tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71274207393370110792024-03-24T08:24:48.081-07:00Guelph in postcardsPostcards of <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph">Guelph</a></u>, Ontario, Canada, from my collection, spanning the early 20th century to the present. Click on postcard images to see them enlarged, and on Street View images (where given; copyright to Google) to compare with the present-day city. Also, check out <a href="https://www.therecord.com/search.html?q=flash%20from%20the%20past&pagenum=01">my Flash from the Past columns</a> with the Waterloo Record.Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-22669312073117308292024-01-30T18:15:00.000-08:002024-02-11T10:49:11.555-08:00Charles Raymond and the sewing machine empire he stitched togetherOne of the significant industrial leaders of 19th century Guelph still somewhat familiar to current Guelphites would be <a href="https://biographi.ca/en/bio/raymond_charles_13F.html">Charles Raymond</a>. Following a fire in 2015, Tom Lammer, owner of Raymond's old brick factory on Yarmouth Street, had <a href="https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/a-sign-of-history-raymond-sewing-machine-factory-412819">the original, building-length sign</a> restored, so that "Raymond's Sewing Machines" once again proclaims the existence of Raymond and his business to passers-by.
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(The old Raymond Sewing Machines factory on Yarmouth street, Guelph. Courtesy of Google Street View.)
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But, who was Charles Raymond and what was his role in Guelph's industrialization? The whole story is quite a lengthy one but the basic thread may be instructively picked out of the details.
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A good place to begin is near the end, with the postcard image of the Raymond factory facilities below.
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("Raymond Manufacturing Co.y, Limited, Guelph, Ontario, Canada." Postcard published ca. 1910 by the Valentine & Sons Publishing Company.)
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As pointed out in <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2023/04/baker-street-has-taken-many-turns-over.html">my post about the Baker Street lot</a>, this postcard gives a synopsis of the development of much of Raymond's business: His early stone factories facing Suffolk street stand in the foreground, the later brick factories facing Yarmouth street in the middle, and the latest cream separator plant facing Baker street near the back.
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To understand how this industrial complex came about, we have to go back to Charles Raymond and his entry into the sewing machine business.
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Charles Raymond was born on 6 January 1826 in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. His father Daniel was a carpenter and carriage-maker, and it seems that young Charles demonstrated a facility with mechanics early on. In 1843, Raymond became an apprentice machinist at the Massachusetts Cotton Mills Co., in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell,_Massachusetts">Lowell</a>, which was a center of the American textile industry in that era, and then on to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol,_Connecticut">Bristol</a>, Connecticut, where he began his own business. He married Mary Marston of Lowell in 1847 and the 1850 US Census locates him in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitchburg,_Massachusetts">Fitchburg</a>, Massachusets, with Mary and three children.
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In 1852, Raymond produced his first sewing machine. Given his mechanial inclination and experience in textiles, it is easy to imagine why he was interested in devices for sewing. Textile making had become highly mechanized by mid-century, notwithstanding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite">the Luddite riots</a> in England in the 1810s upon the introduction of mechanized looms. Yet, although textile making had been industrialized, making clothing or other wares like bedding, drapery, etc., from textiles was still a cottage industry in many respects.
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("An engraving of Thimonnier and his sewing machine of 1830, from Sewing Machine News, 1880. Courtesy Smithsonian photo <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/19885195224">10569-C</a>.)
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Many individuals pursued designs and patents for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine">a machine that could mechanize sewing</a>. A notable step was the creation of a feasible lock-stitch machine by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barthélemy_Thimonnier">Barthélemy Thimonnier</a> in 1829, who set up a factory in Paris to make uniforms for the French army. However, the factory was attacked, reportedly by tailors afraid that it would put them out of work.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png/577px-Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png?20080123114224" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="577" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png/577px-Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png?20080123114224"/></a></div>
("Drawing of the first patented lockstitch sewing machine, invented by Elias Howe in 1845 and patented in 1846." Courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elias_Howe_sewing_machine.png">Wikimedia Commons</a>.)
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Several Americans also got into the act, notably <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elias_Howe">Elias Howe</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Singer">Isaac Singer</a>, resulting in one of the US's first big patent fights. Apparently not wanting to get involved in the fracas, Raymond put his own designs to one side. Nevertheless, in partnership with Willford Nettleton of Bristol, Conn., Raymond registered a sewing machine patent in 1857 and the Nettleton & Raymond Empire Family Sewing Machine was launched. The term "family sewing machine" refers to the fact that the design was intended for household use, as opposed to factory work. The Nettleton & Raymond went for $25, which was a huge advantage against competitors, whose machines typically retailed for $100 or more.
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Despite the machine's virtues and its low price, success did not seem to attend its introduction. In 1858, Raymond set up a new business in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brattleboro,_Vermont">Brattleboro</a>, Vermont, selling the "New England Family Sewing Machine." In 1860, Raymond turned his eyes north of the border and tried to set up shop in Montreal, a move that was also unsuccessful.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/6/96767/F38-0-15-0-0-294.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/6/96767/F38-0-15-0-0-294.jpg"/></a></div>
(Charles Raymond, ca. 1860. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/charles-raymond">F38-0-15-0-0-294</a>.)
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Perhaps continued patent litigation or the outbreak of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War">the US Civil War</a> undermined his plans. In any event, Raymond and 15 hands from his Brattleboro works arrived in Guelph in 1862, looking to set up operations there. Canada had lax patent legislation, which attracted foreign investment and may well have influenced Raymond's move, though why he located in Guelph in particular is unclear. In any event, the new locale certainly worked in his favour.
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The commercial success of Raymond's company is reflected in its rapidly expanded building program. The first Raymond factory was sited on Norfolk street on the lot where Raymond also built his house. This building was a two-storey stone structure mere 24x50 feet. In 1865, a 30x40 frame extension was built onto it in order to accommodate the expanding business.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/1/1/114956/C6-0-0-0-0-793.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="550" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="750" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/1/1/114956/C6-0-0-0-0-793.jpg"/></a></div>
(Raymond family home, in the gore between Norfolk and Yarmouth streets (left), and the sewing machine factory on Yarmouth street (right), as seen from across the Nelson Crescent park, now the site of the Guelph Public Library main branch, ca. 1865. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/norfolk-yarmouth-streets">C6-0-0-0-0-793</a>.)
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Around this time, Raymond also built a factory 26x108 on the other side of Yarmouth street, on the lot where the building bearing his name now stands. Even this could not accommodate his needs for long. Thus, in 1869, the neighbouring Knox Presbyterian Church was purchased and annexed to the Yarmouth street factory. (Not to worry: <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-knox-church-fire-of-1904.html">a new Knox Church</a> was built around the corner on Quebec street.)
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In June 1869, Raymond's wife Mary died, leaving two daughters, Emma and Ada. In August of the following year, Raymond married Miss Helen Gill, of Brattleboro. Charles and Helen had two children together, Elizabeth and Charles (Jr.).
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("Suffolk Street and Raymond Factory, Guelph, Canada." Postcard published by Rumsey & Co., ca. 1905. Suffolk Street (right) here intersects with Yarmouth Street (left), with Woolwich Street in the foreground.)
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As the appetite for Raymond machines contingued to grow, Raymond purchased the Arms & Worswick sewing machine factory, then a frame building at the corner of Yarmouth and Suffolk streets, in 1870. Only two years later, this "branch plant" burned to the ground. Raymond had it expanded and rebuilt in stone, so that it reopened in 1874. The building remains there to this day and its end can be seen in the postcard above.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/8/98556/F38-0-14-0-0-414.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="750" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/8/98556/F38-0-14-0-0-414.jpg"/></a></div>
(Raymond's Sewing Machine factory on Yarmouth street (left) and the old Knox Church (right), which was incorporated into the factory, ca. 1870. Courtesy of the Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/raymond-sewing-machine-factory-2">F38-0-14-0-0-414</a>.)
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Fire tested Raymond's resolve yet again in 1875, when a blaze consumed the Yarmouth steet factory, including the former Knox church. He took the opportunity to expand his plant again, this time building the three storey, 120x108 brick factory that now (once again) carries the company's name.
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("Raymond's Machine and Moulding Shop, Guelph, Ont.," ca. 1905. Postcard published for A.B. Petrie. Note that the factory is buff-coloured and not gray as the lithographer has depicted it here.)
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In 1878, Raymond had an iron foundry built on the lot adjoining the north side of the Yarmouth street factory.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/9/99959/F38-0-7-0-0-89.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="800" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/9/99959/F38-0-7-0-0-89.jpg"/></a></div>
(Advertisement showing both Raymond factories, plus Yarmouth street foundry, ca. 1895. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/raymond-sewing-machines-advertisement">F38-0-7-0-0-89</a>.)
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The early 1880s probably represents the apogee of the Raymond Sewing Machine company. As Brent (1980) notes, initial resistance to sewing machines in Canada had largely abated by 1860. (In 1852, the introduction of sewing machines to the Toronto tailoring firm of Walker and Hutchison occasioned Toronto the Good's first organized labour strike.) On the home front, most women, including the well-to-do ones, had daily sewing tasks to perform for their families. Sewing machines could considerably shorten this labour. A frock coat that took 16 1/2 hours to sew by hand could be sewn in 2 1/2 hours with a machine!
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(Charles Raymond, printed in 1880 biography.)
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As it became recognized as a labour-saving device, the sewing machine became a social status item (Connolly 1999). Having a machine at home, visible to guests and visitors, suggested that a household was up-to-date and its womenfolk well supported and domestic. Manufacturers responded by dressing their wares in appropriately domestic garb. Whereas early household machines were often iron gadgets simply clamped to existing furniture, later machines were nicely japanned and painted with feminine designs, and housed in smart looking, special-purpose furniture. A great deal of factory space, including in Raymond's facilities, were dedicated to japanning and cabinet making as a result.
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Raymond, or his marketing department, made generous use of <a href="https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/tradecards/exhibition/history/index.html">trade cards</a> to help drum up business. By the mid-1870s, printing technology allowed for cheap cards carrying colourful images to be made up in large quantities. Businesses ordered cards to hand out for free to potential customers with the idea that they would keep the brand in their client's minds when buying decisions were made. Space was left on the cards, sometimes just on the back, for each business to print information about itself.
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("Before purchasing see the “New Raymond” with compliments of Charles Raymond, Guelph, Ont. // Copyright 1884 by J.H. Buffords Sons."
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Images on the cards tended to be generic. For example, the card above shows a scene of a group of well-dressed Victorians out for some fun roller skating. There seems to be little relation of roller skating to sewing machines, unless viewers were supposed to associate the fancy clothing with their sewing needs.
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(Front of a Raymond trade card, ca. 1900.)
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Much like postcards in the Edwardian era, trade cards appealed to collectors and so were probably reasonably effective in drumming up interest in a business's goods or service.
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(Back of the Raymond trade card above. "National Cream Separator // Manufactured by The Raymond Mfg. Co. Limited, Guelph, Ont. Also manufacturers of the celebrated Raymond Sewing Machines.")
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The Raymond Manufacturing Company stuck with the trade cards for some time. Many of them advertise not only sewing machines but the cream separators that were made under license in the early 20th century.
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(Raymond sewing machine with table, ca. 1879. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/EA3B7CB1-8D92-45A6-9ADA-342890604053">1978X.00.145.3</a>.)
<p>
Raymond's Sewing Machines became the second-biggest manufacturer in Canada, behind only <a href="https://www.thewhig.com/opinion/columnists/canadian-ingenuity-stitching-up-the-market-with-little-wanzer">Wanzer & Co.</a> of Hamilton. Sewing machines were a solid Canadian export in this era as well, and Raymond was quite invested in markets abroad. A note in the Mercury (13 May 1876) records that Raymond shipped a consignment of machines, worth $10,000, to Cuba and Brazil!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/060/19883037-6.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/060/19883037-6.jpg"/></a></div>
(The beaver logo that became the trademark of the Raymond "beaver" sewing machines. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Musuems, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/E94BAAFF-7AA6-42D1-A6D2-225155414296">1988.30.37</a>.)
