James Oliver Gough along with his wife Christina and his brother George Gough arrived in Dryden in 1909 and both procured employment in the construction of the paper mill which was owned by the Gordon brothers
Within a few years James Gough purchased a store on Queen street, located approximately where Kuppers Bakery is now. The store had an attractive outdoor dining area. The store was a combination ice cream parlor, confectionary store and tobacco shop. One of the recollections of Homer Gough (who was the young child of father James) was his father reading poems to the young men who spent considerable time in the store. The Shooting of Dan McGrew and the Cremation of Sam McGee were the favourites. Some of these men enlisted and went overseas to fight in World War I.
James Gough exapanded the family store when he purchased the dwelling behind the rear of the confectionary story and expanded to become a bakery. While the business was expanding Homer had new siblings by the names Eunice (became Mrs. Roy Savage) and Helen (who became Mrs. Hugh Reid). These children arrived when the family lived above the confectionary store.
James Gough also started another business operation, the Dryden Jobbing Company. This business handled paper products, tobacco and confections on a wholesale basis and supplied stores in Dryden as well as stores from Dinorwic to Vermillion Bay. The family also purchased a Ford Model T with a platform back and son Homer carried deliveries to stores with it. No one particulary cared if a driver had a licence.
The Confectioners store and bakery was sold to Mr. Bert Stansfield, who was Claude Stansfield's father in 1929. The bakery then became known as "Stans" bakery. James gough kept the Jobbing Company.
The family, like many others at the time, experienced some difficulty during The Depression. The Jobbing company was sold to Frank Foulis. James Gough along with his brother George moved to Dyment, where he purchased and operated a grocery store and a butcher shop. He established himself and was able to move back to Dryden and start a similar business on Florence Street, which became known as Savage's grocery.
Homer's mother Christina suffered a stroke and passed away in 1947 after the family moved back to Dryden. James remarried and moved to Fort William until his death in 1958. He is buried in Dryden.
