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PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1985.
Old Newspaper clipping recalls the early history of Brussels
The history of a community is
often best told through the memor-
ies of its residents but too often the
residents dies before their story is
recorded.
Wayne Todd of Brussels showed
the Citizen a copy of a story by a local
resident that ran in the Brussels Post
in 1937 and recalls the early days of
the village and the effort to make it
grow.
RECALLS EARLY PIONEER
TIMES IN AINLEYVILLE
BY MYRTLE E. HOME
Perhaps there is no one better
qualified to relate the story of the
early days of Brussels than the
genial shopkeeper, James Ross,
whose home town it has been for the
past 67 years.
Born in Seaforth in 1861, he came
with his parents and their family of
three boys and four girls to what was
then Ainleyville when but eight
years of age. His father, who was a
tailor by trade and engaged in that
business in both Seaforth and
Ainleyville, was born in Scotland,
while his mother was from Letter-
kenny, Ireland. James has inherited
the ready wit of his Irish mother,
together with the Scotch thrift of his
Highland ancestors.
Mr. Ross recalled that the town
was called after the first settler,
William Ainley, a native of York-
shire, England, who came to Canada
with his parents, John and Anna
Ainley, when he was but a little boy.
They settled first at Port Hope, later
moving to Logan, where the family
grew up. When William reached
manhood, he set out to explore the
County of Huron and, after seeing
most of it, he decided upon the
present site of Brussels as the most
ideal situation, not only because of
its rich virgin soil, but most
especially because of its magnificent
water power derived from the
Maitland River. Here he made a
clearing and erected a log shanty,
and then returned to Logan, where
he spent the winter months in trying
to induce his old neighbours to join
him in the new settlement he was
beginning. In the spring he went
back to his log shanty and, after
burning over his clearing, he planted
potatoes and grain and returned to
Logan where he helped his father
during the harvest. On November 1,
1853, he took up his residence
permanently in Ainleyville. A few
days previously Thomas Halliday
had located on the Morris sideroad
and that fall about 30 families
arrived to take up land in that
community. Mr. Ainley laid out the
town and gave it his own name,
although the official name of the post
office was "Dingle."
Mr. Ross recalled the great
occasion when the village was
incorporated on December 24, 1872,
when the lieutenant-governor offi-
ciated and gave the name Brussels to
it. The first Municipal Council which
met shortly after this event was
composed of Reeve John Leckie,
councillors J. C. Halliday, Benjamin
Gerry, Thomas Ballantyne, Charles
Wright, Clerk R. C. Cooper, Assess-
or Donald Stewart and Collector
James Knox.
Soon Brussels became a live
industrial centre. The council offer-
ed a bonus of $20,000 toJ. D. Ronald,
Chatham, inventor of the steam fire
engine and also of the celebrated
"vibrator" pattern of separator
engine, if he would locate in
Brussels. The offer was accepted
and soon engines were being
manufactured here and shipped to
all parts of Canada. The "Centen-
nial," which was the admiration of
thousands of people, was later
purchased by the Town of Paris.
Another outstanding industry of
those early days was the corset
factory, which gave the place a wide
reputation and an enviable populari-
ty. Besides these there was an
unusually large number of stores
and shops of every kind. Nor were
the professions lacking, for there
were two law offices, which were
kept busy in looking after the legal
rights of the citizens; three doctors,
who cared for their physical well
being, and six churches, ministering
to their spiritual health. The first
copy of The Post was printed on July
10, 1878.
Mr. Ainley donated land for a
market square, but after a few years
it was converted into a park.
The population, which is largely.
Scotch, was about 900 in those days
and, although time has made a
wonderful change in the village, its
population has remained unchanged
in number throughout the years.
Mr. Ross was an eyewitness of the
Use Citizen
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great fire of about 45 years ago which
completely destroyed everything on
both sides of Main street. As a result
new and finer stores and buildings
were erected, which give the place a
splendid appearance. The new post
office, opened but recently, is one
which might well add dignity and
grace to a much larger town.
Mr. Ross married Miss Friend-
ship, of London, and they have one
daughter, Mary (Mrs. Champion).
Two brothers of Mr. Ross, Torn and
Robert, live in Chesley and Kincar-
dine, respectively, and a sister, Mrs.
John E. Smith, in Brussels.
Township of Grey
Candidates Meeting
Wed., November 6,1985
at 8 p.m.
in the Ethel Community Hall
All ratepayers are urged to attend.
Council and school board members will be reviewing
reportsof major projects in the township.
Questions and comments welcome.
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SEEDS: Full line of corn, grain and forage seeds.
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