Vol. 27 No. 3 September - October 2002 ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 51, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada L7G 4T1 www.hhpl.on.ca/sigs/ehs/home.html ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPONSORED Tour of the renovated Halton Region Museum in the grounds of Kelso Conservation Area, Milton, Ontario Wednesday, September 11th, 2002 7:00 pm Tickets (call Karen Hunter at 905.838.2109) $7.50 each The Alexander family and descendants would barely recognise their old farmstead beneath the Niagara Escarpment. Their property in the heart of Kelso Conservation Area, was founded in 1836, and has been the home of the Halton Region Museum (formerly Halton County Museum) since 1962. The museum has been closed the last few years, requiring extensive renovations, and is now open to the public once again. Come out for this conducted tour. (Provide your own personal transportation or make your own car pool) Learn some of the interesting history of our county. Tour includes light refreshments. Official Opening of the Waldie Blacksmith Shop Saturday 28 September, 2002 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) 16 James Street, Milton The Waldie Blacksmith Shop in downtown Milton re-opens for business during Milton Historical Society(s Silver Jubilee! When the symbolic chain is severed and the blacksmith invites the public into the Waldie Blacksmith Shop on September 28, the restored 1865 building will take on an exciting new life. During its peak period in the early 1890's, the blacksmith shop employed a painter, trimmer, two woodworkers and five blacksmiths from dawn to dusk. Three generations of Waldie(s (James Sr. 1832-1900; James Jr. 1871-1948; and Alfred 1905-1980) shoed horses, repaired wagons, manufactured farm implements and horse drawn carriages for the local farm community. During this time period the blacksmith(s role was crucial in keeping horses, oxen and mules able to till the soil and draw wagons and carriages on the farm and in towns and villages. Restoration of the Waldie Blacksmith Shop preserves an important link to one of the earliest and most vital businesses in the history of Ontario. The buildings have been lovingly preserved and restored on its original site over the past three years by Tom Murison, Restorationist; Peter Devine, mason; and a phalanx of volunteers. Mandy Sedgwick, Chair, has led a dedicated group through the funding and finding aspects of the project and will officially open the building. After months of digging, storing artifacts, felling trees, hewing new beams, recycling timbers from old barns, stabilizing a threatening roof, pouring new footings, milling replacement sheathing, white washing and even making nails, this major project by the Milton Historical Society is nearing completion. From the early investigations of the age of the wood (1820s) through the archaeological approach to the site, care has been taken to preserve, to strengthen and to prepare the site for the next century. Artifacts, original to the site and some quite unique, have been catalogued and will be displayed appropriately as the site develops. The Waldie Blacksmith Shop, a member of the Ontario Artist-Blacksmith Association, is a working blacksmith shop with original tools and artifacts on forges that have been reconstructed by precision craftsmen. Three forges, one of stone, one of brick and one portable represent the ears through which the centrally located and popular shop was operated by three generations. A brick oven outside will be one of the unique features; it was used to make hardened iron tools before alloy steel was available. The shop is a post and beam timber structure with rubble stone infill walls built by James Waldie Sr. in 1865. It is rare that a blacksmith shop structure still exists in its original urban location as most shops have been lost or moved to a museum setting. This beautifully restored facility will now be the home of the Milton Historical Society and the Milton Archives and will also be available for special events and meetings. The shop welcomes local visitors and tourists interested in learning about the blacksmith trade and is available for school tours for educational trips. The gift shop features historical publications, photographs, artifacts, crafts and clothing. The Milton Historical Society gratefully acknowledges corporate and individual contributions as well as the financial support provided by the Town of Milton(s Community Fund and the Trillium Foundation. For more information call: 519.856.2432 or 905.875.7354 at ESQUESING HISTORICAL SOCIETY SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS Wed. 11 Sept.,2002 