HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-07-31, Page 38Page la
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S.S. No. 8, Ashfield built in 1872 still stands just north of the village of Dungannon and is
now a private home. The original school burned in 1871. The bell was salvaged and
placed in the belfry of the new school shown here. This same bell has been placed on top
of the blacksmith shop in the village and will ring morning and evening during the 125th
birthday celebrations. '
Women and children
help bucket brigade
in fight for village
The original bell which stood
village blacksmith shop has been mounted in the back
yard. of Mrs. Gordon Kidd near Georgetown. Mrs.-
Kidd's father, Jack Ryan, Dungannon, blacksmith,
purchased the original three storey blacksmith shop
which he later tore down. He rebuilt the shop as the
cement building which still stands today. The original
school bell from S.S. No. 8, Ashfield was hung in the
blacksmith's belfry for the 125th birthday
celebrations. It was feared the original blacksmith
shop bell would be destroyed if an attempt was made
to remove it from its cement base in Mrs. Kidd's
backyard.
in
the
belfry of the
Ntghbours provide
singing, talent
How... ,many people can
(remember when Dungannon
had its own radio station
which broadcast local talent
programs that could be heard
up to 75 miles away?
This nearly forgotten page'
in district history was'
brought to light the other day
when Frank-Miller-of–Lang•
-
side, carie across a past card
signed by Melville- Culbert,
who built the station about 30
years ago. Mr. -Culbert died
some years ago.
A talented and enterpris-
ing young man, Melville was
the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Abraham Culbert and a•�
brother of W. A. Culbert,
well known breeder of pure-
bred Shorthorns., , who- lives
three miles west of Dungan-
non. Melville married Olive
Finnigan, of West Wawan-
osh Township.
At •one time, he operated
an implement business in
Dungannon and later he and
his father ran a sawmill
there. Following that he went
into the . building supplies
'business and sol hand repair-
-ed radios.
He started experimenting
with a broadcasting station
about the same time as his
friend, "Doc" Cruickshank,
began his experiments with
•radio. The two men became
good friends. Today, Mr.
Cruickshank is president of a
full-fledged radio and tele-
vision enterprise.
Melville .Culbert's station
depended on batteries for its
power and the broadcasts,
often as not, featured singing
by a group of his friends and
neighbours.
The post card, which was
recently found by Mr. Miller,
was dated February 11, 1927.
In it, • Mr. Culbert had
written:
"'Your letter received and
-was certainly •pleased -to•. -hear, -
from you.. Had considerable
trouble on Sunday and only
got reports from about 30
miles distant. However, we
usually get about 75 miles.
Am incre asing,our power and
hope to be on the air a week
from Sunday from three until
four, and will give your
request then." ,
Gradually, due to pressure
of other business, Mr. Cul-
bert discontinued broadcast-
ing.
He was Sunday School
s�rperintendent of Dungan-
•
non United Church for sever-
al years.
Taken From
Goderich Signal -Star
SpecIal to The 'Star
Dungannon, April 2—Won,-
en and children carried water
and helped volunteer fire-
men last night to .check a,
windblown fire which de-
strayed the entire .business
block -on the west side of the
village main street. -
Flames which could be
seen from Qoderich, 13 miles
away, ate their way through
the frame .wallsof Mont-
gomery's general store,
where the fire originated,
and spread to an adjoining
reside
whole western block was a
mass of flame and heat
cracked plate glass windows
across the street.
To -day a single open tele-
phone wire, erected tempor-
arily, is the town's only
means of communication
with the outside.
By 2 a.m. to -day the only
walls remaining upright for a
stretch of many yards in the
burned area were the char-
red •remains of McKenzie's
garage, a cement structure.
With damage roughly estim-
ated at $40,000, the razed
premises included Montgom-
ery's store and residence,
McKenzie's hardware, Lorne
McKenzie's garage and Riv-
ett's restaurant and tobacco
store. At 2 a.m. the Trel-
eaven Building, housing the
insurance and post -office,
and the . telephone building
Were.sttll-burrting.... 'he.:�Can-
adian Bank of Commerce
branch, a brick building, was
endangered.
Hydro service was cut off.
Put in Last Calls
Just a short time before
the flames reached the tele-
phone exchange to cut off the
town'ssole means of com-
munication, calls were hur-
riedly dispatched to Goder-
ich, Wingham, Lucknow and
Kincardine fire departments,
and a pumping -engine from
Kincardine, the only town to
respond, raced over 32 miles
of wet roads to help. Obtain-
ing meagre supply of well
water, the pumping engine
crew could only play small
streams of Water on to the
. Bank of Conimer'ce in. an at-
'tempt to save the structure.
A favourable wind and a
light fall of rain were believ-
ed to have saved the, town
from complete destruction.
In the midst of a propser-
aus farming country, the
village of 400 people appear-
ed desolate this morning.
Piles of furniture and mer-
chandise were strewn., along
the east side of the street and
• charred embers were all that
remained of long-established
businesses
During several hours of
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the early contest with the
fire, ' the only equipment
available was a number of
bucketsgand ladders purchas-
ed several years ago by the
Women's Institute of the
village and stored in a nearby
blacksmith's shop.
Matthew Wyatt, telephone
exchange operator, remained
at his post until the roof of
the building burst into flam-
es. When volunteers had
extinguished the flaming
roof Wyatt returned to his
post.
"A
Salute
to Good
Neighbours"
On Your 125th
Birthday Celebrations
From'
the Town of Goderich
111