Dipping into the past

July 15, 2013 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 9, 1863

• rom the Orangeville Sun:

Our old friend Mr. Samuel Wallace has opened a cabinet shop in connection with his saw mill on East Broadway, to the rear of the “Marksman’s House” where he manufactures first class furniture of every description. He has also enlarged his facilities for supplying the increased demand for lumber, a large quantity of which may be had at his mill. Mr. W. attends zealously to business and merits a large share of public patronage.

Messrs. Gilchrist & Co. have removed to their new and commodious premises, corner of Broadway and First Street, a step necessitated by their increasing business. They have also enlarged their stock of dry goods, groceries, hardware & which they continue to sell at Toronto prices.

The Globe of Tuesday says that Parliament will meet at Quebec for the despatch of business on the 13th proximo. The session will be an important one and will be looked forward to with intense interest.

THE ELECTIONS – We have received the complete returns from all the constituencies and it is not difficult to see that the slaughter on both sides has been very great. Many familiar faces in the House have gone by the board. It is difficult to arrive at a correct conclusion as to the exact strength of the parties in the new House nor is it probable that proper classification can be made until the first vote on the election of a Speaker is made. The appeal to the country has strengthened the Ministry in the Western section of the Province. The returns from Lower Canada give the Ministry 21 of the 65 members elected. Taking both sides together, as must be the case, it appears likely that the majority on either side will be very small. Mr. J.S. McDonald will not have a good working majority. It is at all events clear that he cannot put the Double Majority principle into practice.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 5, 1888

• orning’s Mills: We are to have a grand demonstration here on the 12th. Melancthon District Orange Lodges are to be present and our townspeople are bound to make all possible arrangements to make the affair a success in every respect. Our two hotels are making extensive provision to supply the wants of the inner man. The congregation of St. John’s Church also intend serving dinner on an extensive scale, the proceeds to be applied to the aid of the church. So that, everything considered, no person need have any apprehension in regard to having their appetites and general comforts properly looked after. An imposing procession will parade the principal streets, after which an adjournment will be made to the park, where the company will be edified and amused by addresses from a large number of talented gentlemen. The Citizens’ Band and also the Ladies Cornet Band of Shelburne will be present, a large and commodious pavilion is being erected where a first-class string band will discourse music for the benefit of those who enjoy “tripping the light fantastic,” said amusement to be under the management of Messrs. Markle and Carson. Decoration arches, flags and bunting will be liberally displayed. A great day may be expected.

• orning’s Mills was thrown into a state of excitement on Saturday by a report that an indecent assault had been committed on a young married woman by a married man. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the offender, who had gone away. Constable Edward Ferris arrived late in the evening with the prisoner and on Monday morning at 9 o’clock before Messrs. Huxtable, Hawkins and August, JP’s, John Haney was charged with committing rape on the person of Mrs. Thomas Flear. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and when several witnesses were examined and based on the evidence adduced, Haney was found guilty and committed to Orangeville jail to await his trial.

• t the meeting of the Board of License Commissioners, held in Orangeville on Saturday last, the following tavern licences were issued: Mulmur, W. H. Beatty, James Dean; Melancthon, Mrs. J. Allen; Amaranth, Robert Hicks; East Luther, D. Hyndman, Thomas Bird; Shelburne, R. Gillespie, R. W. Tuck; Orangeville, Thomas Matthews, John Witter, John Irving, James Bryan; Mono, Thomas Henderson, W. J. Morrison. All other parties selling liquor are doing so illegally.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 3, 1913

• deadlock occurred at Dufferin County Council last week over the House of Refuge question. As a result, the Council adjourned without making any headway in its attempts to solve the problem and there will not likely be anything further done this year.

• eople on Grand Valley’s Main Street, last Wednesday evening, witnessed a real thriller in a piece of excellent horsemanship by Harry Ritchie, who lives on the Moffit farm near Leggatt. Harry was coming down Main Street hill with a spirited high-stepper and new buggy, and met an auto in front of the Carnegie Library. A watering tank standing on the road prevented the two passing at the meeting point, so the auto pulled in behind the tank and gave the horse a fright. With the first jump it broke one tug and started on a fierce run. Down street the other rug broke, the horse getting far enough away to let the shafts drop out of the loops. In this way he tore down Main Street in a perfect whirlwind of dust, and but few expected anything but a bad accident. But Harry showed nerve and good horsemanship, getting a solid wrap of the reigns, he held the horse straight down the street and tight up against the britchen, but the run did not end until near the CPR station. The crowd that gathered to see the remains brought back witnessed Harry carrying a basket of eggs into a store and none were broken.

• orning’s Mills: The Police Trustees of the Village are not making very much fuss or noise, but they are having improvements made. They have had a splendid cement sidewalk laid on Mill Street and if they keep on as they are doing, will in a year or two, have sidewalks all through the village. Another very great improvement, and what was needed very badly, is the new electric light they have had put up at the Cement House. That was a dangerous piece of road after night.

