LOOKING BACK - May 7, 2008
Muriel Sheldon, Columnist Ten years ago — 1998
Lakeside Women’s Institute held their 4-H Appreciation Banquet at the United Church. The guest speaker was Cathy Arthur, the first female firefighter in Zorra Township. (Lakeside)
Pictures in this week’s Journal Argus is the Sebringville Trinity Church as it was being moved in three sections to Fanshawe Pioneer Village just before Christmas. (Avonton)
Workmen of MCC Contractors were busy installing drywall in a first floor hallway of the centennial farm house that will serve as the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Museum. The house is off Church Street in the northeast corner of the site.
25 years ago — 1983
We See: That perhaps the longest train ever to pass through St. Marys rolled
through recently, six diesels, two cabooses and 139 freight cars.
The 1957-58 Maxwell Bantam team, which captured the All-Ontario Championship
held a 25th anniversary reunion at the Community Centre. Pictured in a
feature story that appeared in the Journal Argus were Roy Murray; coach Ron
Holman; Stan Skipper, Stuart Stephen and manager Bunk Noble.
Mr. Rod Lamb, formerly of St. Marys and now of Wingham visited in town
recently.
50 years ago — 1958
We See: That CPR and CNR work crews have been installing inter-switching
arrangements at the sidings between Elizabeth and Park streets, East Ward.
That the finishing touches have been added to the grounds, the new wall and
concrete deck at the St. Marys Quarry Swimming Pool. Very soon the season of
swimming and sunning will be on hand and those improved facilities will be
in line.
Mr. Clare Thomson has purchased from Mr. Cecil Olliver their Wartime house
in the East Ward. Mr. and Mrs. Thomson plan to move in shortly. (News of the
Week)
New beginners at school are as follows — Donna Strahn, Robert Mills, Robert
Mossey and Edwin Jones. (Metropolitan)
Town Council:  Plans for the new Medical Clinic centre being built on the Ed
Fletcher lots on Church St., North by Doctors Humphrys and Munro were
submitted for council approval, and as a result a motion by Hammond and
Cronin was passed, giving council’s sanction for a building permit. Also -
The tender of Earl Grant of R.R. 5, St. Marys, to remove the old town
building near the mill race for the value of the material contained thereon
was accepted.
We See: That a real facelifting or surface raising job is being done on the
portion of Water Street south from the stone culvert to the top of Shelley’s
Hill. The top of the hill is being cut down by bulldozer and the resultant
earth used to widen and raise the whole roadway.
75 years ago — 1933
Notice - List of Physicians on rotation duty Wednesday afternoon during May,
June, July, August and September: Dr. Williams, Dr. McInnes, Dr. Smith, Dr.
Jose and Dr. Latimer.
From Town Council — Relief bills were again prominent among the
communications table at the regular meeting. Another matter that was
resurrected was the house numbering business which has come up once or twice
during the past two years.
Cooper’s Church on the Base Line, Blanshard, was sold by auction this past
week. The buyer was James Briner. The pews in the building were the only
part of the edifice not sold, no buyer being available for these seats.
100 years ago — 1908
Prof. E. Charlton Black, of Boston University, left Cambridge on Thursday
for Montreal and on to Winnipeg, where, as the guest of the Manitoba
Educational Association he is to deliver three public addresses on the
teaching of English and English Literature.
The new Post Office is now complete with the exception of a few details.
Recently an official of the Public Works department was here inspecting the
building. The new boxes which have been installed and the fixtures in brass
and oak, are exceedingly handsome, as is the building throughout. Postmaster
H.A.L. White may receive word at anytime to move into the new building.
Tenders will be received by the undersigned for booth privileges for May 25,
at Caledonian Games. Address - George Sutherland, St. Marys.
The old reliable Feather and Mattress Company has located on Wellington St.
South and are prepared to clean your feather ticks and pillows. Also will
overhaul mattresses. Old beds bought. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Mr. William Cochrane has secured the contract for the brick work and stone
work on the new Anglican Church at Lucan. Pulleyblank and Co. are the
contractors for the woodwork and Mr. John Willard for the decorating and
painting.
125 years ago — 1883
Messrs. Tracey have been engaged in getting up the frames for an addition to
the sawmill of G. Dalrymple. Mr. D. is a man of enterprise. (Lakeside)
The dam at what is known as Nicol’s Mill, Blanshard, was stripped by the
late freshets, and the present proprietor finds it difficult, having lost so
much, to repair the damage. It would be a grateful act if the farmers in the
neighbourhood would turn out and assist Mr. Ruthig in getting the dam in
good shape again. We feel sure that Mr. Ruthig would reciprocate anything
that would be done for him in this particular.