The Wingham Advance-Times, 1954-07-28, Page 2-VRga Wu The Wingham WeunvsUay, 4uiy -4», 1904 "’
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First Local Survey Made
In 1852-4 — Town Plot
The government surveyed the Wing
ham Town Plot within the years 1852’:
54, laying out an area one and one-
quarter miles square, bounded on the
north by the "B” Line, on the south
by the Turnberry-Wawanosh bound
ary line, on the east by Josephine
Street and on the west by the line on
which Benson Cruickshank’s farm is
now located.
The survey naturally included both
sides of the Maitland River, the sup
position being that the surveyors had
visions of timber and other commodi
ties being sent down the river to -God
erich. It was later deemed advisable
to take in more territory and the sur
vey was extended five-eighths of a
mile to the east. The new section
proved to be highly desirable as a
residential area in later years.
The 2,000 acres which had been re
served by the government for the
MANY WINGHAM HOTELS
IN THE EARLY DAYS
By W. J. Fleuty
In this day, when the Canada Tem
perance Act has been in force in
Huron County for some years, it
seems almost incredible to look back
to the days when hotels galore were
flourishing in every town and village
in the country.
Just imagine, if you can, the fact
that in the earliest days of* the set
tlement in this section of Huron
County, almost before Wingham was
known, the lively village of Zetland,
all laid out in streets and boasting
a post office, general stores and saw
mill, included two hotels.
There were at least seven licensed
hotels in Wingham, namely: Exchange
on the south-west corner of Josephine
and Victoria Streets; Royal, in a
three-storey frame building where the
Canadian Bank of Commerce now
stands; Brunswick House; Queen’s;
National, on the site now occupied
by Wingham Motors; British Hotel,
north-east corner of Josephine and
Alfred Streets; Dinsley House, now
townsite because of its water facilities,
so necessary to industry at that time,
was surveyed into half acre, six acre
and ten acre lots. According to Mrs.
Flaxton, an early resident, the land
was not thrown open for sale until
about i860.
Because the government had laid
out a “town plot” most settlers be
lieved it was the place to make their
homes and that there was little doubt
that it would soon grow into a thriv
ing community and remain so. With
this thought iri mind many newcomers
settled on the plot at an early date,
and Lower Wingham, as we know it
today, began its growth.
Second Village
By the year 1863 there was talk of
another village opening up a scant
half mile away. Little did the resi
dents think at that time, that in a
few short years, the new village, or
Upper Wingham, would become the
more important of the two.
The late Albert Snell stated that
when he came to Wingham in 1864
Upper Town had a population of
about 200, while Lower Wingham had
250 or more. We find that in 1879 it
was estimated that Upper Wingham
had nearly 3,000, while Lower Town
claimed a total of about 500. We later
found that the 3.000 figure was slightly
'exaggerated.
Beaver Lumber Company,
Proprietorship of these hotels
changed hands so frequently that it
would be impossible to enumerate the
landlords, but perhaps the best re
membered would be John Dinsley of
the Dinsley House, Benjamin Leary
of the British Hotel; Lyle Hanson of
the National; the Roes, father and
son, of the Queen’s and later Jack
Swarts; John Dulmage of the Bruns
wick and Caleb Griffin of the Ex
change,
Lower Wingham, in its better days,
had two hotels.
Remaining members of the hotel
families are Miss Norma pinsely, a
patient in Wingham General Hospi
tal, Mrs. Ella Bond, Minnie Street
and daughter of Benjamin Leary, and
Mrs. May Swarts Johnston, Shuter
Street.
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"7“
The past 96 years have brought a great manV changes to
the town of Wingham. In 1858 th‘e only building’ was ,a log tavern
standing on the present site of the Oiieen’s Hotel, at the north-
west corner of Josephine and John Streets. Our present main
thoroughfare was a track between the stumps and mudholes.
Those were the days when daily mail service, telephone,
electric light, rail, mottfr and air travel were neither thought of
nor greatly needed, The pioneer toiled from daybreak to darkness
at the clearing of his land and in the long interval .since that day
the ox team, the logging bees, the flail, the scythe and the grain
cradle have disappeared from the agricultural scene.
Within the town site itself the log houses of the early
days, the bush and slumps have been replaced and a thriving oom?
niunity has grown up through the years. Much of this advance
ment'is due to the energy of the early residents of Wingham; the-
erection of our beautiful churches, our schools and our fine hos
pital are only a few of the accomplishments which had their origin-
with those who have gone before.
