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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-07-26, Page 10Kitchen Hours Lunch 113' - Supper 5 - 8 p.m. Sandwiches & Desserts served throughout the day The Blyth Inn caters too! Queen St. N., Blyth (519) 523-9381 LLBO The Blyth Irm Daily Specials 1. Thursday Nite Is Wing Nite Wings 400 each Minimum order of 10 A variety of sauces availably 5 p.m. - midnight Eat in or Take Out Thurs, Fri., Sat. Nites Pizza Pizza Pizza Live Entertainment Every Friday & Saturday evening throughout the summer. This weekend enjoy the country Western Music of Tumbleweed North with Hugh Elder Blyth Inn houses a century of history Blyth Inn has a long and infamous history which dates back to the temperance movement of the late 1880s. Since its beginnings, the Commercial has had several owners including Mr. Milne, John McCaughey, Frank McCaughey, John Emigy, E. Johnston, William Johnston, Harry Johnston, Grover Clare Sr., A J. Glass, Kenneth Poole in 1944, Mr. Caves, Grover Clare Jr., Norman Hamilton in 1952, Mr. Daley, Mr. A. Wild, Adrianus Schip- per, Ann and Harry Kowlachuk, Harold Ferguson and Peter and Carol Irwin in 1983. As the Temperance Act came into effect on May 1, 1884, the reporter of the day awoke on May 2 to find the main street of Blyth lined with bottles which apparently contained rye and port. The villagers were lamenting the passing of their love, he said. In that year, there were five hotels in town, all selling liquor with or without a license. In 1886, Blyth established four hotels and one liquor shop. Among them was the Commercial Hotel, which is now the Blyth Inn. Though the sale of liquor continued through the turn of the century, Blyth did not officially become a "wet" town again until 1964. In 1962, Daley purchased the hotel from Clare Sr. and began reno- vations on the building which had sat empty for two years. It had been closed because residents had voted down a request by Clare for beer and liquor privileges. In September 1964, spirits could again be sold legally in the village after the Temperance Act of 1946 was repealed. With the opening of the hotel, a new cement structure, which had been constructed at the rear of the building, replacing a frame struc- ture, now housed the men's and ladies' beverage room. In those early years, the Commercial also contained a small gro- cery store and ice cream parlour. The hotel building went through dramatic changes after the Irwin purchased the property. The first, and most visible to the public was the remodeling of the front entrance and the change from the old whitewash to the blue exterior seen today. Soon, the interior underwent renovations to create a more open, brighter look. The dividing walls between the old Hub bar and the main area was eliminated, windows were added to the back and side of the structure, halls were opened up and the dining room was moved. In the area which is now the non-smoking section, the Hub once stood, followed by a coffee shop, in 1990, before the Irwin added it to the main room. In 1992, the dining room was moved from the front area of the building to its present day site. This change allowed two stores, Carol's Candies and Dressing Room Only, to be added. Another improvement which came early in the proprietorship of the Irwin was the removal of the old balcony and construction of a new one. The Blyth Inn has changed many time over the past century as it fol- lows the changing times and trends of the community. Radford Group, one of Blyth's largest employers The history of the Radford Group has been some years in the making. George Radford was a mere 15 years old when he purchased his first truck, which came equipped with no battery, no lights, no starter and few brakes. His career began when he drew gravel for Hullett Twp., then he moved to Blyth in 1937 because the concrete paving of Hwy. 4 had moved north. In 1939, he purchased his first new truck, a Fargo, then in 1940, using Doherty Bros. Garage, he built his first crusher, all oxygen and acetylene welding and hacksaw cutting. He purchased the present building, a former livery stable, located at the corner of King and Queen Streets, in 1941. The following year he added his first Dragline and Bulldozer to his expanding business. In 1943, a 30 ft extension was added to the rear of the building and the top storey was removed. Also, a 60 ft. truss was installed to accommodate chain hoists to lift equipment. In 1947 the shop got some repairs following a fire. Shortly thereafter an office addition was added to the south side. Ten years later a 3,600 square foot addition was put up on the west end of the building for an additional repair area and in 1974 a two-storey parts department, lunch room and additional office facilities were added. The business continued to grow, with all lines of heavy construction being incorporated as a limited company in 1960. In the years since, Radfords has continued to remain progressive and expand its services to meet the needs of its clients. In March of 1985, the auto parts store was opened in Blyth, while in June of the following year, a partner store was opened in the neighbouring community of Brussels. In July of 1991 a gas bar, located on the adjacent corner, was incorporated into the business. Today the company is one of the largest employers in the village with 50 people on staff. They are proud of their commitment to on-going training programs for staff and customer seminars done in conjunction with their company suppliers. Some courses recently completed are an air brake clinic, done in conjunction with Midland Grau, a seal clinic, done with Semco Canada and a shock and strut seminar, conducted by Monroe Auto Equipment Co. Receiving certificates for completion of an air brake clinic from Dave M3Lellan are Robert Higgins, Darryl Ward, Paul Ryan. PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1995.