HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-11-29, Page 4TH 1.11‘014 EXPOSITOR, NOVEMOER 29, 1910
BY ALICE GMB
A new book, "Inheritance. Ontario's;
Century Farms. Past' and. Present" by JOhn
And Monica Well. featiirea.4 Chanter en a
local century farm NOM Farm on Ceti. $ Of
Hullett Township.
The farm has been the home of Margaret
McMillan Whyte for over 6Q years and is
the McMillan family farm. lit 1967, like
many other area farms, it was designated a
century farm• with, a sign issued by the
Junior Farmers of Ontario as their
centennial, project. UnfOrtunately, with
vandalism a t.ecurring, problem, the '
Whytes have had to take their sign down to
keep it front 'being Ostroved.
Margaret Whyte with
"Inheritance", the, new
book on Ontario's century
farms. •
Mrs. Whyte said about two years age,
Monica Ladell arrived at the farm "out of
the clear blue sky" and asked if the could
interview Mrs. Whyte for a book she was
researching on century farms:
The researcher Spent about four hours at
the farm, and asked to borrow Mrs.
Whyte's; scrapbooks. on family history to
iise for further research. Mrs. WbYte still
doesn't know how the. Ladelis carne to
select Holm Farm as one of the three farms
described in '',Inheritin"" in the Huron
Tract area.
Mrs: Whyte said the Ladella were
hoping their research could form the basis
of it book, but this w.as dependent on
receiving ;government assistance: The
'Lade' s later received grants from both the
Canada Council and the Ontario. Arts
Council. As. they tell in the book's
introduction, they travelled 12,000 miles in
.1977 and 1978. collecting the stories on
century farms used in the book.
Margaret Whyte said Monic4 Udell told
her her research w.as proving that farmers
have a "fierce pride" in their century
farMi. While. thg couple originally elanneti.
to, deal exclusively •withfarmandtheir
history, they later changed the format txt
iedilde the historY, of Various areas of the
!province where the farina are located.
The other twn farms featured under the
Huron. Tract section of the book are David
Steven's Stonetown Farm, in, Blinshard
Township and the Austin liedgins farm
outside Lucan.
HISTORY OF HOPI FARM
The history of holm Faun is a
fascinating one. Mrs. Whyte's,
grandfath"er, JOhn Millan, left behind
Intolerable living conditions in Scotland to
emigrate to Canada in 1844, He came from
•abackground of poverq, and never had
more than a year of schooling in, his life. He
broke a seven-year apprentiCeshp to a,
shoemaker by running; away after fent
years to work long hours in a Lanarkshire
ironworks, earning. enough money to buy a
;Steerage passage to Canada.
The first home on his farm was a log
cabin built near a spring , -fed creek. In the
next seven years he chopped, cleared and
fenced ten acres of hardwood bush and
later confided he would have returned to
Scotland anytime in this period, if he'd had
enough money for the ticket home. But
John McMillan soon became one of the
most innovative farmers in the area, He
was asked to; lecture at the Ontario
Agricultural College, Guelph and in 1882
was elected to the Rouse of Commons as
the Liberal member from, South Huron.
Before his death in 1901, he was re-elected
three tithes.
His son Thomas McMillan followed his
father both in introducing some innovative
farm techniques and into the political
arena,.
Mrs.: VVhyte said one of the questions
Mrs, Ladell asked during thelinterviev.. was
something that the McMillns had done
first on their farm.
Mrs. Whyte recalls that her father IN'as•
ane of the first in the province to build a
concrete silo on the farm.
She said the forms for the silo were
initially , built about three to four feet in
height Then the concrete was poured, but
the, cement "rushed" overnight. The
contractor put up a firmer foundation, and
poured the cement again, -and this time it
hardened properly.
But the ):,oncrete silo wasn't the first one
on the McMillin farm. Mrs. Whyte said an
earlier wooden silo as built right inside
the barn, a barn which is 100 years old this
winter. , • •
In 1879, Mrs. Whyte's grandfather built
a large barn to house a beef operation that
coninued to thrive for 48 consecutive years.
Tom McMillan often crossed the Atlantic to
take cattle to sell in Glasgowand between
1893 and 1898; the cattle fetched: the
highest price • for imported cattle on the
Glasgow market
In 1890, Mrs.. Whyte'sfatW built a
large brick house on the farm, and a year
later, married Mary McLean. The couple
had three children who survived infancy. in
. 1925, following in his father's footstepsi'
Thomas McMillan v...as elected Liberal. .
member of South Huron to the House of
Commons.
for the Holiday Season
12 - 26 oz Coke . . . . .5.29
12=26 oz Schweppes Ginger Ale. 4.89
12 - 26 oZ Pepsi . . . .3.89
12-26 oz. Kist Ginger Ale . . , .3.89
ALL BRANDS OF CANNED POP
Case of 24 Oniy 599
Then when Margaret was 15, and
boarding in Seaforth to attend high school,
her Mother died. The year after, Thomas
McMillan took his daughter with him, to
Qttawn, and sheaecomPanied hint to, many
events, including a ball at GoverliMent
House.
But tragedy continued to dog the family.
The oldest son John died in 1921 and the
second brother, William, in 1931 from a
sudden heart attack.
Margaret returned to look after Holm
Farm. In 1932, her father was killed after
being pushed by a horse in a farming
accident, A number of dignitaries from
Ottawa came to. Seaforth to attend the
funeral, including Prime Minister
MacKenzie King.