<p>
Yet, what goes up must come down, they say, and this was true of Raymond's Sewing Machines. A number of factors ate into the trade during the 1880s. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_of_1882–1885">The depression of 1882–1885</a> cut into business, especially iron and steel, which was crucial to the sewing machine trade. Changes in Canadian law opened domestic markets to American firms, such as the giant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_Corporation">Singer Co.</a>, which unloaded low-priced machines north of the border. In addition, ready-to-wear clothing began to rise in popularity. Instead of making clothes at home, families could simply purchase clothing made in factories (using commercial sewing machines), the beginning of the modern clothing and fashion industries. Domestic sewing certainly didn't vanish but the trend towards consumable clothing did begin to undercut the need people felt to have their own machines.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/224/20126711-9.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/224/20126711-9.jpg"/></a></div>
("Raymond "Beaver" Sewing Machine," ca. 1880. Here, the machine has been concealed by the "drop table." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/D2F82319-7654-4B98-BFF0-444906624315">2012.67.1.1</a>.)
<p>
This change in trends was duly reflected in the design of sewing machines themselves. In particular, sewing machines began to appear in "drop cabinets," in which the machine itself could be hidden from sight by being lowered beneath the cabinet top when not in use. Thus, visitors to a home need not be confronted with the sight of a sewing machine and would, therefore, not infer that the householders weren't up to buying their clothes at a specialty store. Descriptions of Raymond sewing machines shown in exhibitions in the 1890s make note of the "latest thing in drop cabinets, of which Mr. Raymond is the only manufacturer in Canada" (Globe, 8 September 1892).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/228/19785515-12.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/228/19785515-12.jpg"/></a></div>
("Sewing Machine, Raymond Sewing Machine Company, circa 1900." Courtesy Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/6E8A68BF-7423-4C4F-BEC5-186309440830">1978.55.1.5</a>.)
<p>
Anyone curious about more information regarding the details of Raymond's sewing machines is directed to Vern Schafer's <a href="https://www.raymondsewingmachineresearchproject.ca">Raymond Sewing Machine Research Project</a>.
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("Livingroom of Mr. C. Raymond," ca. 1870. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/F9C48B3B-5035-427C-A7DA-441675072560">2014.84.69</a>.)
<p>
Partly in response to the difficulties of Canadian manufacturers, the government of John A. Macdonald implemented the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Policy">National Policy</a>" in 1879. A key element of this policy was raising tariffs against imports in order to make Canadian-made goods more competitive domestically. In the case of sewing machines, imports went from a tariff of 17.5% to a 20% tariff, plus $2. At first, Raymond was against this policy, arguing that, by sheltering Canadian products against American ones, it would allow Canadian producers to market inferior goods (Globe, 14 September 1878). In addition, it would encourage Canadian manufacturers to inflate their prices, thus making their goods uncompetitive on the export market.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/8/98432/F38-0-14-0-0-417.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="745" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/8/98432/F38-0-14-0-0-417.jpg"/></a></div>
(Charles Raymond and family in their front garden, 187?. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/charles-raymond-2">F38-0-14-0-0-417</a>. This image may be from a set of photographs of the Raymond house and grounds taken by local photographer <a href="https://guelphthenandnow.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/early-photographers-of-guelph/">W. Marshall</a> in 1879.)
<p>
However, experience changed his tune. Raymond later admitted that the National Policy had helped his business. Mainly, it mitigated the impact of American manufacturers dumping inexpensive machines on the Canadian market, which buoyed sales of Raymond machines (Globe, 19 April 1882). These sales helped to support the company despite the lower margins it realized on sales abroad.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/168/201631-4.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="583" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/168/201631-4.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of a portrait of Chas. Raymond, 1892. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/46D7773D-8DDC-46A9-B370-975030459359">2016.3.1</a>.)
<p>
By the 1890s, the difficulties of the sewing machine business were telling. In 1895, the Raymond Sewing Machine Company was sold to the "Raymond Manufacturing Company," which diversified into other lines, such as bicycles, cash registers, silver platters, and sundry brass and iron goods.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/093/200932820.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/093/200932820.jpg"/></a></div>
(The Raymond Sewing Machine factory (foreground) and the National Separator Works (background), 1905. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/40FB1F4B-792D-4A6B-8609-157800551190">2009.32.820</a>.)
<p>
In 1897, Charles Raymond retired as president of the Raymond Manufacturing Company. Thirty-five years in charge was certainly a long time, and new perspective might help keep the business afloat. Raymond was succeeded by the vice-president, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Kloepfer">Christian Kloepfer</a>. That same year, the company was sold to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Sewing_Machine_Company">the White Sewing Machine Company</a> of Cleveland, Ohio. By 1899, the company joined the rush to market mechanical cream separators. For this purpose, a new, three-storey factory was built on <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2023/04/baker-street-has-taken-many-turns-over.html">the Baker Street lot</a>, where the old burying ground once stood.
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(Detail of "Insurance plan of the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada," 1911, page 6. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, <a href="https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=3825810">R6990-430-9-E</a>.)
<p>
However, the decline of Raymond Manufacturing Company continued. In 1916, the White Sewing Machine Company took over direct management of it and, in 1922, the company's affairs were wound up.
<p>
However, Charles Raymond did not live to see its dissolution. He died on 4 June 1904 due to complications of a surgery meant to alleviate a threatening illness.
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(First Baptist Church, still sporting its steeple, printed by the International Stationery Company, ca. 1910.)
<p>
Raymond's obituary in the local paper has not survived. However, it would certainly mention not only his business life but also his involvement in public affairs. For example, Charles Raymond was a deacon of the Baptist church and a Superintendent of its Sunday School. An 1880 biography also states that Raymond was a prime mover behind the construction of the First Baptist Church on Woolwich street, not far from his residence. Besides this, Raymond also had been President of both the Home and Foreign Baptist Missionary Societies. The biography also mentions that he contributed a "large sum" to the construction of the Congregational church, which was sited across Norfolk street from his residence. Apparently, Raymond attended Congregationalist services early in his residence in Guelph, having found the Baptist minister too Calvanist. (Also, his daughter Emma married John Crowe, another prominent local business figure and Congregationalist.)
<p>
Raymond was also active in civic affairs. He served on the local School Board and was Chairman of the city's Building Committee during his stint as a city alderman (councilor). In this office, Raymond was credited with playing an indispensible part in the building of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/05/central-school.html">the Central School</a> on Dublin street.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/040/ph6500.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="500" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/040/ph6500.jpg"/></a></div>
("Portrait of Wellington County Council members, 1875." Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/017B5F9B-3A29-4821-AA92-566480181120">A1981.90</a>. Chas. Raymond is front row, centre.)
<p>
Besides Guelph, Raymond was active in County politics, serving as deputy Reeve of Wellington County and, as such, being instrumental in the building of the County "<a href="https://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/MUS-thepoorhouse.aspx">Poor House</a>," now the Wellington County Museum in Aboyne.
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("Raymond family on grounds in front of their second house, from a photograph that appeared in The Globe (Toronto) newspaper, 06 August 1892." Courtesy Wellington County Museum, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/01E4D896-88B3-466C-B88A-294910546790">A1985.110</a>, ph. 7608.)
<p>
One other thing that Charles Raymond was remembered for was his hosting of His Excellency <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell,_9th_Duke_of_Argyll">the Marquis of Lorne</a>, Governor-General, and Her Royal Highness, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Louise,_Duchess_of_Argyll">the Princess Louise</a>, during their tour of Guelph on 17 September 1879. The Marquis and his royal wife holed up at Raymond's residence for an hour or so during a break in official engagements in town, during their tour of Ontario cites. This visit was remembered in the city as it afforded the occasion when Guelph was semi-offically christened "<a href="https://www.therecord.com/life/flash-from-the-past-how-guelph-became-the-royal-city/article_787ab974-2094-5edc-b598-3c91ab8307d6.html">The Royal City</a>." For his part, Raymond commemorated the visit by naming his house Lornewood, a moniker that is still sometimes remembered today.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1706748151666!6m8!1m7!1sFunNSSfTaDBan_P_qFBhgA!2m2!1d43.54628649545534!2d-80.25305124617424!3f3.8482457574585993!4f-0.43054337583102154!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
(Lornewood, 2009. Courtesy of Google Steet View.)
<p>
However, Raymond's name is today remembered mainly in connection with "Raymond's Sewing Machines" as it once again says on the sign over his old Yarmouth street factory.
<hr>
Of course, Charles Raymond did not build and run the Sewing Machine factory by himself. At its height in the 1880s, the business employed about 200 people, a considerable number in a city of about 12,000.
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("Raymond Sewing Machine Factory Employees circa 1890." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/D29268DB-F68C-4C72-B7EC-480580443987">1985.73.2</a>.)
<p>
When Raymond first moved to Guelph in 1862, he brought 15 hands with him from Brattleboro (Mercury, 20 July 1927). One of those hands was Myron Burr, who later set up the "Burr & Skinner" furniture company with F.W. Skinner, at the corner of Oxford and Yorkshire streets. After Skinner retired from the firm, Myron and his brother Frank changed it to the Burr Bros. furniture company. This was bought up by the Canada Furniture Manufacturers in 1900.
<p>
In 1873, the Mercury (21 August) made note of J.B. Clyne, a young mechanic employed by Raymond who invented a kind of mechanical pigeon, after reading a description of one in an English newspaper. Called the "gyros pigeon," copies of the invention were available for purchase from Mr. P. Kribs. The Mercury reported its working as follows:
<blockquote>
The flyer is a piece of tin, resembling in shape a two-bladed screw propeller, and a swift rotatory motion is given to this by an apparatus worked by a spring, which can be held in the hand or affixed to any stationary substance. The flight of the mock pigeon resembles curiously that of the living bird, and the direction of its movements can be controlled, by the person flying it; it can be made to skim along the ground, or to soar upwards; and one of its usual flights is to describe a circular path in the air like a boomerang.
</blockquote>
The purpose of the automaton was to substitute for live pigeons in the popular sport of pigeon shooting, which had become controversial due to the cruelty it involved. Unfortunately, unlike the gyro pigeon, this idea never flew.
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("Raymond Sewing Machine Office, Guelph," ca. 1903. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/1D77BBE6-1F3A-4B68-8BDA-755428563270">1989.7.2</a>.)
<p>
Another employee of note was Sam Terrell, who worked at the Raymond factory for 35 years, 20 as a foreman. When he retired in 1913, he was presented with a silver service of four pieces plus a tray. Terrell then moved to Victoria, B.C., to live with his daugther and son-in-law. However, he was interred in the Union (now Woodlawn) cemetery in Guelph after <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189290879/samuel-terrell?_gl=1*1bkgr8t*_gcl_au*NjQ5NDA1OTUyLjE3MDY0NTUyMDQ.*_ga*MTQ1MjU5MzUwNC4xNzA2NDU1MjA0*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*NDZiZjFmNGMtNmM0Mi00YzdlLWFlZDMtNWYxM2U2ZTMwYjkwLjMuMS4xNzA2NjY1NTU2LjU5LjAuMA..*_ga_QPQNV9XG1B*NDZiZjFmNGMtNmM0Mi00YzdlLWFlZDMtNWYxM2U2ZTMwYjkwLjMuMS4xNzA2NjY1NTU2LjAuMC4w">his death in 1923</a>.
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("Raymond Sewing Machine Factory Workers," 1910. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/D20B883D-8C40-4861-828A-487594796348">2009.32.822</a>.)
