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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1954-07-28, Page 3A. Snell, Early Resident Recalled Childhood Here Ml SiMl who died in To- Edighoffers or Welwood's Variety Mp, QhlW ip wrote scweral ar- Store is today located. The sidewalk tialeaaR„timea past of his recollections was erected on stilts or posts four of; pally- Whigham* He was a son of | feet above the street level. Old-timers op©. p,f the. very early settlers, John tell how they would crawl along under Su'ph,. a, cpptfaptor by trade who died J the raised sidewalks of town when harp, jp. igsgr. Albert Snell was horn in Dqndesbp.rp, and with his family, mpyed. from that Place to Wingham in.1$$* Upper Wingham at that time had* a population Of 200 and Dower Wiagham- bad 250 oy more, Jqsephjn© street had not been de­ veloped from Cornyn’s log tavern at the, corners of Josephine and John Streets, south to Cassel's Hill, the first farm south of Wingham at this time. Ay log causeway was the road b.ed, filled in from four to twenty feet in depth, Mr. Snell remembered getting down on his knees to drink from a pool .in the spot about where Howson & Howson’s feed store is today* A ehum of his got down for a drink as’WIr. ,Sne)l got up,, fell in, the pool and was drowned, Thqre was swimming from the present Earl’s Men’s Wear to Dunlop’s Shoe Store. A couple of planks with cleats fast­ ened on provided steps or a bridge over the pool in front of the Exchange Hotel on. the south-west comer of Josephine, and Victoria Streets,/The men could always walk in but often rolled or fell out, He could also re­ member the stale smell of' beer and cigar smpfce,. that came from behind ' the swinging dqors. First Sidewalk The first .sidewalk in Wingham was erected on the west side of Josephine Street, from Mason's to about where J— I the raised sidewalks of town when they wore youngsters and gather up any stray coins that Plight have fallen through the crae.k.s of the board walks. At the time of the erection of the first,sidewalk, the east side of Jose­ phine Street was without buildings of any kind. That entire section was a gully, reaching the depth of 40 to 50 feet nt the present Bank of Com­ merce site, This was known as the "frdg pond”. , The main road to Lower Wingham In the early ’60’s was by way of John Street from Josephine, down John to the river and thence south on Arthur to Victoria and west over the bridge to Helena Street. Indians Camped In the early 70’s a number of In­ dian families would come up from Brantford, camping on the "B” Line on the river hank. They made baskets, axe handles, moccasins and bows and arrows. These they sold to the towns­ people. Mr. Snell recalled that one year' they brought an 8-piece band and on Saturday evenings gave con­ certs in the Square for the entertain­ ment of .local residents. The Indians also peddled quarters of deer meat, selling same for 75c to $1,50 per quarter. Sunday .Was Sunday Amos Tipling’s father drove town with his sleigh one Sunday ning about 10 a.m. and on not being able to find the iperchants in their i from into mor- ««fc i z F ■ * piawo ui mquimu fivm sev oral citizens what the reason might be. He was finally assured that it was Sunday morning so he unhitched his team and left the sleigh and con­ tents behind and went back to the farm. When he returned he had a little difficulty in convincing his wife that it was the Sabbath, but when he finally succeeded in doing so she re-, moved her bread dough from the oven and threw it out. In tlie late 60's a lot of Dower Cana­ dians would come up to this vicinity to cut timber. The logs were combined into rafts at the,point where Scott Street and Josephine Street join, and When the spring floods came the raffs were floated down the river to. God­ erich. Caledonian Society Held Scottish The first annual gathering ofThe first annual gathering of the Caledpniap Society was held in Sep-, timber of 1885, Thivty-five hundred people witnessed the games. Deading athletes of Canada and some from the United states attended the games. Some of, the events Included in this big affair we- putting the stones, throwing the hammer, tossing th© eaber, pibroch; there were marches, reels, highland fling, and sword dances, archery, quoits and various races. " , Several local citizens were napied with the winners, some of these being, Thomas Beecroft, Donald Gaunt, John Wilson, Murdoch Fleming, John Ellis, Ajigus McCormick, Thomas Scott, Milton Snell, Annie English and Jos. Hurtibese, Josephne Street looking south from John dt.,'' in early 70’s before Mason Block erected. Raised sidewalk on west side/ started about where Pardon’s Dadies’ Wear is today. SERVING WINGHAM I The Wingham Electric System was started in the year* 1891 by Mr. Walter Green. The first generating plarit’WaS installed In the 1 building now owned by Fry & Blackhall. A few open arc lamps •constituted |he first lighting equipment. ‘ I A few years later Mr. Green moved the lighting plant to the ‘site occupied by the present plant. This first plant consisted of a combined steam and water-wheel equipment?. In the year 1903 Mr. Green sold the electric'system to the Corporation of Wingham, and at this time many radical changes were made in the generating and distribution system. The old single phase system was replaced by a modern three phase, sixty cycle system. The generating plant was entirely remodelled, new water-wheels and'new engines being installed. In the year 191£ the Wingham Electric System, was placed under a.commission,’and at this time the commission, inaugurated twenty-four hour service. The Commission carried on for a few t years .