Northam Station

During most of the time the rail-way was in operation, Northam was a thriving small business community, with stores, potato dealer warehouses as well as one warehouse owned by Gillis Bros, a feed mill, grain cleaning facilities and a stock—yard, which served the surrounding areas such as: Grand River(the McInnis Road was the link for these people), Bayside, Arlington, Birch Hill, Victoria West and Springhill. Stores were operated, in turn, by a Mr. Shelfoon, David Stewart, Charles MacKay, Lester Baglole, Ivan Vaughan, Lewis Cann, Roger MacArthur and Hart Lidstone. Harry & Georgie Ellis had a small store attached to their home. Wallace &

Deborah MacLeod also had a small store close to their home. One of the potato warehouses was used during the summer months as a dance hall.

The first train went through Northam on May 12th 1875. One of the conditions of P.E.I. joining Confederation was that the Government of Canada pay ofi‘ the debt incurred fiom building the rail-road. Narrow gauge was changed to standard gauge railway in 1924. As the main-land and the new ferry had changed to standard gauge a few years previous, the cargo that was loaded on train cars had to be re-loaded fiom cars fitted for narrow. gauge to cars fitted for standard width tracks if it was leaving the Island or the other way around if the load was coming to the Island. A water tank, just over the hill, behind the present day home of Ronald & Shirley MacArthur, was used to fill the steam locomotives. During the winter months many of the men who lived close to the station were employed by shovelling snow from the tracks, (a little ditty; Six of a kind, Linkletter behind, long Ellis in the middle, trying to make money, to buy himselfa fiddle). The steam engines were replaced by diesel in 1950. Regular trains would leave Tignish in the morning bound for Borden and return at night. Freight trains would make an east run one day and make the west run the next. As young fellows we probably got to Summerside twice a year. Some-one once asked Maurice Maynard why Port Hill Station was so far from Port Hill? Reply “

to be close to the Rail-Way, I suppose!” Northam Women’s Institute

The organizational meeting of the Northam Women’s Institute was held at the home of

Mrs. Dan MacArthur on May 29th,l923 with twelve women present. The following executive was elected: Miss Lulu Yeo as president, and Miss Una Colwill as Secretary-Treasurer. While the local schools were in operation, the WI. took a very active part in their daily running by providing the necessities. As well, they sent knitted goods and treats to the soldiers over-seas, during the war-time. With the opening of the consolidated school, the W.I. took on a different role and still is an active organization in the community. Plans are being made for the 80th

anniversary Telephone

The Northam-Arlington Telephone Company provided a telephone service (first phones connected Dec. 4, 1914) to the people of the district from the station out the road as far as Trout River Ranch and out the Allen Road to Arlington, plus the Tyne Valley road. No “91 1" needed back then, one (l-o-n—g) ring meant “emergency”. The people would rush to the phone to see who needed help in case of an accident or fire. During the last few years that the Telephone Co.