ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 51, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada L7G 4T1 Vol 25 No. 1 March -April 2000 JUDGEMENT NIGHT APPROACHES! It was a bitterly cold day in early February, 32 years ago, when Ward Brownridge took the opportunity to tackle his first public auction. Auctioning has always appealed to him and he has been involved in it steadily ever since. Being born and raised on a local farm, it is natural that Ward enjoys selling anything connected with the land - including land itself. Like a Farmers' Almanac, auctioning can provide a keen sense of the economic mood of the times. The variety of items that sell is quite unlimited. Ward chuckles, recalling a group of happy buyers leaving with feathers poking from their pockets - they had just bought a flock of racing pigeons! Over many years, Ward Brownridge has gained considerable skill in identifying and appraising antiques. The Esquesing Historical Society is pleased to have him with us at our "Judgement Night" meeting on Wednesday March 8, 7:30 pm at Knox Presbyterian Church, 116 Main St. S., Georgetown. As usual, the meeting is open to the public free of charge and you are invited to bring that old dust collector for some interesting comments and an evaluation by an old pro - just like The Antiques Road Show! Filling the silo at the Pearl Brownridge farm in 1926 EHS pi0344 EHS SILVER ANNIVERSARY SUCCESSFUL The February 9th meeting of the Esquesing Historical Society was a great success! It was our Annual General Meeting, our 25th anniversary and our topic was the much anticipated "Herstory ". Society secretary Dawn Livingstone provided these minutes of our meeting. The meeting was opened by President, Sherry Westfahl, who welcomed visitors and new members, and then introduced various officers who gave reports. Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 1 Mark Rowe presented an Archival Report, giving acquisitions over the year, information about the summer student, and many statistics regarding the popular use of our website. Doug Cole presented the year end Treasurers report showing and income of $6649.35 during the year, and expenditures of $4713.62, giving us a year end balance of $1935.73. Doug made a motion to accept the report, seconded by Donna Robin. Carried. Karen Hunter gave a report and statistics on membership. Total membership for 1999 was 85 people. Stephen Blake gave a report on publicity, and Dawn Livingstone gave a report on correspondence and meeting attendance which averaged 36 per meeting. Sherry asked for volunteers from the floor to sit on our Board of Directors. Neither were none forthcoming. She then presented the slate of officers for the coming year: Past President: Karen Hunter President: Sherry Westfahl Treasurer: Douglas Cole Archivist: Mark Rowe Publicity: Stephen Blake Secretary: Dawn Livingstone We were saddened at the passing of Jean Ruddell during the year. Jean had been a founding member of the Historical Society. We were also sorry that Marion Gilmour decided not to stay on as a director. Sherry then introduced Mary Shier and Marsha Bachelor, from the Limehouse Kiln Society. This is a new group that has recently been formed to publicize, protect and preserve the historical lime kilns in the Limehouse area. Mary presented a very interesting talk, accompanied by a photograph display. We then proceeded with our evenings programme entitled "Herstory." Several people presented short talks about local women of note. John Sommer talked about local artist and librarian, Marjorie Nazer. Mary Finley talked about Nancy Teeter, whom she called Georgetown's recluse. Arthur Dayfoot talked about his pioneer ancestor, Patience Carpenter Dayfoot. Dawn Livingstone talked about a local well known woman, Annie Elizabeth Joyce Livingstone. Elaine Bertrand talked about her grandmother, Mary Ann McKinnon. Norma Thompson talked about a well known nurse, Molly Mulholland. Mark Rowe read several short pieces submitted to him by mail from Kay Dills. They were about the Adams women of Acton; Minnie Zimmerman Bennet, Acton educator; Ann Sutherland Brooks and Margaret Avison, Acton poets and Fern Emma Brown of Acton. The evening programme was very well accepted by the audience, and in fact it was suggested that we do this type of programme again in the future. It was very interesting to learn about some of these "quiet pioneers" from our past. Attendance for the evening was 37 people. The evening then adjourned to coffee, and to give members a chance to peruse the boards of photographs and art display of some of Marjorie Nazers work. Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 2 1999 ARCHIVES REPORT SUMMER STUDENT: The Esquesing Historical Society has once again been fortunate enough to hire an excellent summer student. For eight weeks, beginning in July, Michelle Kwapis, a resident of Georgetown worked for the Society at the Georgetown branch of the library under the direction of Geoff Cannon, Information Services Librarian. Michelle made a significant contribution to our Archives. Her work included shelf reading the photo collection, updating photo entries, accessing donations to the Society, updating the finding aid, uploading the finding aid to the internet web site, creating acid-free folders for our oversize photographs, integrating the Society book collection into the Archives, 1999 ACCESSIONS There were 33 accessions in 1999. The donors were Robert K. Bessey, Guelph; Don Lawson, Guelph; Marion Gilmer, Georgetown; Karen & Kathleen Doukas, Etobicoke; Jean Ruddell, Georgetown; John Keir, Acton; Karen Hunter, Cheltenham; Halton Hills Public Libraries, Acton Branch; John Mark Rowe, Glen Williams; Heritage Halton Hills, Georgetown; Grant Turner Jeffery, Maryland, USA; Josie Sargent, Georgetown; Stephen Blake, Georgetown; Elaine Robinson-Bertrand, Georgetown; John Sommers, Georgetown; Mike Harley, Georgetown; Betty Reeve, Georgetown; Dawn Livingstone, Georgetown; Carol McMurray, Georgetown; Karen Scott, Georgetown; Bruce Kennedy, Toronto; William J. Anderson, Georgetown; D.E.J. Richards, Georgetown; Dan C. Dolliver, Acton; National Archives of Canada, Ottawa; Glen Williams Town Hall, Glen Williams. REGISTERED USERS OF THE ARCHIVES IN 1999: 2 NUMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHS: 11 785 ARCHIVES MATERIALS General Collection: 30 linear metres Audio-Visual Collection: 1 linear metres Photograph Collection: 5 linear metres Negative Collection: 4.5 linear metres Restricted Collection: 0.64 linear metres Bound Newspapers Collection: 11 linear metres Total Materials: 56 linear metres The Archives also holds four drawers of maps. Web Site Activity Report 01/01/99 00:00:00 - 12/31/99 23:59:59 1999 figures (1998 figures) Number of Successful Hits for Entire Site 26,486 (22,602) Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 3 Society Notes EHS EXECUTIVE Sherry Westfahl 873-7145 President Karen Hunter 838-2109 Dawn Livingstone Doug Cole Stephen Blake J. Mark Rowe 877-6506 877-3657 877-8251 877-9510 EXECUTIVE OPPORTUNITY The appeal for new volunteers for your executive went unheeded last month. As reported in the AGM minutes, we were unsuccessful in acquiring new faces, and in fact we lost a reliable volunteer. Since the places are still vacant please consider helping us. If you do not wish to sit on the executive but would like to help nonetheless, we particularly need a membership secretary and a bibliopole (n. Seller of (esp. rare) books). These people would be needed at the public meetings primarily. Let Karen or Dawn know if you'd consider helping us out. ARCHIVAL NEWS The Acton Free Press / Georgetown Independent negative and photo collection will soon be transferred to archival boxes. Our order has arrived and Karen Hunter is hoping to organize a few folk to transfer the negatives from the filing cabinets to the acid free boxes. Please call her if you can offer a couple of hours. It will soon be time to fill out government applications for summer student employment. Let's hope the government "boondoggle" doesn't hold us up. The job will be posted with Canada Manpower when it is available. We have received a few more donations this season, including a "lost" copy of the Georgetown Herald. See below for a story on it. All the presentations are being put together in hopes of presenting a book of the researches. Sherry Westfahl is working on that project at present. The several biographies sent by Kay Dills were beautifully packaged and will be forwarded to the Acton branch of the Halton Hills Library, as she requested. ANNUAL GRANT We will be receiving a grant of $600.00 from the Ontario Heritage Organization, Ministry of Citizenship and Recreation. This grant is based on our previous years expenses. INTERNET CONNECTIONS The Esquesing Historical Society has an official web site on the World Wide Web. You can visit us at Send your e-mail to rowem@aztec-net.com or dlvngstn@stn.net EHS NEWSLETTER This newsletter was prepared by John Mark Rowe with assistance from Karen Hunter and Dawn Livingstone. MEMBERSHIP Membership fees for 2000 are now due! This will be the final newsletter for those who have not paid. The individual rate is $10. The family or institution rate is $12. Cheques payable to the Society can be posted to our post box. Our 2000 membership now stands at 76. Thank you very much to everyone who has renewed! STEWARTTOWN PAMPHLET The Esquesing Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of the 11th pamphlet in our series. The former capital of Esquesing Township, Stewarttown is the subject of a pamphlet published by John Mark Benbow Rowe, Archivist of the Society. It will be available at our meetings for the usual price of 25 cents. While you're there be sure to update your collection with other pamphlets you may be Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 4 missing MILTON HEIGHTS FAMILY We have had an Email inquiry from northern Alberta, for information on a family who lived in Milton Heights before 1920. William George Clark(e) was born in Esquesing Township, 15 April 1912, to Charles Emerson Clarke and Agnes Deforest. He was christened at All Saints Church, Milton Heights. For the first five years of his life, William George Clark(e) was raised by a John Appleyard family. If anyone knows of a Deforest, Clarke or Appleyard family still in the area, or has information about Milton Heights, or a photograph of the late All Saints Church, would they please contact Dawn Livingstone, 877-6605. WRITERS WANTED To better promote the Society and our meetings, the executive hope to run a series of short articles of local historic import on a monthly basis this year. If you would like to submit an article of about 400 words, contact Stephen Blake or any other executive member. For examples of previous articles see the Society Collections series which comprises three volumes. FAMILY CEMETERIES NEED RECOGNITION! With development surrounding us, it is very important that municipal authorities know where all cemeteries are located. There is no master map - no one who knows them all. Anyone with knowledge of marked or unmarked private family burial plots should report these to the Cemeteries Regulation Branch, Ministry of Consumer & Commercial Relations, 250 Yonge Street, 33rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2N5. They should also be reported to the Town of Halton Hills so that the Official Plan can be amended. CALEDON'S NEW HERITAGE OFFICER With the retirement of Heather Broadbent, the position of Heritage Officer for the Town of Caledon has been filled by Sally Drummond. Both women will sit on the newly formed Caledon Heritage Committee which will provide funding for heritage sites. -Caledon Citizen 9 February 2000 ALBION BOLTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROGRAMME March 20 The Life and Times of A.A. McFall (Bolton) April 17 The Hickman Street Arena May 28 Walkabout in West Bolton (1:30 p.m. for a 90 minute walk) The March and April meeting are at Bolton United Church at 7:30 p.m. Please call 857-6741 for further information. BRAMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY March 16th Lorne Smith on The Odyssey of Berczy Settlers. April 20th Richard Feltoe on Service of Upper Canada Militia 1813-1815. Meetings are held at Heart lake Presbyterian Church, 25 Ruth Avenue, Brampton at 7 p.m. Admission fee of $5 for non-members. GENEALOGICAL GLEANINGS XII The York Region and Region V of the Ontario Genealogical Society are sponsoring this colloquium on Saturday 1 April at Alexander Mackenzie High School in Richmond Hill. Registration of $30 before 17 March includes lunch. Book tables will be available from 8:30 to 4 p.m. Speakers include Kyle Beth, Ron Brown, and Ruth Burkholder. Call Jean Wood at 884-5028 or e-mail . Your EHS executive needs YOUR help to make our Society continue to function as well as it does. PLEASE offer to look after books, look after refreshments at meetings, or take memberships! Many hands make light work! Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 5 NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES Nathalie Brooks of Merdeka Fashions has donated an old Herald which her father in law discovered while renovating his old house in Milton recently. He came across this old complete newspaper in behind a wall. The paper a Georgetown Herald dated May 15, 1909 is one the Society does not have and therefore is not included on the microfilm of 1867 - 1917 papers which we made several years ago. Hill's Hotel Glen Williams. (EHS p481) "Mr. Thomas Hill, the new proprietor of the Glen Hotel, has been quite busy making improvements on his premises since moving in. The house has been thoroughly renovated, papered and otherwise altered so as to give the best accommodation to the public. The old shed and barn will be torn down and replaced by more modern structures." ARCHIV1ANET ArchiviaNet is an on-line research tool providing unprecedented access to the National Archive's (NA) finding aids, holdings and collections. It was launched at a well-attended demonstration at the NA on 5 May, 1999. ArchiviaNet presently contains descriptions of more than three million records including 1.5 million references to government files, over half a million descriptions of photographs, art works and cartoons, including 5,000 digitized images, over half a million descriptions of films, videos and sound recordings, a collection of 200,000 attestation papers of soldiers of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, a number of specialized databases (for example relating to post offices), and finally a number of subject research guides. In terms of more recent developments, several prototype