2014 Tales of Our Town Articles
The following Tales of Our Town were published in 2014 (April - December)
- Wartime Christmas in Strathroy by Aileen Cnockaert
- Strathroy connection honoured in France by Brianna Hammer
- Hurricane Hazel: 60 years ago by Chris Harrington
- Strathroy Library's Hidden Treasures by Libby Dawson
- A Tale for Babyboomers by Steve Down
- My VON journey in Strathroy by Jackie Wells
- Mystery Solved – A Buddha Statue and George Sulman by Janet Cummer
- Tales of our Town: tying up loose ends by Libby McLachlan
- From Bixel Flats to Alexandra Park by Museum Strathroy-Caradoc Staff
December 2014
Wartime Christmas in Strathroy by Aileen Cnockaert
Everyday life in Strathroy changed in September 1939 when war was declared on Germany. A 24-hour vigil over the local armoury began almost immediately. Fighting the war locally was a real community endeavour. Service clubs, schools, churches, agriculture, industry and housewives were all involved. Within days a local Red Cross was organized and women began knitting articles to be sent overseas. Retail prices increased and sugar disappeared from grocery store shelves. By July 1940, 168 men from Strathroy had joined the military, and the town was starting to notice the shortage of young men in sports teams and industry.
By Christmas 1942 food rationing had begun and Bell Telephone was urging everyone to send their Christmas greetings by mail so that phone lines could be left open for war business. Strathroy Public Utilities Commission declared a ban on Christmas tree lights and decorations, except from December 24 to January 1. There were to be no Christmas lights outdoors or in stores. The following year, 1943, it was hard to find a Christmas tree, due to shortages of fuel and tires. Individual farmers were allowed to cut trees, but with fuel shortages a national problem officials were urging farmers to produce firewood instead. Since all metal was being used for the war effort there was no tinsel, no metal tree stands or Christmas tree lights.
A December 1944 editorial in The Age Dispatch mentioned the loneliness of soldiers at Christmas and declared the phrase “home for Christmas” one of the most beautiful phrases in the English language. Butter and sugar were still being rationed, and the “Woman’s Sphere” column offered suggestions and substitutions for housewives’ Christmas baking. Smoking was not a recognized health hazard at the time, and the community congratulated itself as the Strathroy Overseas Tobacco Fund had maintained its splendid record for another year, pledging to provide 300 cigarettes a month to each local soldier. Money for cigarettes was raised by the silent canvassing appeal of small glass jars in stores and by other donations. Many letters from soldiers ran in The Age, expressing gratitude for the cigarettes and appreciation for being remembered. Children’s Christmas toys were mostly made with wood, plastic and paperboard. Restrictions on the use of metal for toys had recently been lifted, but it would be the following Christmas before there were noticeable changes.
Local resident, Thelma Smith, was a newlywed in September 1942 when her husband Norman left to join the army. Thelma remembers sending him parcels with Christmas treats, although she noted that they never arrived on time. The military did little to make Christmas special for the soldiers, but the men would organize whatever they had and celebrate together, depending on where they were. Cigarettes were greatly appreciated and were often traded for food. For Thelma, living at home with her parents, Christmas was still celebrated with family. Her mother always managed to keep enough ration coupons to buy the Christmas cake ingredients. “A lot more people went to church”, Thelma said. “The churches were full.”
Possibly the most remembered work of the wartime Red Cross was its blood donor clinics. Regular advertisements encouraged citizens to donate blood for the war effort, and The Age ran a monthly list of blood donors from Strathroy. Thelma Smith, along with many others, donated blood at the local clinic throughout the war. For many it was their first time giving blood. The Mary Armstrong Chapter of the IODE was another organization that made a significant contribution during the war. Members assembled 'ship bales' containing clothes and blankets to assist children being evacuated from the poorer sections of British cities.
As 1945 began, the end of the war seemed inevitable. When victory in Europe was declared on May 7 citizens and service organizations gathered at the town hall and paraded to the United Church, where the Strathroy Ministerial Association conducted a service of thanksgiving. The town then awaited the return of more than 200 battle-weary men from the European front.
This year as you celebrate the holidays with family and friends, take a moment to remember the local men and women who missed their Christmases at home to protect the freedoms we enjoy today in our community. On behalf of the Strathroy and District Historical Society, I wish you a peaceful, joyous holiday season!
Everyday life in Strathroy changed in September 1939 when war was declared on Germany. A 24-hour vigil over the local armoury began almost immediately. Fighting the war locally was a real community endeavour. Service clubs, schools, churches, agriculture, industry and housewives were all involved. Within days a local Red Cross was organized and women began knitting articles to be sent overseas. Retail prices increased and sugar disappeared from grocery store shelves. By July 1940, 168 men from Strathroy had joined the military, and the town was starting to notice the shortage of young men in sports teams and industry.
By Christmas 1942 food rationing had begun and Bell Telephone was urging everyone to send their Christmas greetings by mail so that phone lines could be left open for war business. Strathroy Public Utilities Commission declared a ban on Christmas tree lights and decorations, except from December 24 to January 1. There were to be no Christmas lights outdoors or in stores. The following year, 1943, it was hard to find a Christmas tree, due to shortages of fuel and tires. Individual farmers were allowed to cut trees, but with fuel shortages a national problem officials were urging farmers to produce firewood instead. Since all metal was being used for the war effort there was no tinsel, no metal tree stands or Christmas tree lights.
A December 1944 editorial in The Age Dispatch mentioned the loneliness of soldiers at Christmas and declared the phrase “home for Christmas” one of the most beautiful phrases in the English language. Butter and sugar were still being rationed, and the “Woman’s Sphere” column offered suggestions and substitutions for housewives’ Christmas baking. Smoking was not a recognized health hazard at the time, and the community congratulated itself as the Strathroy Overseas Tobacco Fund had maintained its splendid record for another year, pledging to provide 300 cigarettes a month to each local soldier. Money for cigarettes was raised by the silent canvassing appeal of small glass jars in stores and by other donations. Many letters from soldiers ran in The Age, expressing gratitude for the cigarettes and appreciation for being remembered. Children’s Christmas toys were mostly made with wood, plastic and paperboard. Restrictions on the use of metal for toys had recently been lifted, but it would be the following Christmas before there were noticeable changes.
Local resident, Thelma Smith, was a newlywed in September 1942 when her husband Norman left to join the army. Thelma remembers sending him parcels with Christmas treats, although she noted that they never arrived on time. The military did little to make Christmas special for the soldiers, but the men would organize whatever they had and celebrate together, depending on where they were. Cigarettes were greatly appreciated and were often traded for food. For Thelma, living at home with her parents, Christmas was still celebrated with family. Her mother always managed to keep enough ration coupons to buy the Christmas cake ingredients. “A lot more people went to church”, Thelma said. “The churches were full.”
Possibly the most remembered work of the wartime Red Cross was its blood donor clinics. Regular advertisements encouraged citizens to donate blood for the war effort, and The Age ran a monthly list of blood donors from Strathroy. Thelma Smith, along with many others, donated blood at the local clinic throughout the war. For many it was their first time giving blood. The Mary Armstrong Chapter of the IODE was another organization that made a significant contribution during the war. Members assembled 'ship bales' containing clothes and blankets to assist children being evacuated from the poorer sections of British cities.
As 1945 began, the end of the war seemed inevitable. When victory in Europe was declared on May 7 citizens and service organizations gathered at the town hall and paraded to the United Church, where the Strathroy Ministerial Association conducted a service of thanksgiving. The town then awaited the return of more than 200 battle-weary men from the European front.
