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Wingham Advance-Times, 1981-07-15, Page 5eereeeee.„„e: „ -„, eeergewe , eeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.—ee.,,eeeeeeeereeeee- . , memberiqg a The Winginnia Ailtringe•Tithon 40, ;story of a vanish istoy of Zetland, a now gone — which -onthe banks of the and River two and a Await of Wingham, ripm material Jo im A. • ,ER 3, Wingham. -10luile the Huron Couiity tkit; the Turritaerry • ,,Awanosh Town - hip book; Bush Days, an early:• .',00,4,ilay Malcolm Lamont., and oid newspaper clippings. 0—?—? - "He mug be a dull and sluggish soul, who can look without emotion on the quiet graves of the early settlers of THE. ZETLAND STONE SeHOOL was erected in 195510 make way for the new highway between around 1879 and served for many years before being Wingham and Lucknow. There are still people living closed In 1938. The school was dynamited and burned who will remember attending there. ZETLAND STUDENTS—This school photograph was taken outside the Zetland School, SS 7. The year is uncertain, but It was prior to 1913. Standing are the teacher, Pearl Toll, Wilfred Jacques, Mary Currie, Fern Thomas, Jessie Currie, Tem CON .1 N)1 gm." NE a ai of re 1 we 56 5'5 s- wiriimpwripmen..11.11.111=1111111.1MMEMINNIIIIIMMIAMPURIONNMM 1.4 40) Currie and former pupil Ruby Grain. Seated are Elsie Stew- art, Eliza Norman, Leah Currie, Jim Currie, Alice Godkin and Carl Lott. • ZETLAND TURNBER R Y TP. • HURON CO 412 13 • 24 .9 161 141 /3 /g I /1 70 1 9 6 4 6 17 4 this country; who can tread upon their mouldering bones, without a thought to their privations and their toils; who., can, from their tombs, look out upon the rural loveliness, the fruitful- ness and peace by which he is surrounded, nor drop a tear to the , memories of the dead." When the first settlers arrived in this area, Zetland was the centre of trade. It was to that place that resi- dents of Wingham had to go for staples and to receive their mail. Also Children went to school in Zetland until until a school was built in Wingham. On August 1, 1856, a post office was opened at Zetland, on the townline of Turnberry and Wawanosh and along the leading stage road from Bluevale to Lucknow. The village was laid out in the same year by Mr. A. Beckett, who was the first postmaster. Mail was delivered tri -weekly; the post office closed in 1875. Postmasters included Mr. Beckett, 1856-58; James Laidlaw, 1858-60; John Warren Bowman, 1860-63, and Lewis Brace, 1864-75. William Beckett started a hotel and store in 1856, and later a steam sawmill. Zetland was an important little hamlet in those days, as all goods were teamed from Goderich along bush roads and in many places through the river. The map in the atlas shows the street layout of the hamlet and the lots numbered 1 to 103. Most of the lots were on the farm now owned by George Gibbons, but there are still some hollows in the ground on the east side of the road where some of the houses were. The school lot is still fenced off ,and, walking along the creek, one can still see a hollow and a few stones —•all that remain of some- one's home years ago. EARLY SETTLERS To the Zetland community came four Currie brothers in 1854. They later helped the Fishers locate a mill site in Lower Wingham: Their first night in the settlement found them without a roof over their heads; they took shelter under a large maple and slept there. That tree was preserved for many years when all others were cut down. Other early settlers in- cluded Robert Gordon, a butcher in Zetland; L. J. Brace, who operated a saw- mill employing • 20 men; James McCool, who ran two "hotels, the Crown and the Zetland; William Nevill, who had a 'shoe shop; John McLeod, •a carpenter; Robert Kennedy, a stone- mason; Miss Marian Bell, the first teacher at SS No. 7, the Zetland School; George Thompson, who had a sawmill, one • of the last landings remaining in the hamlet, and was the grand- father of George Thompson of Bluevale; David Bell, a laborer; James Follis, a sawyer; David McDonald, also a sawyer; John McDonald, an engineer; and Martin Snooks, a bartender. The hamlet boasted two hotels, a large dance hall, a shed and stables, a butcher shop, six dwellings, two shingle mills and Brace's sawmill, a mill dam, a post office, a blacksmith shop and three stores. There were two bridges at Zetland, a long bridge spanning the Maitland River and a 'short bridge over the