<p>
A final special employee was Mr. Isaac Spencer, an African American who was born in Virginia and enslaved there. Fortunately, he found his way to freedom and became an employee of the Raymond company around 1865. He worked there for some 30 years, nearly to the day of his death (Mercury, 21 October 1895). His obituary adds the following details:
<blockquote>
He delighted to amuse his hearers by telling thrilling reminiscences of his early slavery days. Though he could neither read nor write he was possessed of a shrewd sense of fair judgment, and withal was honest and upright, and led a good life. His age is given as 75 years, but many believe he is much older. He was married the second time a few years ago, and his widow survives him. He was well known in the city, and respected by all for his honesty, industry and good character.
</blockquote>
It is a shame that his story, and his stories, are not better known.
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li>Brent, M. E. (1980). <a href="https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/download/17030/18305/">A Stitch in Time: Sewing Machine Industry of Ontario, 1860-1897</a>. Material Culture Review.
<li>"Charles Raymond" (1880). <a href="https://archive.org/details/canadianbiograph01torouoft/canadianbiograph01torouoft/page/n7/mode/2up">The Canadian Biographical Dictionary</a>, Ontario volume. American Biographical Publishing Company.
<li>Connolly, M. (1999). <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/496761?casa_token=HsymEzLemTYAAAAA:xZ_ZNKNQWYRKiEyJxFEAi08zk7UDZHWszBOijayBYdnUFB3RxckmBhKM7RqyTHDL7jTbd_zo9fhR">The Disappearance of the Domestic Sewing Machine, 1890-1925</a>. Winterthur Portfolio, 34(1), 31-48.
</ul>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-6152537186151013072023-12-26T13:49:00.000-08:002023-12-27T09:28:23.946-08:00Merry Xmas Guelph, 1925<a href="https://daily.jstor.org/history-christmas-card-holiday-card/">The Christmas card</a> has been a staple of the western, Yuletide celebration since at least 1843, when Sir Henry Cole commmissioned a set of 1,000 engraved holiday cards. As 1843 was also the year that Dickens published "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol">A Christmas Carol</a>," it's fair to say that this was a big year for the origins of contempoary Christmas celebrations.
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Naturally, postcard makers got into the act during the medium's heyday in the Edwardian era. Although the foldable Christmas card continued on strong, the postcard version faded from the scene. Still, it is not unusual to find Xmas postcards in the 1920s, one of which found its way to yours truly.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNRrU_7LHhK-Enjv8EI-21vYEqZsonadn8ZzaxDndSqZ1ORxt6C0wOY7ZelMjWwiEwFazXbM7w21hVwll1z0I1BLf8HyiBUC-riZzj6wRCzrnUxibSBi5YlQwDB86EikyH1fCVQVSc4Ad1jtPmO98BHeF1TBBHv43qrCbgkmWu9_z2YXzCsghlNoTqn0/s642/atkinsonXmasPC.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNRrU_7LHhK-Enjv8EI-21vYEqZsonadn8ZzaxDndSqZ1ORxt6C0wOY7ZelMjWwiEwFazXbM7w21hVwll1z0I1BLf8HyiBUC-riZzj6wRCzrnUxibSBi5YlQwDB86EikyH1fCVQVSc4Ad1jtPmO98BHeF1TBBHv43qrCbgkmWu9_z2YXzCsghlNoTqn0/s400/atkinsonXmasPC.jpg"/></a></div>
This is a fairly standard scene, presumably of Bethlehem, in a festive frame, made by <a href="https://www.worcesterhistory.org/blog/whitney/">Whitney Made</a> of Worcester, Massachusetts, a company not confined to the Valentine's Day cards it is most remembered for.
<p>
The card is addressed to "Mrs. Jno Mitchell, Arkell, Ont // ℅ D. Tarzwell," with the following message:
<blockquote>
with best wishes to Mrs. Mitchell for a Merrie Xmas & a Happy New Year. // Susie Atkinson.
</blockquote>
The card was postmarked in Guelph on 20 December 1925.
<p>
With generic cards of this sort, the main interest tends to be personal: Who was Susie Atkinson and why was she sending a Christmas postcard to Mrs. Jno Mitchell of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puslinch,_Ontario#Arkell">Arkell</a> (a village a short distance from Guelph)?
<p>
Susan Agnes Atkinson (née Coker) was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph/Eramosa">Eramosa, Guelph Township</a>, on 4 March 1887 and seems to have grown up on the family farm there. She became Mrs. Wesley George Atkinson on 15 December 1909. The couple was married in <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-early-days-of-speedside.html">the Speedside church</a>, a lovely rural church that I have blogged about, and had the pleasure of visiting.
<p>
The Atkinson's were thick on the ground in Guelph Township. William Atkinson, of Yorkshire, England, arrived in Upper Canada in 1832 with a large family and became a successful farmer with hundreds of acres under cultivation. One of his sons, George, carried on the tradition and, according to the County Atlas, was known as the "King of Marden" (a small village in northern Guelph Township).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHL7laQG2zM8p-kHywVvSXH0dyDld2Ief6tyMvs5dswymxXykgktWKYj1Ymru-DlWUs2b1e0nMzdriJBKxrBmxy5yZ7nE418hDGAmLKGDaqamhQ2Z59n6MEJ9Qd7hbJPgRTOvLT72BjMAbz_h-_TiVFH6kZJTmQh_S9gOBZSRd4PixJiS2cbPOU_Ely7s/s613/geoAtkinson.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHL7laQG2zM8p-kHywVvSXH0dyDld2Ief6tyMvs5dswymxXykgktWKYj1Ymru-DlWUs2b1e0nMzdriJBKxrBmxy5yZ7nE418hDGAmLKGDaqamhQ2Z59n6MEJ9Qd7hbJPgRTOvLT72BjMAbz_h-_TiVFH6kZJTmQh_S9gOBZSRd4PixJiS2cbPOU_Ely7s/s320/geoAtkinson.jpg"/></a></div>
(George Atkinson, the "King of Marden;" courtesy of <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/633262">the Illustrated Historical Atlas of Wellington County</a>.)
<p>
Wesley, I believe, was a grandson of George's brother Joseph.
<p>
In any event, Wesley and Susie moved to Guelph and lived at 25 Queen street (now 25 Arthur street) for a number of years. They lived at 186 London Road west when Susie sent the postcard to Mrs. John Mitchell.
<p>
<div style="text-align:center">
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</div>
<p>
(25 Arthur street; courtesy of Google Street View.)
<p>
Wesley worked as a clerk or salesman for local businesses such as the Penfold Hardware store.
<p>
Now for the recipient! Mrs. John Mitchell appears to be Lydia Maria (née Haggett) born 21 May 1848 on another farm in Eramosa. She married Mr. John Mitchell, originally of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamborough%2C_Ontario">Flamboro</a>, on 10 September 1873, who owned a farm in Eramosa. That makes her a generation older than Susie Atkinson, who also does not seem to be a family relation. So, why were they corresponding?
<p>
The answer seems to lie in the 1901 census. In that document, the Mitchells are listed right below the Cokers (spelled Coekers). In short, they were neighbours! Even after Susie got married and moved to town, she seems to have kept in touch with her former neighbour, Lydia Mitchell.
<p>
The remaining puzzle is the relationship between the Mitchells and David Tarzwell, whose farm in Arkell was the destination of the postcard. Here, the 1921 census helps out. David Tarzwell, a widower, is listed as the owner of the farm. Not only that, three Mitchells are listed as living under the same roof: Harriet (occupation Housekeeper) and Lydia & John (boarders). In fact, Harriet is a daughter of Lydia & John. It seems that the senior Mitchells had moved in with their daughter, not an unusual arrangement for retired folk at that time.
<p>
Still more interesting is that Harriet officially became Mrs. David Tarzwell on 5 December 1929, four years after the postcard was sent. One can't help wondering if Harriet's occupation as "Housekeeper" listed in the 1921 census was some sort of euphemism for common-law wife.
<p>
Also interesting is the fact that Mrs. John Mitchell (that is, Lydia) died on 18 August 1929, only a few months before the wedding. Was Lydia's death a factor in the timing of the nuptials? Who now can say?
<hr>
Alas, the Guelph Mercury for all of 1925 is missing from archival records, so local news is somewhat lacking in detail. However, some highlights show up in various sources and can give an idea of the state of affairs in Guelph late in 1925 when the postcard was sent.
<p>
The assets of the Guelph Co-operative Association were sold off in December (Globe, 12 December 1925). The Co-op had been founded in 1903 by the Guelph Trades and Labour Council in order to provide bread at affordable prices to the working people of the Royal City (Durtnall 2004). The enterprise continued successfully for over 20 years and greatly expanded its affordable offerings but, for reasons that are not entirely clear, went under at the end of 1925.
<p>
The Guelph Ontario Hockey Association intermediate team got off to a promising start. The Orange-and-Black of the Royal City handed a 7–2 drubbing to the Green-shirt senior team of Kitchener-Waterloo in an exhibition game on 19 December. A 3-to-2, come-from-behind exhibition decision over the Excelsiors of Brampton on December 22 stoked excitement in the local squad. Interest in competetive hockey had only recently led the owners to expand seating at the Guelph Arena (now the Royal Plaza mall).
<p>
However, the year ended on a bit of a low note when Guelph was handed a 3–1 defeat by their hosts for the first regular-season contest in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Toronto">North Toronto</a>. Though the Guelphites skated well and launched many shots at the Toronto goalie, the netminder was hot and the larger ice surface at big-city rink gave the visitors more trouble than they could handle.
<p>
Big regional news was the undertaking by the Provincial Department of Public Highways to keep the Guelph-Hamilton highway (now <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_6">Highway 6</a>) open throughout the winter (Globe, 21 December). Chief Engineer Hogarth said that the Department would keep the "immense" motor plows available in Aberfoyle or Morriston to plow roads out immediately in the event of a big snowfall. In previous years, the highway could be closed for days at a time after a big storm. With increasing reliance on trucking for regional commerce, such interruptions became more and more costly. Regularized plowing was the government's response.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdCTFrdsAIklYn5pzoeoaZsl7Qj0f3GAi1YJbK7axu4vix48M9O2NGHkgU1pWxXwqApM7cdaD1Jw2nB4_rgn9lGo00XkaFzzdmGu96y1mu9G_L5n7DG-Xda7oUwqoxhqv93FySXZb0SSzHaWdfTxdjQ_ZkNBE9JyQfiCrntNvQi1D6jFKTLrPXh89OPU/s1054/s0071_it2910.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1054" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdCTFrdsAIklYn5pzoeoaZsl7Qj0f3GAi1YJbK7axu4vix48M9O2NGHkgU1pWxXwqApM7cdaD1Jw2nB4_rgn9lGo00XkaFzzdmGu96y1mu9G_L5n7DG-Xda7oUwqoxhqv93FySXZb0SSzHaWdfTxdjQ_ZkNBE9JyQfiCrntNvQi1D6jFKTLrPXh89OPU/s320/s0071_it2910.jpg"/></a></div>
("Snowplough No. P.2." 7 Jan. 1924, courtesy of City of Toronto Archives, <a href="https://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/city-of-toronto-archives-m-permalink.html?key=38732">Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 2910</a>. I have the feeling that the highway plows were more "immense" than this street plow. If you have a contemporary highway plow photo, let me know!)
<p>
The Ontario Agricultural College Review (<a href="https://archive.org/details/oacreviewvol38iss04">v. 38, n. 4</a>) celebrated the season by reprinting a short story by Canadian humourist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Leacock">Stephen Leacock</a>, entitled, "The Christmas ghost." In this story, the unnamed protagonist gets to thinking about how Christmas has changed over the years:
<blockquote>
I was contrasting
Christmas in the old country house of
a century ago, with the fires roaring up
the chimneys, and Christmas in the
modern apartment on the ninth floor
with the gasoline generator turned on
for the maid’s bath.
