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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1970-02-19, Page 10PAGE TER ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1970 AUDREY BELLCHAMBER TELLS YOU - - - - ALL ABOUT BAYFIELD INTERESTING HAPPENINGS IN ONTARIO'S PRETTIEST VILLAGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Pioneer travel in Upper Canada by Edwin C. Guillet published by the University of Toronto Press, was received by Dr. G. L. Morgan Smith at the February meeting of Bayfield branch of Huron County Historical Society. During his talk Dr. Smith spoke of the development of trade routes along rivers and Indian trails. " The Indians avoided the open waters' of the Great Lakes, although Stickland, an employee of the Canada Company, discribed a large canoe with 25 Indians and" several bales of furs coming across the lake to Goderich. The Ottawa was the great route to the Wast, strikin up to Lake Nippissing and the protected coastal waters of Georgian Bay. This was - supplemented by the river systems of the north shore of Lake Simcoe quad via Lake Eattuchiching and The Severn to Georgian Bay. This was the route shown Champlain when he first saw Lake Ontario. It was the route considered the most direct to Ontario, and this mistaken idea was responsible two centuries later for the construction of the Trent Canal. Still a century later such a failure to study the use of Canada and Communications prompted the building of one of the first railways in Canada West from Cobourg to Rice Lake and Peterborough. Needless to say this was not economically viable, and today there are few vestiges of the route. " Dr. Smith mentioned the Bayfield area and said that it had probably served as Iroquois hunting ground, he said, that the trail to this area is as from Burlington to the Upper Thames and south to Lake Erie, with a branch from the West fork to Lake Huron. I imagine this involved a portage from Mitchell to Dublin. "We must remember that all of Ontario was forest at the time, and the creeks and rivers held much more water than now. Draining the swamps, cutting the timber, and now, tile drainage of our farms have lowered our surface waters greatly, so that mighty torrents such as the Taddle are now under ground sewers, and the salmon have long since ceased to spawn on the Humber and the Don" He traced the development of the routes by water through a variety of craft from the canoe to the steamship. The first ship on Lake Huron was the Griffon, built in 1679 by La Salle. It was lost on a return voyage from Green Bay in Lake Huron. "The first stage coaches in Upper Canada, " said Dr. Smith, "operated over the Niagara portage in 1789. In our area the first regular coach lznes operated from Hamilton through Galt and Guelph, and hence over the Canada Company road to Goderich. Earlier Transport was available from the opening of the road in 1828, but the conditions of travel were such that Mrs Strickland , the wife of a Canada Company man, took six days to join her husband from Guelph to Goderich. For the first two days she took an ox cart which upset twoce in the' first five miles. She walked 60 miles of the way carrying her child, while her maid carried the baggage,. She had shelter for only two of the six night; and camped out fox the rest of the trip, " During the business portion of the meeting, presided over by Mrs. H.S. Morton, Mr. E.W. Oddleifson reported that early village records had been removed from the Old Toron Hall and were now in the archive room for safe keeping. Mrs. Morton reviewed the interesting meetings of 1969 and two special projects, Mr. Jack McLaren's Art exhibition in August and the Fall Fair display in September. On display for the evening were the magnificent hand woven tapestry, made by Dr. Smith's great Grand- mother, and a family Bible printed in 1536 and brought to Canada by the Smiths in 1792. Officers of the Society for 1970 are: Chairman, Mrs. A. S. Morton; vice chairman, Phillip DuBoulay? secretary, Mrs. Marie Watson; correspon- dence secretary, Mrs. Fred Wallis; treasurer, Mrs. J.E. Mayman; Archivist, Mrs. Leroy Path; Social convenor, Mrs. R. Blair; hasti-notes Clay Farm Drain Tile Loose or Palletted • Delivery or Pick Up At Yard USE CLAY TILE FOR Tested and Proven Performance LOWEST PRICES Order Now for Seasonal Discounts PARKHI'LL BRICK & TILE COMPANY For Further Details Phone - London 438-1021 COLLECT ramentremeemsnsganeen convenor, Mrs. E. W. Oddlie- fson. SIXTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Mr. and Mr. Edward Weston of Bayfield celebrated their 60 wedding anniversary on Sunday. An open house was held at the home of their neice, Mrs. Lloyd Westlake of Bayfield. More than 150 friends, and relatives called to extend their best wished to Mr. and Mrs. Weston. Out of town guests were present from London, Ayr, Paris, Clinton and Goderich. Pouring tea were; Mrs. Emerson Heard, Mrs. Percy Weston, Mrs. Ed Reid, Mrs. Reheny Larson, Mrs. Walter Westlake and Mrs. Charlie Wilson. Serving tea was their great nieces, Catherine Westlake and Shirley McFadden. Mr. and Mrs. Weston were married in Sarnia by the Rev. Barradough on February 10, 1910. Mrs. Weston was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Johnston, and Mr. Weston the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard Weston. After their marriage Mr. Weston had several businesses in the area. They also owned and operated The Little Inn, in the 1920, and later owned a village store and bakery in 1940's. Their sons, Clayton and Grafton live in Chicago and London respectively and Richard who was a wireless air gunner with the R. C , A .F. died in active service in 1944. Mr. and Mrs. Weston have one grandaughter and three great grandchildren. Congratulatory messages were received from H. M. The Queen, the Honourable R, Stanfield, Prime Minister John Robarts, Robert McKinley, M,114 Charles McNaughton, MPP,: also a plaque from the Ontario Government. 0 Conduct Tests For Radio Operators Officials of the department of trasport conducted examin- ations last Monday for those involved in the operation of the recently installed radio tele- phone system at Seaforth Com- munity Hospital. About 30 people were involved and in- cluded hospital staff and staff of ambulance operators in Sea - forth, Dashwood and Zurich, The new system provided by the Ontario Hospital Services Commission will contact ambu- lance movements throughout the area. ATTENTION ! Snowmobile Owners Buy and Save, on Our • TWO-STROKE OIL •. Home Heat Service ONE CALL DOES IT ALLI O Free Burner Service • Gas -- Oil -- Greases CHARLES E. ECKEL "Supertest Farm Agent" Phone 236-4611 Zurich Barley Contracts WE STILL HAVE SOME MALTING BARLEY CONTRACTS AVAILABLE (� SEE : COOK'S DIVISION OF GERBRO CORP. HENSALL — PHONE 262-2605 PRE -SEASON DISCOUNT SALE No High Cost Promotions Therefore BETTER CASH DISCOUNTS To You the FARMER Buy Nov and Save $ $ $ $ on NEW AND USED TOP QUALITY FARM EQUIPMENT Take Advantage of Our Lower Prices on all your PARTS AND SERVICE NEEDS Give Us a Call Now . . . . Beat the Spring Rush V. L. BECKER & SONS International Harvester Sales and Service PHONE 237-3242 DASHWOOD same name same package same price 40'4 j- vealer milk replacer garowsou Raise your next replacement heifers on new .- im rj owed SHUR--GAIN Milk Replacer, and your veal calves With new - improved SHUR-GAIN vealer. Available now at your SHUR-GAIN Dealer. M. DEITZ and SON DIAL 236-4951 ZURICH