James Trout And His Patented Farm Gate

In my previous post I told of Henry Trout’s patented rack railway system, the first known patent in our Trout family.  The second oldest patent in our family belongs to James Trout (1839-1906) of Meaford, son of Elder William Trout and brother to William H. Trout, author of Trout Family History (1916).

The Trout brothers in 1869.  James is seated on the left.

In his book, William describes his brother James as, “. . . the farmer boy that stayed home.  The only one that farmed with any real farming purpose; and even that did not last very long.”  And apparently James’ specialty was raising pigs.  William continues, “he always carried off first prizes at the township shows, and sold his pigs at fancy prices.”  It is therefore no surprise that James’ first and only invention would relate to his farming expertise--a type of farm gate.

James Trout patented his “Roller and Suspension Gate” in 1869, the same year Canada passed the Patent Act—the first federal legislation governing patent law.  Prior to 1869 patents were governed by the provinces.  It is for this reason James’ patent holds the distinction of holding patent number 50.  

The full patent documents may be found HERE.  The hand-written script is difficult to read and my attempt to transcribe it can be found below.  The gate itself seems pretty straightforward.  The design allows the gate to open both horizontally and vertically, and a series of pins permit the gate to be locked into any size opening.  And though the patent does not mention its purpose one can imagine this style of gate would be useful for separating animals by size especially during weaning.  

The James and Mary Trout house was built in 1875, and was home to frequent family and community gatherings.  It burned down in the late 1990s or early 2000s and today a new home sits in its place.

Just a few weeks after James registered his patent, he married Mary Amanda Williams (1847-1922).  He continued farming for only three or four more years, then sold his farm and moved into the town of Meaford.  He and his brother-in-law Charles Hugh Jay went into business together, lending money and providing insurance to area farmers and townspeople.  The legacy of the Trouts and Jays lives on through their many descendants, many of whom still live in the Meaford area. 

Patent Transcription

Ottawa  20th August 1869

Certified that this is the drawing referred to in the Specification hereto annexed.   

James Trout

Witnesses 

Nicholas Sparks 

Robert Hick Jr.

To All whom it may concern be it known that I James Trout of the township of St. Vincent in the County of Grey in the Province of Ontario, Yeoman, have invented a new and improved upon useful Farm Gate, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear and exact description of the construction and and operation of the same—reference being had to the annexed drawing.

The gate is represented in that part of the drawing between the left and center posts and is constructed of [hinge] horizontal bars. The top and bottom bars being __ by the length of the enclosure of gate.  The centre and main bar being of each a length as to extend to the right hand post to put a distance of at least the width of the length of the gate which main bar has flanges in the upper and lower sides of it to pass through rollers “A” “A” which rollers have grooves in them [corresponding] with the flange (deeply shaded) of the main bar. On the hinge Bars of the Gate upright slats are nailed, which form the enclosure  (such a number of slats as may be required) But the Gate can be made of Horizontal Bars instead of slats. The Rollers “A” “A” [turn] on Bolts which pass through and are attached to sliding pieces “B” “B” which can be raised perpendicular to any height required and ___ ___ the ___ to the same height.  The sliding pieces work in grooves (deeply shaded) inserted in the center and reverse posts.  The sliding pieces can be kept at any height required by means of pins passing under or through the sliding piece in the groove through the center post and over the sliding piece (in the groove) through the right-hand reverse post.  In the center and reverse posts in the grooves are holes in which the pins are put.  A pin is put in the flange of the main Bar to the right of the center post which acts as a stop to the gate upon its opening. [Coming] to the Rollers “A” in the reverse post,  the gate is fastened by a catch latch to the

left post.  On the ends of the Horizontal Bars are tenons to rest in Mortices in the left post or if the post be grooved to rest on pins passing through the posts [above] horizontally.  The Groove.  The Groove is intended for the raising and lowering the gate.  The Gate can be made on the same principle to work from left to right—or any halves working from both sides to ___ ___.  And the principle upon which it is built can be applied as well to do on barns, stables, or other out buildings 

What I claim ___  my invention is ______.

1st the main horizontal bar with the flanges [working] in the rollers “A” “A” which can be [attached] horizontally to the centre, above or below the centre of the Gate and the complete manner of balance and support and ease of working of the Gate.

2nd The Rollers “A” “A” and their effect in [reclaiming?] the main bar and gate in their proper position. 

3rd The sliding pieces “B” “B” and their effect of raising the gate to any height required.  And the manner in which the whole principle can be applied to do on for barns, stables or other out buildings, as well as to gates for gates or doors working ______ from left to right—from right to left - as in halves from both sides to the centre. 