</blockquote>
Suddenly, a dejected looking ghost appeared and asked if he might haunt his host for a while. Upon receiving the invitation, the spectre sits and complains about his situation. About one hundred years earlier, he had murdered a man on a public road and was, after death, condemned to wander the Earth, dragging around great chains, moaning, and haunting a house.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUePi3NdfygGOIJFPxsyUB7Uu5vWiC4ftqM_Mn6IJYaiiTMkDvko5LWO9HFW7VZRDLnzgE-5uaivjqEymxPMo9TsCNaXnaoCMxLjzIaSRxcgtdw98WycABreGfaKi4h36uBpCbQomwRylGeHJlHzcM1Nt3_KYOEnxCgXkibYcsaG2MZ66rVzPcv9Ug_A/s493/xmasghost.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUePi3NdfygGOIJFPxsyUB7Uu5vWiC4ftqM_Mn6IJYaiiTMkDvko5LWO9HFW7VZRDLnzgE-5uaivjqEymxPMo9TsCNaXnaoCMxLjzIaSRxcgtdw98WycABreGfaKi4h36uBpCbQomwRylGeHJlHzcM1Nt3_KYOEnxCgXkibYcsaG2MZ66rVzPcv9Ug_A/s320/xmasghost.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
This employment was finally undone by modernization:
<blockquote>
The days of the motor car came and
they paved the highway and knocked
down the house and built a big garage
there, with electricity as bright as day.
You can’t haunt a garage, can you? I
tried to stick on and do a little groaning, but nobody seemed to pay any attention; and anyway, I got nervous
about the gasoline. I’m too immaterial
to be round where there is gasoline. A
fellow would blow up, wouldn’t he?
</blockquote>
Further haunts proved fruitless. Upon hearing a ghost, modern children simply wanted to see if they could pass the radio set through him, whereupon he discovered that electricity "knocks me edgeways."
<p>
Worse yet, the ghost says, spiritualists have learned how to summon ghosts at will, thus reducing him to a kind of on-demand entertainment. At that moment, the ghost begins to vanish, saying:
<blockquote>
There’s a group of fools somewhere
sitting round a table at a Christmas eve
party and they’re calling up a ghost
just for fun—a darned poor notion of fun, I call it ...
</blockquote>
Spiritualism plus motor cars, pavement, gasoline, electricity and radio had certainly changed the world, and Christmas, since Dicken's day.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Durtnall, B. (2004). "Each for all and all for each: The Story of the Guelph
Co-operative Association," <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/977167387">Historic Guelph</a> 43, pp. 59–66.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-46191474376719146762023-12-09T13:13:00.000-08:002023-12-11T06:21:16.073-08:00An International Stationery Co. tour of GuelphYours truly recently gave a talk at a meeting of the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Regional-Post-Card Club (KWCRPCC). This was the Club's first meeting since the arrival of the COVID pandemic, so it was an honour to help the group resume operations after a long hiatus.
<p>
The venue was the historic <a href="https://christiansciencekitchener.com">First Church of Christ, Scientist in Kitchener</a>. As it happens, the church itself features in some old postcards, such as the following:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVH0FZ8W3GPUUTgne0Cv7jmE9KXR4cFs8f9_FetmKEEqoAOGRWQAkUjU7wW4lAxWCHYhEXbvKSKCRddb5re_8kJ3-slF8ajjtcnAHnQ74BBw4xiOcWV_gIXrQKoD09b2kiy41_hbWAx3fOkyYnneo0W_5TQ2I-vUXSTaHDch0b5v0ZW6lMPzh2t5UI1M/s1280/cschurch.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVH0FZ8W3GPUUTgne0Cv7jmE9KXR4cFs8f9_FetmKEEqoAOGRWQAkUjU7wW4lAxWCHYhEXbvKSKCRddb5re_8kJ3-slF8ajjtcnAHnQ74BBw4xiOcWV_gIXrQKoD09b2kiy41_hbWAx3fOkyYnneo0W_5TQ2I-vUXSTaHDch0b5v0ZW6lMPzh2t5UI1M/s400/cschurch.jpeg"/></a></div>
("Christian Scientist Church, Berlin, Canada," ca. 1909. Courtesy of <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/in/leigh-hogg-79a78a5a">Leigh Hogg</a>.)
<p>
<div style="text-align:center">
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</div>
(First Church Christ, Scientist; courtesy of Google Maps.)
<p>
The subject of the talk was the postcard views of Guelph as provided by the International Stationery Co. (ISC) of Picton, Ontario. In this post, I will give a precis of the talk and show some of the images. The point of the presentation is not to give a history of places shown but to give an impression of the aesthetic quality of the individual postcards as pictures and of the whole set as a curated show of the Royal City as it then existed.
<p>
Among Canadian deltiologists, that is, postcard collectors, the ISC is known for its set of fine sepia-toned collotype postcards from the early 20th century. Consider the example below.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-b5fiO9cJg9fnmay9RAvFV0THyFg8jXsQ8ki0d9xSkl2jGmJvcWc4QlodgOKauAXSIZVmrhlPS0NGnr40Q_PmfZbKlp8iwrFP3zFQG-dU8X4JjGmXZTOwYSp-bVVzY08J4gr8zKzYdfbzn0zuauz8sMxKTXzwm06-lUgawJrnKu98_XV7fVvtx9F_gs/s1745/collegiateISC130.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1745" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-b5fiO9cJg9fnmay9RAvFV0THyFg8jXsQ8ki0d9xSkl2jGmJvcWc4QlodgOKauAXSIZVmrhlPS0NGnr40Q_PmfZbKlp8iwrFP3zFQG-dU8X4JjGmXZTOwYSp-bVVzY08J4gr8zKzYdfbzn0zuauz8sMxKTXzwm06-lUgawJrnKu98_XV7fVvtx9F_gs/s400/collegiateISC130.jpg"/></a></div>
("Collegiate," #130.)
<p>
This is the predecessor of the current <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Collegiate_Vocational_Institute">Guelph Collegiate and Vocational Institute</a>, shown from near the corner of Paisley and Arnold streets. For inventory purposes, ISC numbered their cards; this card is number 130. The photo is nicely layered, with paths leading from the foreground into the image, where people can be seen walking under the trees and in front of the pointy buildings. Clouds billow upwards in the sky, drawn there by arists in Germany, where the cards were printed. As will become evident, this composition is typical for cards of Guelph from this set.
<p>
The history of the ISC goes back to "The Fair", a kitchen supply and grocery store located in Picton and founded by local boy James Livingstone (1868–1949) in 1895. The Fair was successful and expanded into new locations and goods. As the postcard craze took hold in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwardian_era">the Edwardian era</a>, Livingstone got into the act. Postcards turned into a big business for the ISC, which specialized in views from southern Ontario and the Montreal area. It carried on for some decades and left an interesting legacy of topical views.
<p>
To judge from postmarks, postcards of Guelph began circulation in 1913 and persisted into the early 1920s. Serial numbers range from 100 to 199, suggesting that there are about 100 views of Guelph in the set—quite a few! ISC expert Ian Robertson reports about 900 cards total in his collection, so the Royal City seems to have enjoyed attention disporportionate to its modest size. What was the charm?
<p>
The ISC set includes views of the usual suspects, such as the card below of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Public_Library">the Carnegie Public Library</a>. Designed by local boy <a href="http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1621">William Frye-Colwill</a> and erected in 1905, the building was a regular part of postcard sets of Guelph. Images were almost always taken from diagnoally across Norfolk street, which produces this dramatic angle. Even so, the photo appears to have been taken especially for the ISC.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEux1eoZTAS6F0cWsQIG8HYfh4_avElla7mtLuzRaAOHvjoLJoJgi3iNQLjlTwgQsrfq68343vNaBL-p31goN6Ey3U3ryRQr1G9KSaBnKx93Jz0qwXyGiQk-RsYdzuSFF5Uq9Vk1PKShYkb7TQquuIDyOe5IEBrdCxduxByrE1ows1Gze7k-k7MZJBtNo/s2466/carnegieISC.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1595" data-original-width="2466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEux1eoZTAS6F0cWsQIG8HYfh4_avElla7mtLuzRaAOHvjoLJoJgi3iNQLjlTwgQsrfq68343vNaBL-p31goN6Ey3U3ryRQr1G9KSaBnKx93Jz0qwXyGiQk-RsYdzuSFF5Uq9Vk1PKShYkb7TQquuIDyOe5IEBrdCxduxByrE1ows1Gze7k-k7MZJBtNo/s400/carnegieISC.jpg"/></a></div>
("Carnegie Public Library," no number.)
<p>
The Winter Fair Building is another fine card. The building was located on Carden street, in front of the new City Hall, where the splash pad/outdoor rink is now located. It was built to house the agricultural fairs that used to be held downtown. The corner of the old City Hall, now a Provincial Court House, can be seen on the left. As usual, the scene is animated by figures walking hither and thither.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHb3rwePedNwRxB37ybqwvnsq7PebV80aXUjpSBJZptXEjjQYSELanADFlnbNPNZyo1mrqV-I-OBtk0-GAtgSoGRwYUxBcsRaV7LaCKYrgUJLjEXp-9PFwoktWj7u-EP7tuFtAK2_WsRxz0JA65vEqysDUUTT9x2lYEBUmFD4OAmXQ4HGy2PKkzAiTpsI/s2475/winterfairISC110.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="2475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHb3rwePedNwRxB37ybqwvnsq7PebV80aXUjpSBJZptXEjjQYSELanADFlnbNPNZyo1mrqV-I-OBtk0-GAtgSoGRwYUxBcsRaV7LaCKYrgUJLjEXp-9PFwoktWj7u-EP7tuFtAK2_WsRxz0JA65vEqysDUUTT9x2lYEBUmFD4OAmXQ4HGy2PKkzAiTpsI/s400/winterfairISC110.jpg"/></a></div>
("Winter Fair Building," #110.)
<p>
Another good, downtown view is the end of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2018/01/trade-cards-and-postcards-putting-word.html">the Bell Piano & Organ factory</a>, seen from the old Grand Trunk train station, today the city bus depot downtown. The photo gives a good impression of the bulk of the building, which was meant to dominate the old market square and train station. Beneath the near facade is the street sprayer, a wagon drawn by two horses and carrying a big barrel of water that was sprayed onto the dirt streets in the summer in order to keep the dust down. To the upper left is the clock tower, perhaps the oldest illuminated clock dial in Canada. Alas, the building burned to the ground in 1945 and the site is now a parking lot for the Royal Inn and Suites.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ_yCZpTeHO2iVRU6ipWPd-ybFJIwvRJHkAbO0bnxpV8Ziq0kvuIU3Ovuh9oPxuRpf0ZV5xC9MK5XeBGumkokTkammsiiWv8M1OYMuovkjDyQ7h56BjtegYJtt_cachyLy1MoXgUH8ZHBn8ylVv9sTgPfOtgfmTjRN1CkcegmJvoLaF2uJl644aHDP5g/s2475/bellpianoISC122.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1595" data-original-width="2475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ_yCZpTeHO2iVRU6ipWPd-ybFJIwvRJHkAbO0bnxpV8Ziq0kvuIU3Ovuh9oPxuRpf0ZV5xC9MK5XeBGumkokTkammsiiWv8M1OYMuovkjDyQ7h56BjtegYJtt_cachyLy1MoXgUH8ZHBn8ylVv9sTgPfOtgfmTjRN1CkcegmJvoLaF2uJl644aHDP5g/s400/bellpianoISC122.jpg"/></a></div>
("Bell Piano and Organ Co.," #122.)
