HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1954-07-28, Page 13Mr. C. J. Reading of Blue vale, has
purchased the grocery business of Mr,
H. Hiscocks and will run the express
and telegraph offices as well. —News
item 1889,
t—.
It is said that the decaying carcass
of a horse is polluting the atmosphere
near the road on the prairie. This
ought to have the immediate attention
of the authorities. —News item 1888.
Lower Wingham Fought Hard
Against Municipal Incorporation
NO WHISKERS ON US!
One of the younger businesses in town, we
haven’t much to boast about in- the way of
family history.
During our brief year of business in Wing
ham, however, we hope we have at least
started to build a tradition, in the children’s
clothing field, for honest values and courte
ous service.
FAIRYLAND
A YOUNG BUSINESS
FOR THE YOUNG FOLK
During the year 1877 an effort was
made to incorporate Wingham as a.
town, A special act was prepared and
submitted to Parliament but was, de
feated by strenuous opposition from
the inhabitants of Lower Wingham.
The area had Lower Town been
included, would have been great
er than the Municipal Act would allow,
unless a portion of the present cor
poration to the northward were left
out, This latter section was consider
ed to be more valuable than the low
lands adjacent to the north and south
branches of the Maitland River.
The battle went on until steps were
again taken in 1878, which proved
successful and the proclamation of
the Lieutenant-Governor,' incorporat
ing Wingham as a town, was in due
course issued and bore the date Octo
ber 6th, 1878.
The clerk of the municipality, B.
Flynn, had succeeded Mr. Hayward
on his removal from Wingham in 1877.
The treasurer was John Dickson; as-
sesor, Joseph Young; collector and
chief constable, James Davidson; and
the auditors were John Williams and
Robert Mclndoo.
Clerk B, Flynn issued a proclama
tion as to a correct statement of votes
polled for the several candidates at
the municipal election for members
T. L. JOBB
Mr. Job was one of the early settlers
in Wingham, coming from Turnberry
Township in 1863. He went into part
nership with James Graham in the
blacksmithing and carriage business
and was member of the first council.
Congratulations
We Salute Our Good Neighbors
In Wingham On The Occasion
Of Their 75th Anniversary
We trust that the goodwill and pleasant relations of
nearly half a century may continue through the years.
Corporation of the Township
TURNBERRY
J. V. FISCHER, Reeve GEO. THOMSON, Clerk
Councillors
HERB FOXTON HARRY MULVEY
A. D. SMITH • . J. W. WILLITS
of council on the 6th day of January,
1879.
The mayor, Benjamin Willson, had
been elected by acclamation. Dr, Peter
Macdonald was elected reeve with a
majority of ten votes over Mr. Brace
and the councillors elected were John
Neelands, J. Ritchie, R. M. Robinson,
H. Lemmex, T, L. Jobb, G. McKay,
Thomas Bell, W. Kerr, L. Kinne, W,
W. Inglis, W. McClymont and G. Mc-
Kibbon. B. Flynn was the returning
officer.
Financial Statement
The financial statement for the pre
vious year showed total receipts of
$9,948.09 with expenditures of $9,903.28.
Of the receipts $5,989. had been levied
in taxes; $2,184.77 received from the
sale of market debentures and $502.92
from fines and licenses.
The expenditures consisted of $578.37
for county rate; $4,275.14 for school;
$2,258.00 for purchase of market
grounds; $1,498.38 for local improve
ments; $482.76 for charity and $601.45
for interest on debentures. There was
a balance on hand of $44.81 at the
time of incorporation.
Assets of the town included a pub
lic cemetery consisting of ten acres
of land just beyond the limits to the
northwest, purchased in 1876 for $1000.
on which nearly $2,000 had been ex
pended; market, property and lock-up
$2,600; public school, $11,000 exclusive
of grounds; the old school property
estimated at $2,000,
Liabilities were within $21,000 and
were made up almost entirely of un
paid balances of debentures given in
aid of the two branches' of the Great
Western Railway, the southern ex
tension of the Wellington, Grey and
Bruce division and the Lake Huron
and Buffalo division, except the mar
ket and school debentures issued just
previous to 1879.
The above two railroads gave Wing
ham unsurpassed facilities of com
munication with the outside world. To
the northwest, Kincardine, one of the
principal ports on the Canadian side
of Lake Huron, was 28 miles distant.
Palmerston, the junction of the main
line of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce
was 28 miles eastward and London,
74 miles to the south.
Growth of Wingham
Until the agitation for the building
of the railroads, Wingham had been
slow to progress. The impetus given
by this movement was astonishing
since during the period of its growth,
not only Canada, but the United States
as well, had been undergoing a com
mercial depression. At the time that
Wingham was incorporated as a vil
lage in 1874, the population was just
sufficient to warrant it, barely over
700. At the close of 1876 Wingham had
increased to over 2000 and by the
time of incorporation it was estimated
that there were 3000 exclusive of
Lower Wingham.
The town had become an important
centre of trade while the manufactur
ing interests were rapidly increasing.
