HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1950-09-21, Page 7THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1950
CLIHTON NE`iWS-RECORD
PAGE SEVEN
Early
The above is a
of ,the "Salute to
cast presented
H
Told
His
tor
In
:.'
CBC Broadcast
verbatim report to you as our guests today would
CI Won!" broad be that each and every one may
by CBC and live as long as you wish and may
CLINTON NEWS -RECORD : over
a network from Clinton Lions
Arena during, the Old Boys' Re-
union, of which it was an inter-
esting +feature. Pub$ieation was•
delayed . through lack Of ':space.
OPENING . ANNOUNCEMENT:
This.. is Reid, Forsee speaking
from the Clinton Lions Arena
where this morning the CBC is
happy to help the citizens of this
community celebrate the 75th
Anniversary of the incorporation
of Clinton as a town with a gi-
gantic Old, Home Week. We have
a• very large crowd ofpeople
from Clinton and the surrounding
district and here on the platform
ere the reeves of the surrounding
townships, Members of - Parliam-
ent and special guests. _During
the next fifteen minutes, 'Don
Fairbairn will be chatting with
a number of these people, but
first I would like, to introduce
one of Clinton's outstanding
citizens and its present mayor,
Robert Y. Hattin. Mr. Hattin.
MR. HATTIN: Thank you, Mr.
Forsee. Ladies and Gentlemen:
On behalf of the ratepayers and
citizens of, Clinton I extend to all
those assembled here today a
sincere welcome to our town for
Old Home Week. Being originally
from Western Canada and 9' a
resident of Clinton since 1943
only it ill -behooves me to try to
give you a historical resume of
the town and district, as no doubt
some of the following speakers'
will do. We would be proud if
any or all of our visitors today
could see their way clear at any
future time to make our town
their town. We hope you'll meet
many old friends here and even
make''some new ones. Our wish
you be happy, lucky and pros-
perous as
ros-perous"as long as you live. Fin-
ally I want to welcome back an
old boy whom we all know by
voice but whom few of us know
by sight, even though we claim
him as an old boy. Don ,Fair-
bairn was a graduate of the old
R.D.F. School when it was -peer-
ated by the RAF during the past
war, so he's no stranger to Clin-
ton. Welcome home, Don.
DON FAIRBAIRN: Thanks,:
Mayor Bob. It't good to be back
in Clinton after all these years.
I left' here just about the time
you arrived, Mayor Hattin, and
although I've covered a lot of
territory in a lot of countries of
this old world since, then there's
something about 'this ,tush west-
ern Ontario countryside that can't
be duplicated anywhere. "` More
than that, there's something
about the people that you don't
find in many other nations. Here
we have friendship in place of
fear, we have neighbourliness in
place of the "mind your own
business attitude" so prevalent
in certain countries. There's
mutual trust and respect here
and an honest interest in the
other fellow's welfare . .. that's
what makes a democracy work
and that's what makes Canada
so attractive to so many people
across the seas.
Yes, it's good to live in a
land like this and it's good to
come to Clinton . and renew
old acquaintances and make
new ones. But for the benefit
of those who haven't enjoyed the
privilege of seeing this pari of
Western Ontario, we'd better
tell you exactly where we are
and what kind of a place this is.
Clinton grew up at the junction
of the old London and Huron
Roads which arg now highways
No, 4 and No. 8 of the Province
of Ontario, When the first set-
tlers arrived here just about 119
years ago in 1831, those roads
weren't built, however, and they
had' to come • by water to Gode-
rich and then down the Huron
Road which was chopped out but
not logged up all the way. That's
the way Champlain came over
200 years earlier and although
we don't know that he . camped
on the exact site of this town.
There is evidence, though, to.
show that he camped more than
once near Goderich which is only
12 or 13 miles away, and met
with the Huron Indians , from
whom the lake just eight miles
to the west and the county of
which Clinton is almost the exact
geographical centre are named.
The junction of the London and'
Huron roads was known first as
Vanderburg's Corners , after one
of the first families to arrive,
later as R.attenbury's Corners af-
ter the man who bought out the
Vanderburghs and finally in 1855
it was named Clinton. It was
William Rattenbury who gave it
that name when he laid out the
village and he took it from Lt.
Gen. Lord Clinton on whose
estate in Devonshire, England, his
father was a tenant farmer. Pe-
culiarly enough, it. wasn't its
ideal location at the junction of
these two important roads that
gave Clinton its first boost
It was the building of the Buf-
falo and Lake Huron Railway.
The village grew so quickly that
it was incorporated in 1858 and
became a town in 1875. Many
industries settled here In those
early days. The first salt well
in Ontario was located here and
various mills and factories have
come and gone in the `'75 years
since Clinton became a town.
Now it is mainly the heart of
a rich farming district and It's a
shock to present day farmers to
realize that their land sold less
than a hundred years ago for only
a dollar or two per acre. How
times have changed!
In more recent times, one of
the major developments in the
district was the locating here in
1Q41 ofthe Royal Air Force, No.
