr. Elbridge Lowe after his barn was lost by fire. The bottle cap market was such that it required the factory to produce 20 barrels per day - I can remember when ginger beer was sold in earthen bottles with wooden caps. These caps were also used for beer, wine, and other liquors.

Transportation of these products was by horse and wagon in the summer, by sled in the winter, to the warehouse at East River. From there carriage was by company boat or by other private boats to the United States and other countries. The early freeze-up of East River would not permit the boast to come in. The company then shipped from the Government Wharf at Port Dufferin using horses and sleds. From Lewiston the route followed was down Salmon River Lake, on to the Port Dufferin Mines, then out the Mines Road, so-called, thence to Port Dufferin.

There the products were stored in the warehouse on the wharf awaiting the arrival of the boat, the reason for shipping from Port Dufferin in the winter, it was most always ice free. There is a picture of a sled load of this production and the horses, arriving at Port Dufferin Wharf with Mr. Henry Hall driving the sled team.

In 1913 the company appointed a manager for the Lewiston Factory, Captain Carl Anderssen, who had been manager of the Moser River Lumber Company, which company was no longer in operation. A house which was referred to as the "Captain's House," had been built previous for the manager at Lewiston.

1921 was the last year the factory at Lewiston operated. The company had already been building 3-masted vessels at East River, Sheet Harbour. Two were built by the company, first was the Lewis Brothers. The other was the Cashier. The Lewis Brothers, after a trip at sea, had to be reinforced to the extent of thousands of dollars, after this work was completed she went to sea but was never head tell of after.

In 1921-22 Mr. Clyde Rutledge supervised the dismantling of the peg factory, which was shipped to East River, Sheet Harbour, by horse and wagons - John Coady with his horse, and one on load from Henry Rhyno. Odis and Ripley Fisher were two others with double teams.

The machinery from the factory was stored in the warehouse. Destination was for a new factory at Stewiacke, with the birch at Lewiston nearly or mostly depleted. During the summer of 1922, Mr. Clyde Rutledge's wife died in childbirth in Lewiston. She and the baby were buried in the same casket.

Sled load of pegs, shanks and bottle tops at the Port Dufferin wharf, transported from Lewiston. The teamster is Mr. Henry Hall.

The company vessel the Cashier, was used for the shipment of the old factory to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, thence by railroad to Stewiacke. Many of the wooden knees or timbers, shafts and pulleys were used in the construction of the garage and machine shop at Stewiacke. The Cashier then loaded lumber for the West Indies.

At the time the Lewiston Factory was in operation there were a number of families living there. A school had been built. Some of the teachers that taught there were: Mrs. Annie Pye (Woodworth), Millie Moser, Mrs. Effie Tickering (Rutledge), Mrs. Verna Hussey (Anderson). Mrs. Dorothy Anderssen (Hall) was bookkeeper in the company store.

The school remained open a year or two after the factory ceased to operate. IN 1924 a second classroom was serve as a High School. The seats and teacher's desk from Lewiston were purchased from J. Lewis and Sons and were used at the East River School.

Arthur and Carl Anderssen both were clerks in the company store. Erick Anderssen was in charge of the company boat and log boom on the Big Lake. When George and John Lewis dissolved partnership in the late teens, George and his son Frank kept the name of the company at the Lewiston and Stewiacke factories. They also owned the Eastern Hat and Cap Factory at Truro. George and John Lewis were the sons of John Lewis Sr.. That is where the name of the first company originated.

When the two brothers dissolved partnership the company owned property at Ship Harbour. John took this property as well as the ownership of the vessel Cashier, for his share of the business. John built the peg factory at Ship Harbour, also one at Bronville, Maine. John Lewis Sr. had also built a peg factory at Lewiston, Maine, many years previous. There are two shoe factories there still in active operation. One is the Dexter Company. This, I am told, is how Lewiston, Maine, got the name of "Lewiston," - the same as that of Lewiston which is located north of Sheet Harbour.

It was about this time, 1914, when J. Lewis and Sons started preparations for shipbuilding. In 1917 a vessel was under construction. John Coady was the sawyer in the mill sawing planking and timbers, for construction of the vessels. Scott Holman, son of Baker Holman, took sick and died that year. Materials for the ship building were hauled by horse teams from the Lewiston area and from lands that company had purchased from William MacKeil in the vicinity of Big Brook Lake. This timber was hauled by Behie Brothers, John and Walter. The lands the company purchased from Mr. MacKeil ran east from the Big Brook Road, so called, to the Grear Line east of Grants River.

