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Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : 4-H Club Year End

Cookstown Public School was quite active last Saturday afternoon as over 100 women and girls attended the 4-H activity day, put on by 4-H girls from Bradford, Ivy, Beeton, Everitt, Bond Head, Tottenham, and Hill and Valley groups.

The girls put on charades about etiquette, discussed judging and arranging of flowers, and gave plans for arranging a birthday party, and voted on next year's projects which will have a definite focus on living involving spring cotton reviews.

In the afternoon the girls record books were on display for the mothers to enjoy, and they also showed their decorated boxes which were made to hold reference files. Plays and exhibits were offered in both serious and funny presentations in order to draw attention to the fun that can be enjoyed while serious learning is taking place.

Most of the theme centered around manners, etiquette and table setting. Comments were made to the girls by visiting home economists to assist them in future clubwork, and the Bradford leaders Mrs. Swan and Mrs. Klop were quite proud of the achievements of their girls.

Projects awards were given to DonnaLee Lloyd, Nancy Jean Clubine, Lynda Slingerland, and Cathy Lewis. Achievement awards were given to Judy McArthur, Lyna McVety, Susan Robertson, and Ellen Masin, and Linda McArthur. Now the girls can go on and work toward receiving County and Provincial awards in the years to come.

Municipality :
Community : Beeton
Lot :
Concession :
Description : David A. Jones Made "Beetown" Famous

David Allanson Jones is credited as the founder of Beeton. He was the first commercial bee man in North America and made the community famous for its honey.

Honey bees were not native to North America and were brought in by the first settlers. Jones capitalized on the delicacy and won prizes and awards for his honey in fairs all over the world.

In 1874, Clarkville was renamed Beetown in recognition of Mr. Jones' work. The name has since become Beeton but the signs at the entrances to the village still use the beehive symbol in memory of Jones, who died in 1910.

Simcoe Centre MPP D. Arthur Evans was born in Beeton.

Probably the most famous person to call Beeton her home was Canadian radio star, Kate Aitken, who passed away last year. Mrs. Aitken remembered her childhood so fondly she often commented about Beeton in her radio shows. The history of the community is set down in her book, "Never A Day Too Bright."

Mrs. Aitken organized the first Women's Institute in Beeton in 1920 and was its first president. Mrs. Gordon Drury, curator of the Institute's Tweedsmuir History Book, said the first meeting was held in a building on the northwest corner of Main and Centry Sts. Each of the ladies donated a cup and saucer and at the second meeting, each donated a chair. To keep the place warm and cozy through the winter months, another lady donated a cord of firewood.

The Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary in October, 1970. One hundred seventy-four ladies have belonged to the organization since it began.

Each of the three churches in town has its wealth of history in the forming of the community.

Trinity Anglican Church was built in 1878 with the cornerstone laid by John MacDonald, M.P. There was probably another church on Main St. before fire destroyed the west half of the main block of stores (Jones' block) on the north side.

Mrs. Jack Camplin recalls the church was always filled for two services each Sunday, and the holders of rented pews had to be in their seats ten minutes before the service otherwise others were allowed to use the seats.

Rev. J. Cross has been the pastor at the church for the past five years.

St. Paul's Anglican Church was built in 1879 for $4,500 on land donated by the Hammell family. The opening service was preached by Bishop Sweetman on Feb. 10, 1880 and consecrated on Dec. 14, 1906 after becoming debt-free. The church seats 200 people and has a congregation of 100 families.

Church records indicate a congregation existed as early as 1867. Rev. William Davis has been the minister for the past five years.

Rev. Basil Das of Tottenham is the minister of the Presbyterian Church which was completed in 1890 and debt-free at its opening. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1941.

The original church, Second United Presbyterian Congregation of Tecumseth was started in 1859 and located on the south side of Main St.

The Beeton Telephone Co. is now part of the history of the community. In 1958 the company was sold to Bell Telephone when the dial system became widely used. Dr. McKelvey, the last president, said the company was formed in 1906 and owned the territory surrounding Bradford, Cookstown, Alliston, Rosemont and Tottenham.

Beeton was the first community in Ontario to have a covered ice rink. The old town hall was condemned and subsequently sold in 1947 for $5,500 and the money used to build the rink.

Dr. McKelvey, who was reeve at the time, said the arena didn't cost the ratepayers a nickel. The entire cost was raised through donations and social events.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : A Look At Bradford Over 100 Years Ago

Dear Sir:
This is a copy of a letter written during the 1860's by my grandfather, Philip Crowder, at Manchester, England to the Herald. I received a copy from an uncle, Albert Crowder, now at Bangor, Maine.

