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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1971-09-30, Page 10IC THE 1.141RON EXPOSITOR, $EAFORTH, ONT., SEPT 1971 DAYS CHILD - BY HELEN ALLEN CHUBBY AND CHEERFUL Tony is a cheerful baby, much interested in his surroundings. He is fascinated by moving objects and was completely absorbed when the picture was taken by the antics of two pet kittens in his foster home. Tony is almost eight m‘.nths old. He is making good progress In all areas, though not qiiite up to his age level in development because he was born very prematurely. He has had none of the haalth problems sometimes associated with pre- maturity. However, there are., some abnormalties in his nervous-system reflexes and in the muscle tone of his legs. These symptoms suggest cerebral palsy (lack of muscle con- trol), but it is too early yet to tell. In the meantime, Tony is a happy boy, alert, responsive and playful.. He is• chubby and sturdily built, in good health. lie has a real United Natfor.s background - Enz;lish, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, and German. -"Th-Ose'"big eyes are blue, Ills hair is blonde with a little curl; and he has fair skin. This baby needs parents who will enjoy a lovable little boy and who can accept the possibility of Cerebral palsy. To inquire about adopting Tony, please write to Today's Child, Department of Social and Family Services, Parliament Buildings, Toronto 182. For general adoption information, ask your Children's Aid Society. ,; r 1)' omitItita. BARN HARDWARE HARDWARE • No. 61 Trolley .• 5 .95 pr. No. 686 Galvaniz- ed Barn Door Track, 6-8-10-12 Ft Lengths 43c Per Ft. No. Oe • Track Hanger Galvanized With Lag Screws Single 50c km LL MACAULAY LTD. B In appreciation of your loyal patronage to our Clinton; Seaforth and Hensall building yards during the past 22' years, .We Offer You These Outstanding Sale Items ... ALUMINUM DOORS Standard Guage 1'1/4" Frame Pre-Hung, Ready to "Install, all Hardware IncludU-1. Self-Storing Sianderil Sizes • 8" x "" r 25 95 x 6' 101' A.,0g.W.4,..kackalwe.4 W ATTENTION FARMERS ! ! 6 Mill Black POLYETHELENE Plastic 24' x 100'.Rolls Only 9.95 40c Per Lineal Foot 32' x 100' Rolls — Only 39.95' 05c Per Lineal Foot A1111110111101=1111.10 `11111011111111L BALL MACAULAY LTD. Building Supplies CLINTON 482-9S14 HENSALL 262-2713 SEAFORTH 527-0910 .95 Per Sq. Delivered ASPENITE 4 'x8 1/4 " 2.95 - 40 sheets & over. Small lots 3.20 43 75 SQ. AI PANELLING CLEARANCE SANGO PECAN Reg 6.59 SALE 4.88 4 X 8 KENEBEC MAPLE, SALE 3.99 COME SEE • OUR NEW 'PANELS FOR 1972 40100.01111•Mlimm, COLORI. X-Ninety Siding Pre- Finished White No Painting for Ten Years. Other Famous • Weldwood Panels Available From $4.95 for 4' x 8' Sheet Panel Ad hesive Tubes $1.98 colored Nails Box 69c Galvanized STEEL ROOFING STANDARD GUAGE HOT DIP EXTRA STRENGTH — 6 RIBBED Anniveriary Special for 15 Square or More, Only • a, SKYLIGHTS • $16.95 To fit Steel Roofing Shea T8 ft. Long Green Fibregl as INSULATION , For Those Hard to Get at Places MICA FILL $1.80 (Pouring Type) 3 cu. Ft. Bag BUY 9 BAGS — GET ONE FREE PAL-A-PAK $1.45 (Blowing Type) 5 cu. Ft. Bag BUY 9 BAGS — GET ONE FREE 4 x 8 STYROFOAM 2.35 STORAGE SHEDS 6 x 6 $59.95 9x6 $ 114.0 The Huronview News, edited by Henry Lieshman, which is issued from time to time, in addition to recording activity at Huronview provides interesting stories of the area. 'Such a story was that con- tained in a recent issue, try H. S. Turner of Goderich, a native of Tuckersmlth, who recalled the history of the Stapleton Salt Works. Few persons motoring east from Clinton on No. 8 Highway- know that one mile from that town they pass by the second salt well drilled in North America. Old timers remember, he Staple- tee Salt Works which for fifty years was a buSy centre of activity and industry in this part of Huron County. The story of this pioneer in-. dustry began when Henry Hans- ford, a young Englishman, decided to personally investigate the advertisements of the Canada Company who were seeking set- tlers for their 1,100,000 acres of virgin bush