<p>
Another interesting view is the one below of the side of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-prison-farm-and-eramosa-river.html">the Ontario Reformatory</a>, popularly known in the day as the "Prison farm." The view was taken from the bluff at the back of what used to be the Turfgrass Institute. In the foreground is the Guelph Junction Railway while the three-span concrete bridge over the Eramosa River lies in the middle ground. The bridge was built from limestone from the on-site quarry and using prison labour. The prison buildings themselves lie in the background, making this card one of the few showing the Reformatory that do not feature the buildings themselves up close.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYubcNVUaTDdJbVk1kIPqgnWd6YVw3LgTnlJhh-WhBIT5yPCLXxsvMdL4RHtMPNOzHkJHGWseorwonEWdpAy-5kJJkDGysNVO5sQ9LzHO-7nlfIetfZrK7A1D7RKHuXeGOuUKb3QYAFx_nGfzatPI6W5yWl2zDOE1WjIfNJjWCesHokYDES_6xbKyOyVs/s1614/bridge-isc.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYubcNVUaTDdJbVk1kIPqgnWd6YVw3LgTnlJhh-WhBIT5yPCLXxsvMdL4RHtMPNOzHkJHGWseorwonEWdpAy-5kJJkDGysNVO5sQ9LzHO-7nlfIetfZrK7A1D7RKHuXeGOuUKb3QYAFx_nGfzatPI6W5yWl2zDOE1WjIfNJjWCesHokYDES_6xbKyOyVs/s400/bridge-isc.jpg"/></a></div>
("Prison Farm," #178.)
<p>
One of the features of the ISC cards is that there are sometimes multiple views of a given building or site. Such collections of views can provide an impression of a place that would not be possible with a single image—and also would help to sell multiple cards!
<p>
One such set in Guelph is of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/05/central-school.html">the old Central School</a>. The school lies along the shoulder of the drumlin that is topped by <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-church-of-our-lady.html">the Church of Our Lady</a>, just one block away. With its prominent site and tall belfry, the old Central School seems to have been intended to leave a strong visual impression on anyone looking around from the downtown, and competing for visual profile with the neighbouring church. The old Central School was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by the current, one-storey structure.
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("Central School," #173, looking along what is now Commercial street from Norfolk street.)
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("Central School," no number, looking from Cambridge street across Dublin street—the opposite facade to the one above.)
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("Guelph Model School," #142, seen from the south along Cambridge street.)
<p>
It was certainly an imposing structure!
<p>
Naturally, many of the ISC cards feature sites on the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), now the site of the University of Guelph. For present purposes, I will feature views of <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/maps/locations/massey-hall">Massey Hall & Library</a>. The story has it that OAC President James Mills happened upon Walter Massey, head of the farm implement giant, on a Toronto streetcar and persuaded him to fund construction of a campus library. Thus did this charming structure come into being!
<p>
As with many ISC images, the main entrance of Massey Hall & Library can be seen behind a number of trees and elegantly-dressed ladies walking the path from the OAC garden.
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("Massey Hall and Library, O.A.C.," #176.)
<p>
Below is a view of the Hall from the reverse angle, looking along the entry lane from what is now Gordon street. <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/maps/locations/jd-maclachlan">The MacLaghlan Building</a> is more in the foreground on the right, with the Main Building (where Johnston Hall now stands) behind on the left.
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("Massey Hall and Library, O.A.C.," #108.)
<p>
The third card with the same caption returns us to the uphill side of the Hall but further down what is now "Winegard Walk". Here, it appears that some sort of open-air lecture is underway, with the audience sitting in rapt attention on the bank of <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2023/07/fire-water-and-flowers-rose-bowl-at-oac.html">the College reservoir</a>. No photographer on the OAC campus could resist the reflections afforded by this artificial pool!
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("Massey Hall and Library, O.A.C.," #173.)
<p>
The University of Guelph has produced the following short video relating the story of the Hall:
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One of the real treats contained in the ISC set of Guelph are the many pictures from <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2015/09/old-home-week-1913-photos.html">Old Home Week, 1913</a>. Old Home Week, also known as the Old Boys' Reunion, was a city-wide party for residents and former residents. The first installment was the Old Home Week 1908, the second was the Old Home Week 1913, while the third occurred in the Royal City's centennial year, 1927. ISC postcards of the 1913 event are the only images of that installment that I am aware of. The cards are characterized by decorated buildings, people milling about, parades, and events in <a href="https://guelph.ca/park/exhibition-park/">Exhibition Park</a>. A few selected images will give an appropriate impression.
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This card shows a crowd of well-heeled ladies and gentlemen disembarking from a train at the CPR station and making their way through Trafalgar Square towards the downtown. A small omnibus waits by the station's front entrace. It is labelled, "Hotel New Wellington." The actual Hotel New Wellington was only a stone's throw away but the omnibus may have been handy for passengers who arrived with a lot of luggage. The site is today the location of the Trafalgar Square apartments on Cardigan street.
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("C.P.R. Station," #136.)
<p>
The Grand Trunk railway station (now the VIA station) was also the entry/departure point for many participants in the Old Home Week. In the card below, a train can be seen in the background while people mill about the entrance and the intersection of Wyndham and Carden streets in the foreground. At the front entrance to the station can, once again, be seen the Hotel New Wellington Omnibus. Those must have been busy days for the bus driver! Also doing a good business was the city's peanut vendor, whose cart, I believe, is the focus of attention on the street corner in the centre of the image. Bags of roasted peanuts were a common street snack in those days, and passengers probably arrived with an appetite, not to mention money in their pockets.
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("G.T.R. Station," #190.)
<p>
The actual Hotel New Wellington itself is featured in the card below. It is suitably dressed up for the occasion. In the foreground is a sandwich board and overhead sign for <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2016/02/frederick-bogardus-and-his-pharmacies.html">the Bogardus Pharmacy</a>, which had a storefront facing the corner of Wyndham and Woolwich street in those days.
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("Hotel New Wellington," #139.)
<p>
There are also many scenes of parades in the set. I include the one below, looking up Wyndham street towards St. George's Square, because the caption actually names the event shown in the image, instead of referring to the places or buildings in the background.
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("Old Boy's Home Week at Guelph," #111.)
<p>
A number of pictures show crowds in Exhibition Park but the one below is the best (at least of those that I know of at present). At the right is the grandstand, roughly where Hastings Stadium is now, overlooking the track where many racing events and parades were held. To the left are many cars, which were parked in the park for the day. In the background were some of the Exhibition buildings, including the unusual octagonal barn.
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("Exhibition Grounds," #127.)
<p>
For a final Old Home Week card, I cannot resist one of my Guelph favourites, which shows a woman guiding what I suppose are her young daughters across Woolwich street towards the Hotel New Wellington. Nice outfits! Also, the picture features an interesting composition, with the three figures in the foreground on the right of centre that balance out the dramatic fall and rise of Eramosa road in the background to the left of centre. Very deliberate photography!
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("Eramora [sic] Road," #121.)
<p>
I will finish by giving a few examples of characteristic street scenes. One of the quirks of the ISC set of Guelph is the photographer's affection for scenes with people walking towards or (more often) away from the camera.
<p>
The example below is a card of two gentlemen in fashionable straw boaters striding up Delhi street, which the viewer can see was a dirt road at the time. Their retirement into the middle layer of the composition animates the picture in away that a simple picture of the sidewalk could not.
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("Delhi St.," #181)
<p>
The locations seems to be near the intersection with Eramosa Road, with the house at address 34 Delhi in view at the left margin. Compare with the Street View image below.
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<p>
(Delhi street, June 2016; courtesy Google Street View.)
<p>
The scene below is Waterloo Avenue, with a woman walking down the sidewalk away from the camera, while a horse & wagon and a streetcar move along the street. Judging from the shadows, the view is looking eastward along the north side of the avenue. It is hard to say which crossroad is in the foreground.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_pEooJkR07xmkTde7y1FAaDZeXiH_LHd-1zRODp9VtsoxySQJvObyxYhRQa1GBi2Jra-JTKanq2MBPt32oGJAgYj-W-r56AashJ1DrtlRW3HIwnEf78olzfVOA7akcIBF2ZSnKwUejROaIg7XT7kz-OIH07ngJ0Mony-fpOHZWi5DWiNcRBjK6kC3Ko/s2541/waterlooISC115.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1595" data-original-width="2541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_pEooJkR07xmkTde7y1FAaDZeXiH_LHd-1zRODp9VtsoxySQJvObyxYhRQa1GBi2Jra-JTKanq2MBPt32oGJAgYj-W-r56AashJ1DrtlRW3HIwnEf78olzfVOA7akcIBF2ZSnKwUejROaIg7XT7kz-OIH07ngJ0Mony-fpOHZWi5DWiNcRBjK6kC3Ko/s400/waterlooISC115.jpg"/></a></div>
("Waterloo Ave.," #115.)
<p>
The penultimate view is of Woolwich street, the main thoroughfare leading north-west out of town. Two well-dressed ladies approach the camera along the sidewalk. A man on horseback rides down the street on the other side.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhCDkIZHo0sPaq7FfK3lXHDHqvjlBrb84mleq7_wuqNEFNmTGlzwN9wLyhgzu9PXLOH6uCS_sjVkmj-NFxVWktM2qw4aWe-hE-1CrqfZnBs_Rpn8EwtPYisc0aBcCgzAe_1cCRNCwDuMwx1RjjzMd2LZ79F3LNR6HPpIEojqe83tuzW5yhDHKoEtPlR8/s2475/woolwichISC145.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1595" data-original-width="2475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhCDkIZHo0sPaq7FfK3lXHDHqvjlBrb84mleq7_wuqNEFNmTGlzwN9wLyhgzu9PXLOH6uCS_sjVkmj-NFxVWktM2qw4aWe-hE-1CrqfZnBs_Rpn8EwtPYisc0aBcCgzAe_1cCRNCwDuMwx1RjjzMd2LZ79F3LNR6HPpIEojqe83tuzW5yhDHKoEtPlR8/s400/woolwichISC145.jpg"/></a></div>
("Woolwich Street," #145.)
<p>
It is difficult to be sure but my sense is that this picture is set just north of the First Baptist Church, looking towards the intersection with London Road in the distance. In that case, the intersection on the left side of the picture is Edwin street. Compare with the Street View image below.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1701999266416!6m8!1m7!1sWuRQHduaEKgDcNC7B027Yg!2m2!1d43.54940185858229!2d-80.25600029439941!3f318.77206489534234!4f-2.024761827532501!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
<p>
To conclude the tour, have a look at the image below. It shows two ladies and a young man—well turned out, of course—walking across <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-heffernan-street-bridge-short-span.html">the second Heffernan street footbridge</a> towards Queen street. It seems a fitting image on which to finish.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/080/2004.32.61.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="532" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/080/2004.32.61.jpg"/></a></div>
("Foot bridge," # not known. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/BD872A74-2165-4124-ACEB-380147986340">2004.32.61</a>.)
<p>
(As you may have guessed, I do not have a copy of this card in my collection—yet. For the postcard collector, there is always hope.)
<p>
Of course, there are many more excellent views in the ISC tour of the burgeois Royal City of 1913. The images are impressively composed and curated and form an appealing tour of the town, all the more poignant as it was, unknowingly, on the verge of the precipice of the Great War, which would change it profoundly.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Ian Robertson and Barb Henderson (2016) “The International Stationery Company of Picton, Ont.” <a href="https://torontopostcardclub.com/members/cardtalk/">Card Talk</a> v. 37, n. 2.)