I thought it might be of interest to you.
Sincerely yours,

Philip. A. Crowder
Star Route
Deerwood, Minnesota

A Look Into History

Mr. Editor
Dear sir:

Wishing to try my hand at writing a small article for the Working People's Supplement to the Herald I thought I would write from memory, some account of the first village I settled in and of the life in the Inhabitants lead.

I emigrated to Canada nine years ago with my wife and two little ones, the oldest child not quite two years old, and arrived in the City of Churches, as it is by some called, but better know as Toronto; where I found to my surpirse, tram cars running on several of the main streets. I soon got work at my trade but it being slack time of the year for it and I being unaccustomed to their way of working, I earned but little money and so left the shop to work on a sewer which was being made in Yonge Street, where I worked 'til it was finished. I applied for work at their mill at Bradford, only forty miles "up the Northern Track", so I went home and got my dinner and a change of clothes and started at quarter to three from the "Northern Depot" for Bradford where I arrived just after six.

It was on this journey that I saw a little of what the country in Canada looks like. I had only been through old settled country before, with here and there a bit of "bush" left for firewood; but now I passed through some new cleared land with the fields full of stumps and log huts here and there, and through the Holland River swamp, (which is now cleared up), and then thought I had some idea of the back woods; how soon we think we have learned soemthing. Arrived at Bradford Depot, (station), I enquired my road to the mill, where I luckily found the clerk, who was busy that night, and he gave me an order for admission to the boarding house, where I had supper and was then shown my bed, there being three double beds in that room.

At the front of the house I found my fellow boarders, and part of my future mates, collected, some seated on benches, some playing quoits, some leaning against a fence dividing the yard from the railway; (the house being in the lumber yard, one line of lumber piles being within ten yards of the back of the house), and all indulging in rough jests. A good number of them, like myself emigrants - English, Irish, Scotch, with three of these I struck up aquaintance. One was a pit sawer from Banbury, another a Cornish youth, and the last a carpenter from Brighton. As dark came on we went to bed as our inclination led us. As half pat five we were called by a bell for breakfast, which consisted of the remains of salt pork boiled the day before for dinner, served with bread, fried potatoes followed by bread and butter and that by fat cakes and molasses with tea to drink. At five minutes to six the first whistle blew when all hands started for the mill to be in their places when the whistle blew at six. I was put at first in a gang of six or eight who were making a ditch to go between the river and cistern intended to suppply the boilers of a new mill they were building at a distance of about a furlong from the old one, the road and railroad lying between them. At half past eleven the whistle blew for dinner when I saw most of the hands that lived at the boarding house running as fast as they could for that most desirable place. I thought them a very greedy set of fellows until I arrived at the back of the house where I saw some of the last ones rubbing themelves with the towels and the row of unemployed wash-bowls ready for myself and the few elderly men that was (sic) staying there and so this tremendous rush was only to get the bowls with clean water ready in them without the trouble of pumping it. By the time I was ready the bell rang for dinner when all walked quietly into the dining room and took his place.

Dinner consisted of salt pork boiled with potatoes and some kind of garden vegetable when in season, followed by pies such as apple, pumpkin, and citeron (sic) and finish up with fat cakes and molasses and finished with a cup of tea. At half past twelve the whistle blew for work and at six to "quit", when we got our supper which consisted of bread and butter and preserved fruit and hot cakes and molasses. On Sundays we had a joint of fresh meat roasted, or rather baked, in the oven of the cook stove and sometimes someone or other of the luxuries usual in the homes of even the labourers of the county. It was here I saw green corn eat (sic) for the first time. I was highly amused at the sight but would not be tempted to try it. Perhaps some of my readers have seen a "cob" of corn or Indain corn in some corn dealers window. Well these are fathered when the grain is full not but begun to ripen, and boiled for twenty minutes, and served on the table, the diner takes hold of the stalk end with his fingers of one hand and spreads butter on the cob with a knife held in the other, he then takes hold of the other end of the cob instead of the knife and bites off the grain much the same as you may have seen some one pick a bone. It well repays you for any loss of dignity you may have sustaiend from the awkward looking position, at least I thought so the following summer when I was persuaded at the house of a friend to try just one cob and tried another without any persuading and so thought the Irishman who having arrived on Toronto in September thought he saw peas being eaten in a new way. After having devoured his corn asked the waiter to "Please to put some more pays on this stick."

After a few days I was fetched to work at the mill where there was about seventy men and boys working in about it. It is situated on one side of the Holland River in which the logs lie as they have been brought up the river by small steam tugs from Lake Simcoe. it is a large wooden building two stories high...

