ECONOMY

The first settlers wrere farmers and moved here because of the trouble in Scotland. They had rented their land in Scotland and the land owners wanted the land to raise sheep. (The Enclosure Movement)

Today in Blue Mountain there are a variety of jobs that people have. There are truck drivers, exercise instructors, teachers, plumbers, entrepeneurs, nurses and many more.

Mr. Tyler Campbell used to say, in his boyhood days that Blue Mountain was a busy spot. There was a Cheese Factory operated by Frank Andrews, a Tailor shop, a carriage maker, Mr. William Ross a deaf mute, who because there were so many William Ross's signed his name William Ross C.B. (which stood for carriage builder). There was a Grist Mill and a saw mill operated by Mr. MacIntosh. It was Mr. MacIntosh who built the dam and his saw mill was run by waterpower. He built this dam in 1864. Early spring 1965, the dam was washed out in a "Spring Freshet" and as a Community Centered project the dam was rebuilt and finished in Mid-September 1967.

the Community of Blue Mountain had no local doctor, it was necessary to bring a doctor in from Thorburn, and in only the most serious cases did residents receive medical attention. There was however, an undertaker, by the name of Roderick MacDougall or "Big Rory" as he was called. He was quite an individual. He was a general merchant, Post Master, and also if anyone had an aching tooth, he extracted their teeth. The undertaking business was carried on by his son W. A. MacDougall.

Alex S. Fraser bought the other store in 1947 from the origional owner, Mr. Hugh Campbell was a carpenter by trade and built the store by himself, he was a merchant for fifty years. After Mr. Fraser died his wife Lena ran the store until her death. Her foster daughter Kim and her husband Gary Hayden ran the store. It closed in 1995.

The Community has been served by several blacksmiths. The first blacksmith was Dan Peter MacPhee. And the last was Collie Ross he worked in the shop that was owned by his brother, Robert Ross. The blacksmith shop was at one time a hive of activity, but since the passing of the horse and wagon era, the shop has burnt and is just a story from the neighnours.

The Department of Lands and Forests (now the Department of Natural Resources) have a fire tower in Blue Mountain. The nursery and the land where their garage was built in 1950, it is located on the farm of Alex R. MacLaren. There was also a campsite, by Campbell's Lake, which was looked after by the men who worked for the department.

The fire tower, is located on the Tower Road.

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