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-13642522804259829432023-10-29T12:42:00.000-07:002023-10-29T12:42:28.569-07:00Joseph "Long Joe" Lawrence: Guelph's tallest manAs noted in the post about <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2023/09/old-home-week-1908-not-week-of-drinking.html">Guelph's Old Home Week 1908</a>, special attention was drawn to Joseph "Long Joe" Lawrence. As part of the burlesque parade, the townsfolk had prevailed on Johnson to dress up in a fine white dress and parasol and stroll the streets of Guelph to the amusement of all.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/089/200931.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="461" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/089/200931.jpg"/></a></div>
(Real photo postcard of "Long Joe" Lawrence in a white dress with parasol, parading through St. George's Square. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Musuems <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/09FFAE82-E3AE-41E8-A3DC-011712367320">2009.3.1</a>. The message on the back states, "This is the only one I have got left of Guelph Old Home week procession[.] it is a man standing seven feet in a lady dress representing a firm from Toronto" )
<p>
Being 6 feet, 11 inches tall, Joe Lawrence stood out. Thanks to his height, we have some more records about him than we might have otherwise.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZx6ZE2ItSSV7KIZJ0hQLZgrhFEVLVgirV8RXXHsxobP0u2nAQurQdd2TRoCKU2sunQLAgxyIg_9MEgdIyb2kyN7FEHA8-QQ5lmwZDGGn2O-H-60jlDl-_MSFzDSCfd3oGOJzbd6YcYTzp5Nwa3f8a6APs5Q1ojjWSa8L1T-G4JyA-kOK4Sixy8pbY1w/s644/ohwstsqB.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="644" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZx6ZE2ItSSV7KIZJ0hQLZgrhFEVLVgirV8RXXHsxobP0u2nAQurQdd2TRoCKU2sunQLAgxyIg_9MEgdIyb2kyN7FEHA8-QQ5lmwZDGGn2O-H-60jlDl-_MSFzDSCfd3oGOJzbd6YcYTzp5Nwa3f8a6APs5Q1ojjWSa8L1T-G4JyA-kOK4Sixy8pbY1w/s320/ohwstsqB.jpg"/></a></div>
(Real photo postcard view from the Post office/Customs house of a parade marching through St. George's Square. Note Joe Lawrence in a dress in the foreground and a marching band following him. A hand-written message on the front states, "scenes during Old Home week on main street, Guelph".)
<p>
For example, his obituary adds a bit of colour to its account of his statistics (Mercury, 20 January 1958):
<blockquote>
In Guelph he worked at Taylor-Forbes. He was a keen member of the Canadian Legion and made a host of friends with whom he kept up a regular correspondence. When he last made a visit to Guelph, in 1955, he complained that the dry air of the West had caused him to shrink half-an-inch—to a mere six feet 10 ½ inches. Blessed with a lively sense of humor he was a highlight in Guelph’s Old Home Week when he put on a disguise as a woman and he always claimed to be unbestable at cribbage.
</blockquote>
Lawrence was born on 9 December 1882 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partick">Partick</a>, a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. He immigrated to Canada in 1904 and settled in Guelph. He does not appear in the city directories of Guelph at that time. However, his <a href="https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=518730">Canadian Expeditionary Force attestation papers</a> note that he was a "mechanic," perhaps with the Taylor-Forbes company.
<p>
His papers also note that he had three years in the Wellington Rifles.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/002/1952x00127.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="617" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/002/1952x00127.jpg"/></a></div>
("Four Members of the Wellington Rifles," ca. 1907. Courtesy of the Guelph Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/873BD878-A849-4A81-985A-051549791370">1952X.00.127</a>. Guess which one is Joe Lawrence!)
<p>
It was in this connection that he first came to the notice of the press, to wit (Hamilton Evening Times, 23 Jun 1906):
<blockquote>
<b>Giant with appendicitis.</b><br>
<br>
London, Ont., June 22.—Pte “Long Joe” Lawrence, of Guelph, very thin, and seven feet nine inches tall, who is in the militia camp here, was taken to the hospital to-night with appendicitis. It is said there was not a cot long enough to accommodate the patient.
</blockquote>
Life in the militia seems to have agreed with Lawrence, as he grew 10 inches in the service!
<p>
Happily, the doctors found a suitably long operating table and his condition was treated successfully.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://saskcollections.org/swiftcurrent/media/sask_swiftriver/images/1/2/4/50777_ca_object_representations_media_12467_page.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="690" src="https://saskcollections.org/swiftcurrent/media/sask_swiftriver/images/1/2/4/50777_ca_object_representations_media_12467_page.jpg"/></a></div>
("Joseph J Lawrence (c.1913)." Courtesy of Swift Current Museum, <a href="https://saskcollections.org/swiftcurrent/Detail/objects/8341">2008.31.1</a>.)
<p>
In 1908, so not long after his seminal appearance in a dress during Old Home Week, Lawrence moved to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and joined the police. Once again, his unusual height brought him a press notice (Berlin News Record, 13 June 1912):
<blockquote>
<b>Canada’s biggest policeman</b><br>
<br>
Mr. Joe Lawrence, formerly of Guelph, but now of Calgary, stands 7 feet 2 inches and is the biggest policeman in Canada. He is in the employ of the C.P.R. and according to a letter addressed to his friend, Mr. Geo. Hubert of Galt, he is well pleased with his position. The tall figure of Mr. Lawrence used to be a familiar sight on Berlin streets before his emigration westward.
</blockquote>
The move out west seems to have reduced Lawrence towards his previous height. Was the dry air at work?
<p>
On 10 December 1915, Lawrence joined <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89th_Battalion_%28Alberta%29%2C_CEF">the 89th Battalion</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Expeditionary_Force">the Canadian Expeditionary Force</a> at its Calgary office. His occupation is listed as mechanic, which, it seems, was his job with the Swift Current police.
<p>
Lawrence's obituary mentions that he was a drill instructor, for which he qualified due to his previous service with Wellington Rifles. He may have had this job while in Alberta; it is not mentioned in his military record.
<p>
Lawrence sailed to England on 2 June 1916. His height did not fail to make an impression in the Old Country. An article in the Daily Mirror (<a href="https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19160825/047/0007">15 August 1916</a>), "Giant Canadian in the army," notes his stature and shows a photograph of Lawrence towering over two other soldiers, with his arms stretched out to his sides and over their heads.
<p>
[If anyone has a copy of this picture, do let me know!]
<p>
A subsequent item in the Berlin News Record (<a href="https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.N_00316_191609">14 September 1916</a>) raises the matter that must have occurred to many on hearing of his departure: "Local friends are wondering how Joe will manage to keep his head down when he gets to the trenches."
<p>
How indeed? Lawrence's obituary notes an irony: Despite his height, the only place the Germans got him was in the foot. His military medical record mentions a "wire cut" followed by trench foot late in 1916. There is no mention of enemy action, so it may be that it was the CEF that "got" him.
<p>
After a few operations and stays in hospital, Lawrence was struck off strength and demobilized back to Alberta, where he arrived in 1919.
<p>
Lawrence seems to have stayed in Calgary rather than returning to Swift Current. His mother Mary lived there, where she had immigrated in 1913, probably on the death of her husband. Agnes Lawrence (née Dawson) also appears in the Calgary census of 1921. I have not yet found a marriage record but Lawrence's military record mentions "Agnes Lawrence (wife)" as Joe's beneficiary on his final pay document in 1919, so that appears to be the year of their nuptuals.
<p>
Bucking the trend of men who had "gone west" in their youth, Joe Lawrence returned east to the Royal City with his new family in 1924, where he is listed as a mechanic with the Taylor-Forbes company. As was the case for many, his situation changed during the Great Depression, when his job became caretaker with the company of F.W. Jones & Son.
<p>
The family seems to have prospered, however. The Lawrences moved from rented apartments on Woolwich street to a house at 16 Havelock street, which remains in place today.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1698008748600!6m8!1m7!1sQDdqyn6LHb5qyjUR5DFTkg!2m2!1d43.55384056540804!2d-80.25212668066168!3f254.7046807155541!4f0.749877569276066!5f1.6164666473532776" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
<p>
In 1938, Joe's daughter Christina is listed as a hairdresser at the Ideal Beauty Parlour (or Shop or Salon), and his son James is listed as a driver for the Home Creamery Company in 1944. His wife Agnes died in 1943.
<p>
In 1945, Joe Lawrence is listed a machine operator with <a href="https://labouringallourlives.ca/the-pipe-mill-in-the-ward-the-page-hersey-tube-company/">the Page-Hersey Company</a>, a return to his former type of occupation. His address also changed to 156 Ontario street, a residence not unlike his former one though located near to his new employer in the Ward.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1698009087233!6m8!1m7!1sRfKW8SPvvSTHbhL84ZQY2A!2m2!1d43.54537138613061!2d-80.23421561766496!3f15.8873824702174!4f-2.656250240848948!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
<p>
In 1949, Lawrence went west once more, settling on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okotoks">Okotoks</a>, Alberta, where his daughter Christina appears to have moved after her marriage to a Mr. J.R. Aikins.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/153/20148478-2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="355" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/153/20148478-2.jpg"/></a></div>
("Joe Lawrence, Guelph's Tallest Man." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/69813F66-795A-4970-9140-861191396753">2014.84.78</a>. The photo appears to be dated August 1955 and shows Lawrence in uniform next to a much shorter man, also in uniform, standing in front of an Eaton's store in an unnamed city.)
<p>
Lawrence's last visit to Guelph came in 1955. It was celebrated in the Mercury with a photo of him between two "Mercury girls" standing on chairs so as to look him in the eye.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidc-Pdtol7FW_ikGoUwacsfGmHtRpkD9Ha6LDwWCU6K5wCLHqM0KPFtkn6gNrLCO6DVKEB5NKnrm6mdAJ-uL911UmWBzb6zS_qznjUGkSfSEmkhNpsoW7j6caaVVy4YF8g1KvGAiAjrVZcjXpRdABJweP-0sejDNYHJoPZfCjvM_6O9JUSSNy9hRy05xM/s482/jlawrence55.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidc-Pdtol7FW_ikGoUwacsfGmHtRpkD9Ha6LDwWCU6K5wCLHqM0KPFtkn6gNrLCO6DVKEB5NKnrm6mdAJ-uL911UmWBzb6zS_qznjUGkSfSEmkhNpsoW7j6caaVVy4YF8g1KvGAiAjrVZcjXpRdABJweP-0sejDNYHJoPZfCjvM_6O9JUSSNy9hRy05xM/s320/jlawrence55.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of "Scrapbook, Guelph History, Marion and Eleanor Ryan, 1950-1979," page 48. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/696BEA44-28F1-40E8-86D0-391664860300">2022.12.2</a>.)
<p>
The photographic record of Joe Lawrence certainly speaks to the enduring fascination with height in our culture.
<p>
Joseph "Long Joe" Lawrence was buried in what we may assume was a lengthy coffin in <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123541877/joseph-johnson-lawrence">the Union Cemetery</a> in Calgary. Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-88063013890112712032023-09-17T14:43:00.001-07:002023-09-17T14:43:13.769-07:00Old Home Week, 1908: Not a week of drinking and debaucheryIn his dispatch to The Globe newspaper, a reporter from the Big Smoke summarized the scene in Guelph on August 3, 1908, as follows:
<blockquote>
Every point in Canada and the United States where the old girls and boys have settled has been deflated of ex-Guelphites, and they may be found here, for this was the first day of the celebration in honor of former residents. How many thousands of visitors there are here it would not be possible to compute, but Mayor John Newstead said this was the biggest day in Guelph that he could remember. The visitors and citizens ranged at will all over the city and through the civic buildings and homes; in fact, in the Exhibition Park, the chief point of interest, they roamed in such numbers that it was almost impossible for one to make a way through the crowd.