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : We Once Had A Fair

Forty-three years ago in Bradford the annual Bradford and West Gwillimbury fall fair was held, with horse races, livestock competitions, dances, and a midway.

The weather was almost perfect and the fair attracted crowds estimated at 3,000.

The celery harvest was under way that week as well, and Professor W.H. Day's 40 acres were described as an "animated hive of industry," with 250 men and boys harvesting the celery crop.

Twenty-nine years ago in Bradford a just-completed census put the population of the town at 1,373 an increase of 66 from the previous year.

A huge wasp's nest, measuring three feet long, was discovered in a barn at the rear of the Orange Hall.

The nest's construction was "like basket weaving, and is in lovely tones of fawn shade." The wasps were killed by "liberal applications of DDT."

Municipality :
Community : Lefroy
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Ruffetts' Celebrate 72 Years of Marriage
By Georgina Mitchell

Bill and Susan Ruffett celebrated their 72nd anniversary last week, with many friends and relatives calling in to congratulate them.

Bill is well known for his recitations and he has memorized over 100 verses since retiring at the age of 80.

He recalls the first time he recited 82 years ago at the Churchill Presbyterian Church Sunday School concert.

Bill and Susan eloped when she was 16, and he 20.

The bride, born Susan Hardy recalls taking the train from Lefroy to Gilford (where her sister lived) and then north to Barrie where she met Bill.

The couple then walked to the Collier Street Methodist Manse where they exchanged vows.

Bill remembers having only $7 in his pocket, of which $2 went to the minister.

Bill began work at the ice company in Lefroy, and worked there from 1910 to 1930.

With the advent of electric refrigerators Bill turned to carpentry and built about 200 cottages before his retirement.

He continued to build bird houses as a hobby, and still does when the weather is favorable, with his son Charlie giving him a hand.

Bill and Susan raised a family of seven children, the oldest and youngest girls, with five boys in between.

They also have 18 grandchildren ranging in age from 12 to 42, 21 great-grandchildren, and one great great grandchild.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Historical Letter is Discovered

What has been described as a "once in a life-time historical find," was uncovered last week in the home of Bernard Horne in Bradford.

President Eleanor Reid of the Scotch Settlement Historical Society and Ruby Faris were invited to Mr. Horne's home to view a collection of letters and memorabilia belonging to Scotch Settler Angus Sutherland.

On the very top of the pile, Mrs. Reid was amazed to discover a handwritten letter signed by Lord Selkirk, who launched the first major settlement of Scots in Canada.

"It took a couple of days for this discovery to sink in," Mrs. Reid said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime find."

Included with the letter are about 50 other historical items, including bills, letters and accounts.

Mr. Horne turned the material over to Mrs. Reid who donated it to the Simcoe County Archives where it is now being restored.

The letter from Lord Selkirk was probably sent to the ship's captain who would transport Mr. Sutherland, his mother Elizabeth and sister Betty to Fort Churchill in Manitoba.

It reads: "Golspie (in Scotland) May 28, 1813."

"Angus Sutherland, Auchvalch, has paid 28 pounds eight shillings, in part of the passage of himself and two others of his family who are to be received on board the ship at Stomness on paying the balance of four pounds, two shillings."

It was signed "Selkirk."

Written below by another person was "balance (sic) paid."

Another letter followed written by Alexander Sage, a minister at Kildonan, Scotland.

FREE FROM ANY SCANDAL

It reads: "These do certify that Elizabeth Sutherland in Auchvalch a widow who has family of one son and one daughter, both of them single and unmarried, are natives of the Parish of Kildonan and county of Sutherland, and during the residence in said parish have behaved themselves Decently and Inoffensively. Free from any Scandal.

Meeting Church Censure may be admitted into any Christian society where Providence may Assign their lot is attested at Kildonan in name, Presence and by appointment of the Kirk Session of Kildonan, the 14th day of June, Eighteen Hundred and Thirteen Years and subscribed by Alexander Sage, Minister and George McLeod Session Clerk. Her son's name is Angus Sutherland and her daughter's name is Elizabeth."

CONSUMPTION

History has recorded the voyage of the Sutherlands, and Betty's death from consumption at age 18, shortly after their arrival in Fort Churchill.

Angus and his mother later settled on the 5th Concession of West Gwillimbury where he farmed 100 acres.

The rugged pioneer life in West Gwillimbury must have agreed with Angus Sutherland.

He died in March, 1885, aged 103.

Mrs. Reid said copies of all the material found in the box will be donated to the Bradford Library.

She said the letter, once restored, will likely be on public view at the archives.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Former Teacher Gets Queen's Jubilee Medal

Miss Barbara Stewart, former Bradford public school teacher, has been awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal.

