[fin/eon: Area — 1927 Prince Edward Island Atlas 
     
    
   
   
    
     With the arrival of the hard—working Irish settlers, the area around 
     
     Kinkora began to progress and its prospects improved. Construction 
     
    

    
     of the first Catholic church began in 1847. Prior to that, mass was 
     
     celebrated at the home ofjohn Brennan, and as the number of settlers 
     
     to the area grew, in John Keefe’s log barn. Confessions were heard at first 
     
     in the home of Maurice Sommers. Father Reynolds boarded with local 
     
     parishioners for a week at a time. Construction of a parochial house 
     
    

    
     was undertaken by Father Reynolds, and completed in the 1850s by his 
     
     successor, Father Duffy. 
     
    
   
   
    
     By 1848, the first school was built and in 1851 the first post office in the 
     
     area was established in Middleton. There were also three licensed taverns 
     
     in the area at that time, usually operated out of private homes. The 
     
     community became known as Sommerset in 1867, named in honour of 
     
     one of the original settlers. In 1884, after the railway station was opened, 
     
     the name of the community reverted to Kinkora. 
     
    
   
   
    
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