31 Radio Direction Finding
School, the first radar training
unit opened on the North Ameri-
can continent . only in those
days we didn't call it radar. Most
of the instructors who staffed
radar training schools in the
States passed through Clinton in
these early days. In fact; over
5,000 Commonwealth and United
States radar types, as we were
called, were trained right here.
Tn 1943 the RCAF took over 'the
school and eventually added com-
munications subjects to the eir-
riculum and it's now the" Radar
and Communications School
and its a big one . . . almost a
town in itself. Air Force uniform
is just about as common a sight
on the streets of Clinton as civil-
ian dress and the uniforms in
evidence here this morning in-
dicate how much the• Station has
become a part of the community.
So much is that truethatthe
present Commanding Officer,
Wing Commander R. F. Miller,
AFC, is right here on the plat-
form to take part in this broad-
cast. Wing Commander Miller,
who like Mayor. I3attin hails
frptn the west, is a native of
Ma'rshali, Sask., and served as an
Aircrew Radio Officer overseas
and a. staff officer at AFHQ be-
fore coming to Clinton. What do
you think of this part' of the
country, sir?
W/C MILLER: It is. a matter
of considerable pleasure to me,
and to all members of my staff,
that the Station is so pleasantly
located. This is a particularly at-
tractiye part of Ontario and we
of the RCAF Station are proud
to be associated with the pro-
gressive and genuinely friendly
people of Clinton and the sur-
rounding countryside.
Mr. Fairbairn: Do all your per-
sonnel live on the Station, Wing
Commander Miller?
W/C Miller: No, a portion of
the staffand all unmarried stud-
ents live on the unit. Some
members of the staff and the
married students live in Clinton
and the surrounding areas. All
personnel, regardless of where
they live, are expected to take
an active part incommunity af-
fairs. As an example of this,, I
might mention our RCAF Male
Chorus which has recently given.
a series of concerts throughout
Western Ontario, ' singing in
churches, town halls and theatres
in support of local efforts, to
raise money• for the Manitoba
Flood . Relief.
Mr. Fairbairn: From whet I've
seen, sir, your staff and students
are Clintonians as well as RCAF
officers and men, and mutual
interest 'between the town and
the school is deep and sincere.
But tell us something about the
school . What is it?
W/C Millers I em proud to be
in charge of what I have reason
to believe is the most advanced
electronics training organization
in Canada. With the ever-increas-
ing application of electronics to
modern warfare the contribution.
of this unit, to the national 'de-
fence effort is 'yery large.
Mr. Fairbairn: May I ask, sir,
whether all 'training given at
youx unit is of a technical nature?
W/C Miller: By no means;' Mr.
Fairbairn. While our technical.
training is of the highest calibre,
we realize fully that the , good
officer or airman is first of all
a good citizen: Considerable ef-
fort is devoted to training our
personnel in the development of
character, in the responsibilities
of sound Christian citizenship,
and in the art of leadership.
Mr. Fairbairn: Thank you Wing
Commander Miller for telling us
about this newest part of Clin-
ton. but now let's go back a few
years to someone who has lived
here longer than any of us ,
Mrs. Lillian McKinnon. This is
your home town, Mrs, McKinnon?
MRS. McKINNON: Clinton is
certainly my home town as my
grandfather came to the Base
Line, north of Clinton, in 1854.
the year before the village was
laid out by Mr. William Batten -
bury. The country was tolerably
well settled then—north of the
Base Line, south on the London
Road northwest and, southeast on
the Huron Road .but with scar-
cely a house in the village — or
rather "The 'Corners"—Vander-
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burg's Corners first, then Rat- record of 'service alit a doctor in
tenbury's Corners. . The inn at Clinton cannot be surpassed, and
the crossroads was merely a I know that the people here
group of three log houses. would want show their apprec-
Mr. Fairbairn; You, of course,. lotion now. Dr. Shaw, I suppose
weren't with the family at that You Watched a lot of these people
time? grow from tiny babies. Do you
Mrs. McKinnon: No. My moth- know how many infants you have,
er was only six when they .game brought into this world?
from Chinguacousy, but she often I Dr• Shaw: I would say about
told of those days—of the kind- 1,000, Don.
ness of the wonren at the 'tavern Mr. Fairbairn: During all the
to the three little girls six, years you've been in the country
four and two ...who, with their you must recall many celebra-
mother, must have been very I tions such as this present 'Old
weary after their long trip by Home Week.
wagon and oxcar. Dr. Shaw: Queen's Jubilee\ in
'
Mr. Fairbairn: How far would 97; Boer War victory; last're-
that be? union in 1925.
Mrs. McKinnon: About 115' Mr. Fairbairn: I suppose some.
of the original settlers of C
Holes, but it seemed longer then, !lin-
Mr. Fairbairn: How- long did ton would be living here when
you say you had lived here, Mrs. you,first came as a doctor?
