HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1954-07-22, Page 61:::•••• •
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41,
h'ishman Epeas Elkin Nad Auburn
District Lots Surveyed In 1854
My Vila/lee E. Asquith, Auburn)
91tir other two articles we
(Welt with the third and second
surveys made in Manchester in
1867 and 1858 respectively'. ' In
;this one we ha write afethe first
eaftiaey whiall Was made by Eneas
Els:in in 184.
Eneas Elkin • was 27 when he
migrated from Ireland to the Mari-
times in 1840. Here he remained
until. 1851 when he came inte
Canada West to find a new home.
That the Elkin name was of some
significance in the east is indicated
by the fact that there is an Elkin
Avenue in Halifax. He ecame to
the Huron Tract seeking' a god
farm location if possible on a
stream er river that would furnish
the proper site and amount of
water to warrant the building of
a grist mill.
If we desired to write a little
g'444e2,025'"'tae.9
fiction basedpentnaps• on probable
facts, we might picture Mr. 'Elkin
going to the office of the Canada
Land CoMpalny, Goderich (Park
Rouse, Goderich) and telling Mx.
„Mercer Jones the superintendent
'his deeires. .Mr. Jones would in
turn direct him to go to the county
offices and seek the advice of
Sheriff John McDonald who had
surveyed much of the area and
knew all the important locations.
Perhaps Sheriff McDonald said, yes,
Mr. Elkin, there is just the location'
you are looking for 12 miles east
of here on the Maitland River at
the junction of Colborne, Wawa -
nosh and Hullett Townships. We
can picture Mr. Elkin making his
way eastward along the 8th con-
cession of Colborne which had been
already cut out to the Maitland
River. When he reached the high
west bank of the river all he could
see on both sides right down to the
'+aimereawamma.....s
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WELCOME HO , FOLK !
MAY YOU THOROUGHLY ENJOY AUBURN'S
CENTENARY,
— FOR MEATS OF ALL KINDS VISIT US
Harry Beadle
Meat Market
28- 29
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•,,
Remember the Old DaysP
1
YOU'LL FIND AUBURN DIFFERENT WHEN YOU
VISIT IT FOR THE CENTENARY
WE'LL BE GLAD TO WELCOME YOU.
Gordon Taylor
.. General Store and Locker Servic,e, Auburn.
1101100840*******foome********0•00******0*******0041
WE SALUTE
••
Auburn's Centenary
AND WELCOME ROME ALL THE RETURNING OLD
'GIRLS AND BOYS
h
Ar.tur
B -A Distributor for Goderich and district—and gravel
haulage,
28-29
004110411404110,11•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The Canadian Bank
of Commerce
SERVING AUBURN AND DISTRICT FOR HALF A
CENTURY, SALUTES
uburn s Centenary
28-29
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Heading Home
rom Everywhere
AUBURN OLD GIRLS AND BOYS WILL BE
COKING HOME TO THE CENTENARY FROM
MANY tcrisTitioT CEN'TRES.
WE WELCOME THEM ALL KOME
Craig
on
Ail SAW MILL
*
waters' edge was a solid 'wall
forest. NQ ' doubt he had, learn
•froin the Crown and Caneela Co
pany officials that all the land
this juncture had been taken u
except the Hullett portion, nor
half lot 45, 82%, acres, conceseio
14, now owned by Arthur Grang
iivas still open.
Mr. Elkin purchased this lot fro
the Canada Land Co. and had th
purchase registered on January
1852. The early settlers west
here spoke of Mr. Elkin's fir
clearance as the hole in the wa
(wall of solid forest).
In 1854 Eneas Elkin had th
northern part of his farm 'horde
ing on Goderich street surveye
into lots for which there was
fairly ready sale. These sales e
abled him to consider the boildin
of -11 grist Mill on the farm whit
he had purchased to the west of h
original holdings. A clay dem wa
built on the site of the presen
dam, a fiat area on the east sid
of the river just above the da
indicates where the clay was secu
ed, and a race was excavated fro
the dam to where Mr. W. Andrew
chopping mill now stands. Here
f0-ur storey griST miTi wS crcted
by contractor Stewart Plummer.
It was of heavy pine beam con-
struction with an ample office
building attached to the'north side.