City of Ottawa in the County of [Carleton]

the twentieth day of August in the 

Year of Our Lord One thousand

Eight Hundred and Sixty nine -

Signed in the presence of 

Nicholas Sparks 

Robert Hick Jr.

Sources:

Trout, William H. Trout Family History. Meyer-Rotier Print. Co., 1916.

Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

Oldest Trout Family Patent Discovered

Our Trout family tree is brimming with inventors and engineers.  This ingenuity can be traced back to the Trout family’s difficult pioneer life near the village of Erin, Ontario.  

Our immigrant ancestor Henry Trout (1770-1852) was one of the first settlers in Erin.  In true pioneer form they had to provide everything for themselves.  Henry and his oldest sons built the town’s first sawmill, the first trading post, and the first potash factory.  They cleared land so they could grow their own food and erected a home. They built spinning wheels and looms and made their own clothes.  Henry even learned to make shoes for the family.  These skill sets, first honed in the Canadian wilderness, would leave a legacy lasting generations.

The earliest patent attributed to a Trout family member that I have located was authored by Henry Trout’s 4th child, Henry Trout (1805-1853) of Hamilton, Ontario.  Like his brothers Henry Jr. was a skilled millwright.  His brother William Trout of Meaford “regarded [his] natural mechanical abilities as superior to his own.”   

Henry’s watermill experience proved useful in similar construction work.  He dredged rivers and built timber slides, notably along the Trent-Severn Waterway.  Later he worked for the Grand Trunk Railway as a superintendent of bridge construction.  It was likely during this time he conceived his idea for a type of rack railway, and received the first known patent in our Trout family.  Henry’s first and only patent was awarded in 1850, just three years before his untimely death from a falling tree branch.  Henry’s sons, Henry G. Trout (1829-1911) and William B. Trout (1850-1926) would both inherit their father’s ingenuity and lead successful careers in the shipbuilding industry.  I will tell their story in a future blog post.

Sources:

Trout, William H. Trout Family History. Meyer-Rotier Print. Co., 1916.

Angus, J. A Respectable Ditch: a History of the Trent-Severn Waterway 1833-1920. McGill-Queen's University Press, 1998.

Patents of Canada: 1849-1855.  Lovell & Gibson, 1865.

Allis-Chalmers Sawmill Visit

In May 2019 Kristen and I with our children visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  While there I took an opportunity to go see an antique sawmill that is linked to our Trout family history.

The sawmill is displayed in the parking lot of the Ganahl Lumber Company located at 1220 East Ball Road in Anaheim.  The plaque at the base of the structure is titled “The Big Saw” and reads:

“This nine foot band saw is among the largest log saws ever used in the sawmill industry.  It weighs over 38,000 pounds and has a blade that stretches over fifty-six feet in length.  This saw was used to cut Douglas Fir logs up to ten feet in diameter and fifty-six feet in length.  The lumber from just one of these giant logs would be enough to build two houses of about 1500 square feet each.
The machine was manufactured by the Allis-Chalmers Company in 1910 and put into service by the Jones Lumber Company located on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.  For fifty-two years, it was used to cut Douglas Fir lumber that was loaded on seagoing barges and shipped into the growing California market.  The iron giant was finally retired in 1962 when the mill was dismantled and sold at auction.  Despite the age of the machine, it is in sound working condition.  With a little grease, it could go back to work anytime.  But our intention is to keep it on display here as a monument to the pioneers of the lumber industry.”

How is this sawmill linked to the Trout family?  

William Henry Trout (1834-1917) worked as a draftsman and pattern-maker for the Edward P. Allis Company and later Allis-Chalmers from about 1885 until his death in 1917.  He is credited with 34 patents while working for these companies, according to Trout Family History.  I have positively identified 24 of these, all of which are related to the lumber industry, sawmills in particular.  So at the very least we can say the Ganahl display is similar to the designs patented by William during his stint at Allis-Chalmers as chief draftsman.  But upon closer inspection the mill may be the sawmill design William describes on page 227 of Trout Family History: 

“In 1897, Mr. E. E. Fitzgerald, traveller for the Allis Company, met a Minneapolis mill superintendent, who wanted to have his mill with teeth on both edges of the band saw, so as to saw off boards on both the forward and backward movements of the carriage . . . and a contract was made accordingly . . . On the first day of trial it sawed twenty-two boards ten inches wide by sixteen feet long in one minute, and it made such a sensation among the lumbermen that many unsolicited inquiries came in regarding it . . . The new, double-cutting band mill proved to be a great commercial success.”

