- The Almonte Gazette
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
Thursday, March 4, 1943, p. 1
HELPED TO FOUND TOWN OF COBALT
Fred Presley Was Postmaster And Pioneer Store Keeper In Silver Centre
James Frederick Presley, who died on Friday, Feb. 26th, was widely known throughout the province as one of the early pioneers and founders of the town of Cobalt.
Born at Ashton, Ont., in 1870, son of the late William Presley and his wife, Catharine Whyte, settlers from Ireland, the deceased served as clerk and lumber scaler for Shepherd and Morris and Gillies Ltd., in many of their camps on the Upper Ottawa [River] and in Temiskaming County.
It was while acting for the Gillies Company, that Mr. Presley was on the ground floor within a few miles of the original discovery, at the moment the rich silver find was made.
He opened one of the first general stores of the mileage post on the T. & N.O. [Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway] that afterward became the town of Cobalt, and watched the wild stampede of a boom town grow about him. His general store was located on the square at Cobalt above the railway station. Mr. Presley was appointed Cobalt's first postmaster in 1904, a position he held until ill health forced his retirement in 1918. Then he left the north country and purchased a farm on the outskirts of Almonte, where he lived until two years ago, when he moved to town.
He was twice married. His first wife, Isabella M. Drummond of Ashton, predeceased him in 1924.
His second wife, the former Mary Ann McDonald of North Temiskaming, survives, in addition to three daughters and three sons, namely: (Muriel) Mrs. E. Thompson of Ottawa; (Winnifred) Mrs. R. Wallace of Alliston, Ont.; (Hazel) Mrs. J. A. Garrett of Brockville; Lorne of Brantford; Raeburn of Finch and Cecil at home. Of his own immediate family, one brother survives, William Presley of Toronto.
The funeral took place on Monday afternoon from the Comba Funeral Home, Church street, at 2.30 p.m., to the Auld Kirk Cemetery. Service was conducted by Rev. W. J. Scott of Bethany United Church. Pallbearers were Lester Jamieson, Ernest H. Robertson, Wm. Andrews, Stuart Whyte, Greig Presley and N. S. Lee.
Among the floral tributes were wreaths from the employees of the Brant Hotel, Brantford; P. A. Schultis, Brantford; and the staff of the Ontario Hospital, Brockville.
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1870 - 1943 (72 years)
