What happened in Westport during the last century on this day? Nell McCann’s diary to the rescue!

100 years ago today, Nell made the following journal entry:

“Drowned in the Rideau while out fishing Capt. Bert Adams on Sat July 8th 1916 age 43 buried under the I.O.O.F. funeral private”

Bert Adams can be found in this old photo of the Westport baseball team from the early 1900’s. (Names were identified many years ago in the Westport Mirror) Front (l to r): Ambrose Lockwood, Arden Dier, Bert Adams, Jim Forrester, Herb Brennan. Second Row: George Coborne (Coburn), ?, ?, Fred Forrester, ?, Back Row: Roy Derbyshire, Mike Bennett.

103 years ago today:

“Lawn Social held in aid of Ladies Institute July 8/13. A great Success. [Senatir] Derbyshire & Hon. [Dormaveu] Speakers $110.00”

Westport was full of social and humanitarian groups who did everything from raise money for local causes to sewing groups that assisted the needy in times of strife. One of those groups was the St. Ed’s Sewing Group, shown here in the early 1900’s. Back row: Maggie (Kane) Murphy; Rosemary (Murphy) Howell; Julia (O’Grady) Kane. Front Row: Sadie (McCann) Grant; Mrs. Willie (Grant) Egan; Mayme (Mooney) Donnelly. Photo and identification from the pages of The Review-Mirror, Westport.

96 years ago today:

“Died in Ottowa after 4 Months Illness of Ulcers of Stomach – Miss Myrtle Whitmarsh July 8 Buried in Westport”

E. O. Whitmarsh, cattle dealer, was the father of Myrtle Whitmarsh. Myrtle died at the age of 24 in Ottawa. Cause of death on Myrtle’s death certificate was “Gastric Ulcer”.