| In a letter to Lark, From Frank Byce February 7, 2001.
What I know: Isiah and Mary ( McLoud/McLeod ) Saylors loaded their family into a canoe in the late spring or early summer of 1898 ( ? ) and they travelled upriver (to the height of land I would guess) and by river to Missanabi. I remember fishing with my Dad and Uncles in Missanabi Lake. Anyways they arrived in Missanabi in early November. Isiah had been working with survey parties for the railway and also guiding some early exploration of the James Bay area for mining companies. He must have learned about the new railway ( CPR ) and Chapleau and decided to leave Moose Factory. Some time ago I also heard that there was very little work with the Hudson Bay company at this time but I'm not sure how accurate that is. There were seven children, Grandma Louisa ( b. 1882 ) was the second oldest at 16 years old. Henry was a year or so older...... then came Mariah ( married Cade ), Annabella (your Grandma Bella, Lark who married Allan Ritchie...)..Ammond, Clara, Charlie and Joseph. My Grandma talked about carrying Joseph who was the baby. They travelled in a freighter canoe, so Isiah and Henry must have carried the canoe over the portages. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like. He must have had some sort of map to follow or stories as I imagine that this was an established trading route to the south since the beginning of time for the Cree. But even at that, it was a remarkable venture for a man with a young family. Josephine was born after they they arrived in Missanabi/Chapleau because I remember Joesephine married Robert (Bob) Mercier who was Grandma Louisa's sister and she lived across the river from uncle John(John Bull Byce) and the Allan Ritchie's in Chapleau. I also seem to remember that on a trip from Sudbury to Chapleau on the train that Thomas Saylors, son of Henry Saylors asked the black conductor " how is it going midnight " to which the conductor replied " not too bad quarter to twelve ". Anyway I think that I heard that story when Mariah was visiting Grandma in Espanola and they really thought that was funny. I also remember a story that Grandma was 13 years old when she got her first pair of shoes. She called them her " em stig gu shoo shoes ". Another story I remember was when she told me that she remembered the big sailing ships from England in Moose Factory and that one time a sailor had done something to one of the girls from the village and that they had hung him from the mast on one of the ships. (source of most material from Uncle ( Reverend ) Gordon Byce and memory. Regards.
Additional Notes from Ian McCollough - February 7, 2001. The story I always heard was that when they got off the river Isiah left them by the tracks to go buy tickets and when the train started to pull in all the kids went and hid in the bush. There was another story about Louisa being given a banana? (orange?) on the train. She had never seen one before and didn't know what to do with it. Someone told her it was just like an apple and she bit into it, trying to eat peel and all. I don't have any suggestions to offer Frank. I had always heard that the church burned down and most records were lost. It would be great if your source came up with something. Please keep me informed, I really appreciate it. All the best,
Notes from Mabel McWatch, Via Jamie Taylor Henry Saylors married Agnus and had Harvey, Thomas, Nancy and William Jimmy McCauley discharged his gun by accident and shot Mabel McWatch's Uncle Willy Saylors in the knee and he lost his leg. The Swanson and Saylors bought a lot but it was on aberdeen street. Joseph (Joe) saylors was in fact married to Grace and their daughters
were named Irene and Gladys.
Jamie Taylor To: CCFN Frank Byce CC: Steven Taylor Hello Frank Byce, How are you? My name is Jamie Taylor and I am Mabel McWatchs grandson. She is doing well and lives downstairs with my mom ,Sandra, here in Kirkland Lake. I enjoyed your stories I read that Lark sent me. I also printed off a copy of the photo of my great grandmother Louisa. Mabel says you used to spend a lot of time sitting with her and listening to her stories about the old days. I remember a bit about Louisa too. I remember her room very well in Espanola. The strong smell of perfume and the big metal piston doorstops on the floor. I remember she tried to teach me to count in Cree, which I finally learned to do as an adult and how she used to call me her little weechee goo. (Devil). She had a great sense of humour and my the faces she could make for the camera. We still have some old movies with her and her husband in them. I transferred them to video a few years ago. Anyways I will give the photo of Louisa to mabel. I am sure it will be special for her. Take care and drop me a line sometime. I included a picture of myself and Nana and my mom Jamie Taylor
Notes From: Richard G. Byce rgbyce@ibm.net Dear Lark; Got your E.mail concerning the arrival of your great great grandfather Isaish Saylors in the Chapleau area. Louisa was my mother. Your father was my cousin and my friend as a boy. He was a few years older than I was. I have two memories that have to do with holdings that both your great grandfathers and your grandfather had. When Isaiah Saylors could no longer hack the life in the town of Chapleau he pursuaded the Dep't of Indian Affairs to let him clear some land and to build a home down the Chapleau River. I used to have a picture of him standing in his garden. The piece of land was on the left side of the river before you came to the confluence of the Chapleau River and the Kebeskwesheshing (the spelling may not be correct). It was well before you got to the opening of Mulligan's Bay and what we used to call the Big Lake. Your grandfather Allan Ritchie and his father Walter had summer homes on the same side of the River closer to town. You could walk to the Ritchie homesteads, it was a bit of a hike but not miles and miles.I don't know if they had purchased the land or if it was under the same arrangement that Isaiah had built his home. I understand that Chapleau has sprawled out past the Old Forestry Branch and out in the direction of your granfather and great granfathers' holdings. A Tom Godfrey was the Indian agent in Chapleau at the time. This may be old hat to you but I thought it might be something that had been lost just because there wasn't a lot of interest in personal histories. Your grandmother Bella was my aunt. Your father and I had many happy times at the Ritchie summer home..... An older cousin...Gordon Byce My sister Mabel is a better source of information than I am. She was married to Sandy McWathch.
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