The exterior was covered with clap
board siding, painted ,red. .The
mill was powered with an upright
water wheel. which is on exhibit in•
the chopping mill yard. It had two
grinding wheels, a fine one for
grinding flour, and a coarse one for
grinding feed grain. The fine one
is still in" use in a mill ina north-
ern section of old Ontario and the
coarse one lies on the side of the
bank just ,below the chopping mill.
When Eneas Elkin had his mill
about ready to start, a man by the
name of Vanstone, bought the west
half of lot 27, concession 1, Wawa -
nosh, the river pasture farm now
owned 'by George Powell, and start-
ed to excavate on the east side of
he river, the first pier of the new
bridge on this side, is in the centre
f this artificial channel, as a race
or a new mill which he contem-
lated building, The newly con-
tructed dam flooded the channel
nd Vanstone was successful in
uing Mr. Elkin for damages. Mr.
lkin appealed, the award and won
ut Vanstone took the caseifito
ourt again and secured, over
3000.00 damages which he regist-
red against Mr. Elkin's estate.
Ir. Elkin lost the case because his
awyer was not aware that the first
mill to locate on a stream has prior
clairass Undaunted, Mr. Elkin and
his sons proceeded tiamake enough
money to payoffthe daniages, but
to add to their misfortune the river
Maitland swept away the clay dam.
'Nothing now remained for. Mr.
Elkin but to advertise the mill
property for sale. It was purchas-
ed the same year, 1869, by a miller,
John Cullis, of Victoria County.
Mr. 'Cullis was then 49, and the
father of a large family 61 boys.
With their e proceededto
build a new stone and tituber darn.
which, with the exception of a new
concrete top, is as it was built
75 years ago.
A short distance below the grist
mill a water powered saw mill was
constructed. The water to run the
of
ed
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at
th,
n
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saw mill was diverted through a
sluiceway just above the grist mill
into a pond which fed the saw mill
water wheel. Later a steam engine
was installed in the saw mill and
both steam and water power were,
used.
For many years the Cullis people
had hemlock logs brought down the
river each spring. John Sturdy
was foreman, of the log drivers who
included Alf. Asquith, George
Sturdy, Jack Clark, Dobie Bros.,
and others. 3
A pier was built above the dam
and a,lboom was run from the -head
of the race to the pier and then
across the river. This boom held
the logs in storage from going
over the dam and allowed them to
run down the race as required.
At the lower end they were fed
through the ,sluiceway and into the
pond at the back of the grist mill
from where they were taken into
the saw mill. No one was more
pleased to see John Cullis and his
sons succeed than Eneas Elkin him-
self. He always spoke very highly
of any transactions he had with the
Cullis people. They had a happy
faculty of getting along well in
business and the writer cannot re-
call of ever hearing of any squab-
bling connected with any of their
transactions.
Shortly after Mr. Elkin settled in
Hullett, Mr. John MacDonald (no
relative of Sheriff or Stout Mac
MacDonald), took up the farm to
the east, now owned by Wellington
Good. In the early sixties a young
Irish carpenter, Samuel Caldwell,
arrived in Manchester. One of his
first tasks was' building a new
frame house on the Elkin home-
stead: The next' year he built a
new house On the MacDonald farm.
Nearly all the operations were per-
formed by hand. These were two
of the 'first framecarin houses to be
THE GI al SIGNAIrwSTAR
00 YOU RENEWS 11 PPE AMR
5
TITURSDAY, XULlt t?.54,
DISTRICT SCHOOLS? Rural W I Group could do to promote good reading
-vvorth--doing—At-the,be—____:._.
tute was. assuod that anythino theY
iCOInbats CkomQits Owing of
sg Buize.-
l)cotber an announcement -of the
sinoothe school term in
fourclWzes c° nh toCc wi nasthseellatrt:a.ea.cThhe°fqtuizhe.
4
• 1912 •
1 54
51
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1, •• .4 ,
• •,,e4•4+,+:
NEWS OF AUBURN
AUBURN, July 21.—Mr. and Mrs.
Wes. Phillips,. of Sparta, spent a
few days with Mr, end, Mrs. Ed.
Davies.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jardin, of
Clarksburg, visited 3/1r. and Mrs.
.William Straughan, Sunday. Paul
and Lyman Jardin, who have been
visiting- their grandparents, return-
ed home with them.
