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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1972-06-28, Page 51• • • • • • • • • • • • .• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • $x, 4' ELMA FARMERS MUTUAL IF1RE am. iss• • Re - MO CONGRATULATIONS is BRUSSELS on your 100th Birthday ELMA FARMERS' MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO.. Head Office — ATWOOD, ONT. — Phone 356-2582 Tombstone of William Ainley in Brussels Cemetery. engine and a "Vibrator" separa- tor which were famous all over- Canada and even in the world. This industry was carried.on in the buildings now being used by the Huron Products. Forty to fifty men were employed. The small community settled down to the business of growing and growing well. Skilled masons and carpenters vied with each other in the erection of sub- §tantial •and comfortable, some- times elegant homes. Several reverses met our dauntless forefathers as they built their community. On two and perhaps three occasions be- ,tween 1860 and 1875, Brussels had three disastrous fires which levelled 'the business part of the village. I can remember my father telling of the fire which !started in the J. D. Ronald foun- dry. It was a 'dry hot season land the foundry was burning fur- !iously. Hope for saving it was 'gone but it was felt that the river• would prevent any danger to the business section. Suddenly the fire jumped the river and prac- tically every store in the village was burned to the ground.'Rather than discourage them; these disasters seemed to spur them on to build better and more substan- tial buildings. Many of the business blocks erected after the last major fire are 'still standing and names such as the Graham Clock; The Little Bros. block, the Fletcher block and the Ament block are very familiar. The American Hotel was described as "one of the finest buildings we have ever seen in a place of corresponding size". And a glowing description of the archi- tecture of this 3-storey building follows. Even now we can see the general effect minus some of the cupolas, handsome iron rail • - ing§, gablets and dormers". There were 6 general stores, 5 groceries, 2 tin and stove stores, '2 drug stores, 3 book shops, 4 shoe stores, 2 con- fectionery stores, several bak- eries and butcher stores, a bar- ber shop, 2 law offices, 3 doc- tors, 1 dentist and 2 liveries. Five hotels accommodated travellers. The village had 6 churcheS, two Methodist, two Presbyterian one Anglican and one Roman Catholic which have been served by dedicated ministers and helpers to make our village' a good place to live in. The.tirth of the "Brussels Post" was a glorious event in the cultural life of our forefathers. It was es- tablished by McGillicuddy Bro- thers one hundred years ago. Until this year only three owners have followed - W. H. Kerr, her son Leslie Kerr and R.W. Kennedy and it still retains its original title, "The Brussels Post". On January 1, 1972 Mr. Kennedy sold The Post to McLean Bros. Publishers Ltd. of Seaforth who continue to publish the paper. Mrs. Kennedy continues as editor. SELS POST, JUNE 28, 1972-27a THE BRUS a flourishing •village. In addition to the Vanstone operation, there was a carding mill operated by John Kay, 2 tanning mills, one operated . by Ireland and Dodds, and one by John Knechtel, and a fanning mill operated by Thompson and Grant. In addit- ion there were a number of various types of 'shops and gen- eral store; the largest of which was operated by N. M. Living- stone: There were two hotels, and a. saloon. The first doctor was Isaac Hawks who had a young assistant, Edward Hotson. The . first, justice of the Peace was David Evans and Rev. J. Wilton Kerr was Queen's Bench Com- missioner who carried on a gen- eral insurance business on the side. In 1864 John Leckie, who had come to Grey Twp. to clear land With his father, moved into Brus- sels and carried on as a grain dealer. He was given credit for persuading the Wellington, •Grey . and Bruce division of the Great Western Railway to build their railway 'through Brussels and establish a station here. Builders were given permission byOttawa to name stations they erected and when 'the station was built, they named it Brussels station. So they had Brussels station where it now is, the village of, Ainlayville 2 blocks south and across the river and the Post Office Dingle all designating the same place. There was confus- ion and losses of mail as goods shipped to Dingle Post Office or Ainlayville, arrived at Brussels station. The situation became so acute and confusing that the village of Ainlayville asked postal and judicial authorities to change the name bf the Post Office and village to Brussels. On Dec. 24, 1872 Brussels became an incor- porate village. The first meeting of the muni- cipal council was held on Jan. 20, 1873.. John Leckie was elected Reeve with J. C. Halliday, Ben- jamin Gerry, Thomas Ballantyne and Charles Wright, councillors. The first clerk was R. C. Cooper, the first assessor DonaldStewart and the first tax collector, James Knox. After incorporation, a wide range of small