The River

The West or Eliot River provided the main way of moving goods and people to and from Bonshaw during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Boats continued to be used until the 1940s for moving cargo and people as well as providing a means for many tourists from Charlottetown to visit the area.

The earliest record found of a scheduled service to Bonshaw was in 1871. The steam launch "Anglo-Saxon", offered service from Charlottetown to Bonshaw every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. The schedule was not dependent on the tide, showing the river was of sufficient depth even at low

tide (13).(The "Anglo-Saxon" also served as the Rocky Point Ferry in 1871 (14). (N 0 record has been found that provides any detail on the "Anglo-Saxon".)

i Bonshaw Steam Route.

HE STEAMER AXGLO-SAXON leaves Queen‘s \Vharf every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, for Bonshaw, m. 5 a. 111., and 3 p. 111.. I stopping at. McEwen's and Mchee's wharvos ; returningr leaves Bonshaw at 8 a. m.. and (i p. m.

Faro from ()lmrlottetown to McEwcn's, 1H.

Fare from McEwen's to Mul’lmo'u, 3H.

Fare it on] McPhco's to Bonslmwntixl.

Orders for Towing, Decking and Steaming out. solicited. .

The boat mny lm ohtuinml for private picnics. fishing. and gunning oxru'sioxm, any evening, nnd on W'orlnemln)‘. Thursday nnrl Sntnrvluys, on easy terms

Fireworks always kept. on hand.

Apply to tho Unpluin or to l. (3. ”ALL.

Chlomn.Jub'mr137y

Patriot 1871 September 9th pg 1

The boat service from Bonshaw to Charlottetown on market days, Tuesday and Friday, received a government subsidy and in the Island tradition the service was run by a Conservative or a Liberal depending which political party was in power. Because of this there were usually two boats on the river, but only one got the subsidy. In the 1920s 'Toff Beaton ran the Conservative boat and Spurgeon Hickox the Liberal one (15)!

The following list of subsidies for the Bonshaw-Charlottetown "packet service" has been extracted from the Department of Public Works Annual Reports in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly.

Year Subsidy to whom the subsidy was paid 1913 $100 J.T.Inman

1914 $100 J .T. Inman for the scow "Derry" 1914 $223 William McRae

1915 $223 William McRae

1916 $223 William McRae

1917 $223 William McRae

1918 $223 J.T. Inman

1919 $223 J.T. Inman

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