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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-07-30, Page 46Page 18 • Women, an ep hat) bucket .10tigade ill:fight for villag S.S. No. 8, Ashfield built in 1872 still stands just north of the village of Dtmgannon and is now a private home. The original school burned in 1871. The bell was salvaged and placed in the belfry of the new school shown here. This same bell has been placed on top of the blacksmith shop in the village and will ring morning and evening duritil the 125th birthday celebrations. Neighbours provi e singing talent The original bell which stood in the belfry of the village blacksmith shop has been mounted in the back yard of Mrs. Gordon Kidd near Georgetown. Mrs. Kidd's father, Jack Ryan, Dungannon, blacksmith purchased the original three storey blacksmith shop which he later tore down. Re rebuilt the shop as the cement building which still stands today. The original school bell from S.S. No. 8, Ashfield was hung in the blacksmith's belfry for the 125th birthday celebrations. It was feared the original blacksmith shop bell would be destroyed if an attempt was made to remove it from its cement base its Mrs. Kidd's backyard. Hom Flow many people can remember when Dungannon had its own radio station which broadcast local talent programs that could beheard up to 75 piles away? This nearly forgotten page in ' district history was brought to light the other day when Frank Miller, of Lang- side, camoacross a post card signed by Melville Culbert, who built the station about 30 years ago. Mr. Culbert died some years ago. A talented and enterpris- ing young man, Melville was the—son--of _Mr—ansi. Mrs, Abraham Culbert and a brother of W. A. Culbert, well known breeder of pure- bred Shorthorns, Who liVes three miles west of Dungan- non. Melville married Olive Finnigan, of West Wawan- osh Township. At one time, he , operated an implement business in Dungannon and later he and his father ran a sawmill there. Following that he went into the building supplies business and sold and repair- ed radios. He started experimenting with a broadcasting station about the same time as his friend, '`Doc" Cruickshank, began his experiments with radio. The two men became good friends. Today, Mr. Cruickshank is president of a full-fledged radio and tele- vision enterprise. Melville Culbert's station depended on batteries for its power and the broadcasts, often as not, featured singing by a group of his friends and neighbours. The post card, which was recently found by Mr. Miller, was dated February 11,1927. In it, Mr. Culbert had written: "Your letter received and was certainly pleased to hear from you. Had considerable trouble on Sunday and only got reports from about 30 miles distant. However, we usually get about 75 miles. Am increasing our power and hope to be on the air a week from. Sunday, from _three until four, and will give your request then." Gradually, due to pressure Of other CUT- beet discontinued broadcast- ing. He was Sunday School superintendent of Dungan- non United Church for sever- al years. Taken From Goderich Signal-Star Special to The'S4ir Dungannon, April .7,=--Wpm-- en and children carried water. and helped ,volunteer fire- eo....1ast.Lnigh1.4*--theck --a •• windblown. fire which de- stroyed the entire . business block village een1 12ien west-s street: 1d e of the Flames Which could be seen from Goderich, 13 miles away, ate .their way through the frame walls of Mont- gomery's general' store, where the, fire, originated and spread to. an adjoining residence. In two hours the whole western, block was a mass of tn ‘flae. and heat cracked plate glass windows across the street. . To-day a single open tele- phone wire, erected tempor- arily,. is the town's only means of communibation with the outside. By 2 a,m. to-day the only walls remaining upright for a "gtrettli-a many yards in the burned area were the char- red remains of McKenzie's garage, a cement structure: With damage roughly estini- ated at $40,000, the razed premises included Montgom- ery's store' and residence, McKenzie's hardware, Lorne McKenzie's garage and Riv- ett's restaurant and tobacco store. At 2 a.m. the Trel- eaven Building, housing the insurance and post-office> and the telephone •building were still burning. The Can- adian Bank of CoMmeree-: branch, a brick building, was. endangered. Hydro service was cut off. Put in. Last Calls Just a short 'time before the flames reached the" tele- phone exchange to cut off the town's -sole means or cent- . munication, calls were hur- riedly dispatched to Goder- ich,--Winglramrtucknovv-•and-- Kincardine fire departments, and a pumping engine from Kincardine, the only town to respond, raced over 32 miles of wet roads to help. Obtain- ing meagre supply of well water, the pumping engine crew could' only play small streams of water on to the Bank of Commerce in an at- tempt to: save the structure.. A favourable 'wind and a lightfall of rain were believ. ed to have' saved the town from complete destruction. In the midst of a propser- ous farming country, the village of 400 people appear- ed desolate this morning. Piles of furniture and mer- chandise were strewn along the east side of the street and charred embers were all that remained of long-established businesses. During • several hourS of the • earlycontest with the fire, the only equipment available was a number . of buckets and ladders purchas- ed several years ago by .the Women's Institute of the village and stored in a nearby blacksmith's shop. Matthew Wyatt, telephone exchange operator, remained at his post until the roof of the building burst into flam- es. When volunteers had extinguished the flaming roof Wyatt returned to his post. From On Your 125th Birthday Celebrations The Town of Goderich Salute to Good „..„..Neighboutte l.