HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-08-12, Page 10Al() — THE BRUSSELS POST, AUGUST 12, 1981
New street signs in Belgrave
Correspondent
MRS. LEWIS STONEHOUSE
887-9847
New street signs have been
posted in Belgrave -recently.
Some bear the names of early
Morris Township settlers as:
Corbett, McCrea, Hamilton,
Brandon, Parker and King.
Others of unknown origin;
but not less worthy of men-
tion are Jane and John;
"Queen" designates "The
Queen's Highway".
These markers are a con-
stant reminder to the Bel-
grave residents of the debt we
owe to our courageous fore-
fathers.
A number of Belgrave area
residents enjoyed the Insti-
tute bus trip to Milton last
Wednesday where they tour-
ed the Ontario Agricultural
Museum.
Mrs. Jean Mills of Milton
spent the holiday weekend,
with Mr. and Mrs. Ross
Anderson and attended the
125th Anniversary of Morr is
Township which was held at
Brussels.
Mrs. Carrie McGuire re-
turned home last Thursday
after visiting with her daugh-
ters and sons-in-law Mr. and
Mrs. Norman Hill of Willow-
dale and Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Cantelon of Tweed.
Visitors over the holiday
weekend at the home of Mrs.
Sara Anderson were Mr. and
Mrs. William Schreiber of
Milton, Mr and Mrs. Keith
Anderson of Rexdale, Mt and
Mrs. Thomas Moy of Erin
Mills, Mr. Jim Anderson of
Guelph and Mr. and Mrs.
Cliff Davies of Mississauga.
Congratulations to Morris
Township on its 125th An-
niversary,
The parade on Monday wasp
a huge success with many
fine floats entered including
several from this community,
A large crowd thoroughly
enjoyed the open air Com-
munity service which was
held at Victoria. Park, Brus-
sels, Sunday evening August
2 where choir members from
the three churches in Bel-
grave along with members
from other churches in Brus-
sels, Walton, Bluevale and
Blyth sang in a Mass choir of
60 voices accompanied by
Mrs. Bill King of Brussels
and conducted by Rev. John
G. Roberts of Knox United
Church, Belgrave.
The choir sang three beaut-
iful anthems "Glory to the
King of Kings" Crimond"
and "King All Glorious."
Rev. Allan Johnston of
London was guest speaker
and other ministers taking
part were Rev. Kenneth Innis
of Brussels and Belgrave
Presbyterian Church, Rev.
Daniel Sargent of Brussels
and Blyth Anglican Church,
Rev. Eric Le Drew of Brussels
United Church and Father
Jim Higgins of Wingham and
Brussels Catholic Church.
4-H Exchange visitors for a
week from Huron County,
Michigan are Shelley Nichols
of Bad Axe, Michigan who is
visiting with Lisa Thompson,
Lynn Holdwick of Harbour
Beach, Michigan who is visit-
ing with Meribeth Scott. They
returned home last week and
were accompanied by Lisa
and Meribeth who will be
spending a week with them.
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Arm-
strong of Thorndale spent the
holiday weekend with Mrs.
Helen Martin.
Dinner guests with Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Johnston of
Blyth Friday evening were
Mr. and Mrs. Nicole Faint-
acre of Ottawa and Mr. and
Mrs. Lewis Stonehouse.
Following the dinner they all
visited with other cousins
Mrs. Frank Edgar and Shirley
of Wingham, at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. George Gibson,
Wingham where they met
other cousins from Teeswater
and Gorrie.
This community extends
sympathy to Mr. and Mrs.
Sam Fear and Mr. and Mrs.
Alf Nichol in the loss of their
sister Mrs. Letta Smith.
Friends and neighbours of
this community extend sym-
pathy to the Walker families
in the loss of their father and
grandfather Mr. George
Walker.
Mrs. May River, Lois and
Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Clarke
Johnston, Mr. and Mrs.
Keith Cartwright and family
of London returned home on
Monday after spending a
couple of weeks at Fanshawe
Park, London.
Peter Kunty of Kitchener is
holidaying this week with his
grandmother Mrs. May
River.
Miss Reta Mathers of
Woodstock spent the holiday
weekend with Mr. and Mrs.
Harold Vincent.
Mrs. Walter Scott returned -
home last Thursday from a
ten day visit with Mr. and
Mrs. Alan Scott and family of
the Sebringville area.
Scott and Crystal Hoegy of
Dublin visited for a few days
with Mr. and Mrs. Murray
Scott.
(Intended for last week)
Arrangements of multi-col-
oured flowers in the vestibule
and sanctuary of Knox United
Church, made an attrractive
setting for the joint service of
the Calvin-Bricks and Bel-
grave charges on Sunday as
they commemorated the
125th Morris Township an-
niversay.
A prelude of organ-piano
numbers was presented with
Mrs. George Procter, organ-
ist and Mrs. George John-
ston, pianist.
Rev. Scott G. Roberts con-
cted the service, assisted
by Mr. Ross Procter; Mr.
Procter gave a short dis-
course on the "History of the
Belgrave Community". He
believes that Morris has
never experienced a crop
failure in its 125 years.
Bodmin was the first Morris
settlement. William Harris, a
native of Cornwall, England
was the first settler. Other
settlements were Bethel and
Sunshine. Ross concluded the
history by reading a letter
written by an anxious mother
Mrs. Frances Stubbs in Eng-
land to her son at Bodmin
wishing him health and safe-
ty.
Rev. John. G. Roberts
based his remarks on Dent.: 8
Septic
Tanks
Cleaned
Phone
Louis Blake
R.R. 2, Brussels, Ont.
