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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1966-03-31, Page 5• The (Continued Own last week) Private Schools Before there was a secondary school in Seaforth, private schools were advertised from the late 60's to the 80's. In 1869 Mrs. G. T. Jarvis, Railway St., had in her residence a select boarding and day school• foryoung ladies. Her rates were as follows: English and Fancy Work, $4.00; French, $4,0Q; Drawing, $4.00; Music, $6.00; or all the branches, $1.4.00 per quarter. At the same time, Miss Watkinson had a young ladies' private school in her home on Jarvis St., next door to the Pres- byterian Church. By the early 1870's both Miss Robin- son and Miss Ryan advertised select schools. From, 1881 till 1886, "The Poplars" Ladies' School was car- ried on by Miss Robertson and Miss Booth in the "Green" house on John St.„ and Miss Sarah Dorrance had another private schql on Side St. From the very early days the young ladies got instruction in music and sewing, and the boys in other trades, but not in the schools aa they doloday. These hi the 70's and 80's gave vocal and .instrumen- tal lessons: Miss Vanderlys in D. Ross' home, John St.; Miss Watson in Mrs. (Dr.) Smith's residence; Miss Uallan, 'Anglican Church organist, in her home north of the Methodist Church; Miss Walsh, a graduate from Loretta Academy, on George St. • Mrs. James McMul- kin, east of Victoria Square, and Mrs. Charles M. Dun- lop, on George St. Mrs. Dunlop was also a composer of music. These taught later Miss Emily Ruffles, Miss Cora Geib, Miss Ann Govenlock, Miss Hazel Winter and Miss H. Isabel Grahani. Miss Graham was also a well-known poetess. Her book of poem, "Be Of Good Cheer," was published in 1939. Others were Mrs. M. R. Rennie, Sisters of St. Joseph, Misg Carol Brown and Miss Nancy Berger. Many set up dressmaking shops in their own homes, and some of these took in apprentices. Misses Frances and Jennie Brine were among the last to in- struct apprentices. Other girls became tailoresses and milliners. ' The early school "drop -outs" among the boys learn- ed some trade,. such as shoemaking, tailoring, black- smithing, carriage -making, etc. ' As all this work wag done by hand in the shops, many employees were need- ed. •In McNaught and Teeple's two-storey frame car- riage factory and blacksmith shop with three forges on North Main St., from eight to ten hands were em- ployed making carriages, wagons, velocipedes, etc. William Campbell employed twelve in his tailor shop. Duncan & Duncan had a number of tailors, milliners and also •six salesmen. Several other factories and stores had on their pay roll as many employees as ese, and among there were apprentices who got their training in the various trades. Salt Stirs Growth ' Salt Industry ' 4 • ' Al • a tigaiory by "Isabelle. Campbell' comer, when he stepped off the train, was 'impressed with the number a derrieks to be seem The pure brine when pumped • to the surface was conveyed into two large tanks, which held enough liquid for 48 hours boiling. The boiling took place 1» sheds or salt blocks, where the evaporating pans were kept hot by burping huge quantities of cordwood sticks four feet long. Fr good beech, birch and maple this length, the farmers received $2.00. a cord. 'When the residue was reduced to salt it was packed in barrels, ready for shipment. The Association of Salt Manufacturers .sought markets for their product, but after being active for three years, dissolved in April, 1885. This left each company re- sponsible to seek .its own salt orders. • With the discovery of salt, Seaforth became a booming hamlet. In the course of a few years three very et teniVe sag works were developed. These .were Sep,forth.Salt Works; EClipse Salt Works, and Merchant' Salt Co. The wells .varied in depth from 1,000 to 1,400 feet. The capital invested was over $100,000; almost the same aniount was needed to run the business; and besides most of, the salt men were large land owners throughout the county from which they obtained part Of their fuel supply. It was on the Coleman