HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-06-28, Page 42Fixing Exeter
driving errors
for the the past
26 years
You Bend . . . We Mend!
BRODERICK BROS.
Exeter BODY SHOP 235-2355
LOOKING FOR A GOOD USED CAR?
See the selection at our lot at the
corner of Main and Huron St.
From One Centenarian To Another .
Happy Birthday, Exeter
JOTTINGS BY J.M.S.
July 8, 1954
Last week I recalled to
memory a number of Oddfellows
whose graves were decorated on
Decoration Day at the Exeter
cemetery.
Another grave was that of a
man whom I think I can safely
say did more for the building up
and improvement of Exeter than
any other single person. He was
Charles B. Snell, who passed
away in December 1929 at a time
when he was reeve of Exeter.
Mr. Snell was born in Stephen
township. He and his brother
George started a butcher
business in Exeter which was
later taken over by A.J. and W.J.
Ford. He then went into the pork
packing business in the building
now occupied by Jensen & Co. on
James St. I can recall going to the
packing. house and getting a
small basket of spare ribs for a
dime.
Operated Steam Power Plant
For many years Mr. Snell and
Mr. C. Zuefle operated a steam
power plant in the old Verity
show-room opposite the
Metropolitan Hotel for the
generating of electricity. The
plant was shut down at 12 p.m.
and the town would be in
darkness. Most people were
home and in bed by that time.
At times the lights would go
dim and a familiar expression
was that Mr. Snell had put
another green stick in the boiler.
A deep well was dug on the
property and as a young shaver I
was with a gang of boys that tied
down the whistle of the engine
that was used to sink the well.
The siren brought the whole town
out on the run to see what was the
matter. The boys had dispersed
and I lay down and hid behind a
high board fence,
Erected 16 Homes
Mr. Snell's greatest con-
tribution to Exeter was in the
building business. He was in-
strumental in erecting 16 of the
finest homes in Exeter. His own
home was erected at the corner of
John and Andrew streets now
occupied by R.N. Creech on the
site of the old roller-skating rink.
He built the house adjoining it
and two of the homes in the block
immediately to the north, where
Joseph Senior and Frank Wood
lived for so many years.
Exeter's first public school was
built on Andrew street where L.
J. Penhale's home now stands.
Mr. Snell demolished this and
built the Penhale home along
with two others to the north of it.
Another old landmark was the
Digory Braund home in Exeter
North. It was a large and im-
posing structure. This Mr. Snell
demolished and used much of the
material in the building of other
homes, two of them being built on
John street.
Open Ditch Covered
Perhaps the outstanding
achievement of Mr. Snell was the
building of a garage over an open
ditch that ran through the heart
of the town on the site where Snell
Bros. and Co. have their garage.
It was first occupied by Mr.
Milo Snell. He then persuaded the
council to cover the ditch for two
blocks on Ann street west of Main
and on the north side of the street
he erected four fine red brick
houses.
It was a wise move but there
were those who objected to the
town spending the money to build
the culvert (the top of which is
now used as a sidewalk), on the
Exeter Times, Dec. 4, 1879
Locals are extremely scarce in
this town. Not even a dog fight, an
elopement, a murder, a broken
leg - in fact nothing of interest has
occurred thiS long time to break
the wearisome monotony of
every day's experience.
grounds that it would take a good
many years before the village
would recover the cost in the
increased taxes.
Two other adventures of Mr.
Snell was the purchase of the old
Commerical Hotel and turning it
into stores and apartments. The
other was the purchase of the old
„lames Pickard residence on
Main street which was recon-
ditioned to be used for a private
hospital. Plumbing was installed
throughout the building at con-
siderable cost and one of the
rooms was furnished by a local
organization but the venture
proved a failure,
The Pickard home, during the
early years of Exeter, was used
for boarding some of the clerks
that worked in the Pickard store
when it was one of the most
flourishing general stores in
Western Ontario. I have often
heard my mother say that the
first Mrs. Pickard was a
motherly soul.
Active Participant
Mr. Snell was an official of the
James St. Methodist Church and
was an assistant class-leader. He
was an ardent lawn bowler and
on one occasion•with R.N. Creech
they won one of the coveted
trophies at a London Thistles
bowling tournament which lasted
for three days.
He also owned one of the first
autos which he often used when
the bowlers went away to tour-
naments.
When the first cars came out
the greatest test of a car was to
make the Lucan hill. At that time
there was a sharp turn and a
steep hill and a car that made the
grade was considered a pretty
fair car. On one occasion while
going to London with Mr. Snell
the bowlers had to get out and
walk while Mr. Snell drove the
car up the hill.
Mr. Snell passed away sud-
denly in December 1929 and at his
funeral the business places
closed their stores. Members of
Huron County Council and all
local council and civic
organizations were present in a
body and marched at the head of
the funeral procession.
HORSE-PRAWN HEARSE - R.N. Rowe, father of Mrs. Ida Pinney was
one of exeter's first undertakers. Shown above isinnheishors&-drawn
hearse. He bought the undertaking business from John Drew in 1887
and it is now run by Mr. Rowe's grandson, Bob
D y.
Section 2, Page 22 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE JUNE 28, 1973
Charles Snell was active
home builder, businessman