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Clinton News-Record, 1974-03-28, Page 29 4) 4 viSV CLINTON PUC 60th ANNIVERSARY Skeoch BUSINESS EQUIPMENT LIMITED 81 HAMILTON S. GODERICH 524.8652 Plymouth CHRYSLER Dodge Trucks SALES/SERVICE The right place for the right deal. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Al NO EXTRA COST with specially equipped 14 PlymouthValiant! DODGE TRUCKS GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT! With Crew Cab you leave nobody behind. Inside there's passenger room for six, And there's plenty of head, leg and shoulder room—more than in some passenger cars. Four Interior trim colours are available to let you make your Crew Cab as easy on the eyes as it is on passengers. Club Cab with 34 cubic feet of extra space or the regular three man cab—Dodge has them all. OUR . COMPLIMENTS TO THE CLINTON PUC AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 60th ANNIVERSARY "WELL DONE .KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK" CLINTON 0 CHRYSLER—PLYMOUTH 212 VICTORIA ST. HWY. NO. 4 SOUTH 4 8 2 3 5 2 2 14k,--CLINTON NEWS-RECORb, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1974 Disastrous fire in 1907 sparked. voters By Jabaz Rands The following is a very brief history of the trials and tribulations and the effort of the Clinton Council to get a waterworks system started in the old town. After some years of trying, a system was in- stalled iti 1910, about four years before we had a Public Utilities Commission set up in Clinton. There was some earlier water systems to do with fire protec- tion btit since this is, the 60th Anniversary of the Public Utilities Commission, we will stay with the system that they had to look after. Starting back in 1898, the Council instructed the Mayor to call at his own pleasure, a meeting of the citizens for the purpose of considering the ad- visability of introducing a system of waterworks in Clin- ton.- This did not seem to get anything started. In 1902, the Council was still talking about a system of waterworks but the citizens did not get enthused about it so it still did not go over. Again in 1903, the Council brought up the question of waterworks and having it in connection with the Clinton Electric Light Plant on Mary Street, with the possibility of the Town taking over the Elec- tric Light Plant and running both it and the waterworks together. At this time the council ap- pointed a special citizen com- mittee made up of 16 citizens to try to .get a waterworks system for Clinton. Dr, J.W. Shaw was appointed chairman of this committee. This committee held some meetings and recommended that several persons be delegated to go to other towns that were operating their own water systems and electric plants to get as much infor- mation as possible on how they operate their systems, including the different costs of building a system and maintaining these systems. They also suggested that the Council should engage an engineer to draw plans and make estimates of the cost of a waterworks system. Dr. J.W. Shaw, Wm. - Harland and A.J. Ford were picked as delegates to inquire of nearby towns about their• waterworks systems. This com- mittee handed in a very good report on their visit to Wingham, Mount Forest and Listowel, ENGINEER ENGAGED The council then engaged a Mr. Davis as engineer at. a salary of $75. He made a plan and an estimate on a water- works system and handed it into the Council in August 1903. In 1905 the Council were still working on a Committee for waterworks and appointed a committee of four councillors. This Committee made up an estimate of cost of a very small waterworks system with the pumping equipment to be in the Clinton Electric Light Plant. The council then' drew up a by-law to raise $20,000 for a waterworks system: On January 1st 1906, at the municipal elections, this by-law was voted on with poor results. Votes for the by-law, 61; votes against the by-law, 215. So this said the citizens did not want a water system. This did not discourage the Council, for on January 9th, 1906, they started in to work for a waterworks system - and they asked the mayor to call a• meeting right away. It did not gather very much support but the old committee seemed to get back into the job with Dr. J.W. Shaw as chairman. On April 1st 1907, Dr. Shaw repor- ted that he would have a com- plete report on waterworks very soon. On April 15th, 1907, .the committee presented their report of about five pages and estimated cost at $53,000 for a complete waterworks system which turned out to be the good beginning of the system the Town has today. DISASTROUS FIRE Then on May 13th 1907, Clinton had its most disastrous fire when 24 or more buildings in town were on fire. The town had to call for help, and Stratford and Blyth responded wonderfully with men and fire engines which were brought in on flat cars by the Grand Trunk Railway. A very strong south-west wind was blowing and carried burning shingles all over the' north east part of Clinton. The Council then put some notes in the paper that more money was lost by fire that af- ternoon than would have paid for a water system. In July 1907 the council drew up a by-law based on the citizens' report and had it ready to put before the people. On September 30th 1907, the (continued on page 15A) Clinton's first PUC superintendent, H.B. Chant, stands beside Clinton's waterworks building in this picture taken in 1921. To the right is Princess Street, and to the left is a 'pond where the Clinton Park is now.