By Jean Mattila and Lorrie (Ironside) Morley

The Ironside family planted their roots in Prince Township in 1897. John and Margaret Ironside had emigrated from Aberdeenshire, Scotland eight years earlier and were lured to Prince by the government, which was offering 160 acres in the north for ten dollars. They packed up their children, Nell, Jean, Alexander and Isabella and headed to the rocky mountain range in Prince. It was not very suitable for farming but they built a log house and log barn and planted apple trees.

For nine years they lived there and in 1906 a 110 acre farm on the lowland of Prince became available from Thomas Walls. The farm was located on the west side of Airport Road between Second Line. There was a two storey log house, a log barn and a small herd of cattle. The family worked the farm and Alex spent his spare time courting a Prince Township lass by the name of Mary Ann Odber. They were married on September 5, 1921. With the passing of Margaret in 1924 and John in 1926, Alex took over running the farm. He also kept busy as the Reeve of Prince Township for several years. He also served as Road Superintendent and as Constable.

Over the next 46 years, wonderful memories were made on the farm. Alex and Mary were the proud parents of four daughters and two sons. Margaret, Ilene, Bea, Jean, Peter and John. The running of the farm took many hands and there were always jobs for all the children. In the spring, planting time was busy. They planted grain, wheat, potatoes, and corn. Mary always had a garden. She dried onions from it and canned beans, carrots, peas, cucumber and beets. The whole family, including the dog, would go down to the prairies (where the airport is now) and pick blueberries. Picking them was a hot, tiring job so the kids always took a swim in the lake afterwards no matter what the water temperature was.

Saturday night was a favourite at the farm. Mary would have the last batch of bread in the wood stove oven baking and she would then scrub the kitchen floor. All the kids would be piled in the wood box waiting for the floor to dry and the bread to bake. Finally, they would all sit around the table, the lamp was lit and they would eat the fresh bread with butter and jam on it. This was one of the warm farm memories.

Another fun time on the farm was during haying season. After the cutting and hauling the loads the barn and haying were done the kids got to sleep in the haymow. They would catch fireflies and put them in glass jars to use for their light. The last one to settle down had to climb to the top of the barn to let them go only to be caught again the next night.

The harvesting of grain was another fond memory of the farm. The grain would be cut and stoked and then Carl Ableson would come with his thrashing machine to thrash the grain. This was a neighbourhood affair; the men would help with the trashing and the women prepared a hearty “farmers” meal: Roast beef, potatoes, vegetables, pickles, Mary's famous rolls and lots of pies - pumpkin, raisin, apple, blueberry rhubarb. What a treat!

In the winter after the wood was piled and the pond froze over, all the neighbourhood kids would skate by moonlight. Alex and Mary would stand out at the back of the house and listen to the “swishing” of the skates on the ice. When the kids were finished skating and came to the house, Mary always had a huge pot of hot chocolate on to warm them before they headed home.

Over the years Alex and Mary's family grew with the marriage of their children and the births of many grandchildren. The farm continued to create many more special memories. A large family gathering called the Ironside Wing-Ding became a favorite tradition that took place on Labour Day weekend for many years. It was time for good food, lots of fun and games, also a chance to reunite with those who no longer lived in the Sault.

For one of Alex and Mary's children her dreams lead her to Toronto. Bea was the first woman Master Warrant Officer in Canada. She served in the Air Reserves for 21 years in Toronto.

The Ironside farm was a great place to be. Whether you were family or friends, you could always count on a warm welcome and a warm cup of tea. In 1967, Alex and Mary decided to sell the farm and move into their new home on Churchill Avenue. This was a difficult time for everyone but the many memories of the farm have stayed etched in our minds and have been passed down orally from generation to generation. The memories on the farm continue to live on!