This year as you celebrate the holidays with family and friends, take a moment to remember the local men and women who missed their Christmases at home to protect the freedoms we enjoy today in our community. On behalf of the Strathroy and District Historical Society, I wish you a peaceful, joyous holiday season!
November 2014
Strathroy connection honoured in France by Brianna Hammer
A recently published book by a French historian relates the story behind a name on Strathroy's cenotaph. Pilot Officer William Kennedy Ferguson was only 22 years old when he was declared 'missing in action' in January 1943. Ferguson’s parents, William and Mary, moved with their family from Peterborough to Strathroy in 1944, having purchased the Strathroy Woollen Mill on Victoria Street. For nearly three years they knew little about their son’s final mission in northern France or where he might be buried. In 1945, the London Free Press editor wrote to a contact in Normandy for information. The reply brought to light a remarkable story about the death of a Canadian pilot and the French town that mourned him.
P/O Ferguson was flying near the village of Saint-Martin-des-Entrees on the afternoon of January 15, 1943, on a mission to destroy a German munitions train moving through the countryside. His low-flying Spitfire struck a tree and exploded, instantly killing the 22-year old pilot and drawing the attention of both the villagers and the German troops occupying the area. An article by Anthony Wilson-Smith for Maclean’s magazine in June 1994 revealed that Saint-Martin regarded Ferguson as one of its heroes. His fatal crash was the first time locals witnessed an Allied attack on the German forces that had swept into the area three years earlier. Ferguson’s bold attack gave hope that the war might be turning in favour of the Allies. There was also a feeling of gratitude, wrote Wilson-Smith, as the villagers could hardly believe an anonymous flier from Canada had fought and died on their behalf.
An account in the Strathroy Age Dispatch reported that about 300 residents visited the grave site, defying the armed German soldiers who intended to quickly bury the nameless pilot. Wilson-Smith confirmed that a stand-off took place between German forces guarding the body and those who came to pay their respects. The townspeople refused to remove their flowers, ribbons and French flags from the grave and, as a penalty, were forced to surrender their identity cards. Dozens were arrested and ten were sent to concentration camps as punishment for honouring the fallen Ferguson. Five died in the camps.
Madame Marcel Morin of Bayeux, France responded to the inquiry of the Free Press editor in 1945, confirming Ferguson’s death and giving details of the funeral and subsequent arrests. Madame Morin wrote that the town would continue to care for the grave, and that her four children often laid flowers there in remembrance of their father, who was killed in 1940 and buried far from the family. In 1994 the French village requested permission to name a street after William Ferguson in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Today, Rue W.K. Ferguson leads to St. Germain Cemetery, where he is buried. The road sign reads “Officier Pilote, Royal Canadian Air Force, 15 Janvier 1943.”
French researcher Francois Oxeant recently published the story of William Ferguson and his squadron. Born in Bayeux, Oxeant grew up with an interest in the Canadian forces in the Normandy campaign. During his research, he discovered the street named after Ferguson in Saint-Martin-des-Entrees, near Bayeaux. He made contact with the pilot’s sister—Mary Pincombe of Strathroy—who provided information, papers and photographs that continued to fuel his interest in Ferguson’s story. Oxeant also documented the life of RCAF Squadron 401 and its airmen. Recently, the author made a trip to Canada with translated copies of his book, Crash in Bayeux: The Last Flight of Sergeant Ferguson, and visited the families and hometowns of those he wrote about, including Strathroy. A copy of his book will be available at Strathroy Library.
In the early 1950s, the name William Kennedy Ferguson was added to the Strathroy cenotaph by the IODE, a gesture much appreciated by his parents.
A recently published book by a French historian relates the story behind a name on Strathroy's cenotaph. Pilot Officer William Kennedy Ferguson was only 22 years old when he was declared 'missing in action' in January 1943. Ferguson’s parents, William and Mary, moved with their family from Peterborough to Strathroy in 1944, having purchased the Strathroy Woollen Mill on Victoria Street. For nearly three years they knew little about their son’s final mission in northern France or where he might be buried. In 1945, the London Free Press editor wrote to a contact in Normandy for information. The reply brought to light a remarkable story about the death of a Canadian pilot and the French town that mourned him.
P/O Ferguson was flying near the village of Saint-Martin-des-Entrees on the afternoon of January 15, 1943, on a mission to destroy a German munitions train moving through the countryside. His low-flying Spitfire struck a tree and exploded, instantly killing the 22-year old pilot and drawing the attention of both the villagers and the German troops occupying the area. An article by Anthony Wilson-Smith for Maclean’s magazine in June 1994 revealed that Saint-Martin regarded Ferguson as one of its heroes. His fatal crash was the first time locals witnessed an Allied attack on the German forces that had swept into the area three years earlier. Ferguson’s bold attack gave hope that the war might be turning in favour of the Allies. There was also a feeling of gratitude, wrote Wilson-Smith, as the villagers could hardly believe an anonymous flier from Canada had fought and died on their behalf.
An account in the Strathroy Age Dispatch reported that about 300 residents visited the grave site, defying the armed German soldiers who intended to quickly bury the nameless pilot. Wilson-Smith confirmed that a stand-off took place between German forces guarding the body and those who came to pay their respects. The townspeople refused to remove their flowers, ribbons and French flags from the grave and, as a penalty, were forced to surrender their identity cards. Dozens were arrested and ten were sent to concentration camps as punishment for honouring the fallen Ferguson. Five died in the camps.
Madame Marcel Morin of Bayeux, France responded to the inquiry of the Free Press editor in 1945, confirming Ferguson’s death and giving details of the funeral and subsequent arrests. Madame Morin wrote that the town would continue to care for the grave, and that her four children often laid flowers there in remembrance of their father, who was killed in 1940 and buried far from the family. In 1994 the French village requested permission to name a street after William Ferguson in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Today, Rue W.K. Ferguson leads to St. Germain Cemetery, where he is buried. The road sign reads “Officier Pilote, Royal Canadian Air Force, 15 Janvier 1943.”
French researcher Francois Oxeant recently published the story of William Ferguson and his squadron. Born in Bayeux, Oxeant grew up with an interest in the Canadian forces in the Normandy campaign. During his research, he discovered the street named after Ferguson in Saint-Martin-des-Entrees, near Bayeaux. He made contact with the pilot’s sister—Mary Pincombe of Strathroy—who provided information, papers and photographs that continued to fuel his interest in Ferguson’s story. Oxeant also documented the life of RCAF Squadron 401 and its airmen. Recently, the author made a trip to Canada with translated copies of his book, Crash in Bayeux: The Last Flight of Sergeant Ferguson, and visited the families and hometowns of those he wrote about, including Strathroy. A copy of his book will be available at Strathroy Library.
In the early 1950s, the name William Kennedy Ferguson was added to the Strathroy cenotaph by the IODE, a gesture much appreciated by his parents.
October 2014
Hurricane Hazel: 60 years ago by Chris Harrington
Since 1954, “Hazel” is no longer just a girl's name. It conjures up memories of Hurricane Hazel, one of the worst weather events in Ontario’s history. This month marks the sixtieth anniversary of that devastating storm.
Hurricane Hazel originated in the warm waters off the west coast of Africa in early October. After crossing the Atlantic it veered sharply north from the coast of South America towards the Caribbean. On October 7, Hazel cut through Haiti, causing horrific damage, then headed north towards the Atlantic seaboard, touching down on South Carolina’s coast in the early morning of October 15.