located mainly in Huron and Perth Counties, then known as Canada West. Henry began the long I urney in April, 1832, via sailing esSel to New York, then by rivers, canals, lake and wagon trail caught up with the men who were chopping a road way through to Goderich. Before leaving for England in .the fall, he took up thirty-four hundred acres froni the Canada Company. Making the long journey again the following year he examined hii purchase of land which lay mainly along the Huron Road east from Clinton, and chose a location for a house on a bend of the Hayfield River which overlooked the gently ris- ing ground at the top of which Huronview now stands. Henry named the location "Stapleton after his home in England. with the help of a few man he cut a roadway to connect with the Huron Road, cleared .a few acres and got his new house partly built. -Leaving instructions for its completion, he again headed for England, t his time for the purpose of • marrying Miss Frances Richardson and making preparations to emigrate to Canada. Early in 1834, Henry and hiS .bride, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walker and four small children set sail for their new home-in the hush. This time Henry chose- to come by boat to Port Stanley and up the almost impassable London Road to Vanderburg's Corners (now Clinton) only to learn that nothing more had been done to his house since he left the year before., A busy time followed to get both families comfortable before winter. The following year the Walkers built a home for themselves across the Huron Road on lot 21 Hullett Twp. During the next twelve years eight children were born to Mr. & Mrs. Ransford, and the matter of their education decided Henry to return with his family to Eng- land. His Canadian property was left in charge of Thomas Walker and Mr. Gosman. The area began to develop fast. In 1858 the Buffalo and Goderich Railroad was surveyed through the Ransford property and Henry's son, Richard, returned to his birthplace at Stapleton to look after his father's interests. In' addition to the excitement aroused by the coming of the railroad, news of the discovery of oil in the Sarnia area aroused speculation as to the extent of the Smiles . . • "I get up as Soon as the sun- light strikes my•window." "Isn't that' somewhat early?" asked a friend. '"No--my window faces the west." oil field. One day Richard was crossing the creek near his home and noticed bubbiesrising to the surface from the creek bed. With the prospect of oil in mind he mentioned these bubbles to his father in a letter, who wrote back instructing him to secure a driller and go down to a depth of 1200 feet to investigate. Drilling began in 1867 and at the depth of 1172 feet the drill struck a new formation. Sus- pecting salt (which had been dis- covered at Goderich the year previous) a pall of the, liquid broyght up was taken to Mrs. Thomas Walker who evaporated it on her kitchen stove and con- firmed the fact that the drill had indeed entered a bed of rock salt. Richard plugged . the drill hole and hurried off to England to consult his father as to what should be 'done. The two men spent the winter studying the manufacture of salt in England, and ordering the necessary pumping and evaporating equip- ment. These were installed the next spring and on August 11th, 1868, fires were lit under the pans and the first salt sold to a local farmer. From then on the plant continued to grow and before many years Stapleton was a real hive of industry with salt being shipped out and the-farmers from the surrounding area teaming in the needed firewood, heading and logs to be sawn into lumber and material for barrels. Two large evaporating pans were placed end to end with fur- naces beneath both outward ends. A central smokestack drew the heat along under bothpans r which Were houSed in large barn-Hlte sheds equipped with ventilabars along the ridge to allow the steam to escape. Next were the salt storage sheds where the fresh salt was dumped before being shovelled into barrels for ship- ment. Nearby was the pump house and the brine-Storage tanks, the