Dipping into the past

July 18, 2013 · 0 Comments

150 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 16, 1863

• rom the Orangeville Sun:

WAR NEWS – The news from the seat of war is meagre but important. By the latest despatches we learn that Gen. Lee has succeeded in recrossing the Potomac with his entire force. Notwithstanding the confident predictions of the Northern journals that the army of Gen. Lee must either be captured or annihilated, he has again baffled the Federal commanders and by a skilful movement transferred the battle-field from the Potomac to the Rappahannock…. In the battle of Gettysburg, the losses on the field were nearly equal. The Federals acknowledge a loss of 15,000; that of the Confederates in killed, wounded and prisoners was probably from 25,000 to 30,000. A sanguinary battle has been fought on the Big Black river between the armies of Gen. Sherman and the Confederate Gen. Johnston which resulted in the defeat of the latter, and the capture of 2,000 prisoners. Bragg was retreating before Rosecrans, and was at last accounts at Atlanta. Morgan continues his raids in Indiana and Ohio. The fall of Vicksburg is confirmed. The men were parolled on the spot, and the officers allowed their horses and four days’ rations.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE – The annual anniversary of the battle of the Boyne was celebrated in Orangeville on Monday last with great éclat. About eight o’clock in the morning gay groups of both sexes, wearing ribbons, rosettes, lilies and other insignias of the Order commended to come into town from all directions and at nine o’clock there could not have been less that two thousand persons present. At ten o’clock the members of Loyal Orange Lodge No. 635 assembled at Bell’s Hotel, and having been formed into line, … proceeded along West Broadway to Springbrook where they were joined by their brethren from Amaranth and Garafraxa. The procession was reformed, the various lodges “falling in” as follows – No. 22, Mr. T. Reid, master; 330, Mr. J. Gillespie, master; 345, Mr. D. Jenkins, master; 427, Mr. J. Keys, master; 566, Mr. Mr. W. Donoghue, master; 635, Mr. G. Bell, master; and 851, Mr. J. Spence, master. The members of these lodges were nearly all dressed in white pants and black coats, and, preceded by their respective officers in scarlet cloaks trimmed with white ermine, presented a very creditable appearance. The banners of the various lodges, unfurled to the breeze, as well as the sashes of the brethren trimmed with orange ribbon and ornamented with tasteful rosettes, also produced a a very pleasing effect. About eleven o’clock, the procession headed by Mr. Bell and other leading members mounted on horseback, returned by Broadway and moving up the Prince of Wales Road, were joined by Lodge No. 320, Mr. J. Currie, master. They returned to Broadway by 1st Avenue and 2nd Street, and having marched along the leading streets to the exciting music of fifes and drums proceed to St. Mark’s Church where Rev. Mr. Henderson preached an appropriate and eloquent sermon. The Rev. Mr. McKay also made a few brief remarks, after which the brethren retired to partake of the excellent dinners prepared for them at the hotels of Messrs. Jones, Bell, Witter and Wallace. About two o’clock the various lodges again formed in procession, and with banners flying and fifes and drums playing loyal airs, paraded the principal streets, cheered on as they wended their way along Broadway by the large crowds who thronged the sidewalks. About four o’clock the Orangeville lodges conveyed their brethren of Amaranth, Garafraxa and Mono, beyond the limits of the town, and peaceably returned to their homes. We are happy to be able to say, that no casualty occurred to mar the pleasure of the day, and that the proceedings passed off in the most agreeable and sober manner.

THE TWELFTH AT ROSEMONT – The Twelfth of July this year falling on Sunday, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne was celebrated on Monday last by the Orangemen of District No. 1, Mono. The day was all that could be desired and about fifteen hundred persons, among whom were many ladies, were present to witness and participate in the proceedings of the day. Orange lodges Nos. 9, Mr. Mulligan master; 86, Mr. Quigley, master, 354 Mr. T. Elder, master, and 1083, Mr. Henderson, master, met at Rosemont at an early hour and formed in procession. The brethren then marched in procession with banners flying and fifes and drums playing ’til about one o’clock, when the partook of a sumptuous dinner.

125 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 19, 1888

• orning’s Mills was crowded with people last Thursday. They came from far and near to do honour to the glorious, pious and immortal memory of William Prince of Orange. The weather was cool, and everybody took advantage of it to take part in the annual celebration. This year the Loyal Orangemen had a dual celebration, it being the tri-centennial defeat of the Spanish Armada and the bi-centennial of the securing of civil and religious liberty for every British subject. The romantic village of Horning’s Mills was beautifully decorated with arches, flags, bunting, etc., and the first thing to greet comers from the south was a motto stretched across an arch with the words “Welcome, Brethren.” The hotels had laid in an abundance of eatables for their guests and nothing was lacking for accommodation. The Citizens’ Brass Band and the Ladies’ Cornet Band, of Shelburne, were both on hand to discourse sweet music for the occasion, while the fife and drum bands of the various lodges did their share of the work. Shortly after dinner a procession was formed, and after parading the streets they proceeded to the park, where a stand had been erected for the speaking. Bro. Thos. Ferguson ably discharged the duties of chairman and the speaking was interspersed with music by the Citizens’ and Ladies’ Bands.