There was little concern in Canada, as hurricanes often lost steam after reaching land. But Hazel was fed by a cold front moving east from the Rockies. Instead of fizzling out, the storm picked up speed as it moved north through the continental United States towards Lake Ontario. On the morning of Friday, October 15, the hurricane arrived in southern Ontario. In its wake, it would dump 225 millimetres (9 inches) of rain, causing some rivers to rise by 6 to 8 metres.
Compared to Toronto, the Strathroy area experienced less severe damage. “Area Storm Only Slight” read the front page headline of the Strathroy Age Dispatch on October 21. But there were indeed impacts in Middlesex County. A seven-year old boy named Wayne Hodgson drowned in London when the Thames flooded its banks. In all, 81 Ontarians died as a result of the storm.
In the Strathroy area, the Sydenham River flooded. Losses were largely agricultural, but devastating nonetheless. Even before the hurricane, August and September saw farmers' crops plagued with unseasonable wet and cold weather. Frost arrived early in September, forcing cash crop growers to harvest prematurely, salvaging what they could. The Age Dispatch reported on October 14, the day before Hazel hit, that area tobacco farmers Herbert Kohlsmith, Joe Marshman, August Cammaert, and Mike Happl each expected several kilns worth of tobacco to be lost due to the weather. Hurricane Hazel made an already poor harvest a complete write-off for many area farmers. Strathroy resident Bill Groot's family was one of those that lost their crops that year. Bill’s Dutch immigrant parents, Adrian and Katrien Groot, grew sugar beets on their Adelaide Township farm. The loss of income was a serious financial setback for the family of four, with another child on the way. Cameron McLean, owner of McLean's Feed Mill in Kerwood, hired Adrian during the following winter when he heard about his desperate situation, allowing Adrian to carry on until his farm income recovered.
Another local memory comes from Muriel Payne. Her parents, Frank and Emily Thomas, were living in Beechwood (East Williams Township) in 1954. The Thomases headed west by train earlier that summer. After spending time in Calgary they went on to Winnipeg to visit friends, where Emily had a serious heart attack and spent several weeks in hospital. Since she wasn't allowed to fly home, they took the train, travelling in a compartment and arriving in Toronto at the same time as Hazel. The weather was fine at Beechwood that morning as Muriel met Denning's ambulance for the trip to Toronto to pick up her mother. The train from Winnipeg reached the Toronto area around 10 a.m., but was held up by a tree across the tracks, and did not get in to Union Station until evening. It was 11 p.m. before Emily was transferred to the waiting ambulance. Muriel remembers wet floors in the lower level of Union Station, and muddy water coming up through the drinking fountains. Basil Denning, on the phone from Strathroy, kept checking on when they would be home, as there was only one ambulance in town.
After Hurricane Hazel, Canadians could no longer be complacent about storms that seemed far away. One long-term outcome was the development of a coordinated approach between conservation authorities, local municipalities, and the provincial government. Conservation authorities throughout Ontario, such as the Upper Thames River and the St. Clair Region, were granted additional powers when the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act. They were enabled to acquire land for recreation and conservation purposes, and to regulate that land for the safety of the community. The high water levels reached during Hurricane Hazel are still the standard by which susceptibility to flooding is measured within our local watersheds. And even after sixty years, those who were alive during Hurricane Hazel remember the weather as if it happened yesterday.
Since 1954, “Hazel” is no longer just a girl's name. It conjures up memories of Hurricane Hazel, one of the worst weather events in Ontario’s history. This month marks the sixtieth anniversary of that devastating storm.
Hurricane Hazel originated in the warm waters off the west coast of Africa in early October. After crossing the Atlantic it veered sharply north from the coast of South America towards the Caribbean. On October 7, Hazel cut through Haiti, causing horrific damage, then headed north towards the Atlantic seaboard, touching down on South Carolina’s coast in the early morning of October 15.
There was little concern in Canada, as hurricanes often lost steam after reaching land. But Hazel was fed by a cold front moving east from the Rockies. Instead of fizzling out, the storm picked up speed as it moved north through the continental United States towards Lake Ontario. On the morning of Friday, October 15, the hurricane arrived in southern Ontario. In its wake, it would dump 225 millimetres (9 inches) of rain, causing some rivers to rise by 6 to 8 metres.
Compared to Toronto, the Strathroy area experienced less severe damage. “Area Storm Only Slight” read the front page headline of the Strathroy Age Dispatch on October 21. But there were indeed impacts in Middlesex County. A seven-year old boy named Wayne Hodgson drowned in London when the Thames flooded its banks. In all, 81 Ontarians died as a result of the storm.
In the Strathroy area, the Sydenham River flooded. Losses were largely agricultural, but devastating nonetheless. Even before the hurricane, August and September saw farmers' crops plagued with unseasonable wet and cold weather. Frost arrived early in September, forcing cash crop growers to harvest prematurely, salvaging what they could. The Age Dispatch reported on October 14, the day before Hazel hit, that area tobacco farmers Herbert Kohlsmith, Joe Marshman, August Cammaert, and Mike Happl each expected several kilns worth of tobacco to be lost due to the weather. Hurricane Hazel made an already poor harvest a complete write-off for many area farmers. Strathroy resident Bill Groot's family was one of those that lost their crops that year. Bill’s Dutch immigrant parents, Adrian and Katrien Groot, grew sugar beets on their Adelaide Township farm. The loss of income was a serious financial setback for the family of four, with another child on the way. Cameron McLean, owner of McLean's Feed Mill in Kerwood, hired Adrian during the following winter when he heard about his desperate situation, allowing Adrian to carry on until his farm income recovered.
Another local memory comes from Muriel Payne. Her parents, Frank and Emily Thomas, were living in Beechwood (East Williams Township) in 1954. The Thomases headed west by train earlier that summer. After spending time in Calgary they went on to Winnipeg to visit friends, where Emily had a serious heart attack and spent several weeks in hospital. Since she wasn't allowed to fly home, they took the train, travelling in a compartment and arriving in Toronto at the same time as Hazel. The weather was fine at Beechwood that morning as Muriel met Denning's ambulance for the trip to Toronto to pick up her mother. The train from Winnipeg reached the Toronto area around 10 a.m., but was held up by a tree across the tracks, and did not get in to Union Station until evening. It was 11 p.m. before Emily was transferred to the waiting ambulance. Muriel remembers wet floors in the lower level of Union Station, and muddy water coming up through the drinking fountains. Basil Denning, on the phone from Strathroy, kept checking on when they would be home, as there was only one ambulance in town.
After Hurricane Hazel, Canadians could no longer be complacent about storms that seemed far away. One long-term outcome was the development of a coordinated approach between conservation authorities, local municipalities, and the provincial government. Conservation authorities throughout Ontario, such as the Upper Thames River and the St. Clair Region, were granted additional powers when the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act. They were enabled to acquire land for recreation and conservation purposes, and to regulate that land for the safety of the community. The high water levels reached during Hurricane Hazel are still the standard by which susceptibility to flooding is measured within our local watersheds. And even after sixty years, those who were alive during Hurricane Hazel remember the weather as if it happened yesterday.
September 2014
Strathroy Library's Hidden Treasures by Libby Dawson
Tucked away in Strathroy Library are two colourful maps, dated 1885 and 1929, showing not only streets and lots, but an exact outline of every building in downtown Strathroy. A group of fire insurance companies commissioned such maps for many towns and cities so that risk and rates could be determined without sending out an inspector for every policy. The 1885 map was revised every few years by providing map holders with slips of paper to be pasted where changes had been made. At least two groups of revisions are glued onto the Strathroy map, the last in 1913. That 1885 map also tells us there were 3160 people living in Strathroy only 22 years after its founding.
