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The Citizen, 1999-12-29, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN MILLENNIUM ISSUE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1999. Police Village of Auburn Settlement ofManchestergrows out of wilderness Auburn bridge, circa 1895 Mtf ■ “BB 1 ii $r OS * * illi Canadian Pacific Railway station High upon a hill above the Maitland River, the Police Village of Manchester (Auburn) a gathering of homes straddling the townships of East and West Wawanosh and Hullett grew out of the wilderness. Eneas Elkin walked from Hamilton to Huron County in 1848 and built the first log home near where the first bridge womd cross the river. Twenty-two years after Elkin’s arrival, all the farmland surrounding Auburn was occupied. Prior to the 1900s a two-room school house was built east of the village. Local schools closed in 1966 and the children attended Hullett Central Public School. Kindergarten classes began in 1968. The Canadian Pacific Railroad went through the community in 1907, at which time the stop was named Auburn. From a peak of four trains per day, passenger service ended in 1955. Mixed train service continued until 1962. Canadian Pacific freight trains ran until 1988. Freight traffic had been high during the 1960s when the new Sifto Salt mine opened in Goderich. However, truck transportation eventually took over. The line was abandoned due to insufficient usage, citing a loss of $1.2 million in 1985. The track was lifted in 1989. The Sterling Bank of Canada opened a branch in 1907. The red brick building at the corner of Loftus and Goderich Streets was built in 1911. It became the Canadian Bank of Commerce by 1928. The facility operated as the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce until 1979. Over the years there were grist, chopping, flour, planing and saw mills. There was a grain elevator, weight scales and apple evaporator along with cattle drovers. There was a gas station, cheese factory, tannery, lime kiln, boot and shoe business, used car lot, beauty shops and a milk business. Retail outlets and services includ­ ed millinery, dressmaking, tailors, harness shops, blacksmiths, butch­ ers, general stores, feed stores, hard­ ware shops, stone masons, barber, undertaker and furniture, shoe cob­ bler, veterinarian, livery barns, sleigh and wagon shops, restaurants, welding shops, electric fencing and roofing supplies, grocer, woodwork­ ing, general repair cooper, and mar­ celling. Hotels stood at various times on the west side of King Street, at County Rd 25 (Blyth Rd.) and Egmont (1873) then Goderich and Mill Streets. The latter was tom down and replaced by Auburn House which had a dance hall on the second storey. At the turn of the century, several churches served the small communi­ ty. A Knox Presbyterian congrega­ tion had formed in 1860. Visiting ministers had served the area previ­ ously. In 1902, the church name was changed from Manchester to Knox Church, Auburn. The original struc­ ture was torn down in 1904. The new church opened in 1905. A red brick manse was built west of the church in 1913. In 1925, the congregation was split over a union with Methodists. The minority group, who remained Presbyterians, lost the use of the church, by an act of parliament. For three years, the Presbyterians worshipped with the Baptists. In 1928, the former Methodist Church was purchased from the United Church of Canada and remodeled for the Presbyterian congregation. The church closed on Dec. 27, 1970. The Huron Christian Men’s Fellowship purchased the building the following year. In 1980, the congregation joined Main street The Auburn blacksmith Auburn House Hotel the Missionary Church and became known as the Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church. Plans are underway for the construc­ tion of a new building on John Street. , . The Manchester circuit of the Methodist Church was formed in 1880 which consisted of Manchester, Donnybrook and Westfield and oper­ ated until 1925 when it joined with the fractured Presbyterian congrega­ tion. Though the Salem Lutheran Church was established in 1877, it was not until 1894 when a church was constructed at the west end of the village. After its closure in 1918, it was renovated into a continuation school in 1929. By 1944, students were being bussed to Goderich Collegiate Institute, so it became a home in 1948. The parsonage sits at the corner of Egmont and County Rd. 25 (Blyth Rd.). In 1908 , the Baptists constructed a red brick building on Goderich Street, where a general store had once stood. The final service was held in 1971. St. Mark’s Anglican Church was built on land donated by George Fulton in the late 1870s, on the lot bordered by Goderich Queen and Egmont. The church closed in 1988. Apple evaporator, circa 1920 There were social organizations too. The Orange Hall existed from 1864 until 1968, when it amalgamat­ ed with Blyth. The Forrester’s Hall, originally the Old Temperance Hall, was built in 1858. The building was sold to the Elliott brothers of Blyth and moved in 1956. It stood on the site of Manchester Garden. Today there is a Lions Club, Horticultural Society, Women’s Institute Branch and Seniors club. The library opened in 1897 over a store and moved to the new fire hall in 1939. It still operates today on a limited basis. From 1896 through much of the 20th century, Auburn had their own fire department, with underground tanks to supply water. The effort had begun in 1947 to construct a memorial for those who had lost their lives in the World Wars and to honour the pioneers. After years of fundraising, the comer lot. on Mill Street was purchased from the Athletic Association, and the Community Memorial Hall was built in 1961. It remains as a social centre for the hamlet. In 1999, Auburn is also home to the co-op, a restaurant, counselling service and Sanitation company. There are no main street retail out­ lets.