and. Gouinlock property, south of the railway track and east of Main St. South, that salt was first drawn in 1868. A contract was let in December, 1869, to commence drilling on January 1, 1370. That year the first salt block was built; another was ere—dted by AligtiSt, 1873, and by 1876 they had three in operation, with a total capacity of 500 barrels a day. This was the largest Of the three salt works in Seaforth, also the largest in the 1 Dominion. Their • average was only about half that amount for two rear sons : want df a market and lack of fuel, at times, to boil the brine. This establishment Was known as the Seaforth Salt Works. Two of the blocks here were degtroyed by fire in November, 1879, but they were soon rebuilt. In later years the business was carried on under the name of Coleman Estate, with Thomas F. and Ed- ward Coleman, sons of Dr._ T. T. Coleman, in charge till the early 1900's. Their office and storehouse stood for many years on Main St., just south of the railway trackc., From October, 1903, Richard and Jphn Rang- --ford, Clinton, rented and run the wells, but a fire in August, 1907, 'ended the salt business here. Coleman's sold to Robert Bell Engine & Thresher Co. in May, 1908, and that fall the buildings were wrecked. • The Eclipse Salt Works was situated on four acres south of the track, but at the end of Railway St. It was owned and operated by Gray, Young & Sparling. This block turned out between 250 and 300 barrels of salt each day and gave steady employment to between 20 and 25 nien. By November, 1871, orders were being taken for salt, and in 1876 they • sent specimens to Sydney, Australia, for exhibition at the Exposition which opened there in April, 1877. Business was car- ried on here till around the late 1880's. William M. Gray then 'went to Toronto, Nicholas Young to Blyth, and Frank G. Sparling to Wingham. From 1870 the Merchants Salt Co. did a like amount of business not far from the Eclipse Works, only on the north side of the track. Alex Armitage was the manager, and S. G. McCaughey, president. In 1880 Joseph Kidd, of Dublin, took it over, and in the 1890's the Coleman Bros. were -in eharge: After being idle for many years, Dr. E. A. McMaster & Co., with R. J. Bellamy, manager, in the early 1950's made an effort to revive the industry, but with no success. Some of the wreckage is all that is left to mark the site of the salt works owned by the Merchants Salt Co. A few small blocks were established, but the brine for these was supplied from either the Eclipse or Merchant Salt Co. Walter Marshall, Huron Street, also John Scobie; on the same street, got theirs from the Merchant Salt Co.; Jonathan Carter and William McDougall, also James I. Carter & Co. got theirs from Gray, Young & Sparling„ and McDougall's block was on Willis Dundas' coal and fuel oil lot; the block of Carter & Co., where the Supertest oil tanks now are located. In November, 1874, both these last named com- panies were ordered by Council to remove the under- ground pipes as salt was -beeping into the wells on Railway Street. While here in 1873, James L Carter • Wag granted a patent for a site return flue salt evapor- ator. When. the salt boom was at its height, any .new - Sawmills and Cooperage Shops • 441 chili NaMes The salt industry created a need for saw mills, cooperage shops and stave factories, and these sprung up near each of the salt works. By 1870, 0. G. Anderson & Co. had a cooperage shop where Miss Hazel Reid now lives. Philip Volmar followed, and made staves and barrels. This factory was sold by auction on August 17, 1877. In Volmar's time an engine exploded and a man, whose name is unkown today, lost his life. By the early 1870's, James Kyle had a sawmill on three acres south of the Seaforth Salt Works. This rhill, by 1874, was taken Over by Coleman and Gouinlock. On another three acres, they very soon built a cooper- age and stave factory. In it they also made shingles. In Coleman and Gouinlock's three salt blocks, sawmill and cooperage shop, they regularly employed from. 00 to 75 men, and more than, one-half of .these were employed in