Colour-coded drawings and notes provide a wealth of information about the buildings and the town. Frame structures were coloured yellow, and many frame houses, businesses and factories from the founding decades appear unchanged in 1913. Frame buildings shown on revision paper probably existed in 1885 but with later modifications to the house or outbuildings. Unfortunately, we can't tear off the revisions to see what those properties looked like in 1885. Buildings coloured yellow with a pink border indicate veneered or 'bricked over' buildings renovated since the original map. Buildings of all-brick construction are shown in pink, and concrete structures in blue. Outbuildings (not to be confused with 'outhouses') were grey and usually represented frame stables or storage sheds. Privies seem to have been omitted, although they could be one of the unlabelled outbuildings; they were in backyards everywhere. By comparing the two maps you can see that some stables had become garages by 1929. The small frame one-storey extensions which are shown on the back of many brick houses were woodsheds or 'summer kitchens' where the cooking was done on hot days to avoid heating the main house. Air conditioning was still a few decades in the future.
Factories and mills were generally powered by steam engines (indicated by black rectangles), which were notoriously hazardous, prone to producing sparks and exploding. Many engines were housed in a brick building behind the factory or mill, while those inside were surrounded by brick walls. As fire protection, most factories and mills had water barrels and pails throughout the building. Some had water tanks either on the top floor or sunk in the ground outside. To provide light the buildings used kerosene (coal oil) lanterns and lamps. Heating was by coal or wood stoves. With all the sources of flame and combustible materials it is not surprising that there were factory fires. The most disastrous was the knitting mill fire in 1892. That building had solid brick walls, but the fire spread quickly and it was completely destroyed. The 1929 map begins to show electric lighting, with electric motors and gasoline engines powering machinery, all creating a safer workplace.
On both maps, even the yards of factories and mills were noted. Piles of wood and coal to be used for heating, steam engine boilers or in manufacturing all appear. The 1929 map shows a bunk house in the yard of the canning factory, probably for people who came to Strathroy as seasonal workers when the fruit and vegetable harvests were being processed.
The downtown area lacked sufficient accessible water to fight fires where buildings abutted and fire spread easily. Revision papers on the 1885 map show the solution. At major intersections in the business area, 6,000-gallon tanks were sunk beside the roadbed to store water. A History of Strathroy Utilities 1832-1971 explains that each tank had a well. Water would be pumped by hand, a two-day job, when a tank needed to be refilled. The fire department had one steam engine and one hand pump (noted on the map) which used the water tanks like fire hydrants. Residential areas had no buried tanks. Each house had a well, and many had cisterns filled with rainwater from roofs. Fighting a house fire must have used water from all the neighbourhood wells and cisterns! By 1929, a municipal water system piped water throughout Strathroy; the map from that year shows the location of all the town's new fire hydrants.
These two fire insurance maps chart a unique record of the developing town not found in other history sources. Most of the information in this tale was gathered directly from the maps to illustrate some of the fascinating things they can tell us.
Tucked away in Strathroy Library are two colourful maps, dated 1885 and 1929, showing not only streets and lots, but an exact outline of every building in downtown Strathroy. A group of fire insurance companies commissioned such maps for many towns and cities so that risk and rates could be determined without sending out an inspector for every policy. The 1885 map was revised every few years by providing map holders with slips of paper to be pasted where changes had been made. At least two groups of revisions are glued onto the Strathroy map, the last in 1913. That 1885 map also tells us there were 3160 people living in Strathroy only 22 years after its founding.
Colour-coded drawings and notes provide a wealth of information about the buildings and the town. Frame structures were coloured yellow, and many frame houses, businesses and factories from the founding decades appear unchanged in 1913. Frame buildings shown on revision paper probably existed in 1885 but with later modifications to the house or outbuildings. Unfortunately, we can't tear off the revisions to see what those properties looked like in 1885. Buildings coloured yellow with a pink border indicate veneered or 'bricked over' buildings renovated since the original map. Buildings of all-brick construction are shown in pink, and concrete structures in blue. Outbuildings (not to be confused with 'outhouses') were grey and usually represented frame stables or storage sheds. Privies seem to have been omitted, although they could be one of the unlabelled outbuildings; they were in backyards everywhere. By comparing the two maps you can see that some stables had become garages by 1929. The small frame one-storey extensions which are shown on the back of many brick houses were woodsheds or 'summer kitchens' where the cooking was done on hot days to avoid heating the main house. Air conditioning was still a few decades in the future.
Factories and mills were generally powered by steam engines (indicated by black rectangles), which were notoriously hazardous, prone to producing sparks and exploding. Many engines were housed in a brick building behind the factory or mill, while those inside were surrounded by brick walls. As fire protection, most factories and mills had water barrels and pails throughout the building. Some had water tanks either on the top floor or sunk in the ground outside. To provide light the buildings used kerosene (coal oil) lanterns and lamps. Heating was by coal or wood stoves. With all the sources of flame and combustible materials it is not surprising that there were factory fires. The most disastrous was the knitting mill fire in 1892. That building had solid brick walls, but the fire spread quickly and it was completely destroyed. The 1929 map begins to show electric lighting, with electric motors and gasoline engines powering machinery, all creating a safer workplace.
On both maps, even the yards of factories and mills were noted. Piles of wood and coal to be used for heating, steam engine boilers or in manufacturing all appear. The 1929 map shows a bunk house in the yard of the canning factory, probably for people who came to Strathroy as seasonal workers when the fruit and vegetable harvests were being processed.
The downtown area lacked sufficient accessible water to fight fires where buildings abutted and fire spread easily. Revision papers on the 1885 map show the solution. At major intersections in the business area, 6,000-gallon tanks were sunk beside the roadbed to store water. A History of Strathroy Utilities 1832-1971 explains that each tank had a well. Water would be pumped by hand, a two-day job, when a tank needed to be refilled. The fire department had one steam engine and one hand pump (noted on the map) which used the water tanks like fire hydrants. Residential areas had no buried tanks. Each house had a well, and many had cisterns filled with rainwater from roofs. Fighting a house fire must have used water from all the neighbourhood wells and cisterns! By 1929, a municipal water system piped water throughout Strathroy; the map from that year shows the location of all the town's new fire hydrants.
These two fire insurance maps chart a unique record of the developing town not found in other history sources. Most of the information in this tale was gathered directly from the maps to illustrate some of the fascinating things they can tell us.
August 2014
A Tale for Babyboomers by Steve Down
Does 663-J mean anything to you? Mull this over as you read on.
The 1950s and ‘60s was a simpler time to grow up in a small town like Strathroy. There were no stop lights, no McDonalds, no Tim Hortons. What Strathroy had were magnificent tree-lined streets and a charming, friendly atmosphere. Children could ride their bicycles on any street with no concerns for safety. The era of the magnificent steam locomotives was nearing an end. Sitting on the front steps of my grandparents’ home on Oxford Street watching the billowing black smoke spiralling skyward from these iron beasts was a thrill. And it was fun to keep a list of the many different train cars from all over North America that went flying by on the rails. Once the train passed I would look for the horse-drawn milk wagon to come down the street as it made its daily delivery to homes. The fascinating thing was to see this horse automatically stop in front of the right house as the delivery man jumped off. Each morning hundreds of glass bottles of milk were dropped off at Colborne School, too, to be given out to the students.
