HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1967-06-29, Page 30•
In ° early days of the settle,
. uwnt of the. Huron Tract when,
Xarmers,mostly of Scottish or.
igin, obtained their• land,�from
°the. Canada Company, the pie•
neers cleared their forested
140n0; , and began to grow
crops in the fertile soil among
the. stumps. Loghouses were
first erected, followed by frame
and in seine places stone, Farm
• settlements .were established,
and the ]first villages emerged.
By 1850 Goderich became a
town with the farrtt settlement
to one side and a port on Lake
Huron with the busy freighters
and fishing boats on the other.
Then, kerosene lamps in homes
aurid, on the' streets. , preceded
`*the. use of electricity.
Before 1900, lights with, .carr
• bon filaments were used along
streets that formed the well.
known ' wheel shape of God.
erich's residential and bilsiness
section. Goderich Council re.
cords show the first motion
passed regarding electricity
as a bylaw which was voted
on... May 12, 1887 for issuing
20 year debentures at 5% iii
the sum oL $7,000.
This was the sum •for build. _.
ing and equipping the first el.
ectric lights in town. The re.
sults- of the vote was 282 for
•'and 6a •against. Another bylaw
was passed by Goderich Town
Council on July 23, 1889, to
the effect that the Water De.
partment shall be under the
direction of the Electric Light
and Water Committee.. The
Committee consisted of ,3 coon.
cillors, and all expenditures of
money had to be submitted to
the Council for approval.
WELL LIGHTED
In the Electrical News issue
'of July 1891 the following news
item appeared: «Goderich is
now -well lighted, having 33
street lights, and 40 arch lights
in the stores, supplied by the
town's electric light Comm.
ittee, with Mr. W. H. Smith
as superintendent.. The lights
give great satisfaction to the
#,o,.and storekeepers."
An interesting feature of the
network installation was that
the connections were made at
theback of the houses ,on the
Square, the poles and wires
being placed in backyards, so
as not to disfigure the street.
At approximately the turn of
the century equipment was ad-
ded for - the ma n_ fa eture of el.
ectricity by coal and steam,
This period of generation elec. .
tricity lasted until hydro was
introduced in 1913; •
BY SCHQONER" -
In the early years coal was
is Utilities Progress Along
brought into Goderich by sail.
ing schooner► -to the Public Water
Works. Men unloaded the cargo,
• and coal was hoisted out of the
holds 0f the olid. schoon. rs by
windlass and bucket. Strong
horse's were*used to araise the
buckets, The boats were an.
shored nearthe .pier,_ and the
coal , after being raised from
the holds of the boats ,was dum.
ped into wheelbarzows, It was
then "trendied by many hands
to 'the . pumping station coal
pile.:' With the advent of hydro,
steam boilers were gradually
replaced by, electric motors,
for the production of steam be.
ginning in the year 1913. The
large steam 7)oilers were of
course, hand fired by the em-
ployees. As was the custom
in the early years, two men,
each . working twelve hour
shifts, mans ed the station.
An early manager, Mr. J. B.
Kelly, began embloyment in 1898
at forty yea'r's of age. A strong
man physicially, he continued
up until his retirement at the
advanced age of 90 years, .
From1898 to January 1,1966,
Goderich had possessed the un.
ique‘ record of having only three
Public Utilities Commission
managers. Elmer Weaver fol.
lowed Mr. Kelly in 1948 and
continued until 1965. Then lie
was succeeded' by the present
manager; David Rolston, •
In early days the electric
lighting was costly. It must
surely have been considered
expensive., to the customers.
The payment of pills sometimes
caused considerable discus-
sion. People often had to be as.
sured they did not have "creep.
ing meters", and that they were
not being overcharged.
During the first- few years
power was used mostly for
street lighting, and only five
homes were lit by electricity.
This, no doubt, was partly due
to the cost of $1;50 for a single
light bulb.
TWO KILLED
Mr. Henry Watson was the
first. lineman" hired during the
period of the Light and Water
Committee, He also had to
fill in with, shift work at the
pumping station. Unfortunately,
Mr: Watson was one of the
two people.killed while working
on the lines. Mr Straughan
'died of burns he received when
he came in contact with high
tension wires.
In the Electrical World issue
• of December 7, 1895, the fol-
lowing news item appeared: "A
company of citizens content.,
-plated the construction of an
electric belt railway through the
County -of Huron, with the Town
of Goderich as the chief cen•
tre." In 1901 the Huron, God•
erich and Middlesex Electric
Railway Company of Goderich
was formed to Obstruct an
electric railway from Goderich
to Wingham and Seaforth..
