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Second Section - February 18, 1998
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All aboard the eyeglass traii
,k
Keeping history alive. Above, Dr. Anne Wilson, an
optometrist in Grand Bend,' displays an Ontario
Heritage Fouhdation award she received for her ability
to preserve, protect and prdfnote local heritage. She
moved the old Exeter railway station from Exeter to
Grand Bend and ,restored it to its anginal structure.
.
All aboard. At right, the -Exeter railway station in'its
original form in the late 1800's.
• By Chantall Van Raapr
T -A Reporter
,F[E'
GRAND BEND --the olfi Exeter train statioft is'bne of Grand
Bend's rmost'significant. historical buildings, explained Dr. Anne
Wilson of ,Grand Bend.2 It was this train station which ytctua)Iy
attracted some of the first tourists to the village. /
"It was a really important tiling to take the train so everyone
came to Exeter from London," Wilson said. adding Henry Guenther
delivered passengers from the Exeter station to Grand Bend for a •
mere 50 cents: i trip.
1
point to Porider
by Rey. Vernon. Dean
-Exeter Pentecostal Tabernacle
Have you ever wanted to know God?' Many people
think about and wonder what God is like and if He is
truly knowable. In the introduction to their book, -Ex-
periencing God, Henry-Blackahy and Claude King make the
following observations: "Those who come to Jesus as Saviour
and Lord join in His mission to reconcile a lost world. God
Himself causes you to desire to he a faithful servant. "Yet God
has far more instore for your lite than just.lo do something for
Him.. He wants you to experience an intimate love relation-
ship with Him that is real and personal..... The heart of eternal •
life and the heart of this study is to know God and to•know Je-
sus Christ whom he has sent.
Knowing God does not come through a program, a study. or
a method. Knowing God comes through a relationship with a
person. This is an intimate love relationship with God. .
Through this relationship. God reveals Himself, His purposes,
and His ways: and He invites you tojoin Him where he is al-
ready at work. When you obey, God accomplishes through
you something only He_can do. Then you come to know•God
in a more intimate way by experiencing God at work through
you. .
A number of churches and groups in Exeter have used
Blackaby and King's book to discover that knowing bod is
not about just going to church or even having a membership in
a church somewhere, but rather it's about a rela-
tionship with a living personal God who loves
us and desires to reveal Himself to us.
Give God a try - you'll get the point'
Wilson preserved this important piece of 'history by, not just
bringing the, people to (rand Bend. but in fact. hringing the entire
railway station. r '
Because of this she was one• of .I ;5 (hntarians recognized by the
Ontario Heritage Foundation for her effort to preserve. promote
and protect local heritage. ,
Wilson has a fascinating story 10 tell about the Exeter station
and its influence on its surrounding area. She begins -her story in
1876, when the Iir:t station,was erected. .
The Exeter station was oi e. of the most im )(main of 16 station
S
Dr. Anne Wilson is
recognized for her ability
to promote, preserve and
protect an important part
of history
on what was originally the London, Huron. and Bruce Railway. A
suspected arson fire gutted most of the station on Oct. 20, 1891 and
the station was rebuilt. In the mid 1950's passenger services stopped
and. the Exeter station became one dedicated solely to 'freight serv-
ices. That was when (he station started to fall apart, Wilson said.
"The deterioration of the station. began almost immediately after
the -passenger service stopped, she said, explaining people just
came and went, dropping things off and storing it• there for many ,
years. There usually was no one there to maintain the station.
When she decided she wanted to buy the station in 1993 'it' was a
cornplete'wreck. But it -Was either buy it or this,piece of historical
influence would he destrpyed itltogether. When she saw the potential
the station had, she realized it wasn't a tough decision to'make.
At that time Wilson wanted to move from hpr original office on ,
Highway 81 so she began looking for another office. One night '.
While watching CBC she saw the Exeter-Goder,ich Railway wanted
to- move the Exeter station because it, would be too expensive to
insure it on the land where it presently was..
Wilson put her name into the bid and not long after found out the
top two bidders,: the Historical'Sgciety ofExeter. and the Fanshawe
Pioneer.Village of:London,.couldn't afford to buy it. -She.bought it'.
for one 'dollar and thestation was inWilsop's hands.
"Bpi the condition was that we had to move ,+t. That was tite big
expense,"-Wi)son !said, adding not only wag it a big expense but it
was a hassle to•move it such a great distance.'
While moving. the titation,•the original chimney crumbled and .they
. had to take the front bays window coinpletely off so,they,could fit, jt „ ,
.th,rough bridges. Even Then the wilding'keptge'tting stuck in bushes.
-The structure is approximately 70 -feet -long, 40 -feet -wide and 25-
feet -high. This was after three feet were taken off the top'so. the
structure wouldn't get caught in hydro wires,'Wilson'said. _
But the treacherous journey from Exeter to Grand Bend wouldn't -
he as arduoug as the actual restoration of the building. '
Almost everything about the building was resto'red included - ±
repaintink ,of the floors, waits, ceiling and,exderior: Two -ceilings
were taken down to show the original arched ceiling,. a hipped roof
with wide overhangs Were restored and the eaves were decorated -
with'raftcr heels. Wilson's main goal was -to restore everything to its •
original structure and while that wasn't one hundred per cent possi-
ale, she achieved something the 'Ontario Heritage Foundation
believed she should receive recognition tor.
Upon„hearing the news she was acknowledged by the foundation
Wilson was overwhelmed. •
"1 really felt the town appreciated what I did,” she said."The pas-
'..ginger service was a heyday time in Canadian history. it (the reno-
vated station) brings you hack to a wonderful. wonderful era." '
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