This era was before in-town students rode school buses, so getting to Colborne was a matter of riding a bike, walking, or being driven by a parent a distance that by today’s standards would seem absurdly far. Colborne is featured in another memory. An annual soap drive was held at the school, with literally hundreds of bars of soap being collected by the students and taken to Strathroy Hospital for use by patients. I once had the opportunity to accompany the school principal, Mr. MacVicar, on a soap delivery to the hospital. (He was one imposing principal because of his physical height!) Another school project involved students bringing in used fruit baskets. I guess it was both a fundraiser and an early form of recycling.
In the 1950s, Strathroy Hospital was housed in a red, brick building across the street from the current SMGH. I had the misfortune of needing its services as a child. My only vivid recollection was of riding up what seemed like an open freight elevator on a stretcher, then having a mask placed over my face with the never-to-be-forgotten stench of ether. Nurses back then wore immaculate white dresses and cute little white hats. For many years Strathroy Hospital was actually a training school for nurses, with a class graduating every year.
How many people can remember visiting the Strathroy Zoo? It was known as the Pincombe Zoo – a fence-enclosed area at the bend of Front Street East which held peacocks, as well as deer and other local wildlife.
One of the town’s dentists was Dr. Tremner who had an office on the south side of Front Street adjacent to the Lamantia Hotel. Memories come to mind of either being a patient or simply walking by his office. It was hard not to stare as his dentist chair was right in front of a big window with venetian blinds, mere inches from the street.
I recall that the House of Refuge, now Strathmere Lodge, was a scary place from a child’s point of view. This very old multi-storey brick building housed many unfortunate seniors and others with no place to live.
Oh, and by the way, 663-J was our home phone number. Making a phone call involved talking to an operator at the local telephone exchange, who connected you manually to whatever number you wished to reach. It was only later that the black rotary phones came into use.
Now you can add your own memories!
Does 663-J mean anything to you? Mull this over as you read on.
The 1950s and ‘60s was a simpler time to grow up in a small town like Strathroy. There were no stop lights, no McDonalds, no Tim Hortons. What Strathroy had were magnificent tree-lined streets and a charming, friendly atmosphere. Children could ride their bicycles on any street with no concerns for safety. The era of the magnificent steam locomotives was nearing an end. Sitting on the front steps of my grandparents’ home on Oxford Street watching the billowing black smoke spiralling skyward from these iron beasts was a thrill. And it was fun to keep a list of the many different train cars from all over North America that went flying by on the rails. Once the train passed I would look for the horse-drawn milk wagon to come down the street as it made its daily delivery to homes. The fascinating thing was to see this horse automatically stop in front of the right house as the delivery man jumped off. Each morning hundreds of glass bottles of milk were dropped off at Colborne School, too, to be given out to the students.
This era was before in-town students rode school buses, so getting to Colborne was a matter of riding a bike, walking, or being driven by a parent a distance that by today’s standards would seem absurdly far. Colborne is featured in another memory. An annual soap drive was held at the school, with literally hundreds of bars of soap being collected by the students and taken to Strathroy Hospital for use by patients. I once had the opportunity to accompany the school principal, Mr. MacVicar, on a soap delivery to the hospital. (He was one imposing principal because of his physical height!) Another school project involved students bringing in used fruit baskets. I guess it was both a fundraiser and an early form of recycling.
In the 1950s, Strathroy Hospital was housed in a red, brick building across the street from the current SMGH. I had the misfortune of needing its services as a child. My only vivid recollection was of riding up what seemed like an open freight elevator on a stretcher, then having a mask placed over my face with the never-to-be-forgotten stench of ether. Nurses back then wore immaculate white dresses and cute little white hats. For many years Strathroy Hospital was actually a training school for nurses, with a class graduating every year.
How many people can remember visiting the Strathroy Zoo? It was known as the Pincombe Zoo – a fence-enclosed area at the bend of Front Street East which held peacocks, as well as deer and other local wildlife.
One of the town’s dentists was Dr. Tremner who had an office on the south side of Front Street adjacent to the Lamantia Hotel. Memories come to mind of either being a patient or simply walking by his office. It was hard not to stare as his dentist chair was right in front of a big window with venetian blinds, mere inches from the street.
I recall that the House of Refuge, now Strathmere Lodge, was a scary place from a child’s point of view. This very old multi-storey brick building housed many unfortunate seniors and others with no place to live.
Oh, and by the way, 663-J was our home phone number. Making a phone call involved talking to an operator at the local telephone exchange, who connected you manually to whatever number you wished to reach. It was only later that the black rotary phones came into use.
Now you can add your own memories!
July 2014
My VON journey in Strathroy by Jackie Wells
My professional dreams became reality when I was hired as a community nurse for the Victorian Order of Nurses. I was presented with my navy uniforms, a little black bag and a company vehicle with the VON logo, so all would know my mission. Two nursing colleagues, two Home Care case managers and Public Health staff shared an office in Strathroy Hospital. We were the health team for Middlesex County. It was 1981 and the province had just launched the chronic home care program, opening the gates for seniors to receive nursing visits in their homes.
My VON nursing career saw wounds to be dressed, diabetic teaching, help with bathing, prenatal care, newborn care, cardiac monitoring and a 94-year-old woman who needed assistance preserving jelly. I visited some folks without running water and some whose primary concern was getting wood into the house to keep warm. There was always a story to share. Because of the increased number of patients who wanted to die at home, a Palliative Care team was developed and I chose this work as my focus. Working by the side of a family living with a terminal illness was one of my most rewarding experiences.
From my childhood rural roots, I understood that so many people wanted to help but often just didn’t know how. Neighbours would drop off a pot of soup or a pie hot from the oven, when what was really needed was a compassionate touch or someone to stop and listen when life was full of darkness and despair. Surely, I thought, neighbours and friends could be trained to offer that sort of help, and thereby support the health care professionals.
I have a story about a very special man whom I shall name Dick. In his final day, he helped me see that although as professionals we may treat illness, sometimes the most comfort comes from someone who cares enough to just be there. Dick and many others became the catalyst to develop a program where trained volunteers would complement the work of health care professionals. These volunteers have enriched the lives of many families, as well as their own lives, by participating in the family journeys.
While I was coming to this understanding, the federal government was asking “What do seniors need to stay well longer and remain in their homes?” People like the dynamic Ina Henderson gathered a group of local citizens to actually ask seniors what they would need. The Strathroy community was chosen as one of the pilot projects across Canada for a new program, leading to Meals on Wheels, transportation, volunteer visiting and many other services. These VON volunteer programs evolved over the years, beginning from an office on Albert Street. Today, thanks to a partnership with Sprucedale Care Centre, a full menu of community health care services is offered from one location on Head Street.
So how did a naive country girl go from visiting nurse to program developer? By listening to those who went before me, people like Ruth Jeffery, who called me at the beginning, saying “I hear you want to lead volunteers. Come for tea and I will tell you how it’s done!” That visit led me to pursue my vision for VON in Strathroy. My dreams were realized beyond anything I could ever have imagined.
There have been so many lessons, from so many people. And I am still learning.
My professional dreams became reality when I was hired as a community nurse for the Victorian Order of Nurses. I was presented with my navy uniforms, a little black bag and a company vehicle with the VON logo, so all would know my mission. Two nursing colleagues, two Home Care case managers and Public Health staff shared an office in Strathroy Hospital. We were the health team for Middlesex County. It was 1981 and the province had just launched the chronic home care program, opening the gates for seniors to receive nursing visits in their homes.
