Clinton News-Record, 1976-06-24, Page 41Ne
z.,
This hojn not go back into
the past century, the caretaker
house being built in *9 and the.
maim home immediately
thereafter,. but it is such a
beautiful building by the curing
driveway that it should be hi -
eluded in this account of Bayfield
homes.
"Since it is by Pioneer Park on
the lake bank nk it attracts attention
both (torn land and sea. The stone
came from the Maitland.- MVO!
Valley. and Buchanan's did the
building.
The story leading up to the
purchase of this property is in-
teresting'". -
Dr. Metcalf and his sister used
to come over from Detroit =the
L,...ayfieid hub was-.
Square. Later a cement plate was
poured. From this significant
point. all surveying in the Village.
was done.
Near the centre of the Square.
there was always a hand pump.
which was submerged in a dug
well. The picnickers were ex-
pected to get any water they
needed from this ancient pump.
(continued from page 14A)
used as a racetrack. One of the
most well -remembered picnics
held in Clan Gregor Square. was
the year of the annual Ford
Picnic Ili 1924. an exciting event
for the Village, for which the
Council donated 850.00.
The annual 12th of July
celebrations have been held 3
al
excursion ship named the
Greyhound. At Goderich he was
told..1I,at there was a nice little
town 12 miles south so he came
down to see it. R
By the old Rectory on Bruce
Cresc. that was even then in a
state of disrepair, he found an
elderly lady in a sunbonnet
having potations and inquired
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on the south side and the other
where the old hand pump was -
situated in the middle of the
Square. A third one was added In
1968 to supply water to the
Westlake flower bed.
As you might expect. coins and
such have been dropped and lost
by many visitors to the Squard,,.
each year. As a result we have
times in the Square. one of these it was quite obvious that the yearly visits from coin 011ectors
was held for --t-hey-d -"- a"fec whir i was pumped ou"`t �". ' w d rY' trine"
not have the facilities. On August spilled right back through the
cracks in the well top into the
well, therefore it was not fit to
drink. But it was not until 1965
that anything was done about the
matter. A pipeline was tapped
from the drilled well at the
Bayfield Public School. now the
Municipal. Building. to the
Square. Two taps were put in. one
from her who owned the land.
She sent Mtn to Gairdners. After
gutting hi touch with the owner he
bought an area along the bank.
But there is more to the story.
A Detroit lady who was ill was
treated by the assistant to her
regular doctor and he recom-
mended a stay in Bayfield for her
health. So. she came to the
Queen's Hotel. The young
1, 1921, Clayton Weston was paid
50 cents for picking up the paper
on the Square after the 12th of
July celebration. The 24th of May
Calathumpian celebrations were
held for many years in the
Square, up until the second World
War. when they became obsolete.
During the years that Bayfield
had a ball team, teams from all.
over the area would come for a
day's competition. Some of them
would stay overnight at the
nearby Albion Hotel in order to
continue their playing for several
days. Also there were foot races.
football games and wild cricket
matches. In 1927, the Reeve was
instructed by Council to make
arrangements for an open air
stating rink on the Square for
public use and signs were posted
prohibiting all rigs from driving
through the Square on the
sidewalk.
One well remembered visitor to
the Square was a former Prime
Minister, the late Honourable
Louis St. Laurent. The children
were let out of school to meet him
and a good part of the Village
gathered to greet him.
In 1965 the new Council
(following re -incorporation)
examined the costs of proposed
rustic street signs, designed by
Flurry Oddleifson, and the
possibility of putting some on the
streets of the Square on a trial
basis. Feb. 25. 1965, Reeve Fred
Clift made a brief report on the
flag raising ceremony held at
noon on that day in the Village
Square, which he had attended.
March 15, improvements were
to be made to . the ' lawn and to
keeping cars out of -the Square
and an offer from Mr. and Mrs.
Joe Chapman was accepted to
care for the corner flower garden
started by her grandfather, the
late Alf Westlake. In. (1.973) the
Chapmans felt they were no
longer able to care for and
maintain the garden. and a group
of citizens with the "Keep
hayfield Beautiful" slogan.
cleared the beds and re -planted
flowers and shrubs. with Bayfield
Council supplying the funds for
many of plants.
The pyramid cairn in the
centre of the Square was erected
in 1933 of cut stone. It was to
serve as a memorial to the men
who fought and died in the First
Great War. A bronze plaque.
bearing the names of the men
was put on the cairn. In 1963
another bronze plate was added
with the men of the Second World
Wdr. As well as this, a sidewalk
and a chain were put around the
cairn. more flowers planted and
the immediate area landscaped.
In 1967, a smaller cairn of cut
stone was erected by the Loyal
Orange Lodge of Huron County. A
stone was left too -se and the data
of the day4 was placed inside at
the dedication. July 12, 1967,
during the celebration of the
Glorious 12th. Since there is no
Ladies Orange Benevolent
Association in Bayfield. The
L.O.B.A. of Ontario placed a
small marble plaque on the top of
the cairn.
When Bayfield was first sur-
veyed in 1834 by Captain•
Bayfield, a surveyors mark was
left in the south-east corner of the
old and valuable coins have been
unearthed over the years.
It may be concluded that Clan
Gregor Square in Bayfield has
more history to it than meets the
eye. but simply it draws tourists
by the thousands each year. and
the number is steadily growing.
It still continues to make history.
but while doing;o entertains the
public.
w
19Q4
assistant. Dr. Metcalf. courted
and married the lady's daughter.
These _ladies also bought land
along the bank and adjoining the
part originally purchased by the
doctor.
After her parents passed away,
their daughter Jessie continued
to use, or rent the home as a
summer residence until it was
acquired by Dr. and Mrs. Morgan
Smith.
Mr. Metcalf built this tudor styled home on the lake bank in 1905.
The home is now owned by Dr. Morgan Smith.
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Eric Krohmer and family congratulate Bnyfield's
1 OOth BIRTHDAY
While �n Bayfield snap i� and
while in Bayfield stop in and
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ENJOY GOOD FOOD and ENTERTAINMENT ;
All summer long 1
in a cool relaxed atmosphere
reservations preferred for
1 Dinner parties • BoAqveis • Wedding receptions • Private parties 1
565-2843
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Highway 21 south Bayfield
south Bayfield