887-6800
which describes a good land
of brooks, pools, gushing
springs, valleys and hills, a
land of wheat etc. A descrip-
tion applicable to Morris
Township, but Scripture
warns "Beware that you
don't forget the God who led
you through the wilderness."
To the pioneers the land
was their salvation. They left
a homeland torn and crushed
by the Industrial Revolution
not unlike the Feudal system.
The possession of land gave
them salvation, hope, pro-
mise and fulfillment. The
In the 1880's Belgrave was
a thriving little village. A
government road connected it
with the larger centres of
Clinton and Wingham. Then
it became a railroad centre
in the late 1870 s. These two
factors were great assets to
the stores, its industries and
the farming community and
led to its outstanding growth
in the 1880's.
Early builders laid a good
foundation. Donald Robinson
was one of them in the 1860. s.
He is remembered for build-
ing the first Presbyterian
church on the southern out-
skirts of the village and the
present Orange Hall in 1865.
Most building of that time
was a!sisted by volunteer
labour. We do not know who
built4the store of Ross McEw-
en or the 'hardware store of
Ross Anderson, but we un-
derstand they are the oldest
remaining structures left.
Many homes in the village
now were erected in the
1870 s. The Methodist and
Anglican churches and sheds
were also built in that period.
It was the coming of the
railroad in 1876 that brought
about \far greater expansion
and thkonstruction of many
fine buildings. Many of these
are still here and have contri-
buted much enjoyment and
service to village life.
A CHEESE FACTORY
In the 1880 s Belgrave
really advanced. In 1881 a
cheese factory was built by
the creek west of Harold
White's house. On the north-
land was their heritage; but
the warning "Don't pretend,
Beware! Don't squander your
land it is your salvation, was
ever present." Today we, as
they did, owe to. God our
obedience and total involve-
ment.
No one can separate the
spiritual from the material
possessions. Each of us must
respond to God's love with
spirit and grace. Ones whole
• existence must be offered to
God.
The large choir of mixed
voices rendered two anthems
ern outskirts on the Morris
side was the new saw mill of
Cornelius Bell where furni-
ture and coffins were made.
This was on the site of our
Co-operative Mill . South of it
was a tannery, two black-
smith shops and the hard-
ware and general.store men-
tioned before. On the corner
Henry Morley built the
Queen's Hotel. He was an
important Belgrave builder in
the 1880 s. Near it was a flour
and feed store with a dress-
making shop which was ent-
ered by an outside staircase.
Belgrave also had a tailor, a
harness maker and a resident
doctor in the 1880s.
On the Wawanosh side of
the village was the new' big
general store owned by Mr.
Tufts and built on the site of
the village tavern. The post
office was transferred here in
1882. A stairway on the north
side led to aportments in the
upper storey. At one time
there was a dressmaking
shop here. South of the store
was a new open shed for the
horses of farmers. It had an
upper floor reached by an
outside stairway. This room
was called Morley's Hall and
was used for concerts and
meetings.
Next to it, a new hotel was
put up by Charles Blakesley.
ST. JOSEPH'S SCHOOL
Mr. Donald Farwell,
Principal
169 Beech Street
Clinton, Ontario
482-7035
"Brother James' Air" (an
arrangement of the Twenty
third Psalm) and "Blessing
with Mrs. George Procter,
accompanist.
A large congregation was
present. Many friends came
from distant areas to cele-
brate the Anniversay with
relatives and acquaintances
of childhood days.
Following the service the
members of the Anglican,
Presbyterian and United
Churches, with their friends
assembled at the W. I. Hall to
enjoy refreshments
This is now the residence
south of the arena. On the
southern outskirts of the
village to serve the interests
of the farmers of the area, a
fine agricultural Hall was
built by George Procter in
1886. It was a frame eight-
sided structure with glass
windows and was called the
Shaw Hall.
Two other buildings were
added to the village in the
closing years of the decade.
The Belgrave Wood Working
on the northern outskirts of
the Wawanosh side was built
in 1890. Then a need was felt
for a new hall for meetings
and concerts, as Morley's
Hall was destroyed by fire so
the Foresters constructed
their large hall in 1888.
Many changes have taken
place in our village. Our
industries and population
have varied. Now, in 1981 the
number of stores had declin-
ed; but in the Seventies a
housing boom in the south
eastern section made a great
change in the size of 'Bel-
grave. The population has
increased from 126 in 1953 to
265 in 1979. We hope this
along with the erection of new
street signs will indicate
progression in the history of
our village. Composed by
Mrs. Walter Scott.
Opening
new doors
to small
business
See our Stratford Office Representative
PETE HUXTABLE
AT: The Wingham Motel, R.R. #4,
Wingham
ON: The 2nd & 3rd Tuesday of each month
[Next Visit Date:
August 18
If you require financing to start, modernize or
expand your business and are unable to
obtain it elsewhere on reasonable terms and
conditions or if you are interested in the
FBDB management services of counselling
and training or wish information on
government programs available for your
business, talk to our representative.
FEDERAL
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT BANK
For an appointment or further information on
the Bank's services call 271-5650 [collect] or
writs 1036 Ontario Street, Stratford, Ontario.
Belgrave was thriving in 1880s
SILK WEDDING BOUQUETS
Any style, any colour.
Reasonable prices.
Levina Yule
R.R. 1, Monkton 356-2427
HURON-PERTH COUNTY ROMAN CATHOLIC
SEPARATE SCHOOL BOARD
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE' 8
REGISTRATION
September 1, 1981
2 p.m. 5 p.m.
Kindergarten children need to be 5 years of age on or before 31st
December, 1981, Please bring proof of age [Birth Certificate and
Baptismal Certificate].
School Will begin on Tuesday, 8th September, 1981, and the first
day of attendance for Kindergarten pupils will be Wednesday, 9th
September, 1981.