My VON nursing career saw wounds to be dressed, diabetic teaching, help with bathing, prenatal care, newborn care, cardiac monitoring and a 94-year-old woman who needed assistance preserving jelly. I visited some folks without running water and some whose primary concern was getting wood into the house to keep warm. There was always a story to share. Because of the increased number of patients who wanted to die at home, a Palliative Care team was developed and I chose this work as my focus. Working by the side of a family living with a terminal illness was one of my most rewarding experiences.
From my childhood rural roots, I understood that so many people wanted to help but often just didn’t know how. Neighbours would drop off a pot of soup or a pie hot from the oven, when what was really needed was a compassionate touch or someone to stop and listen when life was full of darkness and despair. Surely, I thought, neighbours and friends could be trained to offer that sort of help, and thereby support the health care professionals.
I have a story about a very special man whom I shall name Dick. In his final day, he helped me see that although as professionals we may treat illness, sometimes the most comfort comes from someone who cares enough to just be there. Dick and many others became the catalyst to develop a program where trained volunteers would complement the work of health care professionals. These volunteers have enriched the lives of many families, as well as their own lives, by participating in the family journeys.
While I was coming to this understanding, the federal government was asking “What do seniors need to stay well longer and remain in their homes?” People like the dynamic Ina Henderson gathered a group of local citizens to actually ask seniors what they would need. The Strathroy community was chosen as one of the pilot projects across Canada for a new program, leading to Meals on Wheels, transportation, volunteer visiting and many other services. These VON volunteer programs evolved over the years, beginning from an office on Albert Street. Today, thanks to a partnership with Sprucedale Care Centre, a full menu of community health care services is offered from one location on Head Street.
So how did a naive country girl go from visiting nurse to program developer? By listening to those who went before me, people like Ruth Jeffery, who called me at the beginning, saying “I hear you want to lead volunteers. Come for tea and I will tell you how it’s done!” That visit led me to pursue my vision for VON in Strathroy. My dreams were realized beyond anything I could ever have imagined.
There have been so many lessons, from so many people. And I am still learning.
June 2014
Mystery Solved by Janet Cummer
In the days before community museums, artifacts were often left in the care of the local library. When I arrived at Strathroy Library as librarian in 1970, there were a number of items already there, left at some point in the past, unlabelled, undated and with no recorded origin. One item, in particular, always intrigued me, as it resided on the top shelf of my office and remained there until I left in 2008. It was a fragment of a larger stone statue, Asia in appearance, and heavy - quite out of place in Strathroy. Nobody seemed to know where it had come from. Here is what may have happened…
This story involves George Sulman, a crackerjack travelling salesman for a Montreal company, who was so successful at his job that by the age of 17, he was considered the youngest commercial salesman in Canada. During this time, he had a regular customer living in Strathroy, named Jack Meekison. Meekison operated a stationery and book store on the south side of Front Street, half-way between Caradoc and Frank Streets. As told by his son, Ted Sulman, many years later, “Dad became very friendly with Jack, and one evening was asked to his home for supper. Entering the house, Dad saw a tall, strikingly beautiful young girl crossing the other end of the hall and said to himself 'That’s the girl for me”. Her name was Mary Agnes Meekison, Jack's sister and a daughter of Andrew and Margaret Meekison, who had emigrated from Scotland and set up a grocery business in Strathroy. George and Mary were married in 1889 at the bride’s home in Strathroy, a small affair with only family present. The couple then boarded the train for a honeymoon in eastern Ontario. Marriage accounts of the time were quite flattering and the Meekison wedding was no exception. “The bride was generously remembered by her many friends, the presents to her being numerous and of a useful and costly character and is but another evidence of the esteem in which she is held here.” (The Age, September 19, 1889).
The Sulmans settled in Chatham where, in 1888, George had started a small store, Sulman’s Beehive, selling wallpaper, stationery and fancy goods. Business was so good that within a short time, he bought a larger store and reportedly travelled six months of the year, returning to run the store for the other six. In 1901, he was elected Chatham's mayor and later served as MPP in the provincial legislature. His residence on Stanley Street, still standing today, was large and impressive.
However the true Sulman legacy lies elsewhere. In their day, the Sulmans were Canada’s most famous globetrotters, returning with treasures that today might be considered illegal. Their travels took them off the beaten path, exploring almost every country in the world. Mary Sulman's obituary confirms this: “It was Mrs. Sulman’s boast she had been in strange places where no white woman had ever trod. Like her husband, she was an entertaining lecturer, and could hold audiences with descriptions…They brought back many curios which are now in the Chatham-Kent Museum.” (The Age Dispatch, December 19, 1946). These curios included an Egyptian mummy, placed at the back of the Sulman store to attract customers and given to the Museum in the 1940s.
Where does the library's statue fit into this story?
Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we know the history of the statue. It was a Buddha, part of a larger carving, probably cut from a temple in northwest Pakistan (then India). The style indicates its origin as 3rd century AD. But how did it come to Strathroy? Jane (Jenny) Meekison’s obituary in 1942 offers a clue. Jane, a music teacher, a friend of Charlotte Rapley, and Mary Sulman's sister, lived at the northeast corner of Albert and Victoria Streets. Her obituary notes that in 1936 she accompanied the Sulmans on a trip to northern India. It may be that she purchased the heavy statue and had it shipped to Strathroy. Perhaps Jane had picked up the Sulman desire to bring home the ages! Her death, without heirs, left the Buddha needing a home. Charlotte was on the library board at the time and leaving it with the library might have seemed a good solution. It remains there today - a rather exotic piece of Strathroy history and probably a valuable one.
Special thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for identifying this statue and helping to put the pieces of this story together.
The next meeting of the Strathroy & District Historical Society will be a Cemetery Tour held on Monday, June 16 at 7 pm at the Fourth Line Cemetery, 3267 Napperton Drive at Eastman Avenue across from Strathmere Lodge. The public are welcome.
In the days before community museums, artifacts were often left in the care of the local library. When I arrived at Strathroy Library as librarian in 1970, there were a number of items already there, left at some point in the past, unlabelled, undated and with no recorded origin. One item, in particular, always intrigued me, as it resided on the top shelf of my office and remained there until I left in 2008. It was a fragment of a larger stone statue, Asia in appearance, and heavy - quite out of place in Strathroy. Nobody seemed to know where it had come from. Here is what may have happened…
This story involves George Sulman, a crackerjack travelling salesman for a Montreal company, who was so successful at his job that by the age of 17, he was considered the youngest commercial salesman in Canada. During this time, he had a regular customer living in Strathroy, named Jack Meekison. Meekison operated a stationery and book store on the south side of Front Street, half-way between Caradoc and Frank Streets. As told by his son, Ted Sulman, many years later, “Dad became very friendly with Jack, and one evening was asked to his home for supper. Entering the house, Dad saw a tall, strikingly beautiful young girl crossing the other end of the hall and said to himself 'That’s the girl for me”. Her name was Mary Agnes Meekison, Jack's sister and a daughter of Andrew and Margaret Meekison, who had emigrated from Scotland and set up a grocery business in Strathroy. George and Mary were married in 1889 at the bride’s home in Strathroy, a small affair with only family present. The couple then boarded the train for a honeymoon in eastern Ontario. Marriage accounts of the time were quite flattering and the Meekison wedding was no exception. “The bride was generously remembered by her many friends, the presents to her being numerous and of a useful and costly character and is but another evidence of the esteem in which she is held here.” (The Age, September 19, 1889).