Mrs. Lewis Wagner and family,
of Ohio, are visiting Miss Minnie
Wagner.
Visitors over the week -end with
Mr. and Mrs. James Craig were
their nephew, Robert Haines, teach-
er of technical school in Calgary,
Alta., Mrs. Haines and two child-
ren, Gwenda and Gordon, and Mrs.
Haines' sister, Mrs, Ronald Ponlin-
son, of Ottawa, who is returning to
Ottawa with them.
Betty Lou Robinson, of Clinton,
is visiting her cousin, ShirlPy
Turner.
85th Birthday.—Mr. J. W.
Medd was the guest of honor
at a dinner ori Sunday to mark
his 85th birthday. Mr. Medd
is the youngest son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Medd.
He learned the tailoring with
the Jackson Bros., of Clinton.
He is the oldest business man
in Auburn, , having been in '
built in this vitinity. The stair
case in the MacDonald home is a
piece of fine craftsmanship. In
1866 Samuel. Caldwell built the
house •where C. Nivins resides, and
three years later he . built a fine
new store where the evaporator
,
stood,
I
Mr, and Mrs. Elkin had a family
of eleven children. John and
1 George left for the United States
after the sale of the mill property.
Murray left for the United States
also some time later. He is now a
very 'old man and resides at Enid,
Okla., and is the only member , of
this familyn
Of the girls, Julia married Wil-
liam King, Katherine married John
!Millen, Mary Jane married George
Mainprize, Emma married Edward
Cummings, Naorni married William
!Robertson,Annie married Jahn
Reid. 'Unice and Elizabeth were
unmarried.'
Mr.Elkin was rather small of
stature, rather 'skinny, but bestow-
ed with an amazing °amount of
energy. His grandson, Elmer
Robertson, resembles him.
After selling the grist mill ' he
farmed successfully for many years
and on retiring, sold his farm to
John McDonald's son, Andrew. The
IVIaeDon.alds took great pride in the
upkeep of their farms and Mr.
Elkin in his later years, had the
satisfaction of seeing his old place
well farmed. On retiring he built
the home now owned by Mrs. C.
Straughan. There is somewhat of
a coincidence 'here as Mrs. Scraugh-
an moved to the old Elkin home-
stead as a bride.
Eneas Elkin died in 1895, aged
82 years.
Mr. Elkin was a highly respected
gentleman, and tie writer can re-
call only one remark reflecting on
his personality, and that perhaps
not adversely.
.The question has often been
asked, 'why was the school estab-
lished in Manchester in 1868, re-
moved toits present site ,in 1870?"
Strange to say, one older citizen,
some years ago, ventured the opin,
ion that the reason the school was
moved was because Mr. Elkin was
too lenient toward thitose who de-
manded its temoval.
s .
business since 1900. He is a
faithful member of St. Mark's
Anglican Chureh, also a Mem-
ber of Morning Star Lodge,
A.,F. and A.M. He enjoys
fairly good health and is in
.his shop „every day.
Joint Meeting.—William Ander-
son •presided over a well attended
joint meeting, of the Women's Mis-
sionary• Society and The Light
Bearer's Mission Band held in the
Sunday Sabel room of Knox Un-
ited Church, Tuesday afternoon,
Margo Grange was secretary and
Gladys McClinchey presided at the
piano. William Anderson led• in
prayer. Two interesting film strip
stories were shown. Jackie Wright
and Charles Goddard. received the
offering and Caroline Craig sang a
solo. Mrs. Campbell, the W.M.S.
president, conducted the remainder
of the meeting. Miss Viola Thomp-
son gave the treasurer's report and
Mrs. Mogridge, the corresponding
secretary, read several thank you
notes and reported on the bale
recently packed and valued at $415.
Rev. C. C. Washington closed with
prayer.
Knox Pidaic.—Knex Presbyterian
Church held its annualecongrega-
tional picnic at Harbor Park, Gode,
rich, Monday, with members of
the Presbyterian Church, Blyth, as
guests. The following games were
ensoyed: Pre-school age boys and
girls all received prizes; girls and
boys 6-8, Sharon ,Stewart, Margaret
Haines, Murray Yungblut; boys 9-
11, Edgar Letherland, Billie An-
drews, Bruce Yungblut; boys 12-16,
Gordon Daer, Stewart Yungblut,
Alvin 'Deer; girls, ,any age, Helen
Yungblut; men's race, Ed. Davies;
minute race (ladies), Mrs. Ed.