-when the system was given, a place under the control of the ’ Corporation council. . ■ During- the First World War the demand for'power became so great and the cost of fuel became so high that .the municipality undertook a vigorous campaign to have Hydro power come to Wingham. This campaign reached its consummation in the year 1920, and the outcome of it was the installation of Hydro power. In that year the entire system was placed under the control of the Commission. Hydro power in Wingham has displaced practically every type of prime motor that was in existence here at the time Hydro was installed, From this modest, beginning the Wingham .Public Utilities Commission has developed, and we now have a plant and distribu­ tion system valued at $200,000.00 as well as an equity' of $112,000.00 in the LTydro-IXlectric Power Commission of Ontario. As out system developed the rates for electricity became con­ sistently cheaper. The Public Utilities Commission1 iff proud to have served Wingham for over 50 years, and will continue to serve the town to the beskof its abilities.* I wingham J. Ip th© summer of 1856 John Cornyn and his family, in which there were three sons, William, Thomas and Ro­ bert, arrived in Turnberry Township and settled on lot 4, concession 1. Pre­ vious-to their arrival in'this district they had resided in 'Perth. Couifty, ; In 1858. th©.Cornyns settled in Wing­ ham. and: th© following year, built th© first publi© house in the. place, where, th© Qdee.n’s Hotel now stands, on the corner of John and Josephine Streets. The structure was of logs and when it* was tom down in 1865 the present building Wfts erected. Known ©s th© King William Hotel, additions wer© made. from, time to time. In the early years the building had a. verandah running full length of the hotel on both streets. This was later torn down, when a by-law was passed stating that-obstructions on town pro­ perty had to be removed. There was also an outside- pump that nearby residents used at will for securing drinking water. In 1885 a notice was pjaced over the ppmp to the effect that people using the.pump would in future be charged 25c per week. In the early days the building proper did-not extend as far north as it does today, th© remaining, pprtion of the land being occupied by a stable. Over the stable was a hall and in the his­ tories of ©ome -of the churche© there mention o,f this; hall- as a meeting place, ■ i . . * ■ Thej'e is a..rather amusing story told about John andJMary Cornyn, to the effect that they were, married at a very early age, Follpwing their mar­ riage, with their dinners packed in a basket, they attended public school. Mr. Cornyn died ip 1868. The. Queen’s Hotel is now owned by Mrs. Taylor and operated by Andy Scott, and-two years-ago the. building was faced with Perm©stone, which added- greatly to its appearance, Tjie WmghMfi WwiwdAy/ Jpj,y 4wMi rage Three Dr. Garnier Opened First Office at Zetland The first doctor that anyppe scam? tq remember was Dr, Garnier, He had been a doctor in th© American Army before coming to Zetland, where he had an office, a mere hut Qu the west bank of the Maitland River. He later moved to Lucknow when that town began its growth and for some tim© looked after the whole area from Lucknow to Wingham. There are many stwdes about Dr. Garnier, and it would seem that he had rather a gruff disposition. He was a rugged Scotsman and early resident© reealled^hat he sopjetimes walked his rounds and -would be seep enter­ ing and leaving Lower Win^bam to return to Lucknow in the same d©y. He wore a red fox skin around hi© neck in cold weather and children gazed at him in awe because of the report that he ate frogs and ■ sw&re roundly at his patient©. From all’ th© tales that have been circulated taboul him in the past, to the latter. There is also the doctor that it is true, rounds in date but day© Zetland, he what it is worth. At this lata we don't swear that it certainly made the .gene by. While hp was still found, one day that his whiskey bottle which ha hept on, th© shelf with medi­ cines, seemed somewhat depleted on his Dr. his he the was full left DR. TWQS. CHWOLM we have no doubt' as another story about readers can tahe.for return from his professional calls, Garnjer never locked the door of office when ha left the place and figured that he had had an un­ invited caller in his absence. He made mental note of the contents of bottle for a few days and then certain that it was net quite as when he returned as when he the hut. He put a dose of strychnyne in tpe '.wpiskey and th& nekf tima he cam©, back-he. fppnd a dead, man be­ side th© rjy©A The viptiip . was a stranger, ijj these WF thought to. he a tramp,.1 ReWA© buped With np ques­ tions. asked. PUBLIC Thos. Holmes Noted For Fine Speeches t ■ The subject of this brief sketch'was an Irishman. He came to Wingham in its earliest days from Toronto, where he had been engaged on the editorial staff of The Deader, the first daily paper in panada that dealt with financial business. He took a keen.in­ terest in the municipal affairs of the town. He was specially gifted as ap after dinner speaker, with, his .Irish w.it:an,d humor. For several years he. and' a Scotsman named George McKay, an­ other Wingham resident, were pot op speaking terms. ■ Mr, McKay, was leaving Wingham for