Clinton News-Record, 1985-6-26, Page 53PAGE TW EMIT -EIGHT
Kippen
Kippen peaked in 1860s
Four townships claim portions of Kippen.
Parts of Kippen are in Hay, Stanley and
Tuckersmith Townships.
The area was settled in the 1830s with
Robert Bell, William Cooper, Robert Doig
and James and John McLean being some of
the earliest immigrants.
The peak of village life in Kippen was dur-
ing the mid -1860s. The railway route
through the village brought trade while
other local communities provided services.
One of the more prominent men in the
community during this time was Henry
Shafer who had his hand in everything Ac-
cording to the Tuckersmith Memories
history book, he owned and operated the
hotel, built a general store, bought and ship-
ped livestock from his stockyards, installed
weigh scales for the convience of the
farmers, did butchering and made sausage.
He had a livery stable and an ice house
where he stored ice to keep the meat fresh.
He even bought lots, built homes on them
and sold them.
Kippen was fortunate enough to have its
own Public Hall so social gatherings and
meetings could be held.
Today, Kippen is quiet. Cars pass through
on Highway 4 and local residents stop at the
corner store to buy a few necessities, but the
hustle and bustle of the early years is gone.
Congregation contributes
to Kippen United Church
Co-operation and dedication is the key to
the success of St. Andrew's United Church
in Kippen. It took both courage and faith to
unit the two churches of a small community.
The first services were held in a small log
school house whenever a travelling mis-
sionary passed through. Records show that
Rev. Thomas Whitehead and Rev. Proud -
foot were two of the earliest to stop and
speak to the congregation.
Rev. John Ross, of Brucefield, became
known in the area as "the man with the
book." In 1851 he would conduct. services
every second Sunday and on the alternate
l�J
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CONGRATULATIONS
for
150 GREAT YEARS
BOB, ERB'S GARAGE
"24 HOUR TOWING"
HENSALL 262-3014
CONGRATULATIONS
to the
TOWNSHIP
OF
TUCKERSMITH
We are Proud to be
Yeiir LENNOX Dealer
HENSALL
262-2020
Sundays a Methodist minister would lead
the prayers. However, in 1866, Rev. D.
McDougall came from Scotland for the pur-
pose of organizing a congregation of the
Established Church of Scotland in Kippen.
Services continued to be held in the school
until the number attending became too
large for the log building to hold. The ser-
vices were then held in William Cooper's
barn. Despite the location, the services
couldn't have been more meaningful if they
were held in the richest church in the land.
In November of the same year, plans were
Turn to page 29
CONGRATULATIONS
TUCKERSMITH
SPECIAL T-SHIRTS
FOR ALL OCCASIONS
TRUCK LETTERING
SIGNS OF ALL TYPES
SILK SCREENING ON
T-SHIRTS
S IGNS and SHIRTS
103 Richmond St. South
HENSALL 262-2726
SCDOD
LUCK
For another 150
great years!
DONALD C. JOYNT
INSURANCE
HENSAII,
262-21191 ,
Accurate shooters at Gun Club
Although the Kippen Gun Club can no Memorial Shoot, held the second last
longer be literally called a gun club, local
shooters continue to gather at the old club's
lands just south of Kippen and practice trap
shooting.
Jamie Caldwell of Seaforth, who took over
the gun club property in 1978, said thle term
club is used for convenience's sake.
Still, 20 to 25 trap shooters practice on the
weekly shoot day including Gladys
McGregor, the one female regular. "A cou-
ple others drop in once in a blue moon," said
Mr. Caldwell.
The Gun Club was started in the '20s when
area men, particularily Bill Cooper, Bill
Kyle and Bob Bell, collected pigeons from
nearby barns and used them for their
regular shoots. Clay pigeons are used now.
Club membership has waxed and waned
throughout the years. Those first days of the
club saw a good number of members but
gradually interest was lost.
In 1947, the few remaining shooters held a
meeting at Watson's Hall to see if interest in
the club could be' stimulated. Eighteen men
signed up and Bill Kyle provided rent-free
land. A building which had last served as a
clubhouse for Hensall bowlers was purchas-
ed and set on the site.
The club started an annual shoot in 1948
held each May 24 with a trophy donated by
Lloyd Venner. The first winner was Sam
Dougall; the trophy was retired in 1966 after
John Anderson, one of the club's premier
marksmen, won it three times.
Mr. Anderson was also responsible
onsible for
retiring another trophy just two short years
later.
On Labour Day, 1949 the Kippen club held
its first registered shoot. Ontario shooters
competed for the Labour Day competition's
cup and by 1968 Mr. Anderson had won the
cup three times forcing its retirement.
When Mr. Caldwell took over responsibili-
ty for the club, he started the Bill Kyle
II I
"II , I III I.
100'I -!'' �I
weekend in August, with two trophies the
Kyle family donated. That first year the
Class A Bill Kyle Memorial trophy was won,
not surprisingly, by John Anderson with the
Class B W. R. Cooper trophy won by Larry
Mason, Exeter.
"It's a 100 bird event. We get other spon-
sors like the Co-op and Thompson's to
donate coats and hats for smaller 10 bird
shoots during the same day," he added.
The club tried a turkey shoot one fall, but
I'm too busy in the fall so it fell thruugh" as
a regular event, said the Seaforth resident.
John Anderson isn't the only good shooter
in the club. Bert Mahaffey of Staffa and Bob
and Terry Caldwell of Hensall are prett
good as well.
As well, Jamie Caldwell estimated that
through the years he has attended a
registered St. Thomas shoot, he's won two
trophies and about $1,000.
It has only been recently that the club
bought an electric trap. An old pull trap had
been set up before but after a while, some of
the regular shooters thought an electric trap
would be the bee's knees.
Two members of the old Kippen Gun Club
decided to donate funds left over from the
old club toward purchasing a second-hand
electric trap.
"I could 't believe it when they offered
it," said the ?rateful shooter.
II ,
CONGRATULATIONS
TUCKERSMITH!
A
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from
HENSALL
MERCHANTS