Historical Westfield

(Here's another column from the summer of 1992. It's about a summer project collecting the history of Westfield back in the days when there was a separate Village called Westfield. I don't know if Susanne ever got that book together. I do know that history is being made this weekend in Grand Bay-Westfield with the opening of the new River Centre at Brundage Point. Hope you plan to take in the activities.)


Susanne Sutton, like other university students, is doing some traveling this summer. But her traveling is taking her back in time. She's riding on the memories of others, back to the early days of her community. Susanne is the official historical researcher for the Village of Westfield. This is the first time the village has ever hired anyone to research it's rich heritage. And it's turned out to be a great summer job for Susanne.

"It's a very humbling experience because I've been living here for 20 years and I thought I knew quite a bit about the village but I don't know anything." says Susanne. "What I know is a drop in the bucket.

It's that desire to know more and that natural curiosity that makes her perfect for this job. Susanne has always been interested in history and heritage. In high school she wrote a short history of the village as part of an exchange program. This summer she's building on that early interest with her job as historical researcher. Susanne is busy meeting residents and recording their personal stories and memories on audio tape. She's also collecting old photographs and
other objects of historical significance. Right now all her time is consumed by just gathering this material. She'd like to compile it into a written report or book but doesn't think she'll have the time this summer.

"I feel like it's my baby now." Susanne says with a smile, hoping that a way will be found for her to finish what she started this summer.

Susanne knows about the official, recorded history of the village. Indians inhabited the area first followed by French traders and then the Loyalists arrived. The very first Loyalist settler was Henry Nase of New York. Others soon followed like John Coffin who was a General in the British army and a member of the Legislative Assembly. The Parish of Westfield was established in 1786.

But it's the personal history that Susanne enjoys the most. There are few written records so Susanne depends on the stories and memories of residents, passed on by word of mouth. By far the biggest story in the villages past is the great fire of 1921. Everything in Westfield is dated pre or post fire. It covered a huge area from Ononette to way up the Nerepis. A few people have their own memories of the fire but many others know of it only through their own family stories. Some people even have mementos, like the woman who cherishes a side board that was saved from the flames by being thrown in a marsh.

Susanne has also collected a lot of information about the Maple Inn. This place has special memories for many people in Westfield. It was an old fashioned Inn overlooking the Nerepis. Isabel Norman owned and operated it and she had guests who stayed every summer as well as
boarders. The Maple Inn closed in the late 1950's. In her research, Susanne has come to know the people involved. She has many old photographs of the place and the people. History has come alive for her.

Some of the best stories Susanne hears she can't use. "People say if you turn off the tape recorder I'll tell you a real good one." Susanne says laughing. "I love those stories but I'm not including them because people have asked me not to."

This summer job has taken over Susanne Sutton's life. She lives here so she's immersed in it all the time. Susanne looks at her village differently now. She sees old buildings and knows something about their past. She can see things that others can't because she's aware of what used to be. "The more you find out," she concludes, "The more you realize there is to find out."

The Bird House Lady of Westfield

(This weeks Retro-Rambler column was first published in the River Valley News on June 25/1992. That was 15 years ago. I don't know if Jocelyn still makes her bird houses or not.)

Jocelyn Steeves is sitting on the front porch of her Westfield home enjoying the morning sun. From here she can see all the way up the Long Reach. In between sips of orange juice, Jocelyn is making entries in her bird diary. She keeps records of bird sightings for the naturalist club. It's quiet this morning, except for the occasional car passing by and the birds. They're everywhere. Blue jays, rose breasted grosbeaks, sparrows, all taking turns at the feeder and all chirping loudly.

Jocelyn is known as "The Bird House Lady of Westfield". She has sixteen purple martin and tree swallow houses scattered around her property as well as numerous feeders. When Jocelyn moved to Westfield eleven years ago there were no birds around here. That changed when she started building the houses and feeders. It's a hobby she's had since she was a kid. Jocelyn makes them all from scratch in her shop above the garage. She sells them at craft sales and from her home and people are buying. Her biggest bird house is an apartment block for purple martins. It weights about fifty pounds and has up to sixteen separate compartments for the birds to live in.

"A lot of people are surprised that a woman is making these bird houses," Jocelyn says, "They expect to see an older, retired gentleman doing the hobby." Many of her customers come back year after year to pick up something new and to ask questions. Lately she's even had requests for bat houses. "Maybe that's the next thing I'll get into," she says with a laugh.

As a bird watcher and naturalist, Jocelyn is troubled by two things. There are no purple martins this summer. She lost them all during a cold, rainy spring two years ago and they haven't returned. Last summer she heard three of them but there hasn't been a peep from the purple martins so far this year. Her houses have been home to generations of the birds. Now they sit empty and silent. She doesn't know where the purple martins have gone and she misses them. Jocelyne's other problem is her cat. One of her four felines likes catching birds. She's attaching a bell around the cats neck to warn the birds but if that doesn't work she'll have to tie the cat up. It ust won't due for a bird lover like Jocelyn to have a cat that loves birds too. But for completely different reasons.

On the brighter side, Jocelyn is pleased to see more birds then normal at her feeders. Usually by now the numbers are down but not this summer. And nine pairs of tree swallows have made Jocelyn's yard their home. They've moved into her bird houses to live and to raise their young. And for Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, that's what it's all about.