industries developed in Brussels. By 1880 besides the Vanstone Mills, there were a custom foundry, 3 other iawmills, a planing mill, a card- ing mill, furniture factory and two pump factories, six black- smith shops, 3 tailor shops, boot and shoe factories. At this time also Brussels was the site of .Huron County's first-and only corset factory. "The style and quality, of whose make up got the establishment a wide reputation and enviable popular- ity". A subsidy of $20,000 was offered to J. D. Ronald of Chat- ham to lure him to establish the "Brussels Steam Fire Engine and Agricultural Works" which supplied a "Centennial" fire, William -A~nley selected• site on the. Maitland-Ivor 4 By Mrs. C. 1Viatheson Last year, as a centennial project, the Brussels Majestic Women's. Institute restored, the grave site and grave stone of the late William. Ainlay, who was the first settler of the Village of BruSsels, For some years the stone marking his grave had lain fallen and cracked on the grave and it , was feared that if something were not done soon, the memorial would 'be lost to posterity. The idea of restoring it was discussed in the W. I. They asked and received per- mission from Mr, Ainley's des- cendants who, also sent' finan- cial assistance to show their appreciation of the idea. The village council promised help and the restored stone was set in a cairn of bricks with a metal plaque containing names and dates which had all but dis- appeared and now stands in the front 'portion of the Brussels cemetery, 1 1/4 miles south of the village on Huron County Road No. 12. A metal* chain fence surrounds the plot and the mem- ory of William Ainlay is pre- served. • To-day when a jet plane can •o- circle the world in matter of trips., he chose the spot which hours, when the Appollo is now in the corporation of Presently hoping to circle. the Brussels, where he later set- earth 163 times in approNim- tled, lived and died, He made ately eleven hours, when a motor a small clearing, erected a log shanty and returned home. The next spring, he returned to burn off :his clearing, and planted some potatoe4. ' (A Young reporter from' the Toronto Telegram a few. years ago came to my house to enquire about information regarding Brussels and when the story came out a few weeks ,later it was headed by the' intriguing caption "They planted potatoes and up' sprang a villagel i") Again he went back to his • home in Logan and persuaded a number of neighbours to accorn pany him to his new home when he moved in and, occupied it on Nov. 1, 1853. This home was located just about where John McCutcheon's home now stands. A few days previously Thoma§ Halliday had moved in and occu- pied a lot on the Morris side of the road (explanation re the main street which separates Grey and. Morris) but had not got his shanty erected. That fall,.•Mt. Ainlay and Mr. Halliday were joined by on of about 30 families who moved in and settled at greater or less distances from them but they were the only ones for a long time,' within what is the present village. Less than two years after the actual occupation, the place had the air of a promising settlement and William Ainlay laid.off what is now the south east corner of the village in a town plot which he named Ainlayville after him- §elf. Not everyone in the settle- ment agreed with the name and the next year when a Post Office was established it ,was officially named "Dingle". The first post- master was William 'Grant who 'was also the first general mer- chant in the settlement. The ensuing five years saw the area around Brussels cleared. very rapidly and the village kept growing. In 1859 Williatn Van- stone, a native of Devonshire but raised in Colborne Township, came to Brussels and established its first major industry - a flour mill, a grist mill and .a sawmill. At first it was run by water power supplied by the Maitland River but one year later switched to steam. By 1861, Brussels was car can cross, the continent, from coast to coast in a few days, it is hard for us to imagine the thoughts of a lone man, as he trudged along a trail, through a busy wilderness, carrying on his back a, sack containing a few essentials. to keep him alive an axe, some, knives, a few simple utensils, and some very plain food. ' ,That man was William Ainley who in 1852 selected.this spot on the South Branch of the Mait- land River for his future home. The promise of liberal water power in those days before hydro was a big consideration. Be- sides, it was surrounded by deep rich virgin soil, • William. Ainlay was born in Yorkshire, Eng. and came to Canada with his parents, John and Anne. Ainley, at the age of 8 years. They settled at Port Hope, then moved to. Peterbor- ough, and later to the townships of Fullarton and Logan. While in Logan he, explored parts of Huron,. C ounty and One his CONGRATULATIONS to the people of • Brussels • on the. • 100th ANNIVERSARY Of the Founding of 'the Village .and all good wishes in the future. • BRUSSELS MOTORS LTD. Huron County's Foremost Car Dealer F. E. (Casey) McCutcheon, President 887-6173 Brussels, Ont.