Dipping into the past…

January 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 26, 1865
• rom The Sun, Orangeville, compliments of Dufferin County Museum and Archives:
• he Village Council met on Saturday evening last, when the Reeve, Mr. Judd, appointed Mr. Francis Irwin as auditor on behalf of the people. Mr. W. G. Culloden was then, on motion made and seconded, appointed auditor on behalf of the Council. The Council, after the transaction of some other unimportant business, adjourned till the 31st inst.
PARLIAMENTARY – Since our last issue, Parliament has met, and with unusual dispatch passed the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. As was very generally expected, the leading feature of the Governor-General’s speech is the proposed Confederation of the British North American colonies, and the expression of regret for the raids on United States territory from Canada. The other items of interest in the speech are the announcement of a bill to enlarge the powers of the Government to deal with political refugees, and congratulations on the zeal and loyalty of the Volunteers, as well as thankfulness for the peace, tranquility and prosperity which the country, through the blessings of Providence, so uninterruptedly continues to enjoy.
In a separate vote on the portion of the speech dealing with Confederation, the measure was approved by a count of 70 to 17, with no Upper Canadian voting against the Government position. It is, however, likely that when the details of the measure come to be discussed, the Ministry will not be sustained by so large a majority; but the decisions that have taken place show that the question is decidedly popular in the House, and guarantee for the Government a large majority in carrying it out.
THE QUESTION OF DEFENCE – As a people, we Canadians have been particularly fortunate. In everything that tends to make a country prosperous Canada has made rapid progress. From a wilderness, fit only for the habitation of a scanty and barbarous people, the colony has become fitted for the residence of civilized millions. Wars and rumours of wars have devastated and filled with dismay the inhabitants of the Old and New World, but we have hitherto escaped the direful scourge. But in the circumstances in which we at present find ourselves, can we hope that this immunity will be perpetual? We are afraid not. It is useless to disguise from ourselves the disagreeable fact that our neighbours in the States entertain very unfriendly feelings toward us, and very rarely in the history of the world have two nations been able to settle their disputes irritated and aggravated by such an amount of jealousy and ill-will as undoubtedly exists between Great Britain and the United States, without an appeal to the bloody arbitration of the sword.

125 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 30, 1890
• About 5 o’clock Friday evening the attention of residents of Corbetton was taken by seeing the blaze of a burning building about a mile and half distant. Little did they think, as they saw the flames ascend toward the heavens, that two innocent children were victims of this devouring element. A few hours later came the sad news that Mr. James Leader’s house on Lot 20, Con. 4 NE, had been burned and that his two little children, one aged three and the other 15 months, had lost their lives. How this sad affair happened we cannot tell, only by report it appears that Mr. Leader was at the time working in the house and had been using a coal oil can which had been left beside the stove. Mrs. Leader had prepared some kindling wood and put it in the oven to dry for the morning’s fire. She then went to the well for a pail of water, and during her absence it is supposed the kindling wood took fire and spread to the coal oil can. The fire spread so rapidly that when Mr. Leader opened the door the flames burst out and he was badly burned in a vain attempt to save his little ones.
• alem Methodist Church, a new edifice erected at what is known as Terra Nova in Mulmur, will be opened next Sunday, Feb. 2.
• ufferin County Council met at 2 o’clock Tuesday, pursuant to the provisions of the Act Respecting Municipal Institutions. The current council includes reeves from all eight municipalities, deputy reeves from all but Shelburne, and second deputy reeves from Mono and Melancthon. Mulmur Reeve Robert Gallaugher was unanimously elected Warden.

100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, January 28, 1915
• At the opening session of Dufferin County Council’s January meeting, held at Orangeville on Tuesday, Mulmur Reeve John Reburn was elected Warden for 1915.
• Late Wednesday night or early Thursday, about 150 bushels of oats and some buckwheat and chop feed were stolen from the barn on Mr. John Harshaw’s farm, Lot 8, Prince of Wales Road, Mono. The theft was discovered Thursday morning by Mr. Harshaw when he went to the barn. On Monday, High Constable Marshall discovered about 70 bushels of the missing oats, a bag of buckwheat and two bags of chop at Peter Cooper’s place in Mono Centre. On Tuesday the officer went by train to Alliston where he arrested Cooper’s son Harry, of Angus, who had already sold some of the stolen grain.

75 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, January 25, 1940
• delegation that interviewed the Dept. of Highways at Toronto last week, was told that Highway 24 is to have snowplows in operation this winter unless conditions get too bad to cope with. A powerful diesel 4-wheel plow was at work on the highway Friday and Saturday and did good work, but was called to another point before the big storm on Sunday tied things up again. A report on Tuesday said the Sunday storm didn’t pile the snow up to the extent that would seriously interfere with the plow getting the road in shape for car travel again.
• Although at its November session Dufferin County Council decided to use the snowplows attached to graders on County Roads this winter, the new Roads Committee appointed at the January session of the council appears to have other ideas. At noon on Monday, Percy Gilmore, in charge of the plow for the Shelburne division, was ordered by County Engineer Eagleson to stop all operations until further notice. Whether this definitely means there is to be no snowplowing of county roads for the remainder of the winter remains to be seen.
• Dufferin County’s new Warden, Amaranth Reeve Hugh Bryan, is a native son of Amaranth. His parents, Thomas Bryan and Elizabeth Webb, were pioneer settlers in the south end of the township. The warden was born and still resides on the Bryan homestead, the East half of Lot 2, Con. 6. He is the youngest of a family of nine brothers and sisters and his brother, the late John Bryan, was Warden in 1913.

50 YEARS AGO
Wednesday, January 27, 1965
• Honeywood’s North Dufferin Arena, built about 20 years ago, was totally destroyed by a fire of unknown origin about 11 a.m. Sunday. About the only theory advanced as to the fire’s cause was a bolt of lightning from a brief and sudden electrical storm which hit the area a short time before the blaze was discovered. Arena Manager Ward Rabbitts said the fire began in the northwest corner of the second floor where the hydro lines entered the building. Fire trucks rushed to the spot from Shelburne and Creemore but slippery highways prevented high speeds and by the time they arrived nothing could be done to save the building. The arena, which is managed by the Mulmur Recreation Commission, will be rebuilt as soon as possible.
• Hilborn B. Taylor, reeve of East Luther Township, was chosen Warden of Dufferin County for 1965 at the January session of Dufferin County Council. He was practically unopposed, as the only other nominee, Orangeville Reeve Arnold Patterson, withdrew in his favour.

10 YEARS AGO
Friday, January 27, 2005
• ntario Conservative leader John Tory has accused Premie Dalton McGuinty of “ramming through” an ill-conceived Greenbelt scheme to compensate for the Liberals’ mishandling of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
• By June of next year, 10-digit dialing in the 519 area code will become a reality.
• Without a hint of fanfare, the Upper Grand District School Board has approved implementation of Junior Kindergarten for all eligible students starting next January, and registrations are to begin next month.