Halton Region Museum Unveiled! - The newly renovated Regional Museum will be explored on a guided tour of the facilities and the current displays. Join us for a tour and refreshments. Tickets are available for $7.50 each. Meet at the Museum. HALTON REGION MUSEUM, Kelso Conservation Area, Milton Heights, 7:30 p.m. Wed. 9 Oct. 2002 St. George(s, Georgetown - 150th year - Join Rev. Rick Ruggle, author and historian as he recounts tales and lessons of St. George(s Anglican Church, Guelph Street. KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. Wed. 13 Nov. 2002 Disasters of Esquesing - Trauma, fear and loss of life, are all things we hope never to face, but humans have always been fascinated to hear tales of woe. Join several members of the Society as we recall natural disasters, tales of human tragedy and near misses. Be sure to bring your own tales! KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. December 2002 The Society will NOT hold a regular meeting this month. ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE! Please bring your own cup for refreshments to help protect our environment. RESEARCH REQUESTS The EHS charges $5.00 for the initial fee, and $1.00 per photocopied page. Postage and handling charges also apply. Requests can be made by e-mail or regular mail, but we cannot guarantee a delivery time. PHOTOGRAPH REPRINTS Besides the cost of printing a photo, an Archives user fee of $5 will apply for the first photo and a $2 fee for each subsequent photo, ordered at the same time. Postage and handling charges will also be applied. Orders require three weeks for processing. For the second summer in a row, highway #7, through the west end of Georgetown and over the white bridge, has been in a mess, and driving through it was more like driving a slalom course than a highway. This has happened in the past..... "The Council notified the Grand Trunk that they would be required to furnish a roadway for public traffic during the time they were engaged in the re-construction of the white bridge. The street near Mr. D.S.Roy's was suggested and the necessity of a watchman was also pointed out. The company has agreed to act upon these suggestions." Georgetown Herald, Wednesday evening, September 9, 1903. Society Notes EHS EXECUTIVE Stephen Blake 877-8251 President Karen Hunter 838-2109 Dawn Livingstone 877-6506 Doug Cole 877-3657 Sherry Westfahl 873-7145 J. Mark Rowe 877-9510 Carol Wood 873-0792 Marj Allen 877-9985 Judy Payne 877-7627 Don(t forget to add 905 when dialing the above listed numbers. ACHIVAL REPORT The Society was fortunate this summer in hiring Tara Lesko. She attends Lakehead University, taking concurrent education, teaching and psychology. Tara scanned about 6000 photographs, bringing our digital collection up to National archival standards. She also took a break from scanning to do filing, labelling, clipping files and sorted out our growing collection of yearbooks from Acton and Georgetown High Schools. The executive of the EHS had several working sessions at the Archives this summer to reduce and sort out the backlog of material. Archivist Mark Rowe was joined by Karen Hunter, Dawn Livingstone, Judy Payne and Carol Wood. Many thanks for all your help. We made quite a dent in the materials to be accessed. 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 Canadian Council of Archives web site: EHS NEWSLETTER This newsletter was prepared by John Mark Rowe with assistance from Karen Hunter and Dawn Livingstone. Submissions are welcome. MEMBERSHIP We currently have 90 members. Please encourage friends and family to join the EHS and support our efforts to preserve and share our local history. The individual rate is $10. The family or institution rate is $12. Cheques payable to the Society can be mailed to our post box. Marj Allen, membership secretary, will gladly accept your fees at the next meeting. ACTON: THE HISTORY OF LEATHERTOWN SELLS WELL DURING THE SUMMER The long-awaited publication of the history of Acton came out in June. The official launch was at the Acton Town Hall on a Sunday in late June, but the extreme hot weather kept numbers down. Nevertheless, the book continued to sell well during the summer months. As of the 23rd of August, the EHS had sold or distributed 244 copies of the book. This has enabled us to pay off the printer - Boston Mills Press. The majority of profits, once they are realized will be used for Archival expenses. The book sells for $24.95 from the EHS, which does not charge taxes. Retail stores, like The Olde Book House, must add the necessary taxes. Card carrying members of the EHS can buy as many copies as they wish at $20 each, directly from the Society. Books can