</blockquote>
What occasioned this invasion? It was Guelph's Old Home Week, 1908.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Frank_West_Rollins.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="488" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Frank_West_Rollins.jpg"/></a></div>
(Frank Rollins, Governor of New Hampshire 1899–1901. Courtesy of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_W._Rollins#/media/File:Frank_West_Rollins.jpg">Wikipedia.org</a>.)
<p>
As explained in my previous post about <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/07/old-home-week-1913-preparations.html">Guelph's Old Home Week 1913</a>, the festival got it's start in New Hampshire in 1899. Governor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_W._Rollins">Frank Rollins</a> instituted a week long, state-wide wing-ding with a number of objectives, the principal ones being to assert the status of northern New England as the essential component of the region, and to stimulate a burgeoning tourist industry there.
<p>
Brown (1997) points out that migration of residents away from rural, northern New England for the big cities of Boston, etc., or points west, had left the area somewhat detached from the rest of the region and country, leaving it with a reputation as a backwater. A nostalgic mass return of former resident to the "Old Home" would reconfirm its importance and, more generally, the role of rural life that it exemplified as an antidote to the moral and cultural environment (Rollins would say "decline") associated with city living.
<p>
At the same time, Old Home Week would help to establish rural New England as a recreational destination for big city folks and their money. With agricultural productivity in relative decline, a new source of income would be welcome and, Rollins thought, tourism was it.
<p>
New Hampshire's 1899 Old Home Week was a smashing success and the idea spread like wildfire throughout neighbouring regions, including the Maritimes, Quebec, and Ontario. Soon, the President of the Canadian Club of Boston wrote a letter to the editor of The Globe (15 June 1901) urging that Canada get in on the act and assuring officials that Ontarians abroad would relish the chance to revisit their old haunts.
<p>
The idea of a province-wide (or nation-wide) Old Home Week understandably proved too unwieldy but individual cities soon got in on the act. By 1905 (Evening Mercury, 25 August), locals were writing letters to Guelph newspapers reporting on the Old Home Weeks of nearby towns and cities. Not to be left behind, the powers-that-be in the Royal City kicked the idea around.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1zsVwy522NeQN9V54j3moB4CqwGviPJoUMwi8F59U15bNWnqnmlBCuxTeOuGxeyJRXZdqNo-QwPdOo2ceIXXeAm5V2BcLAVFZEbe5TopcJiEibVqlGvpYE4O0Ja7SJiAKeYjrKvAlab5hAmYSxLqkxVjJ5r-mPEsCzjtVm65TW9ok3i8MsaWT1NFBB0/s793/ohwExec.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="793" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1zsVwy522NeQN9V54j3moB4CqwGviPJoUMwi8F59U15bNWnqnmlBCuxTeOuGxeyJRXZdqNo-QwPdOo2ceIXXeAm5V2BcLAVFZEbe5TopcJiEibVqlGvpYE4O0Ja7SJiAKeYjrKvAlab5hAmYSxLqkxVjJ5r-mPEsCzjtVm65TW9ok3i8MsaWT1NFBB0/s320/ohwExec.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of "Guelph's Old Home Week Executive Committee," from "The Royal City of Canada, Guelph and Her Industries / Souvenir Industrial Number of the Evening Mercury of Guelph, Canada." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/C451CE3A-30AB-4B32-98DF-212538905040">1974.15.7</a>.)
<p>
In 1907, talk turned into action. An Old Home Week committee was formed and planning began (Mercury, 14 September). A gaggle of subcommittees were formed to handle the challenging task, including Finance, Transportation, Decoration, Publicity, Sports, Music, Reception, and Parade. Dates were set for the civic holiday week of the next year: August 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, 1908.
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Various postcards were created for residents to send out as invitations. This postcard provides a helpful form with blanks to fill in and even a picture of someone doing so, just to be clear. The invitee is "Old Pal James," who is identified on the back as Jas. Cowan of Grimsby. The message on the back reads:
<blockquote>
Oh I wish you were here now. You could work day and night, the electricians are so busy for Old Home Week. How long will you you be down then. I might slide down to see you. However will expect [you] Old Home Week.
</blockquote>
Electrians were indeed busy, preparing to light the Royal City up like never before.
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This "Welcome Old Boys" cards was another popular publicity item, also demonstrating the male orientation of the event. However, the Old Girls were welcome too, as demonstrated by the message:
<blockquote>
Guelph, July 12/08 // Dear Amabel. how are you today and have you completely recovered[?] be sure and come up for old home week and we’ll sleep outside in a tent. We expect to have a great time. Guelph is buying up all the flags and bunting in Ontario[.] Lots of fireworks too. Bye Bye Cousin Helda
</blockquote>
Both the above postcards are stamped "Daly's // Guelph, Ont." on the back, likely meaning they were sold at Daly's News and Cigar store on Wyndham street.
<p>
One of the early concerns was trying to land a prominent figure to help attract visitors. Initially, it was hoped that the Prince of Wales (later <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V">George V</a>) might drop in. HRH would be in the country at the time and he was a Guelphite—well, a member of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-guelph-treasure.html">the house of Guelph</a> after whom the city was named. Alas, it was not to be: The King's secretary politely informed the Committee that the Prince's tour would be confined to Quebec.
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("Rear Admiral Charles E. Kingsmill (1855–1935), in naval uniform, ca. 1908." Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="https://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/Archive/78336F61-F41A-4F4B-BB4D-470635501995">A2002.54</a>, ph. 16831.)
<p>
However, the Committee got a positive reply from another prominent former Guelphite, <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/kingsmill_charles_edmund_16E.html">Admiral Charles Kingsmill</a>. Kingsmill was born and raised in the Royal City but left age the tender age of 14 to join the Royal Navy. To make a long story short, he served in every corner of the British Empire and climbed the ranks right into the senior echelons. In 1906, he was captain of the battleship <i>Dominion</i>, named for the Dominion of Canada and sent there on a tour to show the flag. The ship ran aground during the tour, resulting in a reprimand for Kingsmill. Even so, he was appointed a Rear Admiral in 1908 and was tapped by the Canadian government with the (unenviable) task of organizing a Canadian navy. In brief, Kingsmill was about as well-known and highly-regarded figure as was likely to attend Old Home Week. One can only imagine the joy with which the organizers received his acceptance of their invitation.
<p>
Besides having a star attraction, Old Home Week organizers needed to assist thousands of former Guelphites and well-wishers in making their way to the Royal City. Associations of ex-Guelph people were formed in cities throughout Canada and the United States. Negotiations with the railways resulted in special trains that brought people hence to their old haunts. One of the largest such associations was the ex-Guelphites Association of Toronto, which held meetings and publicized the event in the Queen City. This connection was much assisted and cultivated by the Guelph Committee. Other cities where ex-Guelphites formed associations for the event included Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Detroit, and Cleveland.
<p>
By mid-July, the effort to dress the city up for the event was in full swing. Naturally, there would be banners and bunting of all description on display. Most exciting was the plan to illuminate Wyndham street from end-to-end with electric lights. Since the power grid drawing juice from Niagara Falls did not yet exist, Guelph had to look to the output of its own generators. Representatives of the Light and Power company surveyed local businessess to determine their requirements and to identify whose power could be cut off: Given the system's limitations, bathing downtown in electric light would mean plunging other city sectors into darkness for the duration (Mercury, 18 July 1908).
<p>
(The subtitle of this article is a hoot: "Electric fluild to be conserved." Was this really a reference to the already-outdated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_theory_of_electricity">fluid theory of electricity</a>? Or, was it simply an expression, like "turning on the juice" is today?)
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(Souvenir postcard of The Electrical Building, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. Courtesy of <a href="http://www.chicagopostcardmuseum.org/images/19th_century/1893_Worlds_Columbian_Electrical_Building_F.png">the Chicago Postcard Museum</a>.)
<p>
Nye (2022) explains that illuminations were very signficant to American cities. In days of yore, torchlight processions and the like were hallmarks of special celebrations and elite occasions. With the advent of gas and then electric lighting, the scope of illuminations to demarcate special places and events increased. For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition">The World's Columbian Exposition</a> in Chicago in 1893 was lit up prodigiously with electric lighting and featured a whole Electricity Building dedicated to the technology's bright future.
<p>
The delight experienced by Guelphites with their own electric promenade was palpable. The Guelph Musical Society Band was engaged to play a concert on the night of 24 July during the time the illumination was first tested. A large crowd gathered in the street for the final test on 1 August.
<p>
Finally, the carnival of Old Home Week commenced. Decorations had been finalized, accommodations found, grand stands, tents, and light stands erected. Trains arrived at the stations, disgorging hundreds of visitors before heading off to bring more.
<p>
A typical day during the celebration began with dignitaries meeting trains of special visitors downtown, requiring official greetings along with speeches and music for the VIPs. An afternoon parade would lead celebrants from the (old) City Hall, up Wyndham, Woolwich, and London streets to the Exhibition Park. There would be a program of events centered on a given theme, held in the fields in the northern sector of the Park. Visitors also had the option of enjoying the midway and sideshows featured in southern area. These areas were fenced off and general admission was $1. After the official festivities concluded, another parade led those so inclined back downtown, perhaps to find their lodgings or their trains back home.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/155/201484460.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="552" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/155/201484460.jpg"/></a></div>
(Real photo postcard view of Lower Wyndham street as seen from the old City Hall. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/2A2168F9-683E-489E-984D-424719193280">2014.84.460</a>.)
<p>
Naturally, parades featured performances by musical bands. Guelph's Musical Society Band was consistently present but bands from home-comers' cities also took part. For example, on American Day (5 August), the Marine Band of Detroit led the parade, with the stars and stripes out front.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHULV1QSHJaq70ZjfMZjCy9CObvae8O0RKjUhn1V3YlZ5PPWOCOWLR7Et0Bg-LNGY7VzKZtdJTOWgw55HIoKNKI2Xq733yjV5f5GDN1vBpCaC3JyjOcgrHOpQyWSNXDlprbfAVsyq6T7DQccxmc0qqzADZLwq0sGAPh4BJPuQ0KUB1a8v9pJ1KHgDhJNU/s643/ohwLWyndA.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="643" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHULV1QSHJaq70ZjfMZjCy9CObvae8O0RKjUhn1V3YlZ5PPWOCOWLR7Et0Bg-LNGY7VzKZtdJTOWgw55HIoKNKI2Xq733yjV5f5GDN1vBpCaC3JyjOcgrHOpQyWSNXDlprbfAVsyq6T7DQccxmc0qqzADZLwq0sGAPh4BJPuQ0KUB1a8v9pJ1KHgDhJNU/s400/ohwLWyndA.jpg"/></a></div>
(Real photo postcard view of Lower Wyndham street looking towards St. George's Square. Interestingly, this postcard was sent through the mail in 1915.)
<p>
The day of 5 August featured burlesque bands. Perhaps the most memorable was the "Blea Rube Band" of Toronto, which performed a "Kiltie burlesque" (Mercury, 6 August):
<blockquote>
Yesterday they appeared in Highland costume very cleverly burlesqued and they used instruments on which they imitated the old Highland bagpipes in a style which would have deceived the best bred Scotsman that ever crossed the pond from the land of the heather. In addition they had painted themselves in the most grotesque manner, with heads and faces on their knees, etc.
</blockquote>
The local favorite was by far "Long Joe" ("alias Madam Le Haut"), local man Joe Lawrence, who sported a parasol and fashionable Parisian gown and who stood out at nearly 7 feet tall.
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(Real photo postcard of "Long Joe" Lawrence in a white dress with parasol, parading through St. George's Square. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Musuems <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/09FFAE82-E3AE-41E8-A3DC-011712367320">2009.3.1</a>. The message on the back states, "This is the only one I have got left of Guelph Old Home week procession[.] it is a man standing seven feet in a lady dress representing a firm from Toronto" )
<p>
One special feature of the 3 August parade was the appearance of a number of Guelph old-timers (Globe, 4 August). A yoke of four oxen carrying a load of wheat was driven by Mr. Wm. Healey, "who remembers the earliest days of the Guelph market." The wagon was itself an old relic, built 62 years previously and used by the Gow family of Fergus to move wheat to Guelph market square (Mercury, 1 August).