Miss Stewart, who retired last year after 36 years of teaching, said from her Markham home Friday, "I don't know how I got it or who recommended me. It came by registered mail last month and it was a complete surprise."

She joins Bradford lawyer Charles Evans as a recipient of the medal, awarded to persons who have made outstanding contributions to the community.

She said she had just returned from a trip to Germany, and would soon go back to Bradford public school for a day to tell the students about her trip.

As for retirement, "I'm just loving every bit of it."

Municipality :
Community : Barrie
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Art Evans is Honored
By John Slykhuis

BARRIE - They came to say thank you to Arthur Evans last Friday, almost 1,000 strong, including cabinet ministers, politicians from all parties, and a small portion of the thousands of friends he has made over the years.

They came to say thank you for the 17 years he held the Simcoe Centre riding for the Progressive Conservatives, and the 20-odd years before that he held political offices.

Almost a life-time of dedicated service to the people in his riding.

LIMOUSINE

Art Evans and his wife Audrey arrived by limousine at Barrie Raceway to the deafening cheers of the people gathered on a cold, snowy evening.

Among the podium guests were chairman for the evening George Taylor, who succeeded Mr. Evans as MPP, Lorne Richardson, minister without portfolio, James Taylor (energy), and John Rhodes (housing).

Each had personal reminiscences about Art and paid tribute to his dedication, common sense, and honesty.

Telegrams poured in, including one from Premier William Davis who wrote, "You are one of Simcoe County's finest citizens...the accolades are well-earned."

GOOD JUDGEMENT

James Taylor commented, "I came to respect the common sense and good judgement of a man who served you so well for so many years...I feel honored to have known you."

Political colleague and friend William Hodgson, MPP for York North, recalled the first time he and Art met, during the Hurricane Hazel disaster.

Art was reeve of Bradford at the time, and Mr. Hodgson deputy-reeve of King Township.

ORDER FROM CHAOS

He recalled that Art, organizer of the hurricane relief effort, almost single-handedly created order out of the chaos that Hazel wrought.

John Rhodes followed with a warm speech sprinkled with humourous anecdotes.

"I'm here to tell you the truth about Art Evans," Mr. Rhodes began, "It's fitting you held the ceremony here (at Barrie Raceway). Art's been going around in circles for years.

"Arthur was responsible for getting me elected and I've never forgiven him."

Mr. Rhodes paid a special tribute to Art Evans' wife Audrey for her unswerving devotion and support.

"For all the hours we put in, our wives put in just as many, " Mr. Rhodes said. "Arthur was successful because he had a good wife."

He concluded joking, "You've inflicted George Taylor on us, but we'll see what we can do."

Ken Tupling, Arthur Evans' campaign manager, presented a bouquet of roses to Audrey Evans and gave a summary of Mr. Evans' long and distinguished career.

He began his political career as a member of the Public Utilities Commission of Bradford, followed by terms as councillor, reeve, Simcoe County Warden, and as Bradford's first mayor in 1959.

In 1960, Mr. Evans gained the Simcoe Centre seat left vacant after the death of George Johnson, and held that seat until his retirement earlier this year.

TOUGHEST FIGHT

His toughest fight, Mr. Tupling recalled, was that first provincial election in which he defeated his Liberal opponent by a slim 600 votes.

During those hectic years, Art and Audrey raised four children, John, Donald, Robin, and Cathy.

Art and Audrey received several gifts along with the accolades last Friday.

They included a grandfather clock, framed campaign poster and cartoon, and a scrapbook spanning his career.

Mr. Evans, 62, now works as a loan consultant with the Municipal Savings and Loan Corporation in Barrie.

"I don't know how I lasted the 17 years," Mr. Evans concluded. "It's a tough racket; it really is."

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : BRADFORD - Former owner, publisher, and editor of The Bradford Witness, Ina McKenzie, died last Wednesday, July 8, after a lengthy illness.

She was 89.

Born Ina Galbraith in Paisley, Bruce County, Mrs. McKenzie's learned to be independent at an early age after the death of her father at age 29.

Her mother, a school teacher, struggled to raise her and younger sister Donalda.

"I went into teaching as well because there was nothing else a girl at that time could do, except become a nurse." Mrs. McKenzie remarked in an interview before her death.

TAUGHT

She taught for several years in the tough downtown Toronto core where her students included the famous Conacher brothers. "They were wonderful boys. Perhaps a bit mischievious thought." she recalled, laughing.

After marrying her childhood sweetheart, Stewart McKenzie (who died in 1975), she left teaching to move to Detroit with her husband.