cooper shop were the barrels were made and wagon sheds and stables for the many horses re- quired. Down in the corner by the creek and the Huron Road stood the busy sawmill with its log storage yard, engine house and stave and heading mill where materials for barrels were sawn and shaped for barrels from lum- ber not good. enough for construction purposes. In addition to , these buildings connected with the production of salt were the farm buildings, the office and store, eight or ten houses built along the Huron Road and the long piles of four- foot wood required to boil the brine. The fires burned night and day and the daily requirement was from seven to ten cords depending on the quality of the wood. in its heyday, during the 1880's and 90's, over one hundred men were employed and the daily production of salt amounted to 50 barrels of fine salt and 20 of coarse. The manufacture of salt was rather a simple process. Water soaking into the rock salt made a brine. which was pumped to the surface and allowed to run into the pans Where the heat evap- orated the water and left the salt which was raked unto drying boards, then shovelled into two- wheeled dump • carts and moved to the storage sheds. Fine salt was produced where the' fire was the hottest. Only two kinds of salt were made at Stapleton,-fine, and coarse. Both were shipped in standard barrels weighing 280 pounds each. Getting these heavy barrels of salt to the railroad presented a problem. Only two or three barrels were hauled to a platform at the top of the short but steep Stapleton hill. From there ten or a dozen could be hauled to the station in Clinton. Less. than half a mile away the railroad passed the salt works, but a wide river valley separated them. After considerable con- sultation w ith the railway they agreed to put in a switch opposite the plant and -amply the steel rails• if the Sal. ,tnpanY would build, the connect.. tramway. In 1871 a ontract was let to Stephens.,1 to build this 4 required tramway of hewn elm10 to 12 inch "A" frames, 25 feet high and spaced 24 feet apart across the eighth of a mile river valley. Three-inch hemlock planking made the roadway across the top of the framework. It took some training to get horses to pull the freight cars across this high trestle, but It was a gr6at convenience. When cord- wood for firing became scarce, coal was substituted and a loco- motive looked like a stroll boxcar but, complete with smokestack, bell and whistle did the job well. Before the advent of automobiles a popular Sunday afternoon outing for the Clinton young people was to walk down the railroad to Stapleton, cross over the tram- way and return to town on the wooden sidewalk which had been built all the way from Clinton to the salt works for the conven- ience of the workmen who made the journey twice a day. Soon after the salt works got going John Ransford, Richard's brother, came opt to assist him. John built a house on the south side of the... Huron Road and together they managed the business for their father. After his death the brothers formed a partnership which lasted until 1907 when Richard moved into Clinton. John then moved into the old home on the bank of the river and carried on the business alone. • By 1915 the demand for salt was mainly in package form and the sales of the well-known "Stapleton Patent Factory Fil- led" salt in barrels declined until fewer than 20 men were employed, Finally, in 1918 the works closed down, buildings and machinery were sold and moved spring„fl9ods took out' the picturesque old triThway and within a year or two alnloSt all trace of this once thriving indus- try had disappeared. --H. S. Turner, Goderich - Huronview Pa pier Recalls Story of Stapleton Salt Works THIS IS THE TIME TO BOOK FERTILIZER REQUIREMENTS FOR FALL PLOWDOWN AND PASTURE APPLICATION • Tulip Bulbs Now in Stock SEAFORTH FARMERS ARNOLD STINNISSEN Life — Health and Accident — Registered Retirement Pensions — income Tax Deductable Registered Retirement Annuities Sun Life 'Assurance Company of Canada - TELEPHONE 527-0410 117 GODERICH ST. EAST — SEAFORTH • • •