This afternoon, I accompanied my mom to the By the Falls Musical Social—a free event in the Ferguson Falls Community Hall. About 100 people turned out to hear more than a dozen musicians playing old standards, such as the fiddle-laden tune "Maple Sugar." It was like a large kitchen party, with different musicians joining the group Memory Lane to collaborate on a wide variety of songs. They played keyboards, guitars, fiddles, an accordion and a harmonica. The complimentary coffee, tea and baked goods were an added treat.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable show, reminding me of Christmas concerts I had attended in the old Ferguson Falls Hall in the '70s and '80s. The original hall was recently replaced by a new, modern structure, which retains some of the charm of the old hall, including bricks from the old facility's exterior that now cover the wall behind the stage, wood from the interior walls that accent certain walls in the new building, and the original sign.

On the wall opposite the door to the well-equipped kitchen is the text of two articles from the Lanark Era that help to tell the story of the old hall.

The first article, from 1955, provides the hall's origin story. In the early 1900s, a group of boys and young men from Ferguson Falls and the surrounding area were gathered in a log house on the banks of the Mississippi River. They used this building, known as the Stumble Inn, as a clubhouse. But they wanted a public hall. So they formed a committee, made up of W.J. Rothwell, A.J. Ruttle, Thomas Hollinger, Richard Haley and A.M. Sheppard. The committee began holding socials and dances in nearby facilities, including Innisville Hall and Drummond Hall. During the First World War, fundraising activities were paused.

In 1923, the committee purchased an old church in Innisville that had been put up for auction. The 1955 article states:

The old church was 30' x 50' and the Hall built 29' by 75'. The church supplied all the rough lumber needed except for one hemlock tree which the late Archie McEwen donated. Said tree was 4 feet across the stump and gave seven 12 foot logs which the late Louis Badour sawed into lumber.

The hall was opened on October 9, 1924. In 1925, the committee had the hall veneered with brick.

The second Lanark Era article picks up the story in 2006. It tells the tale of the volunteers who led the renovation and upkeep of the, by now, old hall. Bob and Marny McCook, Dennis and Sandi Jones, and Grant and Gail McFarlane took up the challenge of saving the old hall from "almost inevitable demolition." Along with other volunteers,

They arranged for many hours of clean-up, maintenance and painting; they organized potluck suppers and other social events to raise funds, making it possible for the community to share the events that are such an essential part of rural life.

They organized pancake brunches, strawberry socials, euchre nights, and musical and entertainment evenings. "And Memory Lane, a local musical group, ensures through its regular attendance at hall events that the tradition of Ottawa Valley fiddle music lives on."

Some of these same volunteers are still involved in the hall to this day. Today, I chatted with Gail McFarlane about the new Ferguson Falls Community Hall, while her husband, Grant McFarlane, entertained the crowd with the other members of Memory Lane, who continue to perform. I also spoke with Steve Fournier, Reeve of Drummond/North Elmsley Township, in which the hall resides. I was amazed that they had been able to access the funds needed to build a new hall. Steve explained that the key to their success was being shovel-ready when the opportunity for funding arose.

According to the Ferguson Falls Community Hall calendar, the next dates for the By the Falls Musical Social are Thursday, March 14, Thursday, April 11 and Thursday, May 9—all from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

For me, going back to Ferguson Falls is going home. I grew up a mile from the Ferguson Falls Community Hall, when we still used "miles," and referred to "some big shingding down at the Falls" before I learned that the correct term was "shindig." In addition to attending, and performing in, annual Christmas concerts, I recall going to the hall for euchre nights, turkey dinners, teen dances and private parties, such as wedding and baby showers. Though the hall is new, it still conjures up pleasant memories of the old facility and the old days.