"At that time - it wasin the 1920s - Detroit was a boom town. Everyone was playing the stock market and making a great deal of money - on paper at any rate. Stewart got a job on a financial publication called Saturday Night."

EXTENSIVE

Mr. McKenzie had an extensive background in the newspaper business. His father had owned the Paisley Advocate.

While in Detroit, the stock market crashed and Mr. McKenzie, because he was a Canadian citizen, was in danger of losing his job.

"I told Stewart, 'Let's look for a business now while you've still got a job.' so we went on vacation and looked at what appeared to be a very prosperous newspaper in Trenton." Mrs. McKenzie remembered.

However, being a very astute business woman, she noted that the paper printed a great deal of political material that would come to a halt if the government changed. They decided to look elsewhere.

Bradford was their next stop.

"When we arrived in Bradford, it was a beautiful day," she recalled. However the condition of the Bradford Witness was something else again.

"Stewart went in and told me 'The machinery is a disgrace,'" she remembered, but they loved the little town and decided to stay, contributing greatly to its prosperity and growth over the years.

In those first years of the Depression, Bradford was little more than a main street, the lower end shabby, the western portion relatively prosperous, she recalled.

"Everything was booming when we arrived in Bradford," Mrs. McKenzie noted. "But shortly after, many people were in dire poverty. It we would have collected what was on our books we could have retired, however people gave what they could.

During this time they relocated the paper's office from Holland St. to Barrie St. (where the European Bakery is currently located), remaining there until they retired in 1968, selling the paper to Gerry Barker.

Before deteriorating eyesight hampered her activities Mrs. McKenzie was extremely active in various organizations in Bradford.

During the Second World War, she headed the Bradford chapter of the Canadian Red Cross. She was a charter member of the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE, and a past president of the Bradford Women's Institute. She also taught Sunday School at the Bradford United Church.

DRIVING FORCE

One of the driving forces behind fund-raising efforts for the Bradford
Community Centre, Mrs. McKenzie also lent her considerable energies and intelligence to the Hurricane Hazel flood relief program and various other community projects.

Ina McKenzie is survived by her sister Donalda Crosbie of Toronto, nephew Robert W. Crosbie, and good friend Ella Langford of Bradford. She was also a great aunt to Alexander, George and Cynthia.

Friends called at the Lathangue and Skwarchuck Funeral Home and a service, conducted by Rev. G. McFarlane, was held in the chapel on Friday, July 10.

She was buried next to her husband at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

Donations to the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE would be appreciated.

Municipality :
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot :
Concession :
Description : 1976 Was a Year Most Vegetable Growers Would Like to Forget
By Matthew Valk

The end of the year is a time when most of us look back on what we have accomplished and look forward to better things to come. 1976 was a year that many growers would like to forget.

The first few months were a struggle to sell a large crop of carrots which never brought more than $1 per bushel; in many cases, it was far less.

A large volume was fed to cattle. There were some hopes that the stabilization board would help to reduce the large financial losses, which most growers were facing. However, after several months of negotiations, Ottawa came across with a measly $2.25 per ton which would not pay for the seed.

The 1976 growing season was also less than desirable. Apart from a warm month of April, the early spring was cold and wet. June was more like what we were looking for, warm and dry, but the months that followed produced cool temperatures and lots of rain.

Diseases were more prevalent than usual, particularly "blast" in onions. Harvesting weather was deplorable; rain and cloudy weather hampered field operations which were mostly stop and go. Although storage temperatures were fairly good for carrots, the high humidity caused a lot of headaches for onion growers.

The market situation has made some compensation for all these problems. The price of carrots and onions has been somewhat better than last year and prospects for the new year are good.

The reason for this is that growers in other parts of the world have had and are still having still bigger battles with the weather than we have had. Everyone has heard about the drought in Europe and the shortages.

In particular, potatoes and onions have been in great demand by European buyers and large quantities have been going overseas. Although most of the onions have been shipped by U.S. shippers, the effect has been a steady market for us as well.

Recent abnormal rainfall in the southern USA, mainly Texas, is affecting the growth of onions and carrots and the volume that may be expected in the next few months.

The acreage of these crops will certainly be down from normal and the quality could be affected due to the wet field conditions so far. So as we go into the new year, there seems to be nothing new as far as marketing our produce is concerned.

As usual, our marketing problem is really a production problem. The weather factor continues to play a big role in the volume of production. Growers usually say that they are better off if we all produced less and received more. No one can argue with this philosophy.

Since no one will volunteer to reduce production (this is against a grower's nature), the weather is left to do the regulating for us.

As we go into the New Year, I would like to wish friends and readers a healthy, happy and prosperous 1977 and good markets.