Note the teeth on both sides of the cutting blade.

William goes on to describe in detail the process by which this design was patented.  And though I don’t have the expertise to positively identify the actual patent, it appears to be the patent shown below, which was filed just a few months before his death in 1917 and was posthumously awarded in 1921.  You can view the full patent HERE.

It should be noted there are some inconsistencies with William’s own recollections compared to the actual patent records, notably the dates.  The Ganahl display states it was manufactured in 1910, while the double-cutting mill patent referenced here was filed in 1917.  It’s possible I simply have not found the correct patent.  It’s also possible that Allis-Chalmers began manufacturing and selling this design before it was actually patented.  And though we have no reason to question the 1910 date found on the plaque, I have not been able to verify it either.

Further investigation is required.  

Trailer for upcoming "John Muir at Trout Hollow" Documentary

Here is the teaser trailer for the soon-to-be-released documentary, "John Muir at Trout Hollow" by filmmaker Amy Phelan.  The young woman "Hattie" speaking with John is Harriet Trout (Stirling), daughter of Elder William Trout of Meaford and sister to William H. Trout, author of Trout Family History (1916). 



I do not have a release date yet for the full documentary.  I will post updates here on how to watch the movie when it is available.  Looking forward to seeing this!

Photo Identified, Trout mill site located

          About three years ago cousin Tami Renner, with support from her family, undertook an enormous task of digitizing hundreds (thousands?) of family photos and documents and making them available online.  Many of them date to the 1800s and early decades of the twentieth century.  All are a treasure to the family and we are grateful that they have been preserved.  Thank you, Renner cousins!  The collection can be found here:

          https://rennersteindorf.shutterfly.com/

          Many of the older photos were taken and collected by Tami’s great-grandmother, Jennie Trout Steindorf (1875-1956), daughter of William H. Trout who authored Trout Family History (1916).  As with any collection of historic photos, several are unidentified.  One such unidentified photo has been sitting on my desktop for two years.  It was labeled “Trout mill location.  Possibly Meaford, ONT”

Photo likely taken by Jennie Trout Steindorf c. 1928.

          In an attempt to identify the photo, I forwarded it to several libraries, museums, and historical societies in the Meaford area to no avail.  Then I forwarded it to our friend Robert Burcher, who led our reunion hike to Trout Hollow.  After a few dead ends, Robert wrote to me:

“On a whim yesterday I went into the village of Walter's Falls (on the Bighead River) to see if that was the correct location. When I asked at the front desk of a Hotel that is built on the old mill site the owner just smiled and reached over to a shelf and brought forth this:"

Photo by Robert Burcher.

“Eureka!! Turns out she is somewhat of a historian and member of the Hallman Family, so she could give me the complete run down on the site. She passed this sheet on to me.”

Walter’s Falls was founded by John Walter over 163 years ago.  John Walter (1804-1867) and his wife Elizabeth Payne (1804-1882) are buried in the church yard of St. Philip’s Anglican Church.  This beautiful stone church, built in 1880, is located beside the Inn and is open to the public year round.  Settling around the river, John harnessed the water power to develop a sawmill, feed mill, and woolen mill.  The sawmill was operated by the Olmstead brothers until it was sold to Willard Hallman in the early 1940’s.  The sawmill increased its power capacity and expanded in the 50’s, but outgrew the power and changed to the hydro grid in the early 80’s.  Willard’s son John continued to operate the sawmill until it burned in 1984.

          On page 93 of Trout Family History, we find mention of this mill and confirmation of its association to the Trout family of Meaford:

“And in the early summer of 1852 we built Walter's grist mill.  This was thirteen miles from the lake, and three miles beyond the nearest settler.”

          It’s not much, but we have a date, a name, and a general location, more than enough to confirm the site.  The year 1852 fits the mill history description of “over 163 years ago.”  “Walter’s grist mill” is of course a match.  And “thirteen miles from the lake” fits as well, with Google Maps showing a distance of about 11 miles as the crow flies to Meaford, which sits on the shores of Georgian Bay (Lake Huron).  

          Today the mill site is home to The Falls Inn & Spa, which according to the owners, “stands in tribute to those who laboured and operated in the village.”  We can now safely say that our Trout ancestors are included in this tribute.  

Bullrushes growing within mill's original foundation.  Photo by Robert Burcher.

Section of the original vertical mill shaft.  Photo by Robert Burcher.

The mill was located to the left of the viewing platform.  Photo by Robert Burcher.

