"An hour later we crossed the Moose River. The crossing of this rapid river represents one of the major engineering feats of all times. Three times the bridge was destroyed by the spring break-up of ice and rushing water and had to be rebuilt. Finally, the rail builders blocked off half the river by building a causeway to an island in midstream. From this island a bridge runs high aboue the turbulent river for 1800 feet. I'm happy to report the engineer took his own slow time in making this dangerous crossing.
Our arrival (after lunch on the train) at Moosonee about 1:15 P.M. was truly an exciting time. The station platform was packed with the residents of the settlement. Some waiting for friends or freight. Most of them just out to greet us. A huge sign on the station wall read "Welcome to Moosonee" and another which pleased J.W. very much was "Welcome to Moosonee Boy Scouts Of Canada". They were arriving by the hundred from all over Canada for their annual jamboree.
Our brochures told us "Moosonee is a frontier town. People swarming over the station platform to greet the train." It was also little wide-eyed children waiting and posing for us to take their pictures. To them the arrival of the train with its hundreds of visitors was a great occurrence. A plane ride of hundreds of miles meant nothing to them. The excursion train runs every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from the first of June through September 14th.
Moosonee is a weather station keeping meterologists posted, and it has a printing plant that turns out probably the only magazine printed in Cree syllabics. I bought a newspaper with some Cree syllabics. Very interesting Newpaper for a small place.
We visited the Hudson's Bay Trading Post.. not the original of course but the second one that was built. You can find everything there from soapstone carvings, Indian handicraft, bear traps, hides, furs on to fine bone china.
From the station down the main street to the waterfront is a distance of about half a mile we were told. By the time we had walked there, my swollen feet and ankles told me it was nearer five miles. But, manfully I struggled along, or rather it was more like a "Step-"n-Fetchit" shuffle.
At the waterfront there were literally dozens of giant canoes, motorized, manned by two Indians to each canoe, to provide transportation to Moose Factory Island. The Indians frequently take these canoes out into the open bay (St. James and Hudson) so we were told there was no need to worry about their abiity to get us safely to Moose Factory, in fact, the Indian Boat Driver had probably cut his teeth on a canoe paddle.
Page 10
At the waterfront we met a very nice couple and their son from Norfolk Virginia. We were asked to join them for the trip over to the Island. Had a nice short visit while doing so. He is a Methodist Minister ad had exchanged pulpits with the pastor of the Methodist Church in Kapuskaming, Ontario for the month of August."
This picture I found from the Toronto Public library taken in 1969
This picture is of our family (with our cousins from Florida) a few years prior to 1969
Our arrival (after lunch on the train) at Moosonee about 1:15 P.M. was truly an exciting time. The station platform was packed with the residents of the settlement. Some waiting for friends or freight. Most of them just out to greet us. A huge sign on the station wall read "Welcome to Moosonee" and another which pleased J.W. very much was "Welcome to Moosonee Boy Scouts Of Canada". They were arriving by the hundred from all over Canada for their annual jamboree.
Our brochures told us "Moosonee is a frontier town. People swarming over the station platform to greet the train." It was also little wide-eyed children waiting and posing for us to take their pictures. To them the arrival of the train with its hundreds of visitors was a great occurrence. A plane ride of hundreds of miles meant nothing to them. The excursion train runs every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from the first of June through September 14th.
Moosonee is a weather station keeping meterologists posted, and it has a printing plant that turns out probably the only magazine printed in Cree syllabics. I bought a newspaper with some Cree syllabics. Very interesting Newpaper for a small place.
We visited the Hudson's Bay Trading Post.. not the original of course but the second one that was built. You can find everything there from soapstone carvings, Indian handicraft, bear traps, hides, furs on to fine bone china.
From the station down the main street to the waterfront is a distance of about half a mile we were told. By the time we had walked there, my swollen feet and ankles told me it was nearer five miles. But, manfully I struggled along, or rather it was more like a "Step-"n-Fetchit" shuffle.
At the waterfront there were literally dozens of giant canoes, motorized, manned by two Indians to each canoe, to provide transportation to Moose Factory Island. The Indians frequently take these canoes out into the open bay (St. James and Hudson) so we were told there was no need to worry about their abiity to get us safely to Moose Factory, in fact, the Indian Boat Driver had probably cut his teeth on a canoe paddle.
Page 10
At the waterfront we met a very nice couple and their son from Norfolk Virginia. We were asked to join them for the trip over to the Island. Had a nice short visit while doing so. He is a Methodist Minister ad had exchanged pulpits with the pastor of the Methodist Church in Kapuskaming, Ontario for the month of August."
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