HO mesteads...., Another look at Whitby' s p ast is. good reading By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff yHow many people in Whlt- by know where Captain James Rowe's bouse la or even who the man was?' Two ladies who k now are Margaret McBurney and Mary Byers and they have wrltten'a book that includes the blstory of Captain Rowes and bis home. McBurney and Byers have written "Homesteads" a book about pre-, confedieration bornes and the pepl wbo lived in them and some of the events that sbaped theîr lves. The book is a journey of sorts from Toronto to Kingston and Includes an en- tire cbapter on Whitby. Two years in the writing and researchlng McBurney sid tbat-"Homesteads" is 4 labor of love, it's far Her partner wbo bas a master of arts degree from te Unversity of Toronto In Engllsh says that they don't expeet to become wealtby from the books sale.. Their previous work. "Rural Boots" was a Canadian bestseller in it's clasn wltb sales close ýto 10,000 copies. "The book, is about people", McBurney saysas she le a lady whose love of country, - especially it's bistory is evident when you meet her. This is what tbey said about CaptainJames Rowe: "'One of the first businessmen in Port Witby was Captain James, Rowe, an Irishman who came to Upper Canada in 1824. Inaa partnership, he built and operated warebouses at the new piers and owned a com- pany tbat built lake ships. For a time he was part owner in a toil road into the northern concessions. The establishment of a vigorous and prosperous comxnunity at Port Wbitby was largely due to him and bis par- tners.", in "Homesteads", the writers mention a Roman Catbolic priest wbo left the cburcb, became an Anglican missionary in this part of the country and 'eventually a Royal Arcb Mason and a Grand Chaplain of the Orange Lodge. >He is buried in Witby's St. John's Anglican Church cemetery. la the procesa of their rèsearcb McBurney says she bad discovered one tblng about ber subjects. "'These people were no better, no worse than the people are today, sbe says stating that tbey were drinkers, disrepectful and 0f ten dishonest. These are tbe men wbo built tbis country. Another, more disturbing, discovery McBurney says was and is tbe Iack of com- munfication between com- unItMes. "People in one community don't know about the next commnunity or it's resicien- ts,"9 sbe says citing, this example: "la Oshawa, they don't know a tbing about Whitby."y These two Toronto ladies, because of a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, know a great deal -about. their neighbouring communities. CÂPTAIN JAMES ROWE'S HOUSE Above is the borne of Port Whitby businessman Captain James itowe. It is a white farm house located at the corner of Victoria and Charles Streets. la the book "Homesteads" the author described this bouse as being "a beautifully preserved example of a successful mer- cbant's home of the time." Altkiough the exact date of construction is not known, the bouse is thought to be built somewbere between 184 and 1856. The present occupant of the bouse is Eugene M. Henry wbo wrote the review of the book that appears iu today's edition of the Free Press. Homesteads reviewed by Eugene Henry on page 13 TYPEWsI.ER RENs.I e.. .0; s.EL 91BM ELECRIC CORRCTOR Named after sea battie This is thé staircase in Tralfagar Castie, that was bufit in 1859 by a Sheriff of Ontario Country, Nelson Reynolds, the son of a clergyman. Reynolds named bis home after Lord Nelson's famo us sea victory. A newspaper of the time, the Witby Chronicle noted that the building bad 15 towers, the largest being 75 feet bigh, had73 apartments, a central hall 105 feet long and a gotbic carved oak staircase with four immense stained glass windows incorporating the coats of arms of England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and bis own family The Chronicle also reported that the apartments were connected by sliding doors that al open would form an unbroken area of 2,357 square feet. While the structure cost'only $60,000 to build, it cost mucb more to furnlsh and operate. The castle -later became the Ontario Ladies College, whicb is now known as Tralfagar Castie School. *HOWDY FOLKS! TERE'#S A * Cii THE-4 * HAIR -SHOP FOR * LADIES & GENTS 0L NOW 0»pPE *GRNOWOPEN* 122 BROCK WHITBYAD 122BRCKSTREET NORTH 668-6086*