the making of salt. In the early 1900's, William and Philip Ament took over this ,business. A little later William had it alone. In October, 1909, he sent out 4,000 barrels to apple dealers in the county. The price received was 38c per barrel. When spples became scarcer, the cooperage business was dropped and later the sawmill also was closed. In November, 1930, all the . buildings were offered for sale by William.Ament. Arthur Wright and VVilliam Leyburn, truckers; purchased the land in the 1940's. It was here they weighed and loaded the live- stock which they trucked to the Toronto Stockyards. In 1954 part was bought by the town for the sewage disposal plant. The natural gas plant was built on an- other part in 1958. It was on September 24th that a ceremony was held ,to celebrate the coming. of natural gas to the town. In 1964 the Co-op erected an up-to- date egg grading station at the front of this property. Wright and Leyburn now only own the scales. The Ament cooperage industry had its beginning on North Main St., under the management of John Ament, father of William and Philip. 'John carried on business here from 1872 till he passed away in 1889. From then the family carried on till the early 1900's, when they moved south of the railway track. .The build- ings were on the corner of North Main and Centre St. Many men, during the years, hademployment in this cooperage shop. (To be contilitied). Read the Advertisements — It's a Profitable Pastime! *FOOD MARKET* MI/ SPECIALS FOR Thursday, Friday and Saturday 'Five Roses ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR • .7-1b. Bag 69 Facelle "Royale" BATHROOM TIATJE • • 2 Roll Pkg. 25 Yellow, White, Pink Cheery Morn FRESH GROUND COFFEE or COFFEE BEANS 1-1b. Bag 750 Duncan Hines CAKE MIXES 2 Large Pkgs. 830 White, Devils, . • Deep Chocolate, Pineapple igBrand MUSTARD PICKLES or SWEET RELISH.. • • • 3 16 -oz. Jars $ 1, Aylmer Fancy Quality TOMATO JUICE , 3 48 -oz. Tins $ 1. GIANT FAB Pkg. 590 FROZEN FOOD FEATURES Swanson's TV DINNERS 2 for 75c Spaghetti and Meat Balls, 111/2 oz. Macaroni and Cheese, 12 oz, HOLIDAY FARMS—Reg. 69c; Special 63c Cooked Beef and Barbecue Sauce' •• for Sloppy Joes, 12 -oz. Pkgs. PRODUCE Snow White CAULIFLOWER Each 33c Indian River Pink GItAPEFRUIT-48's 5 for 49c New California CABBAGE Each 21c FOR ADDITIONAL SPECIALS SEE LONDON FREE PRESS THURSDAY Smith's Phone 527-0990 1 'Ulcers Seaforth 4-11 IfomeEconom- ics Branch met at the home of Mr. and Mrs, Gordon gillot, and because of the increase in the number of girls, It was decided to split the girls into two groups. The North Road group is under the leadership of Mr. Sandy Doig and Mr. C. wilder - New officers were elected. Jean Scott is president, with Maria Van Loon as vice-presi- dent. The new treasurer is Di- anne Patterson,. and Carolanne Doig is press representative. The present project is called "Accent On Accessories," and Mrs. Frank Sills demonstrated the types of accessories and what time of day to wear them. The girls, 14 and under, will make a hat and scarf to match one of their outllts, and the old- er ones will also make a purse. The accessories will be model- led with the outfit they were made for by the girls themselves on Achievement Day. :WED:61110 ASK FOR 4,evepia e INVITATIONS 0 ANNOUNCEMENTS .0 •ACCESSORIES - COME IN AND • ASK FOR YOUR FREE BRIDAL GIFT' REGISTER " THE • . HURON - EXPOSITOR 110...Amolftsinoo•••••A '1. 141101.# .NXPOSITI":10;A.FORTHe. ,4011r44N0" 31! 114104 ° -17 • Yearning for sarnethin, long, low and racy? Or something lame, posh and poerful? Or something .quietly compact? • - Go ahead! Go -Ahead people make things happen with a low-cost Go -Ahead Loan from TC)RONTO-DOMINION The Bank where people make the_differencei W. D. STEPHENSON, Manager - Seaforth PERSONALIZED COASTERS - GIFT IDEAS - SERVIETTES Phone 527-0240 : Seaforth Ihe one beer so good it's made Canada famous for beer throughout the world! In the Canary Islands and over 60 other countries, you can enjoy a world of flavour in the balanced beer. Free Delivery *.Z Playa Las Canttras.Las The CARLING BREWERIES: Lififited A •