sutton083

In the first part , we looked at the pioneers plane makers who started the tradition in Roxton Pond. Early in the 20th century, a fire and an unexpected auction outcome with a visionary clergyman possessing knowledge of tool making will combine into the creation of the...Stanley Tool Canada factory. WILLIAMS S BULLOCK William Stephen Bullock was born in Aug 1865 in Roxton Pond, son of William Henry Bullock, farmer, who was of Loyalist ancestry and Hanna Chartier (father Anglophone, mother Francophone). He was the eldest child of 5 other siblings. His Loyalist ancestor first established themselves in the township of Stanstead before moving to Abbotsford Qc around 1800. But his grandfather, who lost a leg in a accident and was affected badly from asthma, happened to go to Roxton Pond on business and discovered that the ambient air was better for his asthma. He sold his farm and moved the family to Roxton Pond. He would passed away 10 years later but his son (father of Stephen) would stay...

There was of course Planes and tool makers established in the big urban centers, Montreal (Dawson, Wallace) and Quebec city (VA Emond) but in late19th century, part of Canada's hand tools production was centered in a rural area around the little town of Roxton Pond, Qc in the Monteregie region. Plaque celebrating more than a 100 years of plane making in Roxton Pond erected in 1974 pic from Jacques Heroux Even during the zenith of Stanley Canada operations in Roxton Pond, the town was and remains a small municipality in southern Quebec, not far from the US border. And since we had no wall in place (gentle Canadian political humour :-), Stanley came to town in 1907, with railroad cars loads, but we are getting ahead of ourselves... In the beginning... The area is known as the Eastern Townships (Cantons de l'est) it was first settled in the late 1700s early 1800s by Loyalist, including many Americans who fled after the independence of the States from England. Starting mostly in mi...