be purchased at regular meetings or by contacting Publications Officer, Carol Wood. She can e-mailed at . RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Any long-time members of the EHS know that we often receive requests for information from people who live outside this area. We try to verify that Esquesing is the right place for their research and provide references for their future research. We do not research family or local history. Nevertheless, coupled with our internet resources, this is a valuable service to these people. Available time is always an issue, but if you would like to be contacted when a request arrives, please give your particulars to Karen Hunter or Dawn Livingstone. A note or an e-mail is satisfactory. If you have a particular area of interest, please identify it in your note. BRAMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month at 7:15 p.m. at Heart Lake Presbyterian Church, 25 Ruth Avenue, Brampton. There is a $5 admission fee. Sept 19 Show and Tell by all BHS members. Sept Walking tour of Brampton Cemetery by Paul Webster. Call 905.457.0058 to confirm date. Oct 17 From Cumberland to Ontario: Brampton(s First settlers, by Rowena Cooper. Nov 21 150th Anniversary of the Brampton Fall Fair in 2003, by Merle Middlebrook. Visit: www.bramptonhistoricalsociety.com "The Wonders of Shopping on EBay..." A former Acton woman (who shall remain nameless, but whose initials are SW) is a big fan on the English TV soap, Coronation Street. She noticed a set of Coronation Street Magnets advertised in the Special Items on the EBay website, and thought she just had to have them. So she went to all the trouble of bidding on line for them, sending a money order to the UK, and then waiting six weeks to finally get them in the mail. She was delighted with her purchase. She was so anxious and excited to show them to her sister who promptly said "Dummy, they have them at Weatherby's in Acton!!!!" Which just goes to prove once again - "It's Worth The Drive to Acton!!" June 2002 pot luck dinner and meeting at St. Joseph(s Church, Acton A Corner of the Township... GLEN WILLIAMS TOWN HALL Drinking in the Glen! The Glen Williams Temperance Society wanted to stop the flow of liquor so they approached Charles Williams for a piece of land for a community hall which they could also use for meetings. A meeting of community leaders was held in March 1870 at the home of Charles Williams where it was decided a Town Hall was a desirable objective. Charles Williams deeded the land to the first nine trustees to held in trust for the community. The red brick hall was opened on May 24th, 1871 with a patriotic concert in honour of the Queen(s birthday. ST. GEORGE(S ANGLICAN CHURCH CELEBRATES SESQUI-CENTENARY REV. RICHARD RUGGLE TO ADDRESS SOCIETY ON OCTOBER 9TH St. George's Episcopal parish was established in 1852. The first church occupied nearly the same site as the present one. The first incumbent was the Rev. Thomas W. Marsh, who died suddenly on his way to Europe. He was a man much beloved by the people, and was in charge here for four years. He was succeeded in a few months by the Rev. Charles Dade, formerly mathematical professor of Upper Canada College. Then followed in the order named: Rev. J.G.D. McKenzie, Rev. F.A. O'Meara, Rev. Johnston Vicars, Rev. C.C. Johnson, Rev. Arthur Boultbee, Rev. G.B. Cook, Rev. Robert Caswell, and Rev. Graham Adams. The present incumbent, the Rev. Rural Dean Fennell, has been in charge since 1887. It was during the incumbency of the Rev. Arthur Boultbee that the beautiful St. Anne edifice, shown in the illustration, was built. St.George's church occupies a prominent position and commands a favourable view of the village. It is surrounded by extensive grounds, which could be made very attractive; and it is the intention of the congregation and incumbent to beautify them as soon as practicable. -Toronto Daily Mail, 24 June, 1893 ST. GEORGE'S ANGLICAN CHURCH The first pastor of St. George's church was the Rev. Thomas W Marsh, who came to the parish in 1852. The congregation worshipped in those days in a frame church, which stood on a site behind the present structure. Rev. J.A.D. McKenzie followed for three years, then Rev. F.A, O'Meara, of Toronto, Principal of Wycliffe College. In 1870 came Rev. C.C. Johnson, and in 1875 Rev. Arthur Boultbee. In Mr. Boultbee's time the present fine stone church was built. It will seat 200 comfortably and has a fine large basement and some handsome memorial windows. After several ministerial changes, Rev. T.G. Wallace became rector, in 1900. It was in his time that the beautiful little church of St. Albans at the "Glen," was built. He was followed by