Description

Belfast is a quiet place, blessed with
rich farmland and a citizenry proud of its
Scottish essence. Neighbours are congenial
and warm; they speak well of one
another and reach out to help when
they are needed. Many of the people
claim some connection to the Selkirk
settlers who opened the land after arriving
from Scotland in 1803. The Belfast
Historical Society provides an opportunity
for them to study their past and
reawaken pride in their ancestry.
From the energies of the Belfast
Historical Society came the notion of a
book of area history in the words of its
residents, an oral history. Taped interviews
collecting memories of early 20th
century life were done by Society
member and lifelong area resident Mary
Ross—except the one that is the basis
for this article. I interviewed George
Young of Douse Road and prepared
the transcription. It affords an introduction
to the Belfast history now being
prepared.