In assembling the material for this issue we realize that4
we have not been able to cfo proper justice to all those who have-
labored for the betterment' of the town. We are quite aware that
some of our readers may be disappointed when they fail. to. finch
, mention of ancestors or old friends. However, the time we have
been able to. devote to this issue has been all too short, and we have
made every effort to cover the'historical background as thoroughly
as possible. • \\
On this 75 th. anniversary of the incorporation of the
Town of Wingham it- is ouHvery great pleasure to welcome back
home the many former residents who are with us for the occasip.ni
It is our sincere hope that this Anniversary Edition of The Ads-
vance-Times will prove a. real pleasure to those whose memorjeS'
take them back to earlier days . . . and that it will provide.- a-,
picture of the town's childhood for those younger folks* who w$l.
shortly assume the responsibility of* their heritage-here.
Edward Farley, Wingham's First Settler
Was Colorful Figure Of Early Days
Hotel Brunswick Popular for Long Time
Erected in 1880, the Brunswick Hotel has been providing hospitality
for. more than 70 years. Early accounts of the business life of Wing
ham speak in glowing terms of the service provided and. the fine
table set. The picture above, taken many years ago, indicates some
of the changes which have been made in the intervening years.
Edward Farley was an Irishman
who had lived in Owen Sound before
starting out for the Wingham Town
Plot in the'early spring of 1858. He
was. then 40 years of ago.
He travelled by water to Colling
wood, thence by the Northern Rail
way to Toronto, Grand Trunk to
Stratford, and then by wagon as far
as he could go, which was Bodmin,
shown on early maps as a small settle
ment in Morris Township about two
I and a quarter miles east of Belgrave.
I When he reached Blyth, his
I “freighters” were very annoyed with
the terrible condition of the road and
abandoned him. This happened to be
on, a Sunday, but he managed to se
cure a wagon and two yokes of oxen
and with these he continued on his
journey and transported his- belong
ings to Bodmin,
Floated to. Wingham
When he finally reached Bodmin
Farley built a raft and on it floated
his possessions downstream to his
destination and land'ed at the fork
j of the- two branches of the Maitland
' River.in the.-Town.Plot) supposedly-oh
> March 17th, 1858.
Mr. Farley .immediately set- to work
to clear. land and, Jiuild a log- house,
which he. continued to live in for the
next 40 years. The site he selected
was on the main road to what is- now
Lucknow, and was located immediately
west of the, present Cecil Walpole
property.
The house was torn down about 60
years after it was built and there is
no longer any vestige of the home.
But on a little knoll, now covered
with bushes and green shrubbery
stood the house of Wingham’s first
settler.
When Farley journeyed from Owen
Sound. he paid about $100 for freight,
transportation and charges of various
kinds on about one ton of household
and farming goods.
Weather Prophet.
He was considered by all who knew
him to be a weather prophet. Bill
Fleuty, remembers the day the Irish
man entered his father’s office about
two weeks before Christmas. When
■Bill asked him what the weather was
going” to be like, Farley told him that
jf; .he .had .any. intention, of taking his
girl for a sleighride he had .better get
going because there would be no snow
at Christmastime. That year there was
a green Christmas.
Edward Farley was small of stature
but could be quite peppery in his
younger days. He is said to have re
minded people of a rooster when he
became worked up over something
and would dance up and down
while in heated argument. He shaved
his chin ‘ and let his moustache and
side whiskers grow. During such de
bates he would pluck away at the
whiskers and talk with considerable
energy in a loud voice.
One of the strangest features about
Farley was his firm belief in ghosts,
hobgoblins and other things of super
stitious nature. One day he stated that
he had' seen two hobgoblins running
along the ground, then they jumped
over the rail fence leading to the
barn and disappeared. He was cer
tainly a man of adventure or he would
never h'ave come to the Town Plot.
It must have taken a great deal of
courage for a man with such .super
stitions to travel through, and settle
in the bush. Far more, we would im-
magine, thah for a man that would
realize a wild turkey as such and not
a hobgoblin.
Remember Katie?
Farley’s first wife died in 1877, in
dicated by his purchase that year of a
plot in the Wingharii Cemetery. Later
he married Katid (or Kitty) $ tall,
straight Irishwoman, who made no
bones about telling people she mar
ried Ed, because he promised her a
set of china.
Farley himself seems tot have been
a rather quiet man in his later years,
staying fairly close to his home.
Many townspeople claimed that they
had never seen him. Katie, however,
was another person! Ask any of the-
older residents and they all remem
ber her clearly.
She was- bpjn oh the 12th of. July,
First Frame House
A piopppr of Wingham, Charles
Lloyd* arrived in 1866 from near Sim’
coe, Norfolk County, a member of
ap Empire Loyalist family■ He brought
his family by stage from Clinton. His
son, A. E. Lloyd, who will be well
remembered by some here, was then
only three years old.
Mr. Lloyd built the first frame
house in Wingham, all previous houses
having been built of logs. Jt was situ
ated on Leopold Street where Mr
Thomas Thompson now resides.
