Robert McEwen’s Pancake House, in Ferguson Falls, was the first of its kind in the region. It began as a centennial project, opened in 1967, with the intention of providing jobs for local youth.
Through their decades of operation, Robert and Kaye McEwen did indeed employ not only dozens of local youth, but many others from the community, both in the sugar bush, and the pancake restaurant.
“Local legends say that Dorothy Horricks, who lived next door to the McEwen’s, and worked at their restaurant, likely cooked at least one million pancakes over the years.”
McEwen’s Pancake House, Ferguson Falls (1967-1993)
Although the ingredients are simple, this recipe became a well-loved and much in-demand dish at McEwen’s Pancake House, over the years.
“Maple syrup was used extensively by my mother, in all kinds of dishes, and her baked bean recipe was very popular.” Tom McEwen
Kaye (Huckabone) McEwen’s
Maple Baked Beans
Ingredients
3 c beans
1 tsp mustard
1/2 c maple syrup
1 tsp salt (if desired)
1/2 c butter
1/4 c tomato ketchup
Method:
Cover beans with water, and simmer for 2 hours.
Add mustard, maple syrup, salt, butter, and ketchup
Put in a baking dish and cover with water
Bake in a slow oven for several hours
Add more liquid as needed
McEwen’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush
“Bob McEwen was one of the first maple producers in the area to install pipelines in the sugar bush, and he installed them for the 1968 season.”
Robert ‘Bob’ McEwen was a trailblazer in the close-knit community of maple syrup producers, and was continually embracing new methods and upgrading his equipment in order to achieve the highest possible standards of sap collection and processing.
To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of McEwen’s Pancake House in 1992, – local artist, Ben Babelowsky (1932-2019) created an impressive work of art depicting the McEwen property, capturing this special moment in time.
Mar. 11, 1992, p. 14, “The Ottawa Citizen”
Some of the surnames of the people (and youth) who worked at McEwen’s over the years:
Horricks, Beekman, Blair, McNaughton, Quinn, Ennis, Campbell, Mitchell, Hodgins, Lindenstruth, Closs, Bruneau, Eschke, Morris, Crosbie, Brittain, Couch, Dickenson, Vanderlaan, Badour, Hollington, Kelford, MacLaren, McCullough, Stach, Scott, Leuders…..
(The former McEwen’s Pancake House and Sugar Shack is now home to the award-winning Temple’s Sugar Bush……..another story of a legacy maple family, in the new book, “Lanark County Kitchen”.)
Who were Lanark County’s maple trailblazers? Who are the ‘legacy’ maple syrup producers whose families have been making maple syrup and maple sugar since the times of the early settlers?
Coutts, Dodds, Ennis, Fortune, Fulton, James, Oliver, Paul, Temple, Thompson, VanAlstine, Wheeler….
Meet the families with a long history of maple syrup-making, the award-winners, the names you know, the syrup that you love. Discover their stories, from the old days up to the present.
Enjoy the special collection of heirloom maple recipes – some passed down through the generations, and some made popular in their own restaurants…
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Arlene Stafford-Wilson
Honorary Life Member, Lanark County Genealogical Society
Member, Association of Professional Genealogists
Lanark County Pioneer Families Humanitarian Award
Author of : “Lanark County Christmas”, “Lanark County Comfort”, “Lanark County Collection”, “Lanark County Calling”, “Lanark County Classics”, “Lanark County Connections”, “Lanark County Calendar”, “Lanark County Chronicle”, “Lanark County Kid”, & “Recipes & Recollections”
and “Lanark County Kitchen: A Maple Legacy from Tree to Table”
arlene stafford wilson 