There were Peter Fisher and Emman
uel Rockey’s grist mills; a foundry
and agricultural works operated by
R. M. Robinson on the corner of Vic
toria and Minnie Streets; Scott and
Bell, furniture manufacturers on Jose
phine Street; Chapman’s, J. Bren
nan and Co., and Joseph Flack’s tan
neries; Mathewson's and Inglis and
Armtrong (under construction) wool
len mills; Archibald Fisher and Little
and Watt planing mills; H. Davis,
Nickel and Dore, McClymont Bros.,
and Johnston Bros, carriage shops;
a pottery operated by E. Bradwin;
Elliott’s brickyard and another brick
yard near the present Ben Cruick-
shank farm.
There were ten dry good stores, all
of which carried other lines; two
hardware stores; three drug stores;
two banks; three tin and stove stores;
two boot and shoe stores; two jewel
lery stores; six grocery and two mil
linery shops. There were eight hotels,
three liquor stores and two liveries.
The American Express Company,
the Montreal and Dominion Telegraph
Companies had offices here and most
of the best insurance, loan and in
vestment companies were represented
by local agents.
Call on James McKelvie at the
Health Resort for the famous drink,
Boston Cream. —Ad 1889.
P, School Boys *
Organize Strike
Shoppers in Wingham as well as
the local merchant have been more
than pleased with the outcome of a
merchandising effort known as “Dol
lar Saving Days”, which have just
been completed for the third time.
However, there were big events of
this nature in years gone by.
Dollar Day was at one time a tre
mendously successful venture here
and will be recalled by many. The
Advance regularly offered a prize of
$10.00 to the person who could iden
tify a mystery shopper, known as
“Miss (Dollar” or “Mr. Dollar” as the
case may be. In order to collect the
prize money one had to observe cer
tain rules of procedure in accosting
the possible mystery shopper. A copy
of the Advance had to be held in the
left hand, and with the other hand
the suspect was to be tapped on the
shoulder and addressed with certain
prescribed words.
So popular was the event that in
1920 the boys of the public school
went on strike, carried a petition to
the homes of several trustees and
finally obtained permission from the
principal, Mr. Postliff, to have the
afternoon off. They spent the rest of
the day in a mad hunt for Miss Dol
lar. However, the prize was won by
Miss Florence Pocock at 3 p.m.
Mrs. George Young was Miss Dol
lar that year and was accosted by 30
or 40 people before one of them used
the proper procedure and was declar
ed the winner. It was said that the
streets were lined with cutters and
sleighs for these annual events.
‘Honest John’ Neelands
On 1879 Council
John Neelands came to Wingham
in 1872 from Londesboro and remain
ed here until 1898. He was engaged
in the hardware business of J. A.
Cline.
Mr. Neelands was a member of the
school board when the present public
school was erected, and a member of
the council for 13 years, serving on
that body when Wingham was
incorporated as a town in 1879,. He
was appointed mayor from 1885-86 and
it was during these years that the
Salt Block and the C.P.R. extension
were brought to town.
Mr. Neelands was also Justice of the
Peace, prominent in the Canadian
Order of Foresters, and was High
Treasurer of the Order at the High
Court, for 22 years, being known to
the members as "Honest John".
OR. MACDONALD
SPEAKER OF HOUSE
Coming to Wingham in 1872, Dr.
Peter. Macdonald was active in the
work of the Presbyterian Church. He
had an extensive practice as a physi
cian until entering Parliament in 1887
when he redeemed E. Huron in one of
the warmest contests in the history of
the riding. He was re-elected in 1891,
1896 and 1900, being defeated in the
general election, of 1904. He was de
puty speaker of the House of Com
mons d :ring the Parliament of 1900.
Dr. 1 lacdonald was recognized as
one of the leading debaters and one
of the best informed men in the
House. He was appointed postmaster
at London and moved his family there
in 1909.
Dr. Macdonald built what was call
ed the Macdonald Block ’in 1892, at
which time he moved his house from
the site to Centre Street, on the lot
immediately north of St. Paul’s Angli
can Church, the house now being oc
cupied by Dr. F. A. Parker.
The Wingliam Advance-Times, Wednesday, July 28, 1954 Page Thli
Alexander McNevin, Former
Seaman, Became Carpenter
The year 1936 saw the passing of
Alexander McNevin, one of the oldest
residents of the town at that time,
who died at the age of 97 years.
Mr. McNevin was bom in Sydney,
Cape Breton Island, of Highland par
entage. His early years were spent
as a seaman and at the age of 28 he
received his honorable discharge from
the Royal Navy, The decision to be
come a settler in Upper Canada led
him to Huron County in 1867 and he
took up land in Culrpss, where he re
sided for a few years prior to his re
moval to Wingham, where he followed
the trade of carpenter and framer. In
the year 1872 he married Isabella Fin
layson.
Mr. McNevin was noted far and
wide for his prowess with a broad axe
and a good part of his livelihood was
derived from the squaring of timbers
for the trade in Quebec, where On
tario's products were used in the
shipbuilding industry.
Josephine Street, Looking North
It s Been
A LONG TIME
Since 1§13, when the Canadian Tire Corpor
ation was first formed, the organization has
spread from one store to branches across
the country.
Wingham too, has come a long way,, from
its incorporation 75 years ago, to its present
position as one of the most progressive
towns in the Province.
We are proud to have had some share in
its progress. I
R. E. CAMPBELL
CANADIAN TIRE STORE
The Perfect Combination
THE LONDON FREE PRESS and WINGHAM ADVANCE TIMES
For Local, National and International News !
* I