Clinton News-Record, 1975-07-24, Page 31a..„'d
„,,. 11. Meander *Item* Site .
eOPYrfettiVa
bYGerald•Vremila
0hr first. known building to
py the point at , the con-
ergence of King and Victoria
n Os where the radar antenna;
-,' stands* is thought to have
en ,built about 1855 for Moore
IllId 104nter as a gerteratslere- it
” . was a two -503M frame building
',.. .15 feet long by SO at the rel*,
tePering 0325feet it the front, Le.
, ' • the north, where there was a
verandah tied balcony. The base
,.
of the,radar antenna would be a
' little to the south of the centre of
Thebuilding.
' • Some subsequent owners after
‘.:-..
Moore and Hunter were ' IN/lac-
• donald and Campbell, and
ilikkateren and Ross. Harrison
Wiltse. was the final proprietor.
-The, building was demolished in
1902 to make room for a new post
office • built by ,the . federal
• government. Part of, the old
building was donated to Dr. Gunn
and was incorporated into his
hospital at the northwest corner
of Cutter and Victoria Streets
(see 13).
• The new post office. three
',..:., storeys high, of red brick, with
IF living quarters in the second
storey for the caretaker, andwith
75 foot clock tower over the
• 'public entrance, was built by
, Sam „Cooper in 1903. The clock
tower at the front of the building.
i.e, the north. was just about
• where the radar antenna is now.
Including the tower the .building
was 65 feet long by about 55 feet
at its wides,t, It we% opened for
public inspection on the 22nd of
,41, 'January during a blizzard in the
famous winter of 1904. The clock
tower was built with four ports
for clock faces, but without a
,;-- clock. A clock which struck the
.,_
hours was installed in 1915, and is
presently to be found at the
residence of Mrs. Adrishead at
the old. Ransfiiird homestead on
the Huron Road east of the town.
sit
CUNTONNENS*kORIVIUURSP-AYMLY 7,44975.4AO:g
• A balcony* which' is 11501111, 19r
d4.0 -Pg photographs e was 84400 to
the front of the post office on We
wall oast unite tower in 1908.
After the First World War*, a
captured German. field gun -with •
numerous battle sears,was set.
uP in the little park across the,
sidewalk in front of the tower.
This gun. with or without
atttherization, was regretably
donated to the tower a bronze
Plaque was inserted atter the
First World -War recording.
Clittton's, casualties, and
Armistice Day ceremonies used
to be held here. wreaths being
placed beneath the plaque.
The red brick post office,
located at the focal centre of the
town, WaSs in ' most people's
judgement the finest building in
town, and has no present-day
equivalent. When the present
post office was opened in 1966. the,
old building wos offered to the
town but was refused. It was
demolished in 1961.
The first post office located
Within the town was in a store -
and -residence a little in front of
the Wesley -Willis Church. ft, is
understood to have been built
before 1857. 1*- may have
originally belonged to a Mr.
Gordon who was the first past -
master within the limits of the
town. and who kept sae*. He was
succeeded by Thomas Fair.
About 1866 the :function of post
office was transferred to a
building on the present site of
Lee's stare. but the original' post
office building remained. It
subsequently served as a
residence fqr James Beattie -and
aftertvards for j.W. Elliott
both of whom in succession
operated a livery barn im-
mediately to the north of the
house. This oldest post office was
demolished about )932.
Between the old pott office just
described. Le. just in front of the
preterit Weslev-Willis Church.
continued .on page 8)
The notlh end of Wiltse's grocery store. The site of radar
antenna would be within the building towards the rear.
10 I. PIayqr Pm. no Co.
10. North Side of High Street
secondlot west of
East Street.
The Solo Player Piano
Company, Limited
copyright 1875
• In , December 1913 the Soto
Player Piano Company Limited,
• .- incorporated in the previous
Novemberset up machinery
the house on the 1m described in
the heading. Its purpose was to
purchase the action for player
tiianos. presumably, for sate to
the Doherty piano factory. The
board of directors had the,
following members: Paul von
, Rohl.. Th6mas .1. McNeil, JW.
Moore, U.E. Boyd. and Fred kill4-.-
41k The history of the company has
• not been traced. It probably did
not survive the First World War.
'9
or else after the war it met such
severe • competition , from
gra knophones and radios mthat it
failed.
stones
• (continued (rani page 6) -
1093. In that year the property
passed from the Ransford estate
_ and was purchased by James
Steep who stitched the pond with
bass and erected an ice house out -
of an old building moved from
Rattenbury Street. This building.
- in its new location. may have at
times been used as a pork
packing plant. but its normal use
seems to have been as an ice
house. So far as is kriewn. the -
pond served no further industrial.
purpose but was used for non-
comrneeia) skating and as a
source of ice.
•
e _lei the' left 01 the lireriiitileate the Octure was
taken before 1505. The new gattenbury Hotel Indicates at date after May ISM. The previous
(tante post office is just to the not the hotel. Themitnbuillio the right of the post office was
at Elliott's livery barn. Clock faces will be installed in the postoffice tower in 1915.
Nay
Our 'staff: left t6 right, George Yeats, Ken Cooke, Priscilla
MacDonald. Bee Cooke "
Our flowers have enhanced the appearance of rooms. homes
and people for any occasion you can think of. We'rtoud of
our customers' loyalty and are continually welcom ng new,
— friends to our shop. -We'd like to add you to the list the next
time your special event comes up...
proud to be celebrating our 49th year
on the occasion of Clinton's IfrOOth.
• 61 Orange St. South
• Cooke
Florist •482
••
7012,
t 1
•