“Beds, Booze and Busy Bodies” Tales of Dufferin Hotels at DCMA

August 17, 2015 · 0 Comments

Saturday August 15th Dufferin County Museum and Archives Curator Sarah Robinson will present “Beds, Booze & Busy Bodies: Tales of the Dufferin County Hotels.” The evening begins at 6pm at the Museum; according to Promotions Coordinator Nanci Malek, the curator has some wonderful stories to share with patrons.
Malek reveals, “Local hotels were more than just a place to grab a hot meal and rest your weary feet while travelling. They were a hotbed of gossip, the center for local politics, and the place to be born and to die. Of course, it was also the place to have a stiff drink while waiting for the train – if you avoided the liquor inspectors.” Malek invites guests to, “Listen to the tales, take in the artifacts and learn about the “underbelly” of our Dufferin County hotels before and during the temperance movement.”
The evening will include delicious fare from the Globe Restaurant in Rosemount and “a sampling of local craft brews and ciders from Hockley Brewing Company and Spirit Tree Cidery.” There will also be a raffle draw for a night’s stay for two at B & B Foxingham Farm; an 1870 restored home set on 24 acres, located on County road 17 in Mulmur.
The Dufferin County Museum and Archives has kindly shared a sampling of one of the intriguing historical tales from their collection on local hotels to give readers a taste of the drama that played out on the streets of Shelburne well over 100 years ago:
“The “Scott Act” regulating the sale and control of intoxicants was in effect as early as 1874, but it was never actually enforced. A group of men in the Laurel district were staunch supporters of the Scott Act and decided upon the same action. They became enforcing officers, along with the Constable Finbow. Included in the group were Robert John Wallace, Robert Hamilton, Thomas Banks, Elijah Hamilton, Frank Crowe, Thomas Hamilton, William Phillips, John Buchanan, “Daddy” Dixon, John Prior, E.B. Cooney, John Richardson and Joseph Banks. One of their best known exploits was the raiding of the Mansion House Hotel in Shelburne (located where IDA now stands.) Each man armed with a cudgel and a revolver, and together with Magistrates Gray and Johnston; Edward Richardson, to hold horses, and ‘T.C. Buchanan of Grand Valley, who confessed to going along for curiosity, they travelled by sleigh to Shelburne. The law- breaking hotel keeper, Mr. Thompson, was arrested by the Laurel men, but a young man named Gallagher, a “found-in”, was chased from floor to floor if the hotel, finally escaping his pursuers by jumping from the roof into a snow bank and fleeing through the stables. Liquor supporters, angered by the law abiding Laurel men, pelted their horses with snow-balls and fire crackers, so terrifying the poor creatures they became unmanageable and galloped down the length of Shelburne main street. Laurel men stayed in Shelburne until the following forenoon, causing their families a great deal of worry. D.J. Mungovan, reporting the incident in the Dufferin Post, published in Orangeville, gave the men the title “The Laurel Lambs” and they have been referred to as such to this day.”- Orangeville Banner 1963
“The Beds, Booze & Busy Bodies Soiree will be an enticing look into the shenanigans of the Dufferin County hotel and bar patrons,” says Malek. “One would find some small towns had more than two hotel bars on every main street, so the choices of visiting an establishment for the benefit of the thirsty traveler were many.”
For a fascinating evening of history and hospitality visit the Dufferin County Museum on 936029 Airport Road at Hwy 89 west of Shelburne, August 15th, 6–9 p.m. limited space available. Cost: $17 (incl. HST.) Call 705 435-1881 for more information.

By Marni Walsh