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The Huron Expositor, 1961-05-04, Page 9f • s • R • • t • a to • r N 1 Build for $7,450 in '95 The present Commercial Hotel building was erected in 1895, at a cost of $7,450.00, following a fire which early that year completely destroyed an earlier building. The owner at that time was the late Alex Davidson. Since the earliest days of the community, a hotel has been lo- cated on the site, one of the earl- iest being Sharpe's Hotel, which operated in 1866. The fire of 1895 occurred on the night of April 17, and within weeks arrangements had been made to rebuild the hotel. The Huron Ex- positor of May 17 tells of the con- tract award: "The contract for the erection of an hotel to replace the Com- mercial was let on Monday last. The tenders on the first plans were all too high, and the plans were consequently altered and the ten- ders reconsidered. The work will all be done by town contractors. Mr. Frank Gutteridge has the brick work; Mr. J. H. Broadfoot, the carpenter work, and S. Mullet & Co., plumbing and iron work. The whole contract amounts to between $7,000 and $8,000. When complet- ed it will he one of the best equip- ped hotels in the county. • Every Success . • • to the COMMERCIAL HOTEL A. B. PENTLAND Manufactures' Agent Islington Ontario HOTEL AND MOTEL FURNITURE AND TEXTILES CONGRATULATIONS . to all who had a part in the remodelling of THE .COMMERCIAL HOTEL • We appreciate the opportunity of supplying Lumber and Millwork used, in construction. SEAFORTH LUMBER LTD. 7. HEADQUARTERS FOR E L J I i_, ED I NI LT E IAL S Phone 47 Seaforth "Complete tenders were: John H. Broadfoot, for carpenter work, painting and glazing, $$,800; mason work, F. Gutteridge, $3,400; iron work and plumbing, S. Mullet & Co., $250; total amount of contract, $7,450. The following is a state- ment of• the other tenders: Wm. Copp, for whole contract, $7,467; mason work, $3,485; Thomas Jor- dan, plastering, $798.34; F. Wil- lard, painting, $294; William Hen- derson; painting, $275; Whitney Brothers, iron work and plumbing, $260; Johnson Bros., iron work and plumbing, $275; Thomas Mc - Clay, Woodstock, whole contract, $7,650; Edge & Wright, carpenter work, $3,512; E. A. Cawsey, St. Marys, mason work, $3,624.00." Construction proceeded through- out the summer. In August, Mr. Davidson decided to alter the plan and to have water piped into the hotel. The well in front of the hotel was covered over and "water will be carried into it by means of pipes," a story at that time says. The work was done by the firm of Reid & Wilson, A short time later it was de- cided to lay the recently devel- oped granolithic walks across the front of the hotel, and the town street committee agreed to extend the new walk to the street limit as an experiment. The cost was not to exceed $110. By September the work was nearing completion, The Exposi- tor of October 4, 1895, reported: "There was quite a bustle around the new Commercial Hotel, yester- day. The carpets have arrived and are being laid by a large number of workers. Mr. J. F. Clark, • of the Golden Lion, is supplying the furnishings. The second flat is to be carpeted with Brussels carpet, made expressly, and the third floor throughout is to have tapestry of a beautiful design. Altogether, the Commercial when completed, will be one of the most homelike and attractive hotels in the country." At the same time, it was an- nounced that the hotel would be operated by Joseph and Abe Dav- idson, the latter having returned from St. Paul, Minn., to assume the position. In a few weeks all was completed and the hotel Qpen- ed for business on, October 21, 1895. Purchased in 1921 The Dungey family became in- terested in the property after the First War, and in 1921 the late Charles Dungey bought the hotel from the then owner, the late Alex McLennan. It was operated by him until his death in 1936, when op- eration fell to his son, Roy C. Dungey. Following Roy Dungey's death in 1959, active management fell to his son, Charles Dungey. The Dungey family has had a long experience in the hotel busi- ness, extending back to 1911 when the late Charles Dungey operated a hotel at Bornholm. MRS. CHARLES DUNGEY, Sr., and her grandson, Charles Dungey, have had few idle moments during recent months as work of remodelling the Commercial Hotel progress'. Mrs. Dun- gey, who recently celebrated her 80th birthday, came to Seaforth with her husband in 1921, when they acquired the Commercial. (Expositor photo by Phillips). SCOTTISH