The Sulmans settled in Chatham where, in 1888, George had started a small store, Sulman’s Beehive, selling wallpaper, stationery and fancy goods. Business was so good that within a short time, he bought a larger store and reportedly travelled six months of the year, returning to run the store for the other six. In 1901, he was elected Chatham's mayor and later served as MPP in the provincial legislature. His residence on Stanley Street, still standing today, was large and impressive.
However the true Sulman legacy lies elsewhere. In their day, the Sulmans were Canada’s most famous globetrotters, returning with treasures that today might be considered illegal. Their travels took them off the beaten path, exploring almost every country in the world. Mary Sulman's obituary confirms this: “It was Mrs. Sulman’s boast she had been in strange places where no white woman had ever trod. Like her husband, she was an entertaining lecturer, and could hold audiences with descriptions…They brought back many curios which are now in the Chatham-Kent Museum.” (The Age Dispatch, December 19, 1946). These curios included an Egyptian mummy, placed at the back of the Sulman store to attract customers and given to the Museum in the 1940s.
Where does the library's statue fit into this story?
Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we know the history of the statue. It was a Buddha, part of a larger carving, probably cut from a temple in northwest Pakistan (then India). The style indicates its origin as 3rd century AD. But how did it come to Strathroy? Jane (Jenny) Meekison’s obituary in 1942 offers a clue. Jane, a music teacher, a friend of Charlotte Rapley, and Mary Sulman's sister, lived at the northeast corner of Albert and Victoria Streets. Her obituary notes that in 1936 she accompanied the Sulmans on a trip to northern India. It may be that she purchased the heavy statue and had it shipped to Strathroy. Perhaps Jane had picked up the Sulman desire to bring home the ages! Her death, without heirs, left the Buddha needing a home. Charlotte was on the library board at the time and leaving it with the library might have seemed a good solution. It remains there today - a rather exotic piece of Strathroy history and probably a valuable one.
Special thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for identifying this statue and helping to put the pieces of this story together.
The next meeting of the Strathroy & District Historical Society will be a Cemetery Tour held on Monday, June 16 at 7 pm at the Fourth Line Cemetery, 3267 Napperton Drive at Eastman Avenue across from Strathmere Lodge. The public are welcome.
May 2014
Tales of our Town: tying up loose ends by Libby McLachlan
Our book, published last fall, brought many personal memories to the surface as folks recalled their own connections to people, places and events that were mentioned or appeared in photos. In some cases, readers have added to ou research or provided a slightly different perspective. Here we share a few of the responses.
The first feedback came from Helen Clark of Chatham, wife of our indexer Lynn Clark. She picked up on the two Hull family stories (Hull's Cottages, page 12; and the Hull-Morgan house, page 123), and wondered if the families were related. Perhaps not closely, as she had an internet acquaintance who had a traceable connection to one family, but not the other.
Glenn Stott of Arkona is the author of a chapter on houses and architecture in Township of Warwick: a story through time. He told me that at least one section of the Carroll house (page 124) was constructed of poured concrete, one of a few such houses unique to the Warwick-Adelaide area. It is thought that a Mr. Chambers, who owned a gravel pit in Adelaide Township, may have made gravel available for his children and possibly other families to build these less costly concrete homes. (The Chambers gravel pit, on Mullifarry Drive near the Warwick-Adelaide town line, may also have been the source of gravel used as insulation in the Hull house.) The current property owner believes that the front section of the Carroll house was built of poured concrete, while the back section was cement blocks. Neither building material was in common use at the time.
“Charlie's Story” (page 55) led Joyce Seed to reminisce about raising her family with her first husband John Gibson, near Charlie Holt's large yellow brick house at 158 High St West. The Holts had a small woodlot on their property, with lots of birds and squirrels, and the statue of 'Charlie the dog', which all the local kids climbed on. The woodlot properties were later sold and two houses were built on them.
Bob Fortner, the infant in the photograph on page 57, whose grandfather was a fireman at the Knitting Mill fire in 1892, spent his career with the Strathroy Fire Department until 1988. He then served as an inspector with the office of the Fire Commissioner of Canada, checking to ensure fire code adherence in all federal operations and remote
aboriginal communities in Northern Ontario. Later he was chair of the Strathroy Fire Services Board until it was dissolved in 2012. Bob's son Chris is currently a fireman with the Strathroy-Caradoc Fire Department.
At a recent meeting of the Historical Society, Norm Giffen showed a camera, purchased in a smoke-damaged box after a fire at Stepler's Drug Store on March 25, 1948. (Stepler story, page 154) This had us looking in the Age for details. The fire, although fortunately confined to the Stepler building, was one of the most serious and costly fires in town for many years. The exact cause seemed to be a mystery, but it was discovered about 9:30 a.m., when smoke coming from the basement was noticed by Cameron Somerville at the law firm next door. Despite the dense smoke, firemen had it under control by 11:30 a.m. Most of the damage was limited to the basement, but the charred flooring of the store and the stairs to Dr. Lloyd's dental office on the second floor had to be replaced. As well, there was heavy smoke and water damage, and most of the shelf stock was ruined.
Maria Damude of the Strathroy Legion Branch called our attention to the two concrete stones that were saved when the Armoury was demolished in 1965 and are not displayed outside the Legion. The photo on page 40 (reproduced here) shows them both clearly:“Armoury” and “Infantry”.
Then there's the “Oops!” You will know your copy of Tales is from the first printing if Janet Cummer's name is missing from the list of authors, and if the photograph on page 56 (“Charlie's Story”) is identified as belonging to the Holt family. In the second printing the caption under the house photo has been corrected to read“The Manfred Rapleys lived in this house.”
A final note: the Historical Society has donated a copy of Tales to each of the 11 schools in our immediate area.
Our book, published last fall, brought many personal memories to the surface as folks recalled their own connections to people, places and events that were mentioned or appeared in photos. In some cases, readers have added to ou research or provided a slightly different perspective. Here we share a few of the responses.
The first feedback came from Helen Clark of Chatham, wife of our indexer Lynn Clark. She picked up on the two Hull family stories (Hull's Cottages, page 12; and the Hull-Morgan house, page 123), and wondered if the families were related. Perhaps not closely, as she had an internet acquaintance who had a traceable connection to one family, but not the other.
Glenn Stott of Arkona is the author of a chapter on houses and architecture in Township of Warwick: a story through time. He told me that at least one section of the Carroll house (page 124) was constructed of poured concrete, one of a few such houses unique to the Warwick-Adelaide area. It is thought that a Mr. Chambers, who owned a gravel pit in Adelaide Township, may have made gravel available for his children and possibly other families to build these less costly concrete homes. (The Chambers gravel pit, on Mullifarry Drive near the Warwick-Adelaide town line, may also have been the source of gravel used as insulation in the Hull house.) The current property owner believes that the front section of the Carroll house was built of poured concrete, while the back section was cement blocks. Neither building material was in common use at the time.
“Charlie's Story” (page 55) led Joyce Seed to reminisce about raising her family with her first husband John Gibson, near Charlie Holt's large yellow brick house at 158 High St West. The Holts had a small woodlot on their property, with lots of birds and squirrels, and the statue of 'Charlie the dog', which all the local kids climbed on. The woodlot properties were later sold and two houses were built on them.
Bob Fortner, the infant in the photograph on page 57, whose grandfather was a fireman at the Knitting Mill fire in 1892, spent his career with the Strathroy Fire Department until 1988. He then served as an inspector with the office of the Fire Commissioner of Canada, checking to ensure fire code adherence in all federal operations and remote
aboriginal communities in Northern Ontario. Later he was chair of the Strathroy Fire Services Board until it was dissolved in 2012. Bob's son Chris is currently a fireman with the Strathroy-Caradoc Fire Department.
