Imagine Commanda in the year 1885; horse-drawn buggies and wagons, growing or hunting for almost everything you ate or wore, and it was the beginning of the boom years of settlement in the Southern Canadian Shield.
The Commanda General store was the hub of the community. Built in 1885 by James and Elizabeth Arthurs, it is Commanda’s central location on the Old Rousseau-Nipissing settlers’ route which continues today as the central location for visitors to the whole region.
Fast forward to 2023 – and being a direct descendant of James and Elizabeth Arthurs. As part of the Command Museum’s innovative genealogy project, we had the honor of speaking with Steve Holman, the great-grandson of the Arthurs. He shared some amazing family photos that depict life as our communities were just beginning to flourish.
