The Citizen, 1999-12-29, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN MILLENNIUM ISSUE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1999.
Hamlet of St. Helens
./Irtisans have made quiet hamlet their home
Memorials honour World War I veterans
many years on Warren Street. The
beef ring ended in the 1950s.
The Anglican Christ Church was
also situated on High Street, at the
Comer of Mary Anne. A frame struc
ture, built in 1875, was replaced with
a brick building in 1902. It was sold
and dismantled in 1932.
The original frame Presbyterian
manse, built in 1867, was replaced
with a brick building in 1910. Calvin
Presbyterian/United Church, located
on the east side of High Street, north
of Maitland, was constructed in
1858-59. A new brick church was
built in 1898 on the same lot. The
church closed in 1985, and was
demolished.
A Temperance Hall, on Lot 19,
Cone. 11, was used for meetings and
church suppers and housed the
library. Moved to the northeast cor
ner of the intersection the hall is still
used today by the Women's Institute
and local gatherings. The WI took
ownership in 1954.
The war memorial was installed in
1923.
The library operated until 1974
then was reopened in 1981 when
Huron County contacted the WI . It
was closed again in 1990.
A frame school, built in 1867, on
Lot 18, Cone. 11, was replaced in
1916 with the current brick structure.
A furnace was added in 1935, toilets
in 1938 and hydro in 1947.
St. Helens School closed 1967 and
the students moved to Brookside
Public School.
Artisans and residents now call St.
Helens home.
St. Helens store, pre 1873
Remains of the past
St. Helens sits at the intersection
of Cone. 10-11 (Belfast Rd.) and
Sideroadl8-19 (St. Helens Line) in
West Wawanosh Twp.
When William and John Gordon
settled at Lot 19, Cone 11, they saw
a need for a closer supply for goods
to the developing community and
built the first St. Helens store.
Thomas Todd followed soon after
with a sawmill.
It was not until 1854 that the set
tlement had a name. William
Gordon’s wife, Helen, passed away
that year during childbirth. The com
munity decided it would be a fitting
tribute to her. The child was also
named Helen,
When the Great Western Railroad
passed through Lucknow instead of
St. Helens, it marked the beginning
of the hamlet’s decline. The settle
ment had grown to a maximum of
200 residents.
The current town hall stands on the
site of the first store which had been
used as a residence for many years
after Gordon built a new store on Lot
19, Cone. 10. The community once
had a blacksmith, hotel, two stores,
wagon shop, shoemaker, carpenter,
slaughter house, grist mill, two tai
lors and ashery.
The grist mill, built in 1929, oper
ated into the 1950s, It still stands at
the corner of High and Maitland
Streets.
A store and the post office had sat
on the neighbouring lot. A store, then
hotel operated out of a building north
on High Street.
A general store was built
along Maitland Street next to the
grist mill lot in 1883. The St. Helens
post operated out of this store for a
time.
A slaughter house operated for
Area home to Mennonite community
In the garage business for
over half a century
George Hamm Sr. was born in Blyth in 1912 in the house
now occupied by John and Ruth Uyl and family.
In 1940 he and his brother, Norman went into the garage
business. They operated as Hamm Bros, for one year,
then Norman left to work as a gunsmith.
The first garage was located north of the Blyth Creek
where Campbell Transport is now located. In 1951 the
present property was purchased.
In 1947, George Hamm Jr. started working as a
mechanic apprentice and in 1948 Kenneth started as the
bookkeeper. In 1955 the youngest son Murray, joined the
business.
Hamm's Garage in 1977 operated a gas station, a body
shop, which was built in 1960, a car repair department
with mechanics on duty and a car dealership selling new
and used cars.
Today they operate as Hamm's Car Sales Ltd. with
changes of the times to do their best to serve their
customers.
George, Murray, Ken and Wayne
EAST
WAWANOSH
TOWNSHIP
East Wawanosh and West Wawanosh were not always two
separate townships. Until 1866 the Townships would remain as
one. At that time they realized Wawanosh was too large due to
transportation problems and in 1866 it was divided by the road
running north and south (what is now Huron County Road 22)
creating East and West Wawanosh. The first Council of East
Wawanosh was elected in 1867.
Wawanosh is the only name in Huron County of Indian origin.
The name comes from a Chippewa Chief who put his totem
(signature) on a document entitling King George IV of England
to take over 2,200,000 acres of his people's land. The treaty was
signed April 26, 1825 at Amherstburg.
East Wawanosh consists of 17,407 hectares of good fertile
farmland and is well drained by the Maitland River and
streams running into it. The Township consists of 128 kms of
roads with 7 bridges being the Taylor Bridge, Scott Bridge,
Tenth Line Bridge, Patterson Bridge, Potter's Bridge, Fothergill
Bridge and McLean Bridge.
Hamlets which existed in the past and of which some are still in
existence today are Auburn, Belgrave, Fordyce, Whitechurch,
Westfield, Zetland, Marnoch, Tinkerton and Christie's Hill.
There is one natural ice arena in Belgrave built in 1949 and is
home of the Fowl Supper feeding approximately 1000 each year
in October. In 1963 part of the building covering the ice surface
was replaced - the result of too much snow, making it buckle. A
new roof was put on in 1986 and in 1991 the front was
demolished making way for a new community hall. Belgrave
also boasts a bail park (1980) and pavilion picnic area.
In June, 1992 East Wawanosh Township officially opened the
doors of its new Municipal Office located within the Hamlet of
Belgrave, providing a new Council Chamber with office space
for the Clerk-Treasurer, Road Superintendent, Building
Inspector, and Staff.