Davies; three-legged , race for
younger boys, Bill Dobie and Alvin
Daer; three-legged race for older
boys, Gordon ,Daer and Stewart
Yungblut;, wheelbarrow race, Gor-
don Daeraand Bill Dobie, Stewart
Yungblut and Alvin Daee.;- shoe
scramble, Francis Houston, Stew-
art Yungblut; kick the slipper
(men), Alvin Daer, Bill Dobie; call-
ing husbands for supper, Mrs. Don
Haines, Mrs. D. A. MacKay; hand-
kerchief race, Bill Dobie's team.
Following the races there was a
peanut scramble for the ehildren.
Supper was served in the pavilion.
W.M.S. — The W:M.S. of Knox
Presbyterian Church held the July
meeting in the Sunday School room
on Thursday when they entertained
the members of the Ida•White Mis-
sion Band. Th president, Mrs. W:
Good, was in charge. Mrs. Don
Haines, leader of the Mission Band,
took charge for the program. The
devotional period was taken by six
memibers of the band, followed by
prayer by Helen Yungblut. Two
choruses were sung by the Band"
and Sharon Stewart sang a solo..,
A number of thet senior members
of the Mission Band sang a chorus
they had learned at Bible School.
A recitation was given by Clar-
ence Golder., A film was, shown
with Mrs. Ed. Davies as narrator.
Mrs. Wes. Bradnock• sang a 'solo,
accompanied by ,1Virs.-Don Haines.
The offering wUr-reeeived by Bill
Dobie and Edgar Letherlapd offer-
ed the dedicatory prayer. During
the business period Mrs. George
Yunglblut thanked the W.M.S. for
the "Get Well" card she had re-
ceived while a patient in Goderich
hospital. The meeting closed with
the Mission Band closing prayer.
Canada's public hospitals., oper-
ated at nearly four per cent above
rated capacity in -052; average
103.6 beds set up per 100 capaeity.
1
•‘••eleee.
Auburn Notice
Help make the Auburn Cen-
tenary a success by seeing
that Auburn gets plenty of
newspaper .publicity. If you
have a story of an unusual
nature, relating to the Centen-
ary in, particular, but even if
of a general nature — phone
the, details in ---to Mrs. Fred
Ross, the Auburn correspond-
ent of The Signal -Star. Her
phone number is Dungannon
9 r 15. Possibly you will have
visitors at your home who
haveetyot been „back to Auburn
for 50 years? There, will be
many, interesting, little news
items you will have to report.
Make a point of phoning in
these items to Mrs. Ross each
week -end. Mail or deliver the
items, if not phoned in. They
should be in the hands of Mrs.
Ross no later than 5, p.m., on
Monday for publication in the'
Signal -Star that week.
To Hold Cemetery
Memorial Services
AUBURN, July 21. — Memorial
services will be held at Ball's ceine-
tery at 3 o'clock, Sunday afternoon,
August 1, which will include a re-
membrance observance by the ve,t-
erans and will be conducted by
Rev. W. J. Maines of Brucefield.
Organist will be .Mrs. Wilfred.
Tfronaldson, (Elia Robertson) grand-
daughter of Eneas Elkin who made
the first survey here in 1954.
TURNER—McNAtL -
A quiet but pretty wedding took'
place at Knox United Church"
manse, Auburn, July 3, when"Rev.
C. C. Washington' united in mar-
riage Betty June, daughter of Mrs.
Pearl McNaIl and the late Jack
alifeNall, of Blyth, to Kenneth Rob-
ert Turner, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Turner, of Auburn.
The bride looked lovely in' a
pale yellow strapless 'ballerina -
length gown of nylon net over satin
with matching bolero and mittens.
' Her headdress was, a bancleau of
yellow net and rosebuds. She car-
ried a nosegay of Talisman roses
with stephanotis. •
I Miss Yvonne Me,,Nall was her
'sister's bridesmaid gowned in pink
nylon and Wore a bandeau of pink
nylon net and roses. She carried
a nosegay of blue carnations.
Donald King, Auburn, was best
man.
! The bride:is- mother wore a gown
of rose •figured nylon with white
accessories ,and a corsage of ,pink
carnations. The groten's mother
was gowned in navy sheer with
navy accessories and wore a core
sage of pink carnations.
