HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-23, Page 9In the early 1800s, the larg-
er Canadian post offices had
separate entrances for male
and female patrons.
Canada's first rural mail
service was established in
1908 between- Hamilton and
Ancaster, Ontario.
The Wingham Advance -Times, Dec. 23, 1985—Page 9
a;4
A the children
nestle down to
Christmas dreams,
wo extend
happy wishes to
you and your family.
From the Staff of
Phase III Unisex
'Wingham. 357-1992
regularly rotating and turn-
ing the boxes and then star
ing them in the refrigerated
room.
A cheese board and cutter
had itsospot on the back gro-
cery counter. A 30 -pound
round of cheese fitted the
board, and was cut to each
person's wishes. A customer
was always welcome to
sample the cheese — a
typical example of impulse
buying.
About 1952, Art bought the
locker storage and egg grad -
Please turn to Page 10
Merry Christmas
LYNN HOY ENTERPRISES LTD.
Lynn, Annabelle and Staff
Highway 86 East, Wingham Tel. 357-3435
We extend our thanks to those
we've been privileged to serve.
Have ,. ..east warming holiday!
BOB FOXTON FUELS LTD.
357-2664
Bruce Foxton., Raymond Hogg
Bob & Marlene Foxton
With Mirror
3 DRAWER
DRESSERS
THE GORRIE BRIDGE—The bridge at the north end of the Village of ween the bridge and the dam to the east provided swimming for
Gorrie spans a scenic view in both directions. The stretch of river bet- generations of youngsters. -(Staff Photo)
A Corner Store evokes
memories of Gorrie's past
By Helen A. Stephens
The store that stood at the
corner of ,Victoria and Ed-
ward Street had been there a
ling time. But it isn't there
anymore, nothing is left but
a hole in thejround.
I had just finished the
story of the Corner Store and
given it to Marion Mundel for
the institute's Tweedsmuir
History Book late in March,
1985, and then the, store burn-
ed on April 4th, 1985, during a
severe thunder storm.
As I watched the smoke
bellowing into the night sky,
I felt as though' a huge chunk
of my life was disappearing
with the smoke.
In my story on the corner
store, I noted, there had been
many changes in its appear-
ance and in the manner of
doing business over the
years.
William Sherwood Bean
owned the store around 1885;
apparently he sold it to.a Mr.
Litt, who operated tiie busi-.
SPECIAL PRICES ON NEW
HOME FURNISHINGS
ness until 1906, when R. H.
Stephens purchased it.
Mr. Stephens had been a
high school teacher in
Mitchell, coming originally
from Tyrone in Durham
County, Ontario.
Mr. Stephens was in,
partnership with Davie
Cathers for a short time, wid
then Laughtie Ashton bought
Mr. Cather's share and the
business operated as
Stephens.8r Ashton, until Ap-
ril 1st, 1938.
• The partnership was dis-
solved by mutual consent,
effective April 1st, 1938, and
the firm name of Stephens &
Ashton was changed to R. 11.
Stephens & Son.
R. H. Stephens and son
Arthur L. Stephens working
in partnership. R. H.
Stephens died in 'February
1942, and Art bought the
business from his mother in
April 1942. Art died in Sep-
tember 1957, and I carried on
the business until 1963, when
SPECIAL PRICE $109"
4 DRAWER
CHESTS
SPECIAL PRICE
$6900
DOUBLE PED.
DESKS SPECIAL PRICE
$9900
With Sliding Glass doors
CHINA
CABINETS SPECIAL PRICE.
$17900
GUN CABINETS
With Sliding Glass Doors
and Ammunitiion Drawer Plus Safety Locks.
4 GUN
CABINET SPECIAL PRICE $16900._
8 GUN $279Q�
CABINET SPECIAL PRICE
24" and 36" $4900
BOOK CASES SPECIAL PRICE
...__ ......-....
Single Drawer
NIGHT STANDS SPECIAL PRICE
$3400
3 Drawer
NIGHT STAND SPECIAL PRICE $4400
USED FURNITURE, ANTIQUES, GIFTWARE & YARNS.
Waterbeds, Kitchen 1Suites, Living Room Suites, Dining Room Furniture, Bunk Beds, Wall Units,
Desks, Box Springs & Mattresses, Bookcases, Gun Cabinets.
BULK FOODS, BULK BAKING GOODS, DISCOUNT GROCERIES
"TRULY A BAKER'S DELIGHT". Whether you're baking..for one or for many we have what you
need! • Bulk Cookies • Bulk Nuts • Bulk Candy
Cut Rock Candy - $1.49 Ib., Choc. Snow Caps - $3.49 Ib., Reindeer Mix - $1.49 Ib., Peppermint Pat-
ties -$2.69 Ib., Choc. Coated Raisins - $359 Ib., Satin Mix - $1.49 Ib. NUTS: Blanched Salted or Un-
salted Peanuts - 990 Ib., Redskin Peanuts - $1.29 Ib., Mixed Nuts $2.49 Ib., Beer Nuts :$1.89 Ib.,
Barbecue Peanuts - $1.49 Ib., Sultana Raisins - 89• Ib., Golden Raisins - $1.59 Ib., Currants - $1.30
Ib., Glazed Mixed Fruit - $1.19 Ib., Sweetened, Unsweetened, Strip or Flake Coconut - $1.69 Ib.
-CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR_F_OR_THE_ENT_I_RE--FAMI-L.Y___--_--_
Snow Suits, Bomber Jackets, Sweaters, Parkas, Gloves, Sport Socks, Jogging Suits, Blue
• Jeans, Cords, Insulated Coveralls, Work Pants, Work Shirts, Lined Work Pants & Shirts, Safety
Work Shoes, Overshoes, Pillow Boots, Bush Boots, Rubber Boots, 2 Pc. Adult Snow Suits
-$39.95, Insulated Coveralls - $49.95 & up, Fleece Lined Vests $16;,95 & up, Sport Socks - 3
Pair For $3.95, Coveralls (Canadian. Made) - Men's Sizes 34-54, Ladies' Sizes 8-16, Junior
--Sizes -1-._1-8-;-KTds,.Si.zes..2..;$ ._._
CARPET AND• NO WAX FLOORING
Roll Ends in Various Styles & Colours, Jute or Rubber Back.
iI ` NEW & USED GUNS, FISHING GEAR, AMMUNITION, KNIVES, SCOPES, TOOLS.
WINGHAM SALES ARENA 357®1730
Just north of Wingham on Hwy. No. 4
Cash, Cheques, Visa, Mastercard accepted. Mon. -Sat. 9-6 p.m. Thurs. & Fri. till 9 p.m.
Gordon Coulter purchased it.
The store carried the
Stephens name from 1906 to
1963.
Since that time it has
changed hands four times.
Mr. -Coulter sold the store in
1965,,to Bev. Currah. In 1981,
Mr. Currah sold the store to
Jerry, De Jong: Due 'to a
series of unfortunate cir-
cumstances beyond his con-
trol he was forced to declare
bankruptcy in September
1982.
The store remained closed
for one year, then in the fall
of 1983, Larry Bakelar and
family came to Gorrie from
the Brampton area, and re-
opened it,
Up ,until the fire The
Cornet Store was providing
the community with the con—
venience of a Sears order of-
fice, and with the ad-
vantages of shopping locally
with competitive prices.
MEMORY LANE
When I was asked to write
this article, I found myself
taking a trip down memory
lane and meeting people who
were associated with the
o store at various times
throughout its history. •
As I recall it, the property
• where the store now stands
alone, originally included a
warehouse to the north, next
to the bank,- and a building
between the warehouse and
the store which over the
years, was used for various
purposes.
In the early 1930s ice was
/stored in this building. Bill
Austin had a matched team
of Percherons that he used in
the winter with a sleigh.
With bells on their har-
ness, they were a pleasure to.
see and hear stepping along
Fv�• pulling a load so effortlessly.
His was one team that deliv-
ered huge blocks of ice cut
• from above the dam for the
ice house.
At . that time the roads
• were not plowed as they are
now, and during one winter
in the 1940s, the farmers
• made a road from the north
Al of Gorrie, through the fields
to get to town. Bill and Glen
Austin, worked to keep that
ad open:
• That'same winter, the road
to Harriston was closed at
different times, and the
truck from the store -taking
produce and eggs to Toronto,
was loaded onto Bill Austin's
sleigh and that team hauled
the truck to Harriston and
then back from Harriston to
Gorrie on the return trip
from Toronto with supplies.
The store was a "General
Store" in the fullest sense of
the word.
Cream was tested and
• shipped to the creamery,
dairy butter and eggs and
poultry were traded for mer-
chandise.
A lady could have a hat
fashioned for her by the mil-
liner who came for the sea-
son. She could be fitted with
the latest style in shoes, or
she could select the fabric
for a new frock from a wide
range of materials at the dry
goods counter.
Inevitably changes came
with the years. The door into
the millinery room was -
widened to an archway. The
hats were replaced with
men's wear.\\ The ' big old
heater in the center of the
store disappeared and an oil
fired boiler heated the store
by\ steam radiators. Ice was
changed to refrigeration,
and a walk-in refrigerated
room was built to keep the
produce fresh.
STORE ON WHEELS
A truck , was used in the
summer months to take the
"store on wheels" to cus-
tomers living on farms, who
found it a convenient service
during the busy season. Art
and vin, and Harold
King dedve this truck at dif-
ferent times during the late
1930s.
A second truck was pur-
chased when the firm of R.
H. Stephens & Son was
awarded a contract to supply
the Army base at Port Al-
bert, with potatoes. This
truck was used to bring pota-
toes purchased in the Shel-
burne and Alliston district,
to Gorrie __ where they _ were
graded and delivered to. Port
Albert.
Walter King worked on
this project as did Ken Un:
derwood, until Ken went into
the armed forces. Ken start-
ed working in the store as a
lad after school and on Sat-
urda$'s and then as a full-
time employee from the time
he was 15. He was one of
those cheerful people you
like to have around who
whistled as he worked, and
Would turn his hand to any
job.
Supplies were purchased
in bulk, bins under the,gro-
cery coup Weld,white and—
use the
TADS
WINGHAM 357- 2320'
brown sugar which was
packaged in two and five
pounds. Dates came in • 40 -
pound cases, and seedless
and seeded raisins were also
p uTaased case Tot`s; 3Trof' '-
which had to be packaged.
A specialty of the store
was Canadian cheddar
cheese, purchased fresh
from the Molesworth cheese
factory. This was in 90 -pound
round cheese boxes in
quantities to last the season.
Then the cheese was care-
fully aged, by the process of
May all the
joy and beauty of
that Holy Night
be with you at
Christmastide.
Wingham
Pentecostal
Church -
' Let this most festive holiday
bloom into a whole season of joy!
We're so very glad to serve you.
Lewis Flowers & Staff
Wingham, Ontario .
•n.
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We're wishing
a holiday season
Trade of good
cheer, close friends
and family
with love!
MacINTYRES BAKE'IY
Grant, Marie & Staff
263 Josephine St. Wingham
357-3461