HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1954-07-28, Page 22Tajfe Twenty-two The Wingham A<lvance-TimeB, Wednesday, July 28, 1954
Mrs. Plaxton Recalled
Wingham Pioneer Days
The following information is taken i lighted in walking through the square
from letters written by Mrs. C, Pl ax- j to gather wild flowers and watch
ton, formerly Cicily Jackson, and a
daughter of T. G, Jackson, written to
the Advance-Times in 1933. Mrs. Flax
ton’s recollections of Wingham be
tween 1863 and 1880 were quite clear
and we found her information very
exact as to dates, people and places.
According to Mrs. Plaxton the name
first given to the town by an Eng
lish surveyor was Windham. It
later discovered that there was
other post office by that name
it was changed to Wingham.
In the autumn of 1863, T. G. Jack-
gon bought a lot on Helena Street
next to the river and opposite Peter
Fisher’s grist mill, for which he paid
$150, entering into a bond to erect
buildings within eighteen months or
forfeit the land. The house was built
on the property at a cost of $5,000 and
the family moved into it on January
18, 1865. This structure housed Mr.
Jackson’s store as well as living quar
ters with a room upstairs over the
kitchen and pantries, set aside for re
ligious meetings and known as the
“Upper Room”. There was a large ver
andah running across the front
down both sides of the house, ,
Sources of Pleasure
Mrs. Plaxton described the beauty
of the market square which was
thickly wooded with maple, ash, elm
and birch. Low hawthorne trees grew j the beauty, but the sawdust drove the
along the river bank. The children de- I speckled trout from the stream.
was
an-
and
Wingham Post Office
birds.
The river, too, was a constant
to youngsters. They fished under
bridge, waded in the shallows, and
searched the pebbly shore for crabs'
claws, clam shells and pretty pebbles
or stretched out on Fisher’s bridge
with head over the edge to watch
the trout and chub hovering over their
nests. They would often see mud tur
tles basking in the sun.
The fishes’ nests were shaped like
a plaque and beautifully formed of
small stones of uniform size, laid out
in regular tiers from centre to cir
cumference. On summer nights the
ripple and wash of the river lulled the
children to sleep.
In the winter the grist mill ran day
and night except Sunday. Some of the
residents of Lower Wingham used to
waken at midnight on Saturday when
the click clack of the mill ceased until
after the Sabbath.
More Beauty, Less Fish
East of the grist mill and woollen
mill on Helena Street was Archie
Fisher’s sawmill and lumber yard, oc-
; cupying several acres. The sawdust
‘was dumped into the river and drift-
1 ing down the main stream formed
(small banks on the river's edge. In
[two or three years these banks were
covered with iris, adding greatly to
i the beauty, but the sawdust drove the
Edighoffer's Store Is Today
Prior to the year 4861 the people master in 1867 and his sisters, Misses
of Wingham had to go to Zetland to Kate and Margaret Fisher acted as
get their mail. In the above year a deputy postmistresses for many years,
post office was established here with * For a short time when they took over
Edward Foley as postmaster. The first j their duties, the post office was lo-
office was located in a building that ’
stood on the present Edighoffer store Victoria and Helena Streets in Low-
site, and was later moved to the cor-1 er Wingham. This corner has long
ner of Josephine and Victoria Streets.
At this time mails were received tri
weekly from Clinton and once a week
from Zetland and Teeswater.
1II. MUSGROVE WAS
POSTMASTER, M.P.P.
A. H. Musgrove came to Turnberry
Township from Pickering Township
with his parents in 1858. He obtained
his teacher’s certificate at the age of
seventeen and in 1873 was engaged
as teacher at what is commonly call
ed Holmes’ School. He became princi
pal of the Wingham Public School in
1889, where he was also in charge of
the continuation department in later
years until the erection of the present
high school.
In 1897 Mr. Musgrove was chosen
director of the Public School [Depart
ment at the Provincial Teachers’ As
sociation held in Toronto.
He was elected Conservative mem
ber for North Huron to the Ontario
Legislature in 1908, at which time he
resigned his duties at the public school
in the interests of politics. He carried
on in the political field as member of
North Huron until $18 when he ac
cepted the office of postmaster for
Wingham, which position he held until
his death in 1940,
While in the Legislature Mr, Mus
grove was a keen debater and was a
member of the committee which for
mulated the Workmen’s Compensation
Act.
He took a great interest in all af
fairs pertaining to the town and work-
Wingham Kinette Club
’ One pf the enterprising organiza
tions of Wingham is the Kinette Club,
which was formed in 1950 under the
sponsorship of the Goderich Kinette
Club.’ ’ The officers elected at that
time were as follows:
President, Joyce Heal; vice-presi
dent, Lois Hamilton; secretary, Ethel
Spry; treasurer, Audrey Heid; regis
trar, Norma Hopper and publicity
convener, Velma Scott.
The Kinettes are an energetic group
and have taken a keen interest in the
welfare of the community. In the past
four years they have donated several
hundred dollars to various causes, not
to mention the time and energy ex
pended by the members,
A stretcher with a rubber mattress
has been given to the hospital as well
childKaa’s clothing and toys for the
Children’s ward. Two hospital beds
were donated to the Kinsmen Club*
$200 for Kinsmen Welfare and $250
for the wading pool. A yearly scholar*
ship of $100 is giyen to a Grade 13
girl with the highest marks and do*
nations are made annually to the Sal*
vatjon Army and TB Seal Fund.
nations have also been made to such
funds as flood relief, Canadian Cancer
Society, Hospital Auxiliary and other
worthwhile causes, Christmas baskets
are packed and the members ’do hospi-
tai sewing.
