The story of Cheney’s Corners starts with the Pennock family. Chapman Pennock, whose family originally had come from Vermont, married Irene Deming and within three years in 1811 settled in this area. Pennock as well as farming worked as the first teacher in South Crosby in a school which was probably in this area. In addition to this he worked as a township clerk in the early 19th century. Chapman and Irene had a large family – ten boys and two girls.

Address: 14 Drummond Street, Newboro, ON

At this welcoming park located on the main street of Newboro, you will find several monuments and information panels about Newboro and its history. The most distinctive is a large cenotaph listing Newboro residents that were enlisted or killed during World War 1 and World War 2. There is a memorial dedicated to Newboro pioneers. A provincial plaque by Ontario Heritage Trust commemorates the Founding of Newboro, flanked by 2 storyboards, “Historic Newboro” and “Newboro: An Historic Centre for Sport Fishing.” Finally, a small white pavilion is located at the rear of the property, in honour of Effie Tett.

Effie Gallagher Tett grew up in the village of Newboro, became a teacher, and married Benjamin Tett (grandson of Benjamin Tett, former Leeds M.P.). The couple spent most of their lives in the village. Throughout her life, Effie was an indefatigable supporter of St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Newboro, an observant correspondent for the Brockville Recorder and Times, a friend and supporter of village youth, and a vital member of the Newboro Womens’ Institute.

One of the major legacies of Womens’ Institutes across Ontario has been their unique capture and preservation of local history. The “Lady Tweedsmuir” books, as they became known, promoted by the wife of Lord Tweedsmuir, the Governor-General of Canada, and can be an invaluable resource for local history. Newboro was most fortunate as Effie Tett played a prominent role in this compilation for many years, with the result that the Newboro Lady Tweedsmuir book is outstanding for its record, written and photographic, of village events.

Effie donated a parcel of land, adjacent to her home, for use as a location for the village cenotaph, especially poignant since her husband’s brother, Arthur Tett, had died in 1917 as a participant in WW 1. A grateful village council later erected the pavilion in her memory. In recognition of her work with the Womens’ Institute, the organization placed a bronze plaque ‘In Memory of Effie M Tett’ near the pavilion.

This deeply loved and admired woman serves as a shining example to all volunteers in her commitment to her community. The naming of this small park in her honour is a fitting tribute to Effie Tett and to her leadership role in preserving Newboro’s heritage.

The recent reemergence of this space into a showplace for the village of Newboro under the care of the Township of Rideau Lakes and the work of the Newboro Beautification Committee, is observable to all passersby.