Charles Lloyd wps the founder of
the firm of C. Lloyd and Sons- He
was prominent in the Methodist
Church, having been a teacher of the
Bible class, assistant superintendent
of the Sunday School and a member
of the official board.
Friends Work Together
Coming to Wingham with Mr. C.
Lloyd in 1866 was George Blackwell,
a- plasterer by trade. These men had
been staunch friends and at no time
was, friendship such an asset as in
the pipneer days.
Nothing came easily at that time.
The .occupations of Mr. Lloyd, carpen
ter and Mr. Blackwell, plasterer, were
often combined and through the years
they helped each other and remained
steadfast friends. Cash was scarce and
they usually found themselves re
compensed for their labors with such
items as harris or other farm produce.
Mr. Blackwell lived on the B line
where Mr. and Mrs. Reg DuVal now
reside. He was a valued member of
the Primitive Methodist Church when
it existed in Wingham.
and every year she joined the “Walk”
with the Orangemen, whether they
wanted her or. not; She frequented the
bars and was known to* walk uptown
for her bottle in the morning and re
turn the. same evening- for a- second:
The- more she. drank the taller, she;
grew and the straighter, she walked.
It is said that she could1 walk the
cracks in the bridge without falter
ing when she had had a good day.
Katie always carried a. bi^ black
umbrella, and after she had spent a
little time at the bar people were
more than cautious of what they said
to her for fear of: getting the business
end of the umbrella, which she, had
no qualms about using.. She also car
ried a little wicker basket with a. lid,
which was just the- right size to hold-
a bottle of whiskey, and'used express
ly for that purpose.’
Edward Farley died on February- 14f
1897. Of the, man who was the? first
settler in Wingham, the Times had
only this to say. in the form, of ar^
obituary, buried with, small? matters
of the day: • .
“An-old landmark- in the person, of<
Edward Farley passed away early
Saturday morning. Deceased1 was the
first settler in the Town Plot. At* one
time he was in comfortable circum
stances and was known for many
years as ‘the mayor, of' Wingham!. He
was 80 years old.”
The following year Katie died. The
neighbors had not noticed the old-lady
moving, about and went to investigate.
They found her dead on. the floor on
Wednesday, March 16. She had been
uptown on Monday and. was. buried'
on Thursday. Her obituary notice was
as minute as her husband’s, and the
only comment made was that a fa
miliar figure would..be missed,
Town; Was. First
Named: Windham.
The origin of-the name of.1 this-town
seems more than a bit-confused; There
is a story that it. was-, derived from
two Indian words meaning, “where
the eagle of the lofty* wing makes, its-
home”.
However, it seems more- likely that
the town was named after a, place by
the same name in England.
Still another account tells- of,- the,
original name being “Windham”, a.
change being made when it was later
found that another Ontario centre had
used the name first
While I am prepared to furnish all
the necessaries for ftmerals and at
tend personally night and day where
my services are required, and will be
undersold by none, I Afrish it under
stood distinctly that I have no ad
vance agents out enquiring after
deaths as is being} done- by- some in
this town. I consider such actions Uhu
becoming to the undertaking profes
sion. S. Gracey, undertaker on Main
Street. —Ad 1889.
LIJHrtlllJ 1UL11 II HU
PIONEERWEMASTER
There appears to ba some difficulty
ip determining the exact; year that
Fdward Foley Qame to Wingham. It
was either I859 or •18G0' and came
from the settlement of Marnoch,
where he had operated a store.
He erected a frame building here,
which he used as both.dwelling and
store. It is generally believed that the
building stood on the corner of Jose
phine and Victoria Streets, facing the
former, but we are inclined to be
lieve that while he later settled there,
it was not the location of his first
building.
In” an old fije of'1888, we find the
following: "The first store was oper
ated by Edward Foley on the site of
the present fine Beaver block (Edig-
hoffer’s). Subsequently used as a
hotel, this building was removed apd
is still partially used as a pottery ”
The pottery referred to in the above
was operated by James Tpit *and still
active in 1888.
In letters from early settlers it is
stated that the first' ' dwelling
and store was later enlarged to liotel
size and was known as' the Com
mercial Hotel. John'Hanha superin
tended the renovation of this building
to a hotel which was later sold to Mr.
Griffin.
In 1861 a son was born to Mr. and
Mrs. Foley, the first baby' boy born
in Wingham. Edward Foley was the
first postmaster, the post office being
located in his store.
Josephine Street looking south from John Street when horse and buggy-
was still means of travel Note the verandah :oh the John Street side
of Queen’s Hotel.
< WELCOME FRIENDS
TO WINGHAM'S
BIRTHDAY PARTY
WALDEN BROS.
TRANSPORT
i WINGHAM RIPLEY TORONTO