creek. Louie J, Brace, who owned the sawmill, was a native of 11111rI" QUnty, haying been 'horn at Goderich 'where he lieectruhtii be reached the . age of majority. In 1857 he moved to Zetland, 'Where he livedfnr *Tears. He built and ran a steam sawmill, first using a smaLl steam engine operating 'a vertical whipsaw. Later .when he got the contract to supply •timber for the railroad bridges between Wingham and Whitechurch he replaced this equipment with a larger boiler and circular saw. Mr_ Brace was successful in business and for many years was the postmaster. He also was commissioned as a justice of the peace and elected a municipal coun- cillor. It is said his popularity was equalled only by his reputation as a thorough gentleman and an enterprising, upright citizen. However his shrewdness increased as time went by to the point that he 'was con- sidered untrustworthy, and when he found himself un- popular he left for the States. THE FIRST DOCTOR The first doctor anyone seems to remember in the area was a Dr. Garnier. He had been a doctor in the U.S. Army before coming to Zet- land, where he had an office, a mere hut, on the west bank of the Maitland Iiiver. He later moved to Lucknow when that village began its growth, and for some time looked after the whole area from Lucknow to Wingham. There are many stories about Dr. Garnier and it would seem he had a rather gruff disposition. He was a rugged Scotsman and residents recalled he some- times walked his rounds and would be seen entering and leaving Lowly Wingham to return to Lucknow the.same day. ' He wore a. red fox skin , around his neck it cold. weather, and children gazed at him in- awe because of the report that he ate 'togs and swore roundly at hi patients. There is anotht story about the doctor readers can take for what it is worth. At this late date we don't swear it is true, but it certainly made the rounds in days gone by. • • While still at &timid, the doctor found one day that his whiskey bottle, which he kept on a shelf • with medicines, seemed some- what depleted on his return from professional calls.. Dr. Garnier never locked the door of his office when he left the place, and he figured there had been an uninvited caller in his absence. He made a mental note ,of the contents of the bottle for a few days, . and then was certain it was not so. full when he returcied as when he left the hut. He put a dose of strychnine in the whiskey, and the next time hecame back he 'found a dead man beside the river. The victim was a stranger to theae, parts,. thought to be a tramp, and was buried with no questions asked. The doctor delighted in frightening children, and one • man remembered that as a boy be nriet Dr, Gander on the bridge in Lower Wingham. He was s almost out of his shin when the doctor wrapped his whip three times around thehofe body, before finally letting him • go. It is no wonder children, gazed at him_ in awe, if •they waited long enough to gaze. ZETLAND SCHOOLS • The , first schoolhouse in Zetland was ,hedlt on a ,back etreet and was merelyn low shack, Mede of round logs, with small windows and ban- ked high with earth to keep out the cold. The first teacher was Miss ' Bell, a rather harsh person who used a large, flat ruler to • keep order. • The seats were narrow benches without backs. Few scholars attended as at- tending was not compulsory. The school was -used for only a few years. Afterward a larger school was built further to thewest. It was built of hewn hemlock logs, large, and as a result with few cracks to plaster. The large trees found in the bush around Zetland were hewn to make wide, flat logs, sometimes two feet wide. Mostly benches were used in this school, however some stationary desks were built along the walls. Benches were drawn up to these desks for writing, so that they were used in turn. Sixty scholars were enrolled at this school. As there was no school in Wingham at this time, about • a dozen Winghamites at- tended the Zetland school and did so for a number of years. The teacher was a Mr: Young, who taught for 16 years. He had been a Pres- byterien minister in Scotland who became so overweight he was advised to come to Canada and take up land, which he did at the east side of the village. Mr. Young was very •• sensitive about his size and weight. A scheme was put • into, metioe to diecoveriust how much be did -Weigh, At • the grist mill in Lower Wingham where ,he went • occasionally