Winnipeg, and a farewell banquet,was held, in the town hall in his honor. Mr, Holmes accepted an invitation to be present. Daudatory addresses ware being made respecting the activities in municipal affairs of the town. ThenTJr. Holmes was-called on. Those present sat back in their'chairs' in an expectant, frame of mind, looking for an oratorical treat. Mr. Holmes’ address was short and certainly was a surprise to thos© present. Addressing th© chairman this, was his entire speech: “When a man. dies or leaves the country, they all. speak well of him.” Brevity; is des­ cribed as the soul of wit. Ths, dpctpy q©hg|itqd in frightening children, apd on© man remembered that when h© WAS. A. bdy, he, m.et Dr. Garnier, on the. bridge ip Lower Wing­ ham, H© was aimpst, scared of. his skjn when, the, dqotPF wrapped his whil> arpupcl ths boy’s -bpdy three times, and finally let him go, With such stories as those, it i© not- surprising that children gazed at him in a\ye> if. they waited long enough to., gaze. 'Those, that Followed,- In l£65..Dr, Shrigley, who. came from the United States, located here. Re practised a y©ry short, time, however, having, tq, return to. hi© own country to finish hi© medical-course. We., firid-, later referepp.es to, a. Dr. Shrigley and k" could b© possibl©, that he returned tp Wipgham following the tej’mlnatiqp.of hi© stpdigs, but of- this We ape., nqt. certain, Dr, Sloan wp© th© first l©gal resident doctor, of to,wp. Hg cam.© ip 1866 and lived opposite Green’s Prairje on Vic­ toria Street, H© wa© a Scotsman, apd was prominent in. th©. St, Andrew’s Socie.ty, Op. leaving her© he went to Shanghai, China. Postmaster Fish©r at one time- rec,eiyed a newspaper from that plane with, ap account of ap ad­ dress g|yen by, Dp Sloan, at a ban­ quet of. th© Sti Apdr.gw’s Society at Shanghai. He hud a; brother, Dr. Sloap of Blyth, who is remembered by many of the . residents here. 08, THUS, CJJJSB01M, Dr. Thorpa© Chisholm started his career as a school teacher and after teaching for several years was princi­ pal of the. Fergus High School. He later took up the Study of medicine and graduated in 1879, On corning to Wingham in 1886, he erected several buildings some of these being the present block; on the' north west corner of Josephine and Patrick Streets, now occupied by Thomson Appliances, th© present of­ fice, of G, Alan Will.iapjs, optometrist, and the. hops© op the n.orth-rgast cor­ ner of Bqtrjck an,d EJdw-ard Streets owned by Mrs. R, C. Redmond. Dr, Chisholm sold hi© practice to Dr, Re.dmp.nd and in 1904 contested th© East Huron Riding ip the Con- Sjeryptive iptergat©, at w-h|©h time he. was successful ip being elected. At op©, tima he put th© history of England into verse to interest the yo.ung in«whaf< was generally consider­ ed "dry study”. These verses were. Used orally ip public and. high schools of Ontario for about fifteen years. Dr. Chisholm was finally induced to have his poetry published in 1903, about 60 years after it was written. Some. un.known person or persons entered the. butcher shop of George Shaw on Tuesday evening and helped themselves to contents of the till and a quantity of meat.,—News item 1896, His municipal membership made him a member of the county council. Written about early may not be quite obituary of William hurried back to his home, grabbed his gun, returned to the spot and shot the bear. When Mr. Cornyn passed away in 1919, lm was the last of the original Cornyn family. Oysters done. Up in any style at R. Hill’s, next door to Mason's^ book­ store.—Ad 1^90. He was a member of the town coun­ cil ofaWingham and also East Wa- wanosh, and served for many years ip the capacity of justice of the peace.. His office on Josephine Street, was once pictured in the |Daily Mail as the first bank in Wingham, but this was erroneous. He did do general money loaning business in all its branches. WM. CORNYN Times Change The airplane has replace^ the horse and buggy a-s- a means of travel. But people still like to ^At stway from it all, and when they, dp^ we’re here to help them! Travel Agency Apparently there has never been any doubt that John Cornyn, with his family, were the first settlers in Upper Wingham. All the old timers say so, having heard it from, childhood. So do the various histories and stories that have been settlers here. However, this true, for in the Corpyn, it states that he was here be­ fore his father. Williaip Cornyn sterns to have ar­ rived, in Wingham in 1858 and-erected a shanty near., the present Catholic Church, In the fall he returned to his home, coming to Wingham again ih the spring With his sister, later Mrs. David Currie. While walking along Where, the. Bank of Commerce is now situated, they bad to wade, through wet slush and swamp? in their bare feet,- crouching under limbs and push* irtg, Saplings aside. As., he was Walking through the bu?h: on© day, he saw a bear about where: Wekv<>od% store is. today. He William Cornyn and his sister were soon followed by their parents, John and Mary Cornyn. Realizing the. need of an inn or plape of-accommodation for travellers who Would soon begin to arrive, they built a log tavern where the Queen’s Hotel now stands. ) William was a sturdy pioneer, high­ ly respected, and thoughtful of his fellow man. He. was known to take his axe and cut wood, for those Who were unable to do so, apd then slip away quietly without haying been noticed. Serving Wingham And District IN — DRY CLEANING TAILORING MEN’S FURNISHINGS , READY-MADE CLOTHING