Church attendance was taken very seriously. "A Mrs. McClure (Fort McClure) , living at Rupert, used to milk her cows on Sabbath morning and then mount her horse and be at hand at this church (Hidlay) in good season."

"Some used to come from Greenwood. I heard an old lady say she used often to go to Hidlay's to church and she lived some ten or twelve miles from here."

"People used to make long Sabbath day journeys that they might enjoy the means of grace - many went six, eight and ten miles to the Log Church near Coles [St. Gabriels] to attend public worship. (written 1876)

Life was hard!

"One of the first settlers, Mr. Alexander Aikman, carried all his crop at one time before or during the War, to Fort Augusta, Northumberland to have it ground to flour. This was all done by the night - both going and coming - for fear of the Indians. They carried it on horses to the river and then rowed it down the river in canoes - twenty-five or thirty miles. It is also stated that, at one time, having planted their potatoes, they had to dig them up [again] for food."

"Joseph Salmon was carried off by the Indians some ninety-years ago [1786]. Promised to spare his wife if he would go with them. She had a tiny baby. He got away from the Indians some time after."

"Reverend Asa Dunham (first minister of Hidlay's) owned a farm near Buckhorn. His house took fire in the night and was destroyed with all its contents. Mrs. Dunham, her mother and two brothers lost their lives in the fire."