The Citizen, 1996-07-31, Page 1566006
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1996 PAGE 15.
Morris Kicks in '96
140 YEARS
140 YEARS
Belgrave struggles to save businesses in Depression
During the Depression years, the
Belgrave community struggled to
save the business section of their
village by bucket brigade, when
fire burned out the Hardware and
Feed Store owned by Robert
McKenzie, and spread to the
nearby hotel, before it was
contained.
From a slow beginning, the
village quickly increased in
population and development, with
the establishment of the London,
Huron and Bruce Railway station
here in 1876, as merchants and
businessmen moved toward the
railway facilities.
Belgrave on Hwy. 4, halfway
between Blyth and Wingham, is
divided between the townships of
Morris and East Wawanosh.
Edward Foley purchased a 1/4-
acre lot on the Wawanosh side of
Belgrave in the 1850s, and set up a
tavern known as Haggerty's
Corners, as it was managed by Dan
Haggerty. By this name, the whole
settlement was known, until 1868
when the church treasurer decided
that it wasn't fitting, and started to
use the name "Belgrave" in the
church records. Some say that this
was in honour of an English lord,
while others say that a settler
named Bell was buried here, hence
"Bells Grave". But the name suited
everyone, and so it was adopted as
the permanent name for the village.
One of the earliest buildings on
the Morris side of the village was
the Presbyterian Church. Known as
Knox Church, Morris, it was
Belgrave's only church from 1865
to 1873, when the Methodist
Church was erected. In 1875 the
Anglican Church was also built in
Belgrave. Trinity closed its doors
last year. Knox remains open.
The first general store, built in
1865, is on the Morris side. It was
built by Simon Armstrong and the
post office was opened here with
Mr. Armstrong the postmaster, that
same year. In 1865, Belgrave also
had two hotels to accommodate
travellers on the trail between
Clinton and the northern part of the
Queen's Bush. One was built on the
East Wawanosh side by Charles
Blakeley, and on the Morris side,
William Scandrett managed the
Queen's Hotel, built by Christopher
Morley. A hall in this building was
used for early public meetings.
By 1882, there were four general
stores in the village, two tailors,
two blacksmiths, a tannery, a
hardware and a wagon maker. An
early shoe shop was operated by L.
Pearson.
A lumber shipping business had
been started before 1879 with logs
being sent to London from Mr.
Agnew. In 1883, gangs of
Frenchmen from Quebec were
brought in by Mr. Badore to
produce the timer and the square
oak that he shipped out at the
station.
Tom Brandon was the postmaster
after Mr. Armstrong until 1882.
The store was sold to Charles
McClelland, whose sisters opened a
millinery in part of the building. By
1882, the Queen's Hotel was owned
by John Scandrett and this was
Salesmen sell
in Queen's
where commercial travellers would
often display their wares.
In 1883, a town meeting was held
in Morley's Hall to arrange the
building of a grist and flour mill.
over
en a strategic
the wnship
bridge was built
allow ingpeople
Maitlando Wawanosh,
that eatpctioorl rce
large quantities re timber being
access to with Belgravef,
of the village grew
to thesta"n:, iiaa Or.
of grain, wood ties,
trieallivibietairrtekodnanads theirsgua 'medical doctor
and Dr. Henry Kirkby as the
resident veterinarian. J. A. Brandon
operated a shingle factory, with
Messrs. Gillespie and Westbrook
cutting and packing 99 bunches of
shingles in 11 1/2 hours here, on
one exceptional day. In 1910, the
village ladies had a baseball team.
William Geddes, who had
purchased the saw mill from E.
Livingston, and changed it to a
grist mill, was erecting a new
smoke stack of 65 feet on his
building. Between 1900 and 1901,
the Belgrave General Store had
passed to A. E. Erskine, and then to
David Sproat and W. K. Whaley.
A 1912 addition to the Forester's
Hall by contractors, George Procter
and W. G. Geddes, enlarged the
seating capacity of the building
greatly.
With prohibition a reality in the
Township of Morris, William
Geddes purchased the Queen's
Hotel on April 2, 1914, and
declared that he was going to run it
as a good temperance house.
A branch office of the Canadian
Imperial Bank of Commerce was
established in a section of Queen's
Hotel by 1916, under the
management of Cameron Geddes.
It was closed during the
Depression.
On Nov. 13, 1915, the chopping
mill owned by George Jordan was
burned to the ground. Mr. Jordan
immediately rebuilt and since that
time, the property has passed in
turn from George Cook, to Frank
Sturdy, to Alex Mowbray, Alex
Manning and today belongs to the
Belgrave Co-op.
Belgrave today has two churches:
Knox United and Calvin-Brick.
There has been a great
development in the residential
section of Belgrave during the past
10 years. In 1973, responding to a
demand for more housing in the
village, the Morris Township
Municipal Council purchased the
first of a series of land areas for
development. Both the first and
second purchase was made from
John Thomas Rinn, on Jan. 8 and
Sept. 30 of that year. On Aug. 2,
1976 an additional land parcel was
purchased from Sam Pletch who
later developed separate sections
for sale in 1976 and 1979. The
Taylor subdivision was set up in
July 11, 1979 and a last strip of
houses was developed by John
Rinn, soon after on the south side.
In July 1973, a plan to build
storm sewers that would service
these lots was tabled, and
streetlights were being added to the
development.
In the 1950s, the population of
Belgrave was 125; by 1979 it had
increased to 265. In 1970, the
number of houses on the Morris
side of Belgrave was 60, increasing
to 74 in 1976 and 100 in 1981.
Four apartment buildings owned by
Jack Van Camp, are also located in
the village. Belgrave seems to have
grown into a "sleeper" town where
people who commute/elsewhere for
their employment make their
homes.
Cortgratuttations
.W4461 COZ., edossaiwA
Glenn, John and families are
proud and pleased to have served
Morris Township and area for over
45 years in the construction business.
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