• he cornerstone of Shelburne’s new Anglican Church will be laid on July 9th, at 2 p.m., by Mr. E. Berwick and Rev. G. W. Riley, Rural Dean, of Chatsworth, Rev. James Ardill, of Owen Sound, and Rev. E. G. Dymond, of Markdale, assisting.

• he 36th Regt. Band, under Bandmaster T. F. E. Claridge, arrived home from the military camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake by special train Friday evening last, well bronzed from exposure to a sun that had been throwing extreme heat around “some promiscuous” and resplendent in new uniforms. The remainder of the regiment did not reach home until Saturday, remaining in camp for the annual Regimental Rifle Match. No. 7 Company, Shelburne, under command of Major George Gabriel, did not reach town until about 7 p.m. Saturday by special train. They were met at the station by the band and escorted downtown.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, July 3, 1963

• eserved seat tickets for the Saturday, August 10, Finals of the 1963 Canadian Open Championship Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest, will go on sale Friday morning at the Albrecht General Store in Shelburne.

• tudents past and present and from far and near gathered at Honeywood Friday and Saturday for a farewell alumni reunion on the eve of the closing of their alma mater, North Dufferin Continuation School. The school will not reopen in September, a special meeting of Dufferin Council Council having passed a resolution designating the North Dufferin Area as part of the Centre Dufferin High School District. The Honeywood school was visited in the afternoons and a dance was held Friday night in the Hall. Lunch was served in two sections, first to the students of 1925-45 and second to those of 1946-63.

The school building was constructed in 1927. The contractors were Tone and Herb Hughes and the first trustee board members were Richard Henderson, Richard Tupling, Ralph Siddall, chairman, and Jake Dobson, secretary. Classes were held in the Orange Hall from 1925 until the building opened. The first teacher was Miss Marion Rose and among those following over the years were: Miss Perry, Gertie Madill, Mr. West, Mr. Powell, Mr. Bell, Miss Beatty, Miss Moore, Archie Frost, Mr. Barth, Mrs. Hannon, Mrs. Brayford, Mrs. Boxwell, Mr. Cringle, Gladys Robson, Mr. Radford, Alex Mawdsley, Gladys East (supply), Jean Walker, Dorothy Warren, Jessie McKercher, Clare Weir, Gordon Richardson and Faye Watson. The whole event was under the auspices of the 1963 Student Council, who are to be congratulated for such a fine effort.

• he usual two-month union services of St. Paul’s Anglican Church and Trinity United Church, Shelburne, will start Sunday, July 9, in St. Paul’s Church, with Rev. Warren G. Dickson in charge. The services will be transferred to Trinity Church, with Rev. J. M. Dobson in the pulpit, on Sunday, August 11.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, July 4, 2003

• elebrations of Melancthon Township’s Sesquicentennial are planned in Horning’s Mills next Saturday and at the Corbetton United Church, now located at the Dufferin County Museum and Archives, on Sunday. The fun will begin at Horning’s Mills Park with the 15, high bouncy slide, ice cream courtesy of Chapman’s in Markdale, mini pedal tractor pull, children’s fun and games, the OPP Mounted and Canine Units, OPP officer fingerprinting children, antique and modern farm machinery, a food booth, tug of war competitions, horseshoes and autographs by Melancthon’s Aaron Downey of Dallas Stars.

• hile the Federal and Provincial governments were handing out money to assist with water upgrades in Mansfield and Waldemar on Friday, some residents remain angry that their own municipality will not be contributing. MP Murray Calder and MPP Ernie Eves’ Executive Assistant Lynn Gibson travelled across the county on Friday announcing the acceptance of the two hamlets in the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program and approval of grant money totalling $780,674. In the aftermath of the Walkerton water disaster, province-wide changes were made to monitoring and quality control. Sixty-seven homeowners in Mansfield were told last year that their community waterworks would require upgrades totaling nearly $952,750. Similarly, about $535,000 worth of changes are required to bring the Waldemar water system in Amaranth into compliance with the Ontario Drinking Water Systems Regulation.

• ocal MP Murray Calder, Premier and local MPP Ernie Eves, Shelburne Mayor Ed Crewson and Shelburne Public Library Board Chair Robin Pickett, all made the earth move during a sod turning ceremony to celebrate impending construction of a million dollar addition and renovation to Shelburne Public Library.

• he family of Dr. Faye Lindsey accepted the Dr. David Scott Award on her behalf at the annual general meeting of Headwaters Health Care Centre. Dr. Lindsay died in an accident on December 8, 2002. The award was created in the fall of 1999 to recognize individuals or groups who have made an outstanding contribution to the health care system of Dufferin-Caledon.