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Photograph: Alexander "Sandy" McRae, pioneer settler of Toney River and Watervale

Photograph of Alexander McRae from Dingwall, Ross Shire, Scotland who emigrated to Nova Scotia before 1818 and settled at West River in an area that later became named Watervale. The McRae family moved to Toney River circa 1855.

image West River Toney River

Poem: The Toney in October by John McRae

The poem, The Toney in October, was written by John McRae in a year unknown. It was transcribed by his nephew, Alexander Hugh McQuarrie, the son of Allan and Catherine (McRae) McQuarrie, in 1959.

image Toney River John McRae

Song: To the Pioneer Settlers of West River, and Letter to the Editor of the Eastern Chronicle, published July 10, 1879

Letter to the Editor of the Eastern Chronicle from John McRae of "Sunny Summit," Toney River, Pictou County with a corrected and original poem (actually, a song), To the Pioneer Settlers of West River, written by his father, Alexander McRae, circa 1819.

image Nancy Fraser Catherine McQuarrie

Ethel Drummond, Letter to the Editor, Pictou Advocate, August 1, 1973

Ethel Irene Drummond of Teulon, Manitoba, the great-granddaughter of Alexander McRae, wrote two letters to the editor of the Pictou Advocate that were published together on August 1, 1973.

image Catherine McQuarrie Isabella Fraser

Emma Robertson McRae, daughter of John and Mary McRae, of Toney River

Emma Robertson McRae was a poet like her father and grandfather. She won awards for her poetry and was published many times. Her work, "The Little Red School House," was published in Bluenose magazine in Nova Scotia.

image Toney River Toney Mills

Cora McRae Hill, daughter of John and Mary McRae, of Toney River

Photograph of Cora McRae Hill, daughter of John and Mary (Robertson) McRae. Cora wrote a manuscript titled, "Memories of Long Ago" about her childhood at Toney River and the family's move to Liberal, Missouri in the fall of 1881.

image Toney River Toney Mills

Pen Sketch of John McRae of Toney River, circa 1897

Pen sketch of John McRae of Toney River, drawn from a photograph. John's poem, Welcome Sweet Summer, the pen sketch, and a brief introduction of John McRae, the author of the poem, were published in the Pictou Advocate in 1897.

image Toney River Pictou Advocate

Fraser, MacKenzie, McKay, and Henderson Families Reunite at Trail, B.C., Canada circa 1925

Three generations of the Simon Fraser family and Al McKay and his wife Lillian and drove from Aberdeen Washington to Trail, British Columbia, Canada to reunite with relatives Jack and Jessie May (McKay) Henderson .

image Margaret Fraser Simon Fraser

Land of Nancy Fraser at Toney River 1880

The 1879 Meacham Atlas, Section 3, for Toney River, shows land belonging to "Widow Fraser" encompassing the mill pond, grist mill and saw mill on the Toney River. It borders John McRae's land to the north and Donald MacKenzie's farm to the west.

image Nancy Fraser Catherine McQuarrie

Deed - James and Nancy Fraser to Alex Fraser. Book 83, Page 457

Deed - James and Nancy Fraser to their son, Alexander "Alex" Fraser, the western half of the Fraser family farm at Toney River containing 75 acres, dated October 11, 1880.

image Duncan McKenzie James Fraser

Deed - James and Nancy Fraser to Simon Roderick Fraser. Book 85, Pages 588-9

Deed - James and Nancy Fraser to their son, Simon Roderick Fraser, the eastern half of the Fraser family farm at Toney River containing 75 acres plus an additional 25 acres, dated October 11, 1880.

image James Fraser Nancy Fraser