Rev. J.A.R. Macdonald, and Rev. Rob. Atkinson, and in 1909, the present rector, Rev. A.B. Higginson, took charge. In the latter's time a large two manual pipe organ was installed. This has proven a splendid acquisition to the services. The organizations of the parish are in a flourishing condition. There is a surpliced choir of twenty-two voices, an active Woman's Auxiliary, a branch of the A.Y.P.A., and a good Sunday School. Some 81 families belong to the church, comprising 295 persons, 110 being communicants. - Georgetown Herald, 17 December, 1913 Rev. Rick Ruggle is a long-time resident and local historian. He completed his doctoral thesis on the development of Churches in Esquesing Township. He is currently rector of St. Paul(s Anglican Church, Norval and proprietor of The Shepard(s Crook pub in downtown Georgetown. He has been an unflagging supporter of the Esquesing Historical Society and currently sits on Heritage Halton Hills. ((((((((((((((((( The local connection... GENERAL PETER ADAMSON A native of Dundee, Adamson served as a colonel in the Portugese Army during Wellington(s peninsular offensive against Napoleon. For his military service, the Portugese government made him Knight of the Tower and Sword, and the British government awarded him land in western Ontario. When he came to Upper Canada, he bought land at Erindale, where he settled. In 1825, a group of settlers met at his home and organized the building of St. Peter(s Church, Erindale - said to be named after Colonel Adamson patron saint. In 1838 he purchased the mill in Norval. He leased it to Gooderham and Company in 1845. In 1859, the General had his son-in-law take over, Colonel Mitchell. He did not run it well, losing it to the Bank of Ontario, who sold it to Robert Noble in 1868. General Adamson lived for some time in Norval in the brick home of the miller. He served the Governor for some time on the Legislative Council. Later he returned to Erindale and is buried in St. Peter(s churchyard. NORVAL CONNECTIONS: THE ADAMSON FAMILY Obituary: Anthony Adamson, Upper Canada Architect By Bill Gladstone Anthony Adamson, the architect who designed Upper Canada Village and helped oversee the restoration of Hamilton(s Dundurn Castle, has died in Toronto at the age of 95. Descended from some of the most wealthy and historic families in Upper Canada, Mr. Adamson used to joke that he has been (relatively successful in the inheritance business.( If so, he also achieved a more genuine success as a leading authority on Ontario(s architectural heritage. He co-wrote several books on Old Ontario buildings, including the masterful The Ancestral Roof: The Domestic Architecture of Upper Canada, written with his long-time collaborator, Marion Macrae, and published in 1963. Later in life, he compiled a massive, semi-autobiographical family history whose title, Wasps in the Attic, was a subtle reflection of his often satrical and self-deprecating stance toward his own ancestry and position of privilege During his varied career, he was a university professor, town planner and municipal reeve. He was also the founding chairman of the Ontario Arts Council and served on the National Capital Commission, the Ontario Heritage Foundation, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and other organizations. He was receipiant of a Governor-General(s Award, the Order of Canada and honorary degrees from Queen(s University and the University of Windsor. Above all, he was celebrated for his through knowledge of Ontario architecture of the premodern era. (You could bring him a piece of door frame from a building and he(d say, (That(s from Wellington County about 1832" - he had that kind of knowledge,( said Norman MacDonald , a St. Catharines, Ont., architect. (And he knew his mouldings. It(s a compliment to say that of a restoration architect.(... He was born in 1906 as the second son of Colonel Algar and Mabel Cawthra Adamson. His father, whose family had arrived in Upper Canada shortly after the 1837 Rebellion, was an army captain in the Boer War and the First World war. His mother was one of the Cawthras, a wealthy, well-established Toronto family, sometimes described as the Astors of Canada.