EXCHANGE FARMER VISITS SEAFORTH AREA FARMS An important visitor will be ar- riving in Huron County on Thurs- day, May 4, as guest of the Huron County Junior Farmers for a one- week period. The visitor is John Caldwell, Moorfield, Kolmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, and is repres- enting the Scottish Young Farm- ers' Association on their exchange visit to Ontario. Mr. Caldwell is married and has a family consisting of a boy and a girl. He farms Moorfield as a dairy farm with a herd of 'Ayr-, shire cows. Ile is forever active, however, in exploring other sourc- es of income from his farm and has recently introduced Dorset Horn sheep. At the same time, poultry and ocher remunerative sidelines are followed. He has also made and • assisted with arrange- ments for several of the Ontario Junior Farmer delegations when they visited Great Britain. Congratulations to THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL The beautifully textured walls and ceilings are finished with GLIDDEN PAINTS Supplied by Irvin's Hardware Phone 61 Your Glidden Paint Centre (Successor to Baldwin Hardware) • • Seaforth During the week Mr. Caldwell will be staying at the homes of George Wheatley, RR 1, Dublin, and Robert P. Allan, RR 1, Bruce - field. - It was election time and a can- didgate got up to give his speech when from the back of the crowd someone yelled, "Tell them all you know. It won't take a minute." Thereupon the candidate replied, "I'll tell them all you and I both know, and it won't take any long- er." DISTRICT FUNERALS JOHN SPAIN John Spain, 71, Goderith, died suddenly Sunday at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. Born in Seaforth, he had been a Goderich resident most of his life. He was a member of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Surviving are his wife, the for- mer Violet Grace Huller; three sons, Gerald, Paul and Peter, all of Goderich; eight daughters, Mrs. J. W. (Muriel) Rhody, Windsor; Mrs. William (Daisy) McCann, Mrs. Don (Helen) Wilson, Mrs. Laverne (Aileen) Linton, Mrs, Jack (Mar- lene) Ashton Mrs. Dan (Marilyn) Ellsworth, all of London; Mrs. Maurice (Mona) Poirier, Summer- sile, P.E.I.; Mrs. Len (Colleen) Davies, Red Deer, Alta.; brothers, Con Spain, Goderich;Joseph Spain, Detroit; sisters, Mazy Spain, Mar- garet Spain and Muriel Spain, all of Detroit, and 12 grandchildren. To cool most butter cakes, re- move the baked cake from the oven and set it on a cake rack for fifteen minutes. For proper cool- ing, air should circulate all around the cake. THE HURON BXPOSITOR, SEAFQIt7'H; Q.NT., MAY 4*,194 --!' WINTHROP WMS and WA meeting of Cav- an Church, Winthrop, will be held on Wednesday, May 10. Circle 3 will look after lunch and Circle 4 the program. The delegates to the WMS and WA Presbyterial will give their reports. Members are reminded to bring all articles for the bale and the layette to this meeting. WI NOTES The South Huron" dfstriet: annual meeting of the Woinen'a Institute will be held on Thursday, May 1;1, in Kippen United Church at 1.0- a.m. Mrs. Keays, of Hyde Park, chairman of the London Area, and Mrs. Hislop, board director of the FWIO, Stratford, will he guest speakers. Oflcers for the coming year will he elected at this meet- ing. WANT ADS BRING QUICK RESULTS — Phone 141 Read the Advertisements — It's a Profitable Pastime CONGRATULAr1ONS to the COMMERCIAL HOTEL SEAFORTH on its GRAND OPENING Compliments of Crocker Refrigeration Phone 37 R 4 •Dashwood We Were Pleased To Install BAR . REFRIGERATION by, Canadian Curtis HAMILTON ONTARIO SINCE 1911 CONGRATULATES THE CO = MERCIAL HOTEL SEAFORTH, ONTARIO This beautifully renovated establishment is a tribute to the town of Seaforth. It is a visible indication of civic progress, and community faith. Union Gas Company is justifiably proud of the fact that the use onatural gas in this hotel has been increased. Patrons of the building have enjoyed the h"ealthfuI warmth of gas heat and the limitless supply of hot water heated by gas for some time. Now, they will enjoy finer foods that are cooked as only the clean blue flame can do—naturally with gas. The automatic efficiency and economy of natural gas is proving itself daily in thousands of business firms, industrial plants and Homes. SERVING OVER 230,000 CUSTOMERS IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO UNION COMPANY OF CANADA, LIMITED SEAFORTH - GODERICH - CLINTON - 'MITCHELL - STRATFORD "MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER ARE USING NATURAL GAS"