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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1968-10-31, Page 100.4 ' , , 10 --,-THE :HURON EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, OCT. 31, 1968 CONGRATULATIONS to the people of Seaforth on their Q. Centennial The Council and Citizens of the Township of Hibbert DIAL-A-TRONIC SCOPE , 10041Troh- CoAlittstrtoo ALIRT Mc:11;4-- DIAGNOSE YOUR CAR'S • ENGINE TROUBLES' -- Shows your engine's performance on screen and gives a complete Diagnosis of your car's troubles all in 10 minutes. ELIMINATES ALL GUESSWORK!! MILLER MOTORS P Seaforth , • • . — • ' - t for , (By Miss Belle Campbell) As early as 1874, Seaforth had a fire brigade, with James Cline, the fire chief. This brigade consisted of a one hand engine company, with W. H. Cline as captain, and a hook and ladder company command- ed by George Madden. The water supply was provided by over a dozen tanks judiciously located throughout the town. These were sail of a large ca- pacity, each containing 1,728 Seaforth's First,, Fire Brigade at Practice - 1874 cubic feet of water. The value of the fire equipment, exclus- ive of the tanks, was around $2,200. When Seaforth took on the status of a town in January, 1875, a new fire bri- gade was formed, with the following officers; first officer, Thomas.Bell; secorid, John Curry, third, Dennis Hogan; secretary, William Hill and treasurer, Robert Willis. In March, the new equipment for the fire apparatus arrived. George A. ..ESTABLISHED IN. ',•"rt , 1950 tolq. • -r. +•'?.1-4 • ' Serving Seaforth and Surrounding Community For Over 18 Years featuring a complete line of... * AUTOMOTIVE PARTS & ACCESSORIEg * POWER TOOLS * 'POWER•TOOLS * SMALL APPLIANCES * RADIOS * BICYCLES * ELECTRIC FENCERS AND FARM NEEDS * TOYS * SPORTING AND CAMPING SUPPLIES * WAGONS * POWER LAWN MOWERS * GARDEN & LAWN - SUPPLIES OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES FAST EFFICIENT SERVICE FOR ALL TYPES OF REPAIRS AND INSTALLATIONS TO • ALL MAKES OF CARS 4. .1F106. 13i1400e Sills'was a charter member of the brigade and served faith- fully for sixty, years.. He re- tired in 1935. Ever since 1875, there has been a Sills in the brigade. The present one is James Sills of the fourth gener- ation. In May, 18.78, the original brigade changed its name to Phoenix Co. No. 1, and from .then ihe.Hook and Ladder Co. was knOwn as Rescue Co. No. 1, the whole forming the Seaforth Fire Brigade. The members' new uniforms, in 1885, were ge,—• said to be very handsome. The jackets were scarlet and the ,pants blue, with -a red striPe. In 1889, the brigade won the International Hose Reel Race, at Mount Clemens, Michigan, in sixty-one and a half seconds. The team still retained its title, but failed to equal the world record of fifty-six and a half seconds which it won for running and coupling •a lipse 1888, at Sarnia, Ont, George A. Sills was the one who did • the running and coupling that day. This world record is still Soccer had Early" Beginning unChallenged. In 1891, in spite of their world record, these champion firemen had to stand idly by and leach thetir own market building burn to the ground, simply because all • their firefighting equipment, hose, hook and ladder carriages, etc., was stored in the build-, ing. Their gold braided unif- orms also went up in smoke. However, alr was Anot lost, one lirasscondenser from a hose • nozzle was in George E. Hen- derson's Saddler Shop, being fitted with a new leather wash- er. in Canadian Title Football, or soccer, high- lighted the sports scene in Sea - forth sei/enty-five years ago and a long series of top teams continued t9 bring renown'to the young town Culminating i"n 1891 when the Hurons won the Canadian championihip. The first mention of soccer in The Expositor was the account of a game between retired farm- ers from Seaforth and Egrnond- 'Ville on September 7, 1883. Little news of the sport is in the paper until -1810 but pro- gress must have been good be- cause in that year the team - the Hurons - was playing for the •Ontario championship. The account of the battle was in the July 4 issue-. It was the second game of a total points series and Toronto Scots had won the first game in Seaforth by a score of 3 to 2. The Expositor quoted from the Toronto Mail. "The game itself Was one of the finest ever played in Toronto, and it was one of the most rerharkable. In the first half the Scots played • very sluggittly while Seaforth had much the best of the play. At the end of the'half the Sea - forth team had scored a goal, Which they thoroughly deserved: The Huron forwaids gave a splendid exhibition of the passing game, and being fast they monopoliied the most of the play. Dewar on the right wing is one of the best forwards who ever toed a ball. He is very fast, a close dribbler, and an accurate shot on goal. The only. way the Scots could pre- vent his speedy and dangerous runs was to have a man stay with him the whole time." The game ended in a f 1 tie and Toronto won the champ. ionship oh points 4 - S. But the next year the Hur- ons Were back, The league in which they played Sens, " this day, to be very impressive. The April 24, 1891 Expositor gives the following: "Detroit, Berlin(Kitchener) Rangers and Seaforth Hurons are the competing teams in the Western Football Association this spring." ' And despite the size of the opposition cities the Hurons had their best year ever. They beat botkDevoit and Berlin and won the league championship. Then they played for the Canadian Championship. The July 3, 1891 Expositor carried the story of the series. "On Saturday last the Huron Football:Club of Seaforth went to Toronto to play a 'match with the celebrated Scots of that city. This match was one in a series for the champion- ship of Canada. It resulted in a victory for Seafdrth boys by three goals to one." The second game of he series was in Seaforth. It -nded 2 - 0 for Seaforth‘and the Hurons were Canadian Champions. "The match on Wednesday was one of the keenest and most interesting ever seen in/ Canada, and the playing was , of the most scientific order. Ir was witnessed by about fifteen hundred people. There was a strong side wind, which was somewhat ttOublesome, but otherwise the weather was faultless. Both clubs did their very best, but the Hurons kept the lead from the first. As a Club they are, decidedly, the best players. They play better together and in a goal scrimm- age are more active And sharp- er to take advantage of their pOsition. The Scots, however. are a good club and they had several magnificent intlividual playeis. They seem to be a very gentlemanly lot of fellows and took their defeat with the best of good grace. There was not an unpleasant word spoken during she match and the very The following were fire chiefs through the years and a _- few served more than one term. These chiefs were: James A. Cline, Dennis Hogan, George A. Sills, James R. Wright, George Murray, William Cline, William Reid, John P. Bell, Parker Oughton, Frank Sills, Alfred Box, R. G. Parke,John Cummings, John McKenzie, E. J. 'Pat" Box, A. W. Dick, Norman Scoins, Allan Reid and John F. Scott, who has served from 1951, till the , present time - a longer period than any of the others. ed a touring team from Chicago who claimed to be one of the best in the World. That year the Hurons also won the Haugh Cup for the Western Championship. They beat off all attempts by chall- engers to win the cup for nine years. Then in December 1900 they lost the cup to Clin- ton. But the next year they. camb back to take the cup once again. best of feelings appeared to prevail between the members of the two clubs, although they, were contending so hard again- st each other, 4 is no ordinary honor the Seaforth boys have won for themselves and their town, and all are proud of and congratulate them on their success.,, ° That was not the only credit of the year for the Sea - forth team. They also defeat- ° •