At a recent meeting of the Historical Society, Norm Giffen showed a camera, purchased in a smoke-damaged box after a fire at Stepler's Drug Store on March 25, 1948. (Stepler story, page 154) This had us looking in the Age for details. The fire, although fortunately confined to the Stepler building, was one of the most serious and costly fires in town for many years. The exact cause seemed to be a mystery, but it was discovered about 9:30 a.m., when smoke coming from the basement was noticed by Cameron Somerville at the law firm next door. Despite the dense smoke, firemen had it under control by 11:30 a.m. Most of the damage was limited to the basement, but the charred flooring of the store and the stairs to Dr. Lloyd's dental office on the second floor had to be replaced. As well, there was heavy smoke and water damage, and most of the shelf stock was ruined.
Maria Damude of the Strathroy Legion Branch called our attention to the two concrete stones that were saved when the Armoury was demolished in 1965 and are not displayed outside the Legion. The photo on page 40 (reproduced here) shows them both clearly:“Armoury” and “Infantry”.
Then there's the “Oops!” You will know your copy of Tales is from the first printing if Janet Cummer's name is missing from the list of authors, and if the photograph on page 56 (“Charlie's Story”) is identified as belonging to the Holt family. In the second printing the caption under the house photo has been corrected to read“The Manfred Rapleys lived in this house.”
A final note: the Historical Society has donated a copy of Tales to each of the 11 schools in our immediate area.
April 2014
From Bixel Flats to Alexandra Park Contributed by Museum Strathroy-Caradoc
One of Strathroy's gems is Alexandra Park, home of Royals baseball, Turkeyfest and Art in the Park, as well as a pleasant place to walk, cycle or picnic. Being on the Sydenham River floodplain, park use is occasionally interrupted by high water. In 1900 the property was a cattle pasture, known locally as “Bixel Flats” after its owner Matthew Bixel. He had purchased the land in 1875 and established the Strathroy Brewing and Malting Co., which was located adjacent to the park on the south side of the river along Caradoc Street, where TSC is located in 2014.
In March 1901, 200 ratepayers signed a petition asking Strathroy Council to convert the river flats property into a community park. Council, under financial constraint, encouraged the petitioning group to form a citizens committee to establish a park. In April 1901, the Alexandra Park Company was formed, and purchased land from the Strathroy Brewing & Malting Co. The recreation grounds and park were named in honour of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who had become Queen consort of Edward VII in January 1901, following the death of Queen Victoria.
Council granted the Park Company $150 to build a wooden pedestrian foot bridge across the Sydenham River at the end of Frank Street. This became the main entrance to Alexandra Park. In May 1901, the pasture grounds were levelled for recreational use, and the footbridge, a bandstand and grandstand were constructed in preparation for opening celebrations on Dominion Day.
On July 1, 1901, with temperatures in the nineties, the community marked both the opening of the Park and Canada's 34th birthday. The Citizen's Band got the day underway, providing music in front of the Queen's Hotel before marching to the park grounds. Sports events followed, with the Strathroy Base Ball Club defeating the London Aberdeens, and the local Lacrosse Club losing to Parkhill. A flag, sent for the occasion by Premier G.W. Ross, a Strathroy native, was raised to the singing of “God Save the King”. Many “rattling speeches” followed, interspersed with music by the town band and a local quartette. The keynote address was by W.D. McPherson of Toronto, who had grown up in Strathroy. He lavishly praised Queen Alexandra, the British Empire and the Dominion, now with seven provinces. In the evening a “grand open-air concert” illuminated by electric lights brought the celebrations to a close.
In the early years Council provided annual grants to the park committee for maintenance and improvements. By 1913, when Alexandra Park was purchased by the town, it contained a sports field for the Strathroy Baseball League, a lawn bowling green (1902), a tennis court and open park space. Over the following decades more features were added, including a wading pool (1939), the Strathroy Lions Pool and pool house (1950), and the Sleepy Hollow Railway (1980). More recent additions are a modern play structure (2009) and the Rotary Splash Pad (2013).
At the end of summer 2013 the Lion's pool was closed and demolished. To replace it, a modern outdoor Aquatic Park is scheduled to open at the Fairgrounds Recreation Complex on June 21, 2014. Sleepy Hollow Railway was a casualty of flooding in fall 2013. Currently, the goal is to relocate it to a spot near the new pool. Despite losing these two attractions Alexandra Park has largely achieved the hope expressed on July 1, 1901 that it would become “one of the finest little parks in Ontario”.
One of Strathroy's gems is Alexandra Park, home of Royals baseball, Turkeyfest and Art in the Park, as well as a pleasant place to walk, cycle or picnic. Being on the Sydenham River floodplain, park use is occasionally interrupted by high water. In 1900 the property was a cattle pasture, known locally as “Bixel Flats” after its owner Matthew Bixel. He had purchased the land in 1875 and established the Strathroy Brewing and Malting Co., which was located adjacent to the park on the south side of the river along Caradoc Street, where TSC is located in 2014.
In March 1901, 200 ratepayers signed a petition asking Strathroy Council to convert the river flats property into a community park. Council, under financial constraint, encouraged the petitioning group to form a citizens committee to establish a park. In April 1901, the Alexandra Park Company was formed, and purchased land from the Strathroy Brewing & Malting Co. The recreation grounds and park were named in honour of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who had become Queen consort of Edward VII in January 1901, following the death of Queen Victoria.
Council granted the Park Company $150 to build a wooden pedestrian foot bridge across the Sydenham River at the end of Frank Street. This became the main entrance to Alexandra Park. In May 1901, the pasture grounds were levelled for recreational use, and the footbridge, a bandstand and grandstand were constructed in preparation for opening celebrations on Dominion Day.
On July 1, 1901, with temperatures in the nineties, the community marked both the opening of the Park and Canada's 34th birthday. The Citizen's Band got the day underway, providing music in front of the Queen's Hotel before marching to the park grounds. Sports events followed, with the Strathroy Base Ball Club defeating the London Aberdeens, and the local Lacrosse Club losing to Parkhill. A flag, sent for the occasion by Premier G.W. Ross, a Strathroy native, was raised to the singing of “God Save the King”. Many “rattling speeches” followed, interspersed with music by the town band and a local quartette. The keynote address was by W.D. McPherson of Toronto, who had grown up in Strathroy. He lavishly praised Queen Alexandra, the British Empire and the Dominion, now with seven provinces. In the evening a “grand open-air concert” illuminated by electric lights brought the celebrations to a close.
In the early years Council provided annual grants to the park committee for maintenance and improvements. By 1913, when Alexandra Park was purchased by the town, it contained a sports field for the Strathroy Baseball League, a lawn bowling green (1902), a tennis court and open park space. Over the following decades more features were added, including a wading pool (1939), the Strathroy Lions Pool and pool house (1950), and the Sleepy Hollow Railway (1980). More recent additions are a modern play structure (2009) and the Rotary Splash Pad (2013).
At the end of summer 2013 the Lion's pool was closed and demolished. To replace it, a modern outdoor Aquatic Park is scheduled to open at the Fairgrounds Recreation Complex on June 21, 2014. Sleepy Hollow Railway was a casualty of flooding in fall 2013. Currently, the goal is to relocate it to a spot near the new pool. Despite losing these two attractions Alexandra Park has largely achieved the hope expressed on July 1, 1901 that it would become “one of the finest little parks in Ontario”.