McCormick's General Store and Post Office, Elginfield, Ontario

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Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

A card mounted glossy print of McCormick's General Store and Post Office at Elginfield, Ontario.

Notes

The McCormick Store in Elginfield was built by Stephen McCormick, a pioneer of Biddulph Township. He came from Tipperary Ireland in 1843 with his parents who settled on the 10th concession of Biddulph. In 1862, he married Ellen McIlhargey and in the same year purchased the store owned and operated by Farrell and Smibert. In 1882 he built a new store (the one shown in this photograph) just to the south of the old store. Two of his sons, Charles and Benjamin, carried on the business after his death in 1906. Charles served as postmaster at Elginfield from the time the post office was established in the store in 1885 until 1914. Business eventually dwindled at this once busy store and after 1930 no business was carried on.

Stephen and Ellen McCormick had eight boys and one girl. Their oldest son, James, married Laura Dayton and for 40 years they conducted the Dayton-McCormick Dancing Academy in London.

The above information was taken from the book "Birr and Beyond" compiled by Jennie Raycraft Lewis. More details about the store and the McCormick family can be found in this book.

There is a handwritten inscription on the front of the card.

This photograph is undated and a guess has been made that perhaps the photograph was taken ca. 1945, not long before being demolished in 1946.

Inscriptions