The present officers of the Kinette
Club are: President, Velma Scott; yice
president, Edith Walker; secretary,
Jean Ellacott; treasurer, Jane Burke; ,
registrar, Joyce Gardiner; historian,
Evelyn Crawford; 'bulletin editor,
Edith Walker.
11
cated on the south-east corner of
Peter Fisher was appointed post-
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In 1880, one year after Wingham was incorporated
as a town, John Hanna started a General Store on
the present site of Hanna’s Men’s Wear. The business ,
grew and prospered, making the. name of Hanna
famous throughout the district and contributing in no
small degree toWingham’s present stature as a shop*
ping centre.
I
As a business almost as old as the town Hanna’s is
proud to welcome back former Wingham people to the
75th Anniversary.
Now as in the past 74 years, people rely on Hanna’s to
be “Dressed in their Sunday Best”.
9
earnestly for the establishment ofed
the hospital here. For many years he
was town auditor.
As a teacher, Mr. Musgrove was al
ways interested in his pupils and fol
lowed their activities down through
the years, taking joy in their achieve
ments.
He was an active member of the
United Church and was the first to
be made a life member of the session.
He was interested in sports, being
active in the bowling club and in his
earlier days in ball,
being the
Dr. Chis-
clock was
large 800 lb. bell was made of
copper and zinc. On the table
the bell was a 25 lb. gong
struck, worked by a striking
since been cut back and the actual
site of the post office is now in the
centre of the road.
From this place it was moved to
Victoria Street and was situated where
the Misses Marjory and Margaret
Fisher now reside, on the north-east
corner of Victoria and Leopold Streets.
Still later it was removed to Jose
phine Street, about where William
Clark's plumbing shop is today, and
in 1898 the post office became located
in the Macdonald Block.
Present Building
The present building was erected on
property formerly owned by Benjamin
Willson. Thomas Gregory had pur
chased the front portion of the lot,
with the intention of erecting store
buildings. It is said that he had the
foundation in for three stores when
the site was chosen for the post office.
Work -commenced on the excavation
in October, 1904, but the building,
which cost the Dominion government
$30,800, was not occupied until Janu
ary 1907. The contractor was S. S.
Cooper of Clinton, who sub-let con
tracts for some of the work. The in
terior walls were finished in wood
fibre plaster and the floors and wain
scotting were of natural wood. The
second floor was fitted up for the
occupancy of Peter Fisher and his
family,, and there was an attic 38x50
feet. Commodious quarters were sup
plied for the customs department, Mr.
Henry Davis at that time
Collector of Customs.
Tower Clock
Through the efforts of
holm, M.P. for E. Huron, a
secured for the post office and was
installed in 1914,
The
brass,
beside
which
weight of 850 lbs. connected with the
clock by a cable, and struck off the
hours. Above the belfrey was the clock
room in the dead centre of which
the movement sat on a large frame
made for the same from which con
nections to the dial were made. The
dials were about six feet -in diameter,
set in one piece of skeleton cast iron
frames and made of transparent china.
The clock was controlled by two
large weights, the striking weight be
ing 350 lbs. .and the running weight
150 lbs. These worked on shafts about
30 feet deep, connected to the clock
by strong cables. The pendulum was
50 lbs. and , had to be wound once a
week. The minute hands were two
feet, eight inches in length and the
hour hands two feet. The total weight
was 3,000 lbs, and the clock was made
by N. T. Evans Clock Co., Birming
ham, England.
Letter Boxes Installed
It was in the year 1913 that the
letter boxes were installed. There were
thirteen in number and they were
situated as they are today.
Mr. Fisher died in 1914 after 47
years of faithful service as postmas
ter, He Was followed by C. N< Grif-
fin, who held this position until his
death, at which time A. H. Musgrove
took over these duties and was post*
master from 1918 until his death in
1940.
Archie Peebles became postmaster
in 1940. He had been a Commercial
traveller With Perrin and McCormick,
of London, before his present appoint
ment.
Mr. Peebles served with the 76th
Begimofit from July 1915 to March
1919, jolnihg at Brantford, Archie is
a member of the Legion and of the
Masonic Lodge,
At Pest Office 50 Years
I Mention must also be made of Miss
I Margaret Fisher, daughter of Pest*
master Peter Fisher, and a life-long
resident of Wingham.
Miss Fisher became a member of the
post office staff upon leaving school
and served continuously for over fifty
years, during the reign of five sov-
reigns—a most unusual experience.
Miss Fisher was deputy postmistress
and took charge of the post office for
six months prior to the arrival of Mr,
Peebles. The Fisher family were con
nected with the post office for seven
ty-three years. '
•Miss Fisher died suddenly, on March
17th, 1951.
i
The
our
One Of The
EARLY BIRDS
♦
oldest established hardware store
business was started* back in the
by the late J. W. Greer.
in town,
seventies
&
nearly 80 years the store has,through
e
For
successive ownerships, been the hardware head
quarters for Wingham.
t
On the occasion of Wingham's 75th Anniversary
we wish to congratulate the town
on its progress and
prosperity.
ALEXANDER'S
HARDWARE
Welcome
Visitors!
HOTEL BRUNSWICK
N. J. W. GROSE, Prop.
When Wingham Was 1 Year Old..
Formerly Donald Rae & Son
In 1880, when Wingham was celebrating its first birthday as a
town, the Brunswick Hotel was being built.
Since then its service and cuisine have become favourably
known to people throughout Western Ontario*