Remember the days when you had to take the car ferry to get  to the mainland? “If there is one virtue Prince Edward Islanders must possess to a high degree it is patience. When one considers the frustrating experience of trying to travel to and from this province, it becomes clearly evident that only a people long inured to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune could put up with it.” Journal-Pioneer, 11 April 1960.

“The Alberton District Regional High School hockey team was honored at a turkey dinner at Bud’s Restaurant Thursday evening, 27 April 1961, in recognition of their winning the West Prince regional high school hockey title.” The Guardian, 22 April 1961, Frank Weeks, Reporter.

“The West Prince high school hockey title was won by Alberton Regional High School in the finals with O’Leary and Tignish.  Edged out in the Island semi-finals by Kensington, they triumphed over O’Leary and Tignish regional schools to capture the western area crown. Members of the team are Bob Profit, Leonard McCue, Archie Dunbar (goalie), Alan Nicholson, Peter Larter, Wendall Cahill, Allison Bowness, Robert Fraser, Blair Wilkie, Ernest Rix, Pat Rochford and Russell Williams.”

Captain Gross was a survivor of the Yankee Gale of October 1851 and claims to have played the new church organ at SS Simon and Jude Roman Catholic church, for the first time not long after, on the invitation of Father  MacIntyre (later bishop). In his later life the Captain reminisced about the event and  provided details of the first organ recital in the church, in which $6,000 was raised by the congregation. This is the story of Capt. Gross’ experience of playing the organ at Tignish....Summerside Journal, 30 October 1890.

Lobster fishermen in Alberton and Tignish set their traps on 30 May 1961, possibly the latest date ever recorded for the spring season in West Prince. Weeks of unfavourable weather, high north easterly winds and heavy ice have plagued the fishermen and most had almost given up hope of ever setting their traps in the water as they cannot even go out of their harbours to set herring nets to catch bait.” The Guardian, 29 May 1961, Frank Weeks, Reporter.

The Giant’s Chair is back on its lofty perch overlooking Northumberland Strait at Howard’s Cove, near Cape Wolfe, and everyone is that area is happy about it, presumably.” Arthur Pratt, Journal-Pioneer, 4 July 1960.

“Certainly happy is Minard Thatcher, the superintendent of construction of the new fishing harbour at Howard’s Cove, whose job it was to reclaim the huge hunk of rock from its grave at the bottom of the harbour and figure out a way to get it back on the cliff-top.”

“The SS Titanic, out of South Hampton, England, on her maiden voyage to New York, stuck an iceberg off the Banks of Newfoundland twenty minutes after 2:00 am, Monday, 15 April 1912.

Passengers and crew on board were 2228, more than 1500 perished in the frigid Atlantic water. This is the story of one of the survivors, Mrs Lucien Smith, a bride of just a few weeks, now a widow.” Summerside, The Pioneer, 20 April 1912.

The manufacture of underwear for the average man and boy, commonly referred to as ‘long johns,’ had its beginning at Tryon, Prince Edward Island in the 1870s. Before cotton and synthetic fibers were readily available, underwear was manufactured from wool. The Stanfield family opened the Tryon Woolen Mills and developed the first successful method of manufacturing ‘unshrinkable’ underwear. A century ago every man and boy had at least one ‘set’ of Stanfield’s underwear which after 1882 was manufactured at Truro, N. S. The Stanfield name continues to be a household name for underwear to the present day. This is the Stanfield story...The Guardian, 8 March 1906.

"Hope was slim in Alberton until the thrilling rescue 30 April 1959, snatched four Alberton South fishermen from their boat caught on a treacherous bar outside Alberton Harbour. With their water filled boat pounding on the perilous north bar, all hope had been abandoned when the rescue party reached the men shortly before10 o’clock Thursday night.” The Guardian, 2 May 1959, Frank Weeks, Reporter.

“The lobster boat ‘Bryan’ with a crew of three, Ken Hutt, Don Fraser and his fourteen old son, Glen Fraser, and the skipper-owner Bill Hutt, were returning to harbour at dusk from a day of setting lobster traps for the spring season when an engine failure forced them to anchor outside the bar about a mile form Alberton wharf.”

"Tony the Convict,’ a gripping and entertaining Irish drama, was presented by an all-star cast to a capacity audience in St Mary’s Hall, Tignish on Thursday, 31st March, under the auspices of the Catholic Women’s League...” The Pioneer, 9 April 1927.

“In the leading roles, W A Gaudet, making his initial appearance on the amateur stage, displayed exceptional talent and versatility in his interpretation of the difficult role of ‘Tony.’ J M Ahearn, an old favourite, departing from his customary role of comedian, proved equally dependable and effective in his personification of that bold, bad man, James Barclay. E J McTague, marking a successful re-appearance after some years absence from the footlights, portrayed in Judge Van Cruger, the personality, dignity and force of character that might reasonably be expected in a distinguished jurist.”

How do you think our pioneer forefathers got along before the days of matches? The Guardian, F H MacArthur, 2 February 1950.

“Keeping the home fires burning was a ‘sixty-four’ dollar question and at bedtime some member of the family, usually the father, chose a partly burned stick and drawing the rest of the hot coals aside covered it carefully with the ashes. The partly burned stick was usually hemlock or pine as this kind of wood held the fire longer.”

“First thing in the morning the first riser hurried to the fireplace and carefully raked the ashes from the firebrand. The dying ember was then fanned into life and bits of paper and dry bark added to get a roaring flame underway.”