The spars for the vessels were cut in the Spar Lake area, which Lake took its name from the spar cutting activity. The last vessel to be built was the Cashier. Mr. R.V. (Bay) Rutledge told me the company was short on tree which was large enough to make a spar. He knew where there was one north of East Twin Lake. He undertook to cut that tree and transport it to Lewiston, thence to Sheet Harbour. You can just imagine the planning it took to handle such a tree and eventually to land it in the ship year.

The Lewis Brothers, the first vessel, completed in Sheet Harbour, was not up to standard for insurance purposes. The company had to spend $25,000 on the hull to make her

Loggin camp crew for J. Lewis and Sons Peg and Shank Factory at Lewiston. Andy Brenton and his two children sitting on the left, Ben Rutherford, a foremand for the company, setting on the right.

seaworthy. Unfortunately she was lost on her first voyage at sea. No trace of the vessel has ever been found.

The Cashier made several trips to the West Indies with lumber, however John Lewis eventually anchored her in a cove at West Ship Harbour. She stayed there for many years at anchor. The spars were taken or sold from her after she had filled with water and sank.

I would like to mention Mr. Malcolm J. Barkhouse. It was said that he was the company's "right hand man" at the Lewiston factory.

When Captain Carl Anderssen took over the operation of the factory at Lewiston, Mr. Barkhouse was transferred to Stewiacke. When the company started the shipbuilding at East River, Sheet Harbour, Mr Barkhouse returned to the ship yard. He also made many trips to Lewiston. His family lives in what was known as the MacMillian House, located on the west side of the highway near Thomas Hall's residence at East River.

Mr. George Lewis was more or less supervising both jobs -- the factory and vessel construction. A story goes that the company had purchased a small tractor for work around the mill. Mr Lewis asked Eric Anderson one day how it was working. Eric said it was very good. "That is all very find but it won't cut trees for pegwood," said Mr. Lewis.

Remembering attending the launching of the last vessel -- the ropes that were arranged to take care of the hull broke, allowing her to hit on the east bank of the Harbour, breaking the rudder to the extent that a tug boat had to come from Halifax to tow her to the dry dock to have the rudder replaced. Ship building was considered to be quite an industry in those days.

The cookhouse that had been used by the Halifax Wood Fibre Company at the sulphite pulp mill, still standing on the site, was used by J. Lewis and Sons as a cook house. Calvin Moser's mother from Moser River was the cook. Her daughter, Winnie (later Mrs. Edward Connors) was cook's helper. Near at hand was a building that on occasions was used for dancing. Once when my father was calling off a dance, a chap by the name of Jarvis got into a fight with another man, cutting him in the face and hand with a broken bottle. Apparently in those days they had "fire water" too.

Another incident, described by Mr. Bay Rutledge was this. He was filing saws at the Nicholas Miller logging camp at the Head of East Twin Lake. One day he and Mr. William Lowe from Moser River decided to go moose hunting east to Dog Lake. They found no signs of moose, however they shot a buck deer, dressed it and hung up the carcass. On the way back to camp they shot a moose. In dressing it Mr. Lowe cut his leg very badly with his hunting knife. Mr. Rutledge said, "We were lucky to make it back to the logging camp." The boss, Mr. Miller, had to arrange a stretcher from poles and blankets, then using eight men, they carried Mr. Lowe to Moser River to a doctor. Mr Miller decreed that after that incident there would be no more moose hunting from his camp.

One spring morning in the 1900s a woman in the village of Lewiston made a smudge or smoke to keep away the black flies. Evidently it got out of control as the forest conditions were very dry and the fire spread quickly down the side of the Big Lake toward Port Dufferin. The Dufferin Gold Mine was operating at the time. Management closed down at once and the men helped to fight the fire. Mr. Henry John O'Leary and others started walking or running out the road to Port Dufferin. The fire was so bad that pieces of limbs of trees were burning and falling into the road around them. Before they reached Port Dufferin the fire had preceded them and several houses and buildings were burning.

When the factory was in operation there would be at least 10-12 girls working in the factory. There was a large cookhouse and boardinghouse to serve both the male and female employees. Mrs. Sarah Hurd was one of the cooks. The males and females were segrated in separate bunkhouses. The female quarters were out of bounds to the men after 9 p.m.

Once thriving Lewis Firm made

Shoe Pegs, Shanks, Bottle Caps

as published in the Truro Weekly News - July 12, 1973

John made arrangements to occupy a small building and stay there for that winter. The building was not built for cold winters and getting fuel and other household chores took up a lot of his time, but he was ale to whittle out a bag of shoe lasts by hand out of wood selected from the widow's woodpile.