• r. J. P. McMillan has invited the warden and members of County Council of Peel and their families to picnic at Dufferin Lake. The boats, pleasure grounds, speaking and dancing platforms and other means of amusement will be placed at the disposal of the councillors and those by whom they may be accompanied. We have to return thanks to Mr. McMillan for an invitation.

• meeting in the interests of the Upper Canada Religious Tract and Book Society was held in Shelburne Presbyterian Church Monday evening. A branch of the society was organized for Shelburne, with Rev. T. J. McClelland as president; Revs. George Abbs and W. F. Carroll, vice-presidents, and F. A. Campbell, sec.-treas. Rev. Dr. Moffatt, agent of the society, gave an interesting address on the late president Garfield, which was listened to with wrapt attention.

100 YEARS AGO

Thursday, July 17, 1913

• r. Maitland McCarthy, Judge of the County Court of Dufferin since 1881, has tendered his resignation to the Minister of Justice and asked to be relieved of his official duties and responsibilities as soon as the department can make it convenient to appoint his successor. The resignation is due to the fact that he has reached the age of 75 and his tenure must therefore terminate under a recent amendment to the Judges’ Act.

• he lodges of Melancthon LOL District formed part of the 35 lodges that celebrated the 12th of July at Orangeville. LOL No. 1321, Shelburne, was accompanied by the 36th Regt. Band. The band and lodge headed the procession in the afternoon and the prize for the lodge doing the best marching was awarded to Shelburne. The prize for lodge having the largest number of members in the parade went to Laurel, that lodge having 88 members. Horning’s Mills took the prize for best regalia and Samuel Brown, of Melancthon, aged 91, for oldest Orangeman. The two objectionable features of the day were the abominable train accommodation provided by the CPR (the few hundred who got on the train at Shelburne found all the seating accommodation already taken) and the heavy rain of the forenoon that produced the rich, juicy, luscious mud that made the marching one long, slippery spasm of blissful (?) sloppiness.

• he ceremony of laying the cornerstone of the new St. Paul’s Church, Shelburne, was performed Wednesday afternoon of last week. Mr. E. Berwick, who has been the most active worker in the church and Sunday School for 40 years, was honoured by the congregation as a mark of their respect and appreciation by the request that he should lay the stone.

50 YEARS AGO

Wednesday, July 17 1963

• ev. Warren G. Dixon was inducted on Thursday, July 4, into the pastoral charge of Trinity United Church, Shelburne, and Primrose United Church., before a large congregation. Rev. and Mrs. Dixon are natives of Sydney, Nova Scotia. Mr. Dixon received his education at Mount Allison, in Sackville, N.B., and Pine Hill Divinity Hall, in Halifax. He was ordained in 1936 and served in Saskatchewan and his native Maritimes and since 1952 in Ontario. For the past five and a half years he has served at Centre Street Church in Oshawa.

• total eclipse of the sun will take place Saturday afternoon when the moon will pass across the face of the sun, hiding it from the earth. The total eclipse will last 90 seconds along a sweeping arch stretching from Anchorage, Alaska, across the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, northern Manitoba, northern Ontario and the heartland of Quebec. Farther south it will be seen as a partial eclipse, 88% at Toronto at 4:40 p.m.

10 YEARS AGO

Friday, July 18 2003

• he relevance of Dufferin County Council’s Community Development Committee has been brought into question after members voted to stop the very work the committee was voted to do about a decade ago. Council received the minutes of the committee’s June 25 session last Thursday night. It included a motion recommending that the County “do no more work on creating new waste disposal facilities in Dufferin.” The committee was formed in the early 1990s with a waste management mandate. Since that time it has taken over responsibilities for Dufferin County Museum and Archives, Dufferin County Forests and in 2000 assumed composting authority in the County.

• he ground will move this fall to make way for 47 new single detached homes east of Franklyn Street, Shelburne. The approved subdivision varies significantly from an original proposal brought to town council in January 2000 which proposed 24 townhouses, 47 single detached homes and an industrial block.

• pending $4.9 million to transform the Mel Lloyd Centre in Shelburne into affordable or life-lease housing is one of the issues Dufferin County Council would likely consider when redevelopment options for the former Dufferin Oaks are presented this fall.