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Alonzo Williams with his prize winning cow. If you have any additional information about this photo please contact the library at 905-775-3328.

Alfred Dennis owner of Lukes mill on Holand st.

Allan Faris riding log being taken to McArthur Sawmill.

The CF-AZE aircraft. Built by Noorduyn Aviation of Cartierville, Quebec, and owned by Prospector Airways of Clarkson, Ontario.

Aerial view of Holland Landing before the divided highway was built.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Last year, Fred C. Cook Public School took an innovative approach to welcoming the kids back to school. Instead of the usual temporary homerooms, followed by classroom shuffles, tears and disappointment - moving some students to a new setting, just as they began to feel comfortable - the school embraced a week-long "Whole School" entry. All during week one, students were divided into teams, not classrooms, and participated in a unit that combined team spirit and fun with course material, in math, history, sports, arts, crafts, language and geography. Last year's theme was "The Olympics", coinciding with the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The unit was such a success, promoting "a positive school environment", that this year the school has done it again, with a unit titled, "Bradford, Then and Now." A look at the history, geography, crafts and cultures of Bradford West Gwillimbury, the unit drew upon the expertise of local volunteers to give students a multi-dimensional introduction to their own community. The students were divided into "Guilds" - merchants and blacksmiths, tailors, weavers, saddlers, stonemasons and millwrights, eighteen in all. As "Guilds", they traced the origins of the settlers, the agriculture of the area, participated in mathematical activities, played traditional sports, and listened to presentations on topics like "Building Bradford" and "Hurricane Hazel", from special guests who included local historians Barb Verney and George Jackson. Friday was the "grand finale." Gordon Marriott piped in the Guilds for an outdoor assembly, followed by a speech by Mayor Frank Jonkman, and performances by a choir and Irish dancers. Then each Guild made the rounds of the special displays, games and demonstrations. Scotch Settlement Apple Orchard brought bushels of crisp apples, and made cider in an old fashioned cider press. Hank Vanderpost of Vanhaven Farms demonstrated the art of preparing a calf to be shown at a Fair. The students asked questions, and experienced history, hands-on. And only at the end of the week did each child receive a letter, designating their classroom for the year.

Municipality :
Community : Schomberg
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Glen Hulse was originally a diary farmer but he now has a successful plumbing and heating company.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : In 1818, John Stoddars travelled from County Cavan in Ireland to the Township of West Gwillimbury, and liked what he saw. He returned to Ireland, then came back to Simcoe County with his three sons, William, James and Hugh, and stepson John Faris, to settle on Lot 10, Con. 7 - on the northwest corner of Hwy. 88 and 10 Sideroad, by today's map. In due course, each son would have his own 100 acre farm nearby. The eldest son, William inherited the home farm in 1836 and built the brick house known as "The Oaks" that still stands and is ocupied today. James farmed next door on Lot 9, was a member of West Gwillimbury's first Council in 1850, and donated land for the Anglican Church on his lot. Other family members served on Council in following years. his son Burt built the red brick house across Barrie St. that is still standing today. Another of William's sons, William Davis, built what was later known as the Stoddart-Ritchie house on the south side of 88 - now demolished. Whether the family name was spelled Stoddars,Stodders or Stoddart, members of this family were all significant contributors to the early settlement and governance of Bradford and West Gwillimbury. Most recently a representative of this family has been Canada's Privacy Commissioner. A symbol of the pioneering years is the stately home, built circa 1860, formerly known as The Oaks and now called the Stoddart-Reynolds house. A solid brick, full 2-storey, 3-over-3 bay front, typical of other homes of the period, it was built in the Georgian Vernacular style, with a Regency door case, and bow-roofed verandah. Two end fireplaces still exist on the main floor - the eastern fireplace with the original mantelpiece in place. Some interior design still survives, and the home has been well-cared for over the years. In fact, the pre-confederation house, associated with a prominent pioneer family, displays notable architectural significance - truly a home worth preserving, as part of West Gwillimbury and Bradford's Heritage.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : A copy of the May 31, 1906 Bradford Witness owned by Rose Magloughlen, who inherited from her aunt, Florence Batchelor. Rose loaned the copy to the Historical Association, which had it copied and compiled in book format. The edition was written 102 years ago, when Bradford was almost 50 years old - but still had a population of only around 1,000. There were 4 churches, a public school and a high school, one policeman, and a whole variety of shopkeepers and service providers. Travel was by real horse power, and about this time, the wooden sidewalks in town were replaced with smooth cement - but you still had to dodge the puddles and muddy spots when crossing dirt streets on a rainy day. This "illustrated edition" of The Witness was special and expensive to print, because it not only told of the many business and professional offices and manufacturing works within the Town, it contained many pictures that had to be engraved prior to being printed. The editor, Mr. Edmund Garrett, wrote in his preamble, "It is hoped, however, that this number will possess vastly more interest than that of any publication ever gotten up in the village - interesting alike to present dwellers in our midst and to the thousands who have gone from us to dwell in other places." Even today, folks returning to Bradford to search for their roots are surprised to find a story and a picture of an earlier generation of their family in this publication - including information about Bradford's very first land developer, Letitia Magee. The book was out of print, but the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association decided to reprint it as another reminder of the past, on the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Bradford. Copies are only $10 each.

Worker Harold.