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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-07-18, Page 26Wingham among the foremost towns of Ont. Although, as subsequent events have proven,. Wingham was to grow but little since its heyday in the early years of this century, there was a time when it was viewed as a town of almost unlimited promise. The coming of the railroads in particular sparked a surge of meteoric growth that took Wingham from a village of about 700 people to more .than 2,000 between the years of 1874 and 1876, making it an im- portant centre of industry, trade and commerce. The railroads are nearly gone now, but even this cloud, was not without its silver lining as it permitted the town to develop on the railway lands along the Maitland River a park system which today gives Wingham claim to being one of the prettiest towns in the country. For a view of the early years of development in the town, we offer these excerpts from the account contained in the Huron County Historical Atlas of 1879. The first settler within the limits of the "town plot" of Wingham, and before anyone had turned their attention to the place oc- cupied by the present town, J was Edward Farley, an Irishman who had previous- ly resided at Owed Sound, which place he left for the "plot" in the early spring of 1858, and arrived at the spot where he still resides on the 17th of March that year. He relates some extremely amusing incidents in con- nection with his journey, which lay by water to Collingwood, thence by the Northern Railway, lately finished, to Toronto; Grand Trunk to Stratford, and then on wheels as far as he could go. This latter point proved to be Bodmin, a little set- tlement in the Township of Morris. On his way, his "freighters" abandoned him, disgusted with the awful condition of the roads, at Blyth. It happened to be on a Sunday and he was obliged tig.hunt around for a waggon, which he managed to secure together with two yoke of oxen, and with them he continued' to Bodmin where he built a raft, embarked his effects thereon and floated down the stream to his destination, where he landed on the above-named day and at once went to work to clear land and built the first house, a log one which, with an- nexes at various times since appended, still forms his residence. The difficulties and ex- penses of traveling in those days may be judged from the fact that Mr. Farley paid, first and last, in the neigh- bourhood of $100 in freight and transportation- charges of various kinds on about one ton of household goods. The first settlers in what is now Wingham were John Cornyn and family, com- prising his sons Robert, William and Thomas. They built the first house in the place, on the spot where the Queen's Hotel now stands, in the summer of 1859. It was a log building at first, but was subsequently added to and used as a hotel — being the first public house in the locality — till 1873, when it was pulled down to make room for the more pre- tentious structure which was erected over its ruins. Next after the Cornyns was Edward Foley, the early part of the succeeding year (1860), who built a frame house used first as a store and subsequently as a public ,ouse known as the Com- mercial Hotel. A child born in his family was the first born in Wingham. °He was accompanied or (Continued on Page 4) zehrs hrr r,,arkrr% nt nor h.w.I, CELEBRATE THE BICENTENNIAL WITH THESE CROWD -PLEASING SPECIALS FROM ZEHRS Warm up the B.B.Q.! .. . Kraft 500 gr. Cheese Slices 2.98 Size 15's Cantaloupes ea..99 Canada 4 Titre White .99 Vinegar IN-STORE BAKERY 60% Cracked Wheat or 100% Whole Wheat .e, ;T ,,,fie, 675!gr. loaf I'�"d".'st"�C"iS ilsine : ^.51 wr4r.,�;y�� �-,� �?r `'r ii:t'.�" 3°6 x'�W .'a- ."%Pr"mfi.r-'3mav "�lYfn: F.oi'l! 1AJ SPECIALS IN EFFECT JULY 18-21 hnr en t, of lune tr„rd, zehvs WINGHAM MARKET ONLY Hwy. 4 South, Josephine St. These Extra Specials are in Addition t� Zehrs Regular Specials Elsewhere in Crossroads. We reserve the right to limit purchases. Wingham-Turnberry Bicentennial—Page 3 WINGHAM TOWN COUNCIL TURNBERRY TOWNSHIP' COUNCIL The Councils of the Town of Wingham and Turnberry Township welcome all visitors celebrating Ontario Bicentennial. Both local residents and guests are encourag- ed to take part in the many festivities planned for the weekend. Mayor William Harris Reeve Brian McBurney i J WARM UP THE BBQ �- FOR THESE BICENTENNIAL SPECIALS MINUTE STEAKS BARBECUE SAUSAGE ro 1.62 Hot Smoked Fully Cooked e 4.1 9 Smoked Pork Hocks ,,1 . 5 9 lb. 3.53 .Ib 1.76 Maple Ham In Rings or '/z Rings Fine Bologna , . Ib. With Bacon and Onions POTATO SALAD 29 Sirloin Tip Roast Ib. 3.99 Just Heat & Serve In Gravy, Roast Beef 1b 3.50 WE ARE READY TO SERVE YOU! ^To find us simply turn west at the Wingham Sales Arena (Hwy. 4) onto Turnberry BLine 6 IOW leeirjAV;:- /.. Nibs -4F t DELI PACKERS 11ans Maer Klaus Blocchin<ger 13u, c 1 II 1-7H5 ko I'I I fir,1 �` III,'Il,lill. ( )Ill \ll(i 2\\ 11