An 1901 the Maitland River
Power Company of, Goderich
was organized. The company
had in view the development
of . the power of the Maitland
River and bad • made a 'pro.
position.to the Town to supply
Sufficient power to operate the
water -works and electric plant,
The Town Council accepted the
proposition .,; to deliver to the
town for ten years from the
date of :installation of the plant
the power necessary to run the
arc incandescent lighting sy.
stem and for ' pumping water
supply. However, on August
2, 1907 a bylaw was voted on
regarding the council guaran.
teeing the bonds or debentures
of this company for $150,000.
This bylaw was defeated. Later
a bylaw for abolishing the light
and ,water systems was d'efeat.
ed at the poles. • -
In early days the people paid
their light and water bills to
a part time employee in the
old- Town Hall situated on East
street. The first' office was
located on the north side of the
Square in the, block bounded
by . North and Hamilton streets.
J. B. Kelly, after retiring as
engineer in the plant, became.
office manager. He was ass.
isted by Miss Laura Bates, ,
stenographer,
Beginning with available re.
cords in 1907, at the first meet.
ing of'the Commission the ec-
retary was asked to secure
a set of books suitable for use
of the commission. These were
the same bobks from which we
glean the past.
STREET LIGM'ING
Street lighting was an im-
portant use of early electricity.
One thousand cored carbons
were ordered. The coal had to
be ordered -T coal to burn to
make the steam power which •
supplied the electricitycproduc.
ing engines. VTen cars of Fair.
mount coal .were ordered from
the Fairmount Coal Company
at $3.65 a ton, and slack coal
from F. 13. Holmes. The Pac.
'card Electric Company supplied
the meters and the National
Carbon Company the cored -and
solid carbons at a cost of
$15.50. A Dodge split rim
pulley and a 13 foot'belt came
from Sadler and Hawthorne
Company, and• six lighting arr.
r.
esters were supplied at a cost
of $2.50 each.
A request was received from
the employees for an increase
in, pay or a decrease in hours.
The following schedule of wages
was set up: Foreniail._$1t,.90
per week, second eliectrician
$14.00 per .'week" and lineman
$12.25 per week.
The C,omtnissioners arrang.
ed to purchase a generator, a
necessary piece of, equipment,
from The Canadian General E1.
ectric Company for $1;800; With
$45. a month rent to apply on
the purchase price.
Street. lighting was a problem,
and the Town was permitted"
street' lighting to 1 a, m. it they
paid• for the same. -
Btr Decemher % of this year
the people began tauthink, per.'
haps, too much money was being.
spent by the Light and Water
Commission, A petition was
drawn up for a 'bylaw to abo.
lish it. However; the signers
gave no reasons, and the Town
ignored this petitions
In 1909 the light' bylaw was
amended to make 5.04 a min.
imum rate. Light dealerswere
also asked not to sell buibe
less than 3 1/2, watts. In Aug.
ust a bylaw was passed that
persons applying for light were
to deposit $3.00 or $5.00 as
assurance for paying electric
bills.
Street lights and other out.
door 'lights were set up. The
Government Engineer in charge
from London proposed erecting
and maintaining ten ornamental
iron lamps, one 50 c.p. tung.
sten lamp to each pole, on the
south pier. The Commission
would only be asked to pay the
cost of• service, not cs9nstruct.
ion. • ,
During the year 19'1O the Com.
mission voted to put the street
lights on at 6.00 p.m. and keep
thein on until 7.30 a.n1,.
Another early duty of the em.
ployees was to check equip..,
naent. Electric wires were re. ,
ported in good condition. How.
ever, the boiler•needed a -patch
and the Robert Bell Engine and
Thresher Co. was to have- it
repatched. ; The boilermaker
was to . make a patch the re.
quired size, and put • •it on the
boiler; but in the end Park
Bros, did this work.
BIG. INCREASE
The, collecion of light and
water bills must have been a
problem. Mr. Horton, the col.
lector, resigned, and Mr. Alex..
Straiton was hired at $200. a
year, being bonded. 'Mr. W. H.
Hullard, assistant electrician,
asked for an increase in sal.
a
ary, and was allowed $2.25 for a
w .. twelve hour day, which was
an increase of 25 a day.
One of the projects to be
undertaken by the 1911 Com.
n3issidn was more efficient
lighting of the Town. Clock.
During 1912 the problem of
changing over •to Hydro power
came before the community of
Goderieh, Only the -actual work
of this change over'.is record.
ed in the minute's, but there
Was a great deal of discussion
among the people and in the
Signal and the Star, the 'two
Goderich papers. • "
In'October, ,1911,' the engineer
canvassed the power market of
the County of. Huron, and an
estimate was -prepared' cover.
ing power then used in the
municipalities Which, gaet
vhe
probable demand of electric
'power, • The amount. of power
ran from 25 to 30 for small
villages, 150, 250 and 300_for
small towns. • '
The Maitland River Was con.
sidered a source of power. It'
rose on the height of land be.
tween Lake Erie and Georgian
Bay, and flows into Lake Huron
through the Town of Goderich:
History of Town
The Maitland water shed was
950 miles in' extent, and was
largely drained and .deforested.
