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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-07-06, Page 32THE FOUNDING OF BLYTH By 1851, Lucius McConnell and Kenneth McBain. two of the earliest settlers in the area had located here in Mo!ris Town- ship. Four years later. DOnald McDonald laid out a village plot on the border betweereWawanosh and Morris Townships, and in July 1856. a post-office was established: The village de4loped slowly but within two years contained a sawmill owned by MeBain, a Presbyterian church, a tavern, and store. Originally knowhas Drummond after an enterprising early family the village, a market town for the surrounding agricul- tural region. was renamed Blyth after an absentee landowner. In January, 1876, a station on the London. Huron and Bruce Railway was opened and a year later the village was incor- porated with a population of about 800. Calm, Historical significance A plaque outlining the founding of Blyth is located in a place of prominence outside Memorial Hall. • pop • chips candy • snacks • movies • tobacco • ice cream Welcome Campers! The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 420, Blyth would like to welcome all campers to the village of Blyth for the "Campvention". Menu and Price List 8 Chicken Wings & Fries. . . $6.00 Individual Chicken Strips . . . $1.00 6 Chicken Wings & Fries. . . $5.00 Battered Veggies $2.50 4 Chicken Strips & Fries . . . $5.00 Battered Mushrooms $2.50 Fries $1.50 Onion Rings $2.00 Individual Chicken Wings . . .$0.60 Pizza: Supreme or Pepperoni. . . $2.50 Weekend Specials 6 Chicken Wings & Fries. . . $3.99 4 Chicken Strips & Fries . . . $3.99 ALL TAKE-OUT ORDERS ADD $0.25 We are open at 4 p.m. daily from Mon. to Sat. and stay open until 10:30 or later on most nights. We are situated in the heart of Blyth, just behind the main office of the Blyth Festival Theatre. Please accept this as an invitation to join us for some good food and "Home Town Hospitality". Chalk Drawing Contest Blyth Memorial Hall July 8 (weather permitting) 9 a.m. - 12 noon All ages welcome Sponsored by Blyth & Area Business Association Monument The gravestones of early pioneers can be viewed on the pioneer cairn located at the Horticultural Park on Dinsley Street, east from downtown. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2006. PAGE A-3. Couple hosts historical walking tour July 12 On Wednesday July 12 at 5 p.m. the Voddens will give a historical walking tour. The Blyth Festival box office on Queen Street is taking reservations (519-523-9300) Cost is $5. Brock and Janis Vodden make the history of Blyth streets come alive. They hope that their Historical Walking Tours will give Festival visitors another reason to linger in Blyth, giving them a broader perspective of the town than they get as they pass through. In the event that the weather is inclement, the Voddens have arranged to provide people with a virtual tour in the basement of Memorial Hall. Born and raised in the Blyth area, careers took them elsewhere for most of their marriage, returning in 1995. Upon their return they began collecting the history of Blyth: block by block, decade by decade. Their vision was to develop a social history by detailing who played with whom, where people worked, shopped, visited. During the decade since their return, the Voddens have become a repository of Blyth history, and many of its secrets. They know where the salt mines Were, where the planing mill was, where the flax mills were. They know who left town without paying their bills, and where they went. The Blyth they share is the one hidden from view to most of the current residents, and certainly to visitors. Eugen Bannerman who wrote Street Names of Blyth recognized this in his preface, stating "Special thanks to Janis Morritt Vodden whose stories and research have been a constant source of inspiration for this mini-history of the village. And thanks to Brock Vodden for painstakingly compiling the Index." It is this constant quest for stories and detail that help the Voddens breathe life into their stories. The Voddens hope that when people join the walking tours they will not just listen to the Voddens' stories of the block, but that they too will share whatever memories they have. "Blyth is a very remarkable village," Brock shares. "Since the 1850s it has experienced constant changes. "It has survived because there have always be people to help adjust to the times, visionaries to help adapt to the future." He uses Thresher Park as anexample. "Threshers Park started small in response to a need. Over the years it continued to expand to meet changing needs. Today, in response to an expressed need it has been enlarged again." "The village that doesn't look to CAMPVENTION 2006 Is created by the staff of The Citizen P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON NOM 1H0 Phone 519-523-4792 Fax 519-523-9140 the past has no future," Janis states as her hands linger over one of her 70 binders of Blyth family records and obituary notices. The Voddens encourage anyone who has historical documents about Blyth to contact them at 357-4193. Where possible they will photocopy the information and add it to their ever expanding, cross-indexed files. This summer, visitors and locals alike will benefit from the opportunity to have the history of the Dinsley, Queen, Drummond, Mill Streets block come alive as the Voddens share their stories.