to buy flour was a large scale, embedded in the floor of the mill. The miller contrived to have Mr. Young walk over the scale while his attention was d;verted. The weight whispered around the sec- tion was 360 pounds. •ars later, around 1879, a St ie school was erected, Labor was less costly than at present and ratepayers gave generously of their time. The school was used for many years before being closed about 1938, when there were not sufficient pupils to at- tend. • - The department- of high- ways purchased the school and grounds when the high- way was being built between Wingham and Lucknow. The school had been built too near the highway, and it was dynamited and burned in February, 1955, with the stone used to build up the sides of the highway. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES The home was more a centre of social activities in those days than now. Near neighbors visited with each other more often and a large family could have a happy time together. Organs were found in many homes and all enjoyed singing around the r THOMAS ST 447 6 1 4,9 -5 q9 4t 50 1 \\ \'‘ 11 ,d1,I et 71-1 it- 71i, t) r ry \ Weil ton.° .ch MAP OF ZETLAND—This map from the Huron County Atlas shows the street layout of the hamlet of Zetland, with the lots numbered 1 through 103. Most of the lots were on the farm now owned by George Olbbons, but there are still some hol- lows In the ground on the east side of the road to show where some of the houses were. A PUPILS AT SS NO. 7, Turnberry, Zetland School In 1913 are front row, left to right, Russel Tervit, EIIza Norman, MinnieMcCreight, Max Stewart. Centre row, Leah Currie, Jim Currie, Mabel MacDonald, teacher, Alice Godkin and Earl Mc- Creight. Back row: Gordon Godkln, Lila McDonald, Wilfred Jacques and Elsie Stewart. parlor organ any night nUh( week. on Sunday ther was a Winter panting. from tha.•: no settlers were lonely fog tbeite Sef,e1001111istewaS, adiest adiaavd;:edThngetor baapsalms '77 7, songs and dances. The. was, .hein1 instrj tr04 tiaano.,surpr • howir400 without special b:Fesit9dllaiSch4enirecerti7;:;(e-:1'::17:4 The waltz, In the 40,l • where the Wilson familie a WWI with others- Many square• : Wilting •hIniTheeeusldteik:iwrIgThholliie,e,seceot,74:uni', ry es goods, were dlinessandgoodfalleovship,-. was like one large family. Entity - one took a lively interest in his neighbor's welfare and when there was a house to raise or fallow to log, neigh- bors would come from near and far to lend a hand. Having little or no money to buy, everything possible was homemade. ,Sheep were raised to provide woe' for clothing; soap was made from fat and lye, obtained from ashes; candles were made from tallow ands fully rationed, with a faMily often depending on the light from the fireplace in the evening. An iron tea kettle, two or- • three metal pots, a frying pan and a bake kettle were the necessary utensils for cooking on an open fireplace. The bake kettle was the sanhadPe iadofaac 1 o I se -hfiet it i nuaglsru rc he- ed metal cover. The loaf was placed in the kettle, the coverput on, a place made in • the glowing coals, and then coals and -ashes piled over. it. How a boy liked • -t a • Wee " of 'thattbreettl e • de from' wheat griArd'atneng the stumps on virgin -soil — bread light, spongy white, steeped in maple syrup with a cup of milk fram the top of the pan to wash it &mil! Women worked outside as well as in the house, some - 'even. assisting with logging and clearing the land. A story is related of a farmer whose wife was working beside him clearing away logs. As noon approached he suggested she go to the house to get dinner. "It will be a rest for you, Jean," he said. Housewives added nursing to their other duties when illness threatened. They never refused a call and with their help some patients recovered from serious -illness when no doctor could beLifotutlned.is0—rec?—orded of the demise of Zetland, however it appears to have been connected to the coming of the railroad. Before the rail- road went through, Zetland was a busy, thriving village. After the railroad reached Wingham in 1872, Zetland gradually faded as Wingham began to grow very quickly. Mrs. Currie and others now aretrying to get the province to erect., a historical marker on the site of the vanished hamlet. -I_ fit The Most Was tiasiat * Wore THIS IS A COMMUNITY Let us welcome you' Joan Chandler Phone 887-6021 41811111111111111111111111111111 1.1