A second dam and mill sits upstream.  The metal pipe fed water to the main mill.  Photo by Robert Burcher.

Trout Family Reunion 2018

Family Reunion at Trout Hollow


     Forty-five descendants of Henry George Trout (1770-1852) attended a family reunion in Meaford, Ontario, the weekend of August 11, 2018.  The reunion was centered around a Saturday hike of Trout Hollow Trail, a segment of the popular Bruce Trail which leads to the site of the Trout family cabin and sawmill where naturalist John Muir lived and worked in the mid-1860s.  On Sunday twenty-five family members met in the nearby town of Erin to visit the Charles Street dam, originally built by Henry Trout and his oldest sons in 1826.  The occasion was a huge success given that the last family-wide reunion was held in 1966 and that most of us were meeting each other for the first time.


     The idea for a reunion was first hatched in September 2017 when I attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recent improvements to Trout Hollow Trail.  There I met Kent Hudson of Feversham, Ontario, and his cousin Carol Weber.  Kent and I had traded emails for several years about our common ancestry, but this was our first meeting.  The ceremony was held at Riverside Hall, a converted schoolhouse that is today a community center.  Our hike that day was led by Robert Burcher, a local historian, researcher, and writer, who was one of several members of The Canadian Friends of John Muir who discovered the Trout mill site in the late 1990s, and who helped excavate and document the findings.  Robert has a passion for John Muir and is a gifted storyteller.  I had visited the site once before in 2013, but this day was especially pleasant and informative with Robert as our guide.  Afterwards Kent and I discussed how this would make a great family reunion and the planning began immediately. 

     I have been studying my family history for about 15 years and in the process, have had the good fortune of making contact with many cousins from many different branches of the family tree.  I began contacting them immediately.  I crafted a simple email, introducing myself and offering a bit of family history and attached an invitation to the reunion with a request to forward to other family members.  Through a succession of follow-up emails, posts to social media, and advertisements with groups such as the Ontario Genealogical Society we eventually received affirmative RSVPs from more than 40 family members, far exceeding my expectations.

History

     Henry George Trout was born in Westminster, England, and was baptized 1 July 1770 in Saint Martin-in-the-Fields Church.  He was the son of George Trout (1747-1821), a distiller and Doorkeeper for the House of Commons.  Their account and history can be found in Trout Family History (1916) by William H. Trout, and The Trouts from London: William Trout Branch (1988) by Peter M. Rinaldo. 

     In 1790 at the age of 20, Henry joined the English army as a private in the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot.  Two years later Henry transferred to the Queen’s Rangers under the command of John Graves Simcoe, and May 1792 arrived at the port of Québec, Canada.  Henry served for ten years, and as this was a time of relative peace, his unit was tasked primarily with developing Upper Canada by clearing land and building roads.  

     When his unit was disbanded in 1802 Henry returned to civilian life, settling in Bertie Township which is today part of Fort Erie, Ontario.  There he operated a hotel, a ferry across the Niagara River to Black Rock, a stagecoach service, and a farm.  With his wife Rachel (née Emerson), he began raising a family of ten children.  But when the War of 1812 broke out, he was called back into military service as an adjutant with the rank of Lieutenant.  The war completely destroyed Henry’s property and livelihood, and successfully petitioning The Crown for war relief, he received land grants in Erin, Ontario, where he resettled his family in 1821.

     The Henry Trout family were among the first settlers in Erin.  Pioneer life was difficult and a considerable change from their previous life near Fort Erie.  Henry and his oldest sons dammed the Credit River and built the first sawmill in Erin.  The mill provided lumber for a comfortable home on their farm, as well as a store that traded potash for use in soap-making and fertilizer.  Though the mill and store were sold after only a few years, the Trouts would continue working as millwrights and builders for several generations following.  Henry lived the rest of his days in Erin and died in 1852.  His daughter Charlotte Trout McKee (1812-1877) inherited the family farm and lived the rest of her life there, but the rest of the children eventually moved on, mostly settling in other areas of Ontario.

     Henry’s second-oldest child William Trout (1801-1877) married and began raising a family in Erin, working as a millwright and builder.  But in his early thirties, he settled his family elsewhere following work.  His family made their home in several communities in the region including Norval and Hurontario (which is today Collingwood), but by 1847 they had settled in Meaford where they would live the rest of their lives.  William is often referred to as “Elder” William Trout, as he was one of the founders of the early Disciples of Christ church in Meaford, helping to build the first meeting house and leading worship there.  Many members of the Meaford community, including his own children, were baptized and married by Elder William.