McKinnon? i Dr. Shaw: ,Joseph Whitehead,
Mrs. McKinnon; All my life. first Reeve of village and after -
My husband and I were students wards Mayor in 1896; Ransford
at the Old Collegiate. Later . . •' Brothers; Horatio Hale who's
around 1904-05, we were both on mother wrote "Mary Had a Little
the teaching staff. Much later I Lamb „
served on the Public School ! Fairbairn: Doctor, a man
Board and the Board of Educt- of your vast experience is sure
tion 'so am especially interested to have an answer to this . quos -
in our schools. I am hoping to o n w an
wl li tetealnrsiB a.2
meet many former pupils and tion which will interest all of us.
probably a few old schoolmates, How do the children of our
and would appreciate hearing est ttheiregrandparerrts, many
genratin stack up s -
from others who are not here to of whom you also brought Into
celebrate with us, this ,world?
Mr. Fairbairn: Speaking of , D, • 505w: I would say the girls
schools, you would know when better than their grandparents
the first ones were built here. but not so the boys. I hadpoccas-
Mrs. McKinnon; I don't the ion during the last war to give a
member that far back, but the p,hl'ncal to a great number of
first High. School ' (Grammar boys and so feel qualified to
School then) was built in 1876—make finis statement.
at a cost of $6,000 and the sal-
1
Mr. Fairbairn: Thank you, Dr.
aries per year totalled $3,000 for Shaw. Our linal guest this morn -
three male and two female teach- ing is another gentleman who
principal. The
ers;with'Mr. James- School
as knows Clinton from personal ex-
" perience. Besides being Mayor
for two terms, Mr. A. J. McMur-
ray was the general chairman of
the 50th Anniversary re -union in
1925 and occupies that same•
position for the present re -union
celebrating the 75th Anniversary
of Clinton's incorporation as a
town. Give us some of the high-
lights for the re -union to come,
Mr. McMurray,
MR, McMURRAY: The first
item, Don, will be the various
church services just an hounfrom
now, andlike to suggest that
built in '69 and '70 at a cost of
$8,000 and had a staff of two
male and six female teachers.
In '78 Mr. Malloch was head-
master. In my day the principal
was Mr. W. R. Lough (alias
"Jumbo"), well -rem,- " es
air sure, by' many. of our old
girls and boys.
And speaking of schools — I
wonder how many remember the
old school pump in the middle of
the rqad in front of the Colleg-
iate? The middle of the road I'd
seemed to be a favourite spot for everybody go along to whichever
a pump—or was the pump there i church they .choose and listen to
befothe reland? any a message to be delivered by a
there was another in the middle former pastor. Then this after -
of there roadr
trochAt of Fair'srate noon the Legion is holding a zone
Mill where the boys always stop- drumhead service and this even -
ped for a drink after practice in ing your friends the Commodores
ll will be here.
thethe old townpark. pumpThere on thewas Mar -also i Mr. Fairbairn: There's a real
ket Square (now the Library 'male quartette, sir ... one of the
Park). Some of the Old Boys best on this continent and no -
probably remember being told if body should miss hearing them
they didn't behave they would at eight o'clock tonight. What.
he "hauled" up before the Town about tomorrow, Mr. McMurray?
Pump. j Mr. McMurray: On Monday
Clinton sheds no tears, how- morning there's a huge process
ever, over the passing of 'the sion and calithtunpian parade, in
pump as the water from our at- the afternoon a ball game, and
tessera wells is famed for its :in the evening a variety show.
purity. The credit for this splen- I Tuesday and Wednesday sports
did improvement of 40 years ago of all kinds with a giant air show
-much of it at least—,goes to Mr. on Tuesday afternoon through the
A. T. Cooper', chairman of the , courtesy of our friends at the
waterworks committee, and to RCAF Station and the re -union
Dr.. Shaw, the medical,rhealth of-- Winds up Wednesday night with
(icer.
!a band tattoo featuring the RCAF
Mr. Fairbairn: Although that Central Command Band,
woo 40 years ago Dr. Shaw is" Mr, Fairbairn: Thank you, Mr.
! still actively practising medicine McMurray, and I hope all other
in Clinton and is with us this visitors will have a bang-up time
morning. When did you come during this Old Home Week,
here to start practice, Doctor?' We'll be back with the regular
DR. SHAW: In 1891. Although "Neighborly News" broadcast in
before that I taught school in the 'just a little over three minutes.
Community around here at Blyth. I Mr. Forsee: The CBC has pre -
Mr. Fairbairn: Do you mind I sented this special "Salute to
telling us how old you are, Dr. Clinton" as part of its Old Home
Shaw? !Week. The broadcast originated
Dr. Shaw: Eighty-nine. I in the Lions Arena and was con -
Mr. Fairbairn: Dr. Shaw, in do -ted by Dom Fairbairn who
another year you will be the only will be heard immediately fol-
practising doctor on our "Over lowing the three-minute news
190" Birthday Club, but we're not . bulletin with his regular Sunday
going to wait until then to offer : morning "Neighborly News."
heartiest congratulations on be-' Reid Forsee speaking;
half of all the people here and This is the Canadian Broad -
our listeners. Your outstanding casting Corporation,
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