This destroyed the natural flow
and the result was uncontrolled
rut.•off whichproduced heavy
spring freshets, but a low,
discharge during late summer
and early- autumn;'
So this river could not be
used as a source 'of independ.r,
ent hydro power. It alsolacked
a natural 'storage basin. Be.
. cause the land was cleared and
ultivated, the land damage and
' construction costs in connection
with establishment of remedial
works large enough. to offset
effects of drainage, cultivation,
' and deforestation, were too
great. ' -
In May 1911 a gauging station
was; established at Benmiller.
Monthly measurements of ftow
were made, and ,daily records
of'water level obtained.
The .records indicated that
this river was sensitive "to ef,
fects of rainfall.: It was de.
ficient in ground storage cap-
acity, and this can, only be made
up by surface run-offs.
BEST LOCATION
This Beck Hole `Maitland
A MODERN BUSINESS OFFICE
DEMANDS
MODERN -EFFICIENT
PROCEDURES
We are proud to be serving the industrial,
commercial and individual needs 'of Gode-
rich and district. May w extend a 'sincere
welcome home- to all. former Goderich
, r•
residents. ,r
SKEOCH , FICE
SUPPLIES
81 HAMILTON ST.
TEL.: 524-8652
River location was the best in
Huron County for a power site.
Since the rninitwirn capacity Was:
10 h.p. per foot pe iithead it
would be necessary to develop°"
the highest possible head that
topographical 'conditions would
perrrilt, . and that capital costs
mould • justify. The site would
provide the best facilities for'
pondage to make peak load stor.
age capacity a maximum, .
Plans were made to organize
a power •coxhpany at Goderich
instead of Ontario Hydro, and a
bylaw to organize this "was to be
voted on August 18, 1911. How.
ever, this did not look to ,be
a certain enough venture, and
the bylaws never were brought
before the citizens, .'
A request for a portable
engine to operate an electric
light on the grounds of the mil-
itary camp, op the Attrtll pro.
perty' across , the Maitland
#P
River, was dtseussed. Mr. J.T.
Goldthorpe offered an engine for
use during the camp for $24.
for 16 days. The Y,M,C.A, was
to -supply lighting and the army
leaders were to supply suitable,,,
plans for wiring at the earliest
convenience.
In May . Mr. Kelly, the engin.
eer, asked for an increase in
salary from $1,100. ,to $1;200:
Mr, Bullard, an employee, re.
caved payment of doctor bills
for an accident while at,work,
The GodertchStartavoredob.
taining 'some Niagara Bower
with the power from a power
plant on the Maitland River, as
hydro power from Niagara
seemed quite expensive in those
days, especially for more dis.
tant counties, The Goderich
Signal favored the development
of, an independent Maitland
River power plant alone. How.
(continued .on page 2)
The Lakeview
Restaurant.
4
GUESTS
A HEARTY WELCOME
TO ALL THE GODERICH
BOYS AND GIRLS OF
YEARS GONE BY AND
.. TO OUR SUMMER.
4
Neil G. Witmer
FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL
OR SNACK
Be Sure To Visit
Lakeview
Restaurant & Dining Room
. h ry •
WEST STREET
• GODERICH
1924
1967
Quality Endures
LTD.
•
1924
It was 1924 that George Schaefer. arrived in
Goderich from Timmins and took over the grocery
store of Wm. J. McFayden at the' corner of North
Street,. In 1929 Schaefer's acquired the business of
S. A. Gray and changed the name to. G. W. Schaefer
Dry Goods. This is the. store that is presently
occupied by ° RB'ss Shoe Shop.,
/f 1961 saw the present premises formally opened.
1950 however was ,the year in which' Schaefer's
purchased their present location from Wm. Acheson
WELCOME° HOME
This is o. picture" of our original
location. It was. taken during Old
Home Week, 1927.
ti
We Hope You Find The Old"
Town As Hospitable As
You Remember It!
1967
and Son and they conducted the two_businesses dur-
ing those 11' years.
In ..1949 John became a partner and in 1951
Bill came into the business anti it was then the name
was changed to Schaefer's Ladies Wear Ltd.
Today the names of John and Bill are those
synonymous with Schaefer's Ladies Wear Ltd.
Though time has changed the management and
physical appearance the quality that Schaefer's-have.
been. known for endures. It will continue to endure
throughout the years that lie ahead.
r..
<•
LADIES
'WEAR .L6IAITED
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