databases are now available on-site for user testing. These include Colonial Archives and Prime Ministers papers, Passenger Lists from 1925-1935 (this project was done in partnership with Pier 21, the Halifax heritage centre designed to commemorate the immigrant experience in the Maritimes), Court Martial records of the First World War and a database on Home Children -Ian Wilson, National Archivist, Canadian Council of Archives Newsletter, December 1999 BADLANDS PURCHASE GOOD FOR PROVINCE, MINISTRY SAYS The natural resources ministry has spent $550,000 to buy a 37 hectare Caledon property known as the Cheltenham Badlands. Located on the south side of Olde Base Line Road, near Creditview Road, it was the property of the late Russell Cooper. A journalist and former administrator of Black Creek Pioneer Village, Cooper was interested in preserving Ontario history. He died in October at his Caledon home at age 73. Included in the undulating parcel are 12 hectares of woodland, open areas and the much-photographed erosion-ridged red clay deposits that gave the village of Terra Cotta its name. -from "Badlands purchase good for province, ministry says", Frank Calleja Toronto Star, 17 Dec. 2000. Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 6 THE SCOUTING SPIRIT In February, the Society published The Scouting Spirit by John Mark Rowe, during Scout and Guide Week. The 30 page 8 1/2 X 11 inch book is cerlock bound and sports a picture of Norval Scouts getting ready for Apple Day. The book is illustrated with several photographs. It sells for $5 a copy and will be available at Society meetings or by phoning the author. After outlining the founding of Scouting in 1910, it explains the organization of the sections and groups. A chapter follows the history of North Halton District and then a short history of each section is given. An excerpt is printed below: "Several Ontario communities claim to be the first troop in this country, namely Merrickville, Port Morien and St. Catharines. There is no official first that can be proven. But by 1910 the movement was spreading like wild-fire. When Baden-Powell announced a trip to Canada to see his Boy Scouts it touched off a flurry of activity across the country. Speakers on the movement travelled throughout small town Ontario to encourage them to start groups. Troops in Georgetown, Acton, Oakville, Burlington and Guelph were started directly after a visit from the speakers. The biggest attraction at the 1910 Toronto Exhibition (CNE) was the newly knighted Lt. - General Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Hundreds of boys and their families crowded trains to the "Ex" to watch B-P, as he was affectionately known, review his Boy Scouts. Acton Scout Troop Band about 1916 The Acton Free Press recorded information about the enthusiasm EHSpl386 connected with this new boys' movement. The Boy Scouts met daily from Monday to Saturday. By the end of October, 1910, an empty store on Mill Street was secured for their meetings. Drill was held on Monday and Wednesday evenings. On the other week nights the leaders ran games and recreational activities. On Saturday night the troop marched over to the public library in the Town Hall. By any standard it was a very ambitious program. The Acton leaders were W.H. Stock and James Fogg. It seems that the movement only lasted for a couple of years in Acton, which was probably the limit of the energy these gentlemen could offer. The story seems to have been the same in Georgetown. The troops were reorganized several times before they became permanent. The book covers 1st, 2nd and 3rd Acton, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Georgetown, 1st Ballinafad, 1st Ashgrove, 1st Hornby, 1st Scotch Block, 1st Limehouse, 1st Norval and Ist Glen Williams. These groups are contained in the present North Halton District although many are no longer active. Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 7 ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS Wed. 8 March 2000 Judgement Night - Our ever popular opportunity to share family treasures, antiques and curios with an experienced auctioneer has returned. Ward Brownridge, that world-renown auctioneer that hails from Ashgrove, will join us for an entertaining evening. KNOX PRESBYTERIAN, Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. Wed. 12 April 2000 Acton Fire Department - Join Herb Dodds and other retired firefighters of Acton as they recall their days serving and protecting Acton in the last century from that timeless scourge of fire! KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Acton, 7:30 p.m. Wed 10 May 2000 Ghost Towns of Ontario - Well-known writer Ron Brown of Toronto will speak on the ghost towns of Ontario, the subject of a recent book. Mr. Brown will highlight former settlements from this area. KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. Wed. 14 June 2000 Walking Tour of Norval - Our season closes with our annual pot-luck dinner and a guided tour of historical Norval. Cathy Gastle, Town Councillor and unflagging promoter of Norval will lead us on an historical ramble. If you cannot make the dinner, join us for the walk. St. PAUL'S PARISH HALL, Adamson St., Norval, 6:30 ; 7:30 p.m. ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE! Please bring your own cup for refreshments to help protect our environment. Membership for 2000 is OVERdue! - $10 per annum This is the final newsletter for 1999 subscribers! Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter FIRE! FIRE! The Esquesing Historical Society is planning a hot night in Acton! Retired fireman Herb Dodds and several other fire fighters will join the Society in April at the Knox Church to talk about the Acton Fire Brigade and Fire Department. It promises to he an interesting evening. To put us in the right frame of mind, a few excepts from local newspapers follow. Herb might not remember the early events! The extensive tannery lately erected by Coleman & Mclntyre destroyed by fire on 23rd June. (Guelph Advertiser 24 June 1852) Fire at grist mill of Messrs E & B Nicklin, Mr. webber, Miller. They intend to rebuild. (Canadian Champion, 15 Nov, 1866) Fire at Acton - During the last seven years there have been seven fires. On the present occasion two buildings were destroyed by fire... (Canadian Champion, 18 Nov, 1869) Fire at Acton - the stave and shingle factory of Moore Bros. Acton destroyed- spread to Sidney Smith's barn - destroyed. (Canadian Champion, 29 June, 1871) Dr. McGarvin is erecting a commodious two storey brick dwelling on the site of the one that burned last week. -July 2, 1875 AFP FIRE at St. Joseph's RC Church, Acton - evening service concluded when centre chandelier fell -lamps broken and coal oil ignited. The aisle matting caught fire - put out but lots of smoke damage. (AFP 29 Aug, 1889) John Harvey elected chief for 1899 at Annual general meeting of Acton Fire Brigade. (Acton Free Press, Jan., 1899) Acton fire Station opened 1992 (EHS p1301) Fire Brigade report to Council for 1899: 34 officers and men. The Brigade had one call to fire this year -Campbell's vacant house on corner of Victoria and Brock. Alarms: town hall bell and three electric alarms. Owns: Ronald Steam fire engine, 2 hose reels, 1200 feet of rubber hose, coal cart, 1 hook and ladder truck complete. Chief: John Harvey; Captain J. A. Speight; Foreman Thomas Gamble... (Acton Free Press, 1900) "Bantfield Hall" - Later it was purchased by the Beardmore Tanning Company and was renovated and modernized to be used as an Acton residence for members of the firm. Then Mr. W.W. Beardmore took it over as his home. On January 14, 1914 the house burned to the ground. A storm in March brought the shell crashing down. (J. M. Rowe, Acton Homes MS) "Fairview Place" - This family home beside the Acton Public School caught fire in 1894, was repaired, and burned again in 1924, but was rebuilt and improved for the elderly Mrs. Diana Smith. (J. M. Rowe, Acton Homes MS) "Hurricane Hazel" - Saturday morning, however, cellars under the residences of W. Roberts and C.K. Browne, both of Main St. N., adjacent to the swollen creek, had to be pumped by firemen.... -Acton Free Press, 21 Oct. 1954 Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 9 News From a Century Ago Acton Free Press: 4 January 1900 CANADIANS VICTORIOUS - In their first Engagement With the Boers on New Year's day. Captured Forty Prisoners. Milton Model School graduates - 3rd class certificate: E.U. Dickenson, Lottie E. Lusk, G.H. Holmes, Erna Norton, Ethel Chisholm, Edith M. Moulton, Gertrude Dayfoot, Nellie Springer, Margaret McQueen, Harriet I. Cook, Aggie Wooding, Andrew Arthurs, John W. Manson and Manassah Campbell. CREWSON'S CORNERS: A large number from here attended the social assembly in Eden Mills Hall on Thursday last. Wedding in new home of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Leslie on 1st Con. Erin, of Alice E. Leslie and Edward Pearen of Erin. FAREWELL TO OUR BOYS - Presentation and goodbye to Sergeants Moore and Gould Tuesday Evening. A hastily called meeting of citizens was held in the town hall on Tuesday evening to afford an opportunity of saying good-bye to sergeants W.J. Moore and W.J. Gould, on the eve of their departure for South Africa as artillery-men in the Second Canadian Contingent. W.J. Moore is son of Principal T.T. Moore of Acton Public SchooL It is 21 years ago this week that he arrived in Acton with his fathers's family. He has since travelled through Australia, New Zealand, the East Indies, Borneo, Siam and a number of the coast cities of China and India, He has been a member of the Fussiliers at Montreal and put in a long term with Hahon Battalion. Mr. W. J, Gould is a native of Hanover. Both his parents are dead, and he has made his home at Acton for several years.