After the ceremony a reception
was held at the Mame of the bride's
mother, which was tastefully decor-
ated with eurmner flowers and pink
and white streamers.
Mr., and Mrs. Turner left for a
wedding trip to Niagara Falls, Wel-
land and points east. They will
reside in Auburn.
•
“Datninit, daughter," exploded
the father, "you .can't marry that
young pup. He doesn't make more
than $100 a month."
"Oh, but, Daddy," pleaded "the
girl, "a month flies by so fast when
you're in love With each other"
•
DID YOU 1 KNOW THAT....
Wigtutt*tar IN IT5S OaFARARTOT
A Complete Coverctge (Pictures and
Storits) a Events
- '6 Zi
at. Auburn's Centenary July 30 -31i -Aug.
IF ANY VIliTTtht TO 'AURURit'S NOT ALREADY SUBS'ORIBE TO Tut SIGNAL -STAR
WPM NOT ,START WITH THE INTEREOTT1WISSUE !or AUGUST 5th. Only:. $2.50 a year iit Cana& and $6.10
to the ILO.A.
Make .arrangemenis NOW. for a year's subscriptio n eithrdirectly with Signal -Star or -:hg h JUL
postmagtor, the :goal -Star ptubscriPtion, Agent at Atiburn.
•
After all we have been hearing
about the need of Saving children
from the, influenee of crime cOmies,
the Department of Agriculture says
it is heartening to find, a group of
e,uraI worneirdoing something about
it. The Elmview Women's, Insti-
tute in Northumberland County
Ontario, is trying the experimetit
of setting up a counter interest by
meas of a children's boOk quiz,
preparation for which requires the
reading of an attractive list of
classics — Alice in Wonderland,
Black Beauty, Tom Sawyer, Bambi,
Little Women, Treasure Island,
Pinocchio, Heidi, Robinson Crusoe,
Beautiful Jpe, Anne of Green
Gables, and some half dozen others.
As the first step in their "Better
Reading, Campaign," the women
sent a questionaire , to two local
schools to find just what the 'child-
ren were reading. The ansvvers
showed a long list of -comic books
and very few others; so the Insti-
would be held in the spring so the
children could have the -fall and.
winter months forTheirreading.
All of the books assigned were in
the school libraries, but it is re-
ported that they were seldom seen
on the shelves all. winter.
The final quiz contest was a b'g
event in the ciammunity. Each
sehoohentered two pupils -4 boy
and a girl. In order to ensure a
large audience of children, each
school was asked to provide twq.
numbers for a program 'of enter-
tainment. Three 'children's films
were also, shown. A quiz master
had been found who could put the
children at their ease, and as the
quiz •proceeded even the children
in the audience were soon waving
their hands wanting to answer too,
lionaOgenized milk is made by
forcing milk through tiny holes
under heavy pressure. This breaks.
down the butterfat into minute
particles for easier digestibility.
meeesee••••••••impoiletimseeemesoesestkiiii•••••••
YOU'LL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF
YOUR VISIT TO
1928-1943 1870 -
Auburn's Centenary
And we'll love to welcome you back home.
Tom Johnston Hardware
' 28-29
••••••••••••••••••••0111.0046•00080111•0•41116004111****0*,
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEE
YOU
at Auburn's Centenary
DRIVE IN AND VISIT US_
Plunkett's Garage
J. A, PLUNKETT, PROP..
28-29
somooseiliesese•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,
HAPPY MEMORIES
• OF BYGONE DAYS WILL BE YOURS WHEN YOU
COME TO
Auburn's Centenary
—AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU VISIT
OUR STORE.
Robt. P.hillips
GENERAL MERCHANT, AUBURN
-28-29
eiiime••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••soe4ows•••
Men have come -and. men have gime-
from Auburn -but the chopping mill
goes onlor years. .
WELD= HOME, FOLKS!
OWE AND VISIT TI'S DURING THE CENTENARY
J. W. ANDREWS
AND SON
AUBURN CROPPING MILL
-28-29
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ELCOME
u urn's Centenary
OLD GIRLS AND BOYS.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO RAVE YOU VISIT OUR
•
STORE.
1
C4.1110.41tAL IVEORCHART: I A17111,1141'
-28-29
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