While attending Macdonald Institute in
Guelph, Margaret met and married her
husband. Wilfred "Nick" Whyte. For a
time the Whytes kept on feeding steers on
the farm. but in the 1940's, Mr, Whyte,
decided to follow his main interest and go
into the poultry business. He built one, of
the.first large broiler barns in the province,
Way, Mrs. Whyte's our sons handle
the management and operation of the
farm.
Although Margaret Whyte admits she
wasn't interested in the family's history as
a girl, her interest has been kindled in the
last few years. She said recently it seems to
her every grandchild has called up ler help
with research on the family history.
Recently Mrs. VVhyte, and the other
farm familiesinterviewed for
-Inheritance," received a Complimentary
Copy of the book from the. authors. In an
accomnanYing Intter‘ MP. Laden ,en -
presses her dtaappoin* Once that *erne
accounts had to bo omitted from the final
ManuacriPt. —
tri, the book's introduction. John Laden
writes if there was one quality the .couple
fentull common to all the -people the
intervieWed, it Was tenacity.
"*Nown'TZA'CrIT' til:PRtenID"E
he WacktY is not
always One of the prized virtuesIt
sseoemmsart
elinm
tsigd:Ve up
work.right
t7so
r,ightamlithiY,
flg
else. Yet nothing could have been More
alien to thote who stayed on their land year
after year, generation after generation.
The century farmers continued to farm
through years when what little cash there
was went to pay the rnortgage; years when
the farm. PrOrluced well but the markets
were poor, or years when markets were
good but, through drought, floods,
disease or maybe just plain bad judgement.;
harvests were disappointing.
The author goes on to say, "Fe; the
century farm family, past triumphs; and
disasters are the stuff ef long family
history, and so closely are the fortunes of
the family interwoven with this history,
that it is often impossible to draw a line
between them."
"Inheritance" is a, tribute to many
families like the McMillans and Whytes,
the families whose fierce pride in their land
had played a major role in shaping Ontario
into the province it is today.
Inheritance is available at the SeafOrth
Puhlic Libraq..
ADVANCED HONOURS WINNER—Joyce
McCallum of the Walton 2 4-H Club received
her Advanced Honours fur having completed 18
' clubs when a 4-H Achievement night Was held
at Grey Central School in Ethel on Thursday
night. Presentfng her with her certificate is
Grace Bird, home economist from the OMAF
office in Clinton. • (Photo by Langlois)
THE READING
PROGRAM—Parent
volunteer Yvonne, Van.
Slyke listens to students,
Perry Beuerman and
Lenny Healy read.
Volunteers at the
,shoot can work with
students on an individual
basis while the teacher
supervites regular
classroom activities.
(Expositor photo)
USE
EXPOSIIT9R
WANT ''4ADS
Phone 527-0240
""•
WANTED VOLUNTEERS—Jane Rimmer types
a child's story on the special primary
typewritten at. Seaforth Public School. Mrs.
Rimmer is one of the parents who e3nates half a
day per week to assist teachers, st the school.
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underway as soon as the site is cleated. This
mezzanine floor. Construction will get
feet on the ground floor with an 1800 sq. foot
reached with Robert Plumsteel to erect a two
story building that will provide 4800 square
Nt • in . turn is dependent on how soon Lukes
Machine Shop is able to move to the new
building that it has had erected in the south
end Industrial Park. Mr. Lansink said this
Was expected to be in mid-December. •
'Commenting on the firm's expansion
THE LUCKY WINNER OF THE LAST
FREE DRAW Ron Brady of
"Egmondville was this week's lucky
winner of $25wor tiof gas and a case
of Pepsi from Archie's Sunoco. Larry
Doimage of the Archie's Sunoco staff
. gives Mr Brady his first fill -up.
rehiet Sunoco
..goirfortit
0 MI 7 Days a Week '
.:-611527748,11
plans Mr. Plumsteel said the hew
.accomOdation which he hopes will . be
available by April, will allow improved
display of the large line of furniture and
carpets the firm carries. In addition a floor
fashion centre will be featured.
"We will .be able to offer the public
improved- service and an opportunity to
select their furniture and floor covering
requirements .in more convenient
surroundings". Mr. Pluntsteel Said.
1975 Ford Torino i977Chrysler Newport
8 cyl., 2 door, automatic. 8 cyl., automatic, 2 door,
Licence JK0 377,
hardtop. Licence LHT 393.
1977 Plymouth
Grand Fury
Automatic, 8 cyl., 4 door,
excellent condition.
Licence LLF252.
1978 Dodge Pick -up -
Standard transmisSton,
8 cyl. Licence 19671
CHRYSLER
• 1.971 Ford pick up
siandalif fransmission.
1.icerice 649902.
1975 Dodge Pick up
8cyL, autorrialic:.
'Licence F19693.
Rowchffe Motors
Wads 527.1011
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spitefully used, befriended, crumpled up, broke, laughed at, cried over,
blacklisted, lauded, reproved, loVed,Chaitised, blamed, and read ..;
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See for yourself
Be informed about what's going on in Seaforth,
Dublin, Staffa, Cromarty, 4 Brodhagen,Valton, Winthrop,
Constance, Brucefield, Kippen and Hensall
, ' • . • • ot
$13 yeah, Canada
Phone 527-0240
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