In the following spring he loaded the lasts across a horse's back and walked to Halifax with them. There he not only found a ready market but a request for more. He was paid in cash which was the first money that he had made in this country. Before that payments for services had been in the form of barter.

On his return to Economy, he took up land and built a small mill powered by a waterwheel on a small brook near where his nephew, Cyrus, later lived.

While this article is intended to be an explanatory record of a now defunct manufacturing industry that was operational in this district and, with the exception of a similar one someplace in Quebec province, the only one of its kind in Canada. Some genealogy of the family that operated it is necessarily included.

John Lewis married and had a family while still operating the small last mill in Economy. Two sons, John Jr. and George, lived to maturity. John Jr. apprenticed to the machinist and pattern maker trade. When he became a master of that trade he found work in a factory in the State of Maine that among other articles was manufacturing ribbon pegwood for a new method in the manufacture of ready made boots and shoes.

Formed Company

This ribbon pegwood was used in a newly invented machine that cut and drove a peg in a sole in one operation. John Jr. realized that this invention would revolutionize the shoe making business. He returned to Economy and after 12 years his brother George had married and retired from the sea. Together with their father they formed the company of J. Lewis and Sons Ltd. and proceeded to build a factory in the Esplanade. Here they continued to make the cobblers supplies that John Sr. had been making in Economy and in addition John Jr. soon designed machinery to manufacture the new ribbon pegs.

The wood best suited to making these ribbons was white or paper birch but some yellow birch was used at first. All wood and some of it was brought from as far away as Birch Hill near Middle Stewiacke.

George Lewis would cruise the woods using a draw knife to expose the grain of the wood. If the tree was suitable he would put an X on the blaze and if not, an O. For as long as John Sr. lived the Truro plant manufactured shoe lasts and the narrator of this information remembers seeing him as a very old man sitting on a bench and sandpapering lasts by hand. "I was pretty young (five years old) but I remember him well and if he was to come walking down that road now I would recognize him easily." The Truro plant did not make shoe lasts after John Sr. died but for a few years they were made in Truro by a Mr. Hopper.

Factory in Maine

When pegwood was becoming scarce in the Truro area John Jr. went to Maine and built a factory in a place that became Lewiston. Some time later George selected a site for a factory near Sheet Harbour, N.S. This was in a birch country and about two miles in the woods from the nearest existing road. This also became the village of Lewiston and peopled only by those connected with the new factory starting operations in April, 1898.

This operation produced an average of 20 cases, weighing 150 pounds each, of ribbon pegs. In addition to this, they manufactured loose pegs, shoe shanks, clothes pins, and bottle caps. The loose pegs and shanks wee shipped in bags but the bottle caps were packaged in barrels and these were supplied by coopers as far as 50 miles along the shore from Sheet Harbour. The cooper received seven cents for a barrel. The market for these caps required 20 barrels a day. They were the top part of a cork stopper for beer, wine, and other bottled liquids and this wooden cap was fastened to the neck of the bottle, below a ridge, with a wire to keep the cork from being blown by pressure from the liquid inside.

Built at Stewiacke

The supply of birch for the Lewiston plant was based on a 20-year exchange lease agreement with Alfred Dickie Lumber Company. John Lewis & Sons cut the birch on the land owned by the Dickie company while that company cut the softwood lumber on property owned by the Lewis company in another area. Because of the white birch becoming used up in the Lewiston area, George built a new factory in Stewiacke where he could have his own railway siding for loading the products. If white birch is cut in August and trimmed after the leaves have used up the available sap, the logs will float.

This meant that birch from nearly all of the Stewiacke Valley could be cheaply floated down the river in a spring drive. The Lewiston plant continued to make clothes pins and fashioned peg clothes pins changed in favor of the spring type the machinery for making bottle caps was moved to the Stewiacke plant and the Lewiston factory ceased to be.

Somewhere along the line John Jr. operated a factory for a few years in Ship Harbor, N.S.

The factory in Stewiacke started production March 17, 1914, and continued, with partial lapses during the two great wars, until eventually sewn soles on boots and shoes replaced the pegged soles and steel shanks replaced the wooden ones. This just about coincided with the end of the second war. The American market had gone to the new method before that but manufacturers into making the change. The J. Lewis and Sons factories always held a large share of the world market for these products.

[Index] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 4]