     William built and operated a sawmill on the Bighead River a few miles from his home.  A small cabin was also constructed near the mill to provide shelter for the long days and nights spent working there.  Making ends meet was difficult for the Trouts, and in 1857 the mill was modified to make broom, rake, and tool handles.  In this endeavor they had limited but moderate success, as most farm work at the time was performed by hand and tools were in high demand.  

     In about 1863 the Trouts hired a young man named Daniel Muir who had come to Meaford from Wisconsin following his passion for nature and botany.  Daniel worked at the Trout mill for several weeks, then left to meet his brother John who had also crossed into Canada “botanizing”.  But as winter approached and with the American Civil War in full swing, rather than going home the brothers returned to Meaford and found work at the Trout mill.  After the war Daniel returned home, but John continued working at the mill, living in the small cabin there.  Though John had no prior mill experience, he had an engineer’s mind and made many improvements to the mill and substantially increasing its efficiency and output. 

     Tragically in February 1866 the mill and cabin caught fire and burned to the ground.  Lost were many of John’s possessions, including drawings and botanical specimens, but also the whole winter’s production of tool handles.  It was a terrible financial loss for the Trouts but they eventually recovered.  

     John Muir was forced to move on, and would later become a leader in environmentalism.  He was instrumental in the founding of the U.S. National Park system and was co-founder and the first president of the Sierra Club.  But he would maintain his friendship with the Trouts for life.  Several letters of correspondence between Muir and the Trouts can be found in the Meaford Museum.  A sketch of the cabin at “Trout Hollow”, drawn by Muir himself also survives, a copy of which can be found in the aforementioned Trout Family History, written by his friend, and my 2nd great-grandfather William H. Trout.  

Reunion Events

     The reunion officially began at 10am Saturday, August 11, at Riverside Community Center in Meaford.  Several family members brought and displayed their family pictures and artifacts.  In fact it might be fair to say that never before had so much Trout family memorabilia been convened under one roof.  Kent Hudson had one of the original land grants to Henry Trout signed by King William IV in 1832, as well as Henry’s lieutenant uniform epaulette.  Margaret Williams brought a large collection of photos and documents, including a large hand-drawn family tree from the 1966 Trout reunion, which she also attended as a young girl.  Cousins Daphne Howe and Tara Renner shared their large collections of photos and letters, and my sister Barbara Corbett gave out booklets detailing the history of the Ellen Trout Zoo located in our hometown of Lufkin, Texas.  If I have any regrets from the weekend it was not having enough time to see and study and copy everything that was shared that day.  For a day at least, the little Riverside Community Center was transformed into a Trout Family museum.

     We began our hike about 10:45 that morning, traveling north along the 7th Line then east along Side Road 12/13 before entering the forest and hiking along the river bank.  We paused several times to take in the beautiful scenery and for our guide Robert Burcher to describe the local flora and fauna from an historical perspective.  

     When we arrived at our destination we were greeted by the recently-installed  plaques marking the mill and cabin site and outlining their discovery and historical significance.  Though nothing remains today of the original structures, the millrace and pond are still visible.  Robert was able to further give us a sense of the layout using volunteers holding ribbon to mark building outlines.  He told of how the site was located and verified using a combination of old maps and descriptions found in Trout Family History and elsewhere.  Robert described the artifacts found in the archaeological dig, which are now housed in the Meaford museum.  He brought with him, on loan from the museum, a fragment of fine china that he found by good fortune when the site was first discovered, helping to confirm its location.  We wrapped up the storytelling by taking several group photos, and began the return trek to the community center for lunch and fellowship.  

     Following the reunion several family members paid a visit to the Meaford Museum, and were hosted by Margaret Williams who volunteers there.  We were greeted by several recent additions to the John Muir exhibit including artifacts from the Trout mill, photographs, as well as a small collection of rakes and tool handles that date to Muir’s time in Meaford and which may have actually been manufactured at the Trout mill.  We concluded our reunion the next day in the town of Erin with a visit to the Charles Street dam.  

     Peter Rinaldo in his account of past Trout reunions muses:  “In recent years, many of the branches of the family, such as the Texas Trouts and the Renners, have had their own reunions.  This, rather than a reunion of all the Trouts, probably will be the pattern in the future.”  Though it takes at least two data points to make a pattern, on this I am hopeful we can prove our cousin Peter wrong.  Our 2018 Trout Family Reunion was a certainly a successful beginning.

Saturday before the hike of Trout Hollow

Sunday at the Charles Street Bridge in Erin