(... He was predeceased by his wife, Augusta in 1997 and by his middle son, Inigo, in 1997. He leaves son Adrian, a retired teacher, and daughter-in-law Esther; son Jeremy, a curator at the US Library of Congress, and a daughter-in-law Ingrid; and numerous grandchildren. ( Anthony Patrick Cawthra Adamson; architect and writer. Born in Toronto, Oct. 7, 1906; died in Toronto, May 3, 2002. -The Globe and Mail, 8 June, 2002 DOCTOR(S HISTORICAL JOURNAL ACQUIRED by Mike Funston The Peel Heritage Complex has acquired the journal of a pioneer doctor who treated settlers, Mississauga Indians and troops stationed at Fort York. Dr. Joseph Adamson practised medicine in Toronto Township (now Mississauga) from 1822 until his death in 1852. The journal, which is the only surviving record book from a series that Adamson kept, is regarded as (an important piece of Peel(s history,( said David Somers, curator of the Brampton complex... Entries in the journal were made between 1851 and 1852. Adamson used Latin to record the treatments for each day(s patients, long with his fees, which were sometimes paid by barter. Born in 1786, Adamson left Scotland for Canada in 1822 and settled in Toronto Township. He was one of only 10 licensed physicians and surgeons in all of Ontario, then Upper Canada. He is buried in St. Peter(s Anglican Cemetery in the Erindale area of Mississauga. The journal was purchased from a private collection at auction for an undisclosed sum ... -The Toronto Star, 26 August, 2002 ACTON FREE PRESS - 1921 One who has been a familiar figure on the streets of Acton for 65 years was laid to rest at Fairview cemetery. Peter McNab was born in Scotland in 1836, came to Canada in his 20th year and arrived in Acton in June 1856, just two months after Mr. Charles T. Hill and family had settled here. He was a tailor and was engaged for years by the late Adam Dickson in his little tailor shop on Willow Street on the corner of the lot now owned by Mr. Murray MacDonald, Customs Officer. In time he went into partnership as Dickson and McNab, then Fyfe and McNab. Mr. McNab went home periodically to Scotland. (AFP 25 Aug, 1921) Frank Holmes, drover has been named to fill the vacancy on Council...(1 Sept, 1921) Mr. J. M. Roszell, who has been principal of Acton(s Public and Continuation Schools since the retirement of Inspector W.H. Stewart, has announced that he accepted the position of headmaster at Bradford..(1 Sept, 1921) A reunion known as the Kitching-Watson reunion took place at (Blue Spring( park, the grounds so popular in this community... (1 Sept, 1921) Last Sat. Morning Chief Edward Floody of Inland Revenue ... visited the site of a liquor still in the bush near Speyside about half way between the first and Second Lines. Ample evidences was found... operated by a Milton man... (15 Sept.) Approx 200 attended the annual pic-nic of St. Alban(s Church at Wallace Lasby(s farm. (15 Sept,1921) The Great War Veterans Association provided our citizens with a series of high-class entertainment last winter which were greatly enjoyed. There was not much renumeration for the veterans for their entertainment. Nevertheless they have contracted for another series for the coming winter which will embrace five of the best entertainments of the Chautauqua Lyceum Bureau. (6 Oct, 1921) The subject of Church union is evidently a live topic, judging by the discussion in the various churches affected... (13 Oct, 1921) PREMIERS OF THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO Premier Political Party Dates in Office Ernie Eves Progressive Conservative April 2002 -- Michael D. Harris Progressive Conservative June 1995 to April 2002 Robert K. Rae New Democrat October 1990 to June 1995 David R. Peterson Liberal June 1985 to October 1990 Frank S. Miller Progressive Conservative February 1985 to June 1985 William G. Davis Progressive Conservative March 1971 to February 1985 John P. Robarts Progressive Conservative November 1961 to March 1971 Leslie M. Frost Progressive Conservative May 1949 to November 1961 Thomas L. Kennedy Progressive Conservative October 1948 to May 1949 Col. George A. Drew Progressive Conservative August 1943 to October 1948 Harry Corwin Nixon Liberal May 1943 to August 1943 G. D. Conant Liberal October 1942 to May 1943 Mitchell F. Hepburn Liberal July 1934 to October 1942 George S. Henry Conservative December 1930 to July 1934 G. Howard Ferguson Conservative July 1923 to December 1930 Ernest Charles Drury United Farmers November 1919 to July 1923 Sir William H. Hearst Conservative October 1914 to November 1919 Sir James P. Whitney Conservative February 1905 to September 1914 G. W. Ross Liberal October 1899 to February 1905 A. S. Hardy Liberal July 1896 to October 1899 Sir Oliver Mowat Liberal October 1872 to July 1896 Edward Blake Liberal December 1871 to October 1872 John Sandfield Macdonald Liberal-Conservative July 1867 to December 1871 J.W.L. Forster, The Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald, 1904 Government of Ontario Art Collection, Toronto. Information from: http://www.kids.premier.gov.on.ca/english/meet/default.htm Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 1 Esquesing Historical Society Newsletter 11