The building located at 31 and 33 Holland St. East once housed an implement business run by Frank Allan and his son George. Leonard Saint and Sinclair MacDonald cemented the building and flattened the roof. There were four rental apartments upstairs. In the front there was a large plate glass window, a door, a smaller plate glass window, and another door for bringing in machinery. There was also a counter and parts department. The workshop in the rear had a small and a large rear door. (1, 2)
The two-storey, frame building in this photo (from 1995) was once located at 52 Holland St. East. It and sat on a narrow lot and had long sheds at the back. Several families lived here over the years, including Joe Graham, his wife, and sons Leonard, Ogil, Weldon, Gilford, Leeson and Donald. Joe was a semi-retired farmer from the Cookstown area and he ran a farm on Concession 6 on the south side (west of Simcoe Road). The boys had a butcher shop and Weldon trucked, hauling coal for the dredge on the big canal and fill for the dam from Simcoe Street. Harold Boyd eventually bought the property. He had Sinclair MacDonald remodel the structure and add a rental apartment upstairs. Harold’s daughter and her family lived in the rental apartment before the building was demolished in the 1990’s. A plaza was later built on this (and the adjoining McLain) property. (1, 2)
