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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-04-17, Page 57SEAFORTH'S TOWN -COUNCIL IN 1926 Many names that are still famillar .in Seaforth were represented in this photo of the 1926 town council, included in the picture at far right was Clerk, ' J.A.Wilson, son'of Seaforth's first reeve, D.D.Wilson and father of Dave Wilson who was town clerk for many years. Others in the photo are, back, left, G.P. Cardno, G.D.Haigh, R.G.Parke, reeve, J.W.Beattie and W.A.Crich, .front, W.E.Chapman, T.R.Smith, W.H.Golding, mayor, and Clerk Wilson. Old resident remembers Seaforth stores from 1895 1910 (By Walter Murray) I thought I would write a history of the town from 1895 to 1900, as I am the oldest born resident now living. I will start at the corner of No. 8 highway and the Main Street. I was of the opinion that it was 1878 when Seaforth became a town. The first family I will write about was the Stevens family that built the Queen's Hotel. I have heard Tom Stevens give a story. He came to Seaforth about 1866. He stopped at Harpurhey. There were two stations at that time at Seaforth and Harpurhey. The road north was a busy road at that time. Mr. Stevens bought an acre and went out to cut wood at 30c a cord. The stevens family were a good family of three girls and three boys. Mr. Stevens, Dad, they called him, was a pretty good man with his fists and a man from Hensall came to see him and had heard that he was a pretty good man. They agreed to go into a room and locked the door and started to see which was the best man. They were in the room a half hour exchanging blows with their bare hands and when they came out they were pretty well cut up. But no one even knew which was best man. There was a frame hotel on the corner in 1876, the year of the big fire. It started in the first block. They were mostly frame stores, some were brought from Harpurhey. The store where Shinen's is now is,4here the •fire stopped. ' It was a brick store. Both sides of the street were burned and a block east of the .corner was also burnt. Then the first man to start building on the east corner was William (Taylor) Campbell. He built three stores on the left corner. I remember him well. Mr. Bright bought the business about 1885. One of the stores was Robb Bros. It was a butcher and grocery store., You could buy a hind beef shank from 25c and spare ribs for 5c lb. The Huron Expositor I think was next and Jas. Jordan Grocery store. B.B.Gunn had a big grocery store on the corner. he was mayor about 1898 and became M.P. in 1904. He died in Ottawa in 1907 and was succeeded by M.Y.McLean. The next store was A.G.Ault's GrOcery store, then B.B.Gunn had a couple of stores next, I think. Then Reid and Nelson had a big hardware store. The -pool room was next with Harry Town as manager. The next store was Dopp's butcher. Mrs. Magery built Shinen's store. Then Jas. Or ayes paint and paper store. The Commerce Bank, a frame building, the new bank was built in 1904. Then the Dominion Bank and across' the street Mr. Jamieson's store with the Golden Lion on the top. Then Greig and McDonald, James Stewart Restaurant and the Sun newspaper owned by Mr. Neilands. Then the Town Hall was built in 1893. Next was , the Commercial Hotel. I remember the, old walls were shaking and Mr. Gabe Reeves said he would, go up and tie the rope at the top and was paid $5. He was a lightning rod man and when he was putting a rod on the Catholic Church tower Father Concoron asked him was he not afraid. he said "I could not fall in a better place. I would do what no man ever done, I would die al,- the foot of the cross". Mr. Keating and myself shingled the tower in 1913 and put up. a new cross. We had no ropes only a creepy. Mr. Guttexidge had the contract for building the brick and mason work on the Commercial Hotel. John Broadfoot had the contract for the woodwork. The next building was the old Bank of Commerce building with a livery stable next and the. Public Library built in 1913. The Post Office was built the same year next to Boars store. Next was the veterinary house and office. R. Clark was next. Then where the Canadian Tire is there was a skating rink. Then the Ogilvie Flour Mill, the Grip Hotel, Jonathan Miller prop., about 1904. He weighed 400 lbs. and could walk around pretty 51l. He had to have a buggy made big enough. When he died in 1909 they managed to get the coffin in the Hotel at Carlow but could not get it out so they' had to take out the door frame. There ere twelve pallbearers. The next place of business was"Robert Bell Thresher Co. and next the Woollen mill. Now I will start at the Royal Hotel. It was built by Mr. Carmichael but was burned in the big fire of '76. He built the present a year of ter. Then came Crich's store,' in business for sixty years. Mr. Carmichael built several stores next, now Whitney Furniture and Undertaker. Then Robb's Grocery and Whitney's hardware, butcher shop and Box's. Across the street was C: Aberhart's drug store, Sills & Murdies and Masons store. Next came the CArdno block of five stores built in 1878. This included McFaul's store, Stewarts store and LaWne's. Where Stewart Bros. is now was, Johnson Bros. Hardware, Georee Sills was clerk in this store before going into business himself. Frank Kling, heating and plumbing. Keating Drug Store was formerly Lumsden and Wilson. Pickard's store on the corner was a large business which moved to Calgary in 1910. Across the road was the CAdy Block. Different stores burnt in 1930. The next is Phillips Fruit store and the Kerslake feed store. Next was a foundry owned by Dr. Coleman and later a livery stable before this was Haxby's Restaurant, destroyed by fire in the 1890's. Next was an implement store and John Stewarat's blacksmith shop and next Beattie Bros, the Kennedy Butcher shop and the Dick House owned by Jas . Dick and formerly W. Hawkshaw. Next was Jas. McGinnes Block of stores. The bowling green is next. Then the C.N.R. station, now demolished, was a busy place. There used to be trains daily. Across the track was the Scott Electrical building and a number of grain elevators all along the street. Many changes have taken place on the main street. The Broadfoot and Box Furniture was the largest industry in town until it ceased operation in 1931. The Boshartqurniture- shop was where the Canadian Tire now is. It ceased operation a few years ago. I was born in Seaforth 1888, the youngest of a family of eight. Two of my brothers played football in the early 1900's playing with the Corinthians of England in 1905. They tied the Corinthians in the game. There were no cars at that time but there was hardly standing room at the Recreation Grounds when the game was played. I will ntme the members of the team. Jerry Graves was the goal tender. Others were Frank and Charlie Sills, the McDonald Bros. from Walton, McBride, Mustard, A. Bethune, E.W.Murray, Shettle, Dan McLeod and McKinnon from Clinton. They are all now deceased. A picture of them is in Phillips Bros. store. Two of my brothers played in the 33rd Battalion Band around the turn of the Century. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, APRIL 17,1975 —43