Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

The Wayside Inn existed in Dunkin in the late 1800's, listed as belonging to Mark L. Elkins in 1881.  He was very probably the owner well before this time.  “ (…) the Old King's Road passed through West Potton in the 1800's, this road being one of the highways across the frontier townships. (…)  Scouts and patrols guarding the lines, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Ruiter of the Eastern Townships Miltia during the War of 1812. »  Must have been frequent travellers along the road. 

The early stage line of the 1800's between St. Johns, Quebec and Troy, Vermont passed along the valleys of the Pike and the Missisquoi rivers through West Potton to Glen Sutton, Sutton and thence to Frelighsburg.  In Potton, the road is now called route de la Vallé- Missisquoi.  The Wayside Inn was a regular stop along the stagecoach route.  The barn and livery stable were struck by lightning in 1939 and burned.  Several old advertisements for stage travel in the area name Mr. Elkins as proprietor of “fine accommodation” for the traveller.  Early mail delivery was generally made to these stage stops, which explains why Mark Elkins was also given as postmaster in the mid 1800's.

Mark L. Elkins and his wife Lydia repose in the Chapel Hill Cemetery.

The Wayside Inn passed through a succession of owners, before Cecil Sherrer acquired the building and farm in 1969, from the estate of Clinton Sherrer, his father, who had rented from the Borights and then purchased the farm in 1941.  Mr. and Mrs. Sherrer still make this historic property their home.  I was told by one of the Sherrer family that room numbers were affixed above some of the bedroom doors, a vestige of the old inn!