Village Squire, 1980-08, Page 13were made from nine different kinds of trees, all of which were
cleared by Alder himself.
CONSTANT USE
The loom has been in constant use since 1857, except during
the Second World War, when cotton was used to manufacture
ammunition. The shop sells woven placemats, bibs, pillows,
purses, and braided rugs. The weavers prefer to make the rugs
from cotton remnants because synthetics tend to be more
slippery, and could cause someone to fall.
The Rigney Harness shop has furnishings from the original
store which was located opposite the County Courthouse on
Ridout Street, and the Gun Shop stocks equipment used to make
the famous Soper rifles. In the Barber Shop are a row of
moustache cups, a barber's chair of carved wood and gold velvet
upholstery, and a sign advertising teeth pulled for 50c with
whiskey supplied.Customers sat in a high leather chair to get
their 10c shoe shines, possibly making use of the polished brass
spitoon. Haircuts cost a quarter, and a shave was 15c.
One of the highlights of the Village is the General Store, which
combines saleable items from the present with display articles
from the past. Museum pieces include the proverbial cracker
barrel full of crackers, bustles, bonnets, parasols, and jet black
hat pins, used when a lady was in mourning. A selection of toys
are offer' 41; there are antique dolls and miniature Union Jacks
which were used in July 1st and May 24th celebrations.
Among the items for sale are handmade soap, brooms which
are made at the Woodworking shop, hastinotes with sketches of
the buildings by George Rickard, and crafts made by local
artisans such as Maisie Boyd, who creates lovely apple and corn
dolls. No General Store is complete without good food, and
the Village store sells a tempting variety, including maple syrup,
peanuts, first-rate fudge and dried apples prepared in the
traditional manner by Mrs. Bailey, a Mennonite woman from
HAS
PERFECT
BOATING
ATTIRE!
3 LOCATIONS:
215 Main St. Port Stanley
533 Richmond St. London
Main St. Bayfield
Bayfield Proprietor:
DAWN DE JONG [519] 565-2784
Embro, who also keeps the shelves well stocked with her
excellent preserves.
A potpourri made by the weavers contains rose petals,
geraniums, violets, and fuschia--a pleasant alternative to the
usual lavender. The ladies who work in the store and those who
give guided tours all wear period costumes which add to the
atmosphere of authenticity. The guides also give demonstrations
of pioneer crafts such as spinning, candle making, and butter
churning.
Twenty-one staff members are employed during the Village's
summer season and four students work on restoraton and
construction under a Federal grant. During the winter there are
four full time staff: Manager Howard Brand, Assistant Russ
Woosnam, Publicity Director Ted Graham, and Claire Clemens,
who is in charge of all construction.
NEW BUILDINGS
Two new buildings are currently being added to the group; a
replica of a turn -of -the -century machine shop with antique
equipment donated by A.E. Keough, and a working saw mill
which will be finished later this summer. Timbers for both
buildings were framed at the Village in the traditional manner,
and the machine shop was raised in one day.
A number of special events take place during the season. In
July are Dominon Day celebrations, special demonstrations of
pioneer crafts from July 2nd -6th, and an antique car rally on the
12th. In August are several harvesting events, but because of the
uncertainties of the weather it is wise to call 451-8260 first to
verify dates. A pioneer fall fair is held on Labour Day Weekend,
and in late September is a cider festival. Pioneer Village is open
from ten until five during May, June and September and closing
time extends to eight during July and August. This summer,
take advantage of the opportunity for a leisurely stroll through a
more relaxed, but certainly not less interesting era.
Real Living1
Cheesy
Come
and taste
old fashioned
vintage cheddars
in our historic building. We offer a
careful selection of fine Canadian
Cheese ... you are invited to try
Brown Bag Sandwiches and our
Gourmet Picnic Boxes. Don't miss
us or our Real Living Cheese.
3 locations in Stratford
(Ike [die...,dace liouse
Write for our free brochure:
423 Erie Street
Stratford, Ontario
N5A 2N3
Call (519-271-3160)
Also at Festival Square and the
`Farmers' Market Saturday mornings'
:1 gE%
THE BOOK STORE
21 MAIN STREET, GRAND BEND,
We have
• BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!
• MAGAZINES [over 3001
• GREETING CARDS
• GAMES & GIFTS
Our paperback inventory is the
largest in the area. We also have
the best in hobby games including
Dungeons and Dragons, UNO,
Battleship, Snit's Revenge, and
others.
We are open 7 days a week - 9 till 9
-why not drop in and browse.
HAVE YOU
READ A GOOD
BOOK LATELY?
VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1980 PG. 11