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(Real photo postcard, "Souvenir, Old Home Week, Guelph, 1908. In <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/D18E8DB5-4E35-4F17-B669-912193993600">a similar card</a>, the oxen are identified as Tom and Jerry.)
<p>
Naturally, sporting events featured prominently in the afternoons. There were competitions in lawn bowling, lacrosse, horse racing, and track and field. The most anticipated event was the baseball game between Eastern League rivals <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Maple_Leafs_%28International_League%29">the Toronto Maple Leafs</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_City_Skeeters">the Jersey City Skeeters</a>.
<p>
The game itself turned out poorly for the Canadian fans, with the Maple Leafs receiving a drubbing at the bats of the American team (Globe, 5 August):
<blockquote>
What the lowly Skeeters did to the champion Maple Leafs here to-day was cruel and almost criminal, and before a crowd of 8,000 Old Home week celebrants at that. The Mosquitoes—for it was an occasion which called for some politeness—thumped, hammered and slugged their way around the bases fourteen times in the seven innings before darkness mercifully put an end to the slaughter.
</blockquote>
The final score was 14–1.
<p>
On the bright side, the Maple Leaf's one run was a homer off the bat of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Cockman">Jimmie Cockman</a>, a Guelph Old Boy! Cockman had been born and raised in Guelph and excelled in baseball to the extent that he had a solid career with many professional teams. As captain, Cockman led <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Creams">the Milwaukee Creams</a> to the top of the Western League in 1903. In 1905, he was seconded to the New York Yankees by his Newark International League team, making him one of the few Canadians of the era to play in the American major leagues. He retired and returned to Guelph in 1912 but coached <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/04/guelph-is-now-baseball-mad-maple-leafs.html">the Guelph Maple Leafs</a> in their championship run in 1921.
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("James Cockman, Guelph's well-known professional player," The Canadian Century, v. 4, n. 13, 1911.)
<p>
At Cockman's first at-bat in the second inning, play was suspended and a brief ceremony held to honor the Royal City's famous son (Mercury, 5 August):
<blockquote>
The players of both teams formed a semi-circle around the popular third baseman, while Mr. Downey [local M.P.P.] acted as spokesman. In a few words, Mr. Downey stated that the many admirerers of Jimmie in the city had considered this a suitable time to show their esteem and admiration for that popular and very efficient player. He also referred to the fact that Guelph had been the birthplace of baseball in Canada.<br>
Mr. Morris then presented Mr. Cockman with a diamond ring, and the crowd gave three cheers and a tiger.
</blockquote>
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(Real photo postcard of St. George's Square from the middle of Lower Wyndham street. This image was the most commonly reproduced postcard of Old Home Week.)
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(Real photo postcard view from the Post office/Customs house of a parade marching through St. George's Square. Note Joe Lawrence in a dress in the foreground and a marching band following him. A hand-written message on the front states, "scenes during Old Home week on main street, Guelph".)
<p>
Another signal event for Old Home Week was the military tattoo. On the evening of August 5, crowds of people packed into the grandstands in Exhibition park to see the spectacle. The conditions were excellent (Mercury, 6 August):
<blockquote>
A dark, still night, not very warm, with a gentle breeze blowing steadily. The colored lights placed along the fence and the edge of the track cast a lurid glow over the track, throwing into relief the soldiers and bandsmen as they marched past, and sillouetting darkly the crowd in the background.
</blockquote>
The bands stood poised at the north end of the park. At the signal, the Guelph band marched forth, down the track and past the grand stands, under the baton of Drum-Major Fairburn. The hometown crowd cheered with excitement.
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("Captain Walter Clark," ca. 1900, veteran of the Crimean War and drill instructor of the Guelph Cadets. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FE20D908-3CB8-420F-85DD-785091905919">Grundy 3</a>.)
<p>
Next followed the bands from Preston, Berlin (now Kitchener), and Goderich. Following them were the formations of troops and then the cadets, under the direction of Captain Walter Clark.
<p>
Following this was a prodigous fireworks display. At first, sparkling lights produced a portrait of King Edward, accompanied by the national anthem played by bands and three volleys fired by the Wellington Riflemen. Then followed a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, which prompted an ovation.
<p>
The finale comprised an all-in burst of colour and noise that took the crowd's (and the reporter's) breath away:
<blockquote>
Every variety of rocket was fired off in rapid succession. The air was literally full with glowing, flashing, rapidly-changing colors. There was a constant succession of glowing lights, bold color breaking into myriad [displays of] many colors, jumping rockets whirled and twisted with eccentric irregularity. “Maxim” or repeating rockets, fiery clouds which seemed charged with shifting rainbows. It was a gorgeous pyrotechnic display of such magnitude that the crowd literally held its breath while it lasted.
</blockquote>
The bands followed up with a few more selections and paraded back to downtown, followed by many of the excited specators.
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(Real photo postcard scene of an Old Home Week parade in St. George's square, conveying some of the excitement at street level.)
<p>
At the south end of the park was a midway, featuring attractions such as a Ferris Wheel, Merry-Go-Round, Electric Theatre, Fairies in the World, Coney Island at Night, Darkness and Dawn, etc. In a tent labelled "The Train Wreckers," one could see <i>moving</i> pictures!
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pPjeTY8UVvg?si=NyvoC1MAHHvYXU-b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Train_Wreckers">The train wreckers</a> was the title of a hit short film from the Edison Company, 1905. It features one of <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/rethinking-the-origins-of-the-damsel-on-the-railroad-tracks">the few actual cases on film</a> of villians trying to do away with a girl by leaving her on railroad tracks. Watch for the trick photography during the rescue scene!
<p>
Naturally, there was a so-called freak show. One freak performer was "Rattlesnake Joe," AKA Mr. J.H. Wilson, who was immune to reptile venom. His act was to handle a menagerie of poisonous snakes, which he allowed to bite him on the arms, chest and even his tongue (Mercury, 6 August)! Amazingly, he seemed none the worse for wear.
<p>
Then there were two "fat boys," weighing over 600 lbs between them, who engaged in boxing matches, using gloves. There were also three snakes, of a combined length of more than 100 ft., an untameable ape, and a two-headed fetus preserved in alcohol. The curious could attend lectures on any or all of these subjects.
<p>
Special performers were also employed to please the crowd between the main attractions. For example, there was the Dare Devil Dash, in which Professor Zavaro peddled his bicycle madly down a 100 ft. ramp, vaulted a wide chasm, turned around in mid-air and, leaping from his ride, dived into a vat of water. This is a feat beyond most university professors. Was Zavaro on sabbatical?
<p>
Perhaps from the same institution came Professor Tardini, the balloonist. His vocation was staging balloon ascensions accompanied by fireworks displays aloft. After this, Tardini would descend back to mother earth using a parachute.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/055/198618153.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="319" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/055/198618153.jpg"/></a></div>
(A real photo postcard featuring a man and woman looking at the camera through a cut-out backdrop of a balloon with gondola. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/FB441D22-506C-457D-AE1D-423203511527">1986.18.153</a>. This appears to be an homage to Professor Tardini's balloon. It was likely taken in a photographer's studio in town.)
<p>
Tardini's balloon had difficulty in rising to the occasion. The wind was too high in the afternoon of 5 August to permit him to fill his gas bag. However, conditions improved and he was able to ascend and provide an aerial fireworks show that evening. An intriguing aspect of Tardini's setup was that his balloon was filled with "real gas" rather than hot air. If this means hydrogen, then the Professor was even more brave—or more foolish—than he seems at first. I can only think he was not a professor of chemistry.
<p>
Most impressive were the performances of the Kishizuna Japanese acrobatic troupe. Their performance is not described in detail but it was praised as "easily the best attraction on the grounds and has proven well worth the money expended by the committee" (Mercury, 6 August).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilbN3UjuJxT1E3D3ld5u8nyawlu1wd1dhi-1nRRUeuU9Pt83PMfVv2AnObd6DwHvF8ztpyerVdj2BE5hrTAh9ljDYnPJM0p7sr8wbiWwf6qFokW1wQMJGp_8yvOO6xgGgkMLdX-1WMytDw9zaUE5ZNyC3TxKzWH7eLYG3j1kyrVt9KwO_YAQPj76j3hs/s1605/8f9ac265dda9f8c05e9aea155f977cec.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilbN3UjuJxT1E3D3ld5u8nyawlu1wd1dhi-1nRRUeuU9Pt83PMfVv2AnObd6DwHvF8ztpyerVdj2BE5hrTAh9ljDYnPJM0p7sr8wbiWwf6qFokW1wQMJGp_8yvOO6xgGgkMLdX-1WMytDw9zaUE5ZNyC3TxKzWH7eLYG3j1kyrVt9KwO_YAQPj76j3hs/s400/8f9ac265dda9f8c05e9aea155f977cec.jpg"/></a></div>
("Kishizuna Imperial Japanese Troupe," ca. 1910, postcard publisher unknown. Courtesy of "<a href="https://www.hippostcard.com/store/aboveall">aboveall</a>" via HipPostcard.com")
<p>
No detailed account of the Kishizuna act is given but it may have featured elements like those recorded in a short film by "Japanese Acrobats" (1913):
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vtkv80heL4c?si=Kp43LI5ep60HDINf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
("Japanese Acrobats," 1913. Courtesy of the British Film Institute National Archive, via Friends of the British Film Institute.)
<p>
One of the more intriguing aspects of accounts of the 1908 Old Home Week were descriptions of how orderly it was. One might expect a week-long wing-ding to be the occasion of some overzealous revelry. That was not the Police Magistrate's opinion, however. "I am agreeably surprised and pleased with the manner in which the large concourse of people have conducted themselves in the city during the Old Home Week," Justice Saunders remarked (Mercury, 6 August).
<p>
There were not infrequent cases of drunkness, of course, but these were handled discretely by police, who put simply put inebriated celebrants in holding cells until they sobered up, at which point they were decanted. So, it seems that good order was kept in part by bending the usual concept of what was considered orderly.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/139/20143320.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="264" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/139/20143320.jpg"/></a></div>
("Ancient Order of Pole Climbers - Old Home Week Ribbon." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/5A938F63-E90E-40DF-B691-292722058516">2014.33.20</a>.)
<p>
It seems the police were more interested in assaults and thefts, of which there were not many. The only issue on this count was a young man who threatened to shoot someone and was found in possession of a loaded revolver. As this person had no license to carry a firearm in the city, he was fined $8.50 or one month in jail.
<p>
Still, the police blotter could hardly convey the experience of being on Wyndham street during the carnival. The account of the Mercury's own reporter must be our guide ("Confusion reinged," 6 August):
<blockquote>
Bedlam let loose could not present more madmen than did Wyndham street last night after the return of Ralph Humphries’ “Illustrated” parade from the park. The old town, sober, quiet, old Guelph aroused itself in earnest. Everybody was just crazy with joy, falling over themselves and everybody else in their efforts to have a good time—and they were having it, too. There has never been anything the likes of it before in the old burg, and visitors from afar would last night have had recourse to the old saying that “a thing must be seen to be believed.” To describe anything that happened would be an impossibility. Everything that could happen occurred, and it was occurring all the time. From end to end the street was filled with a joyous, yelling jovial crowd of the best humored people ever gathered together. Anything went with crowd, and everything was taken in the spirit in which it was given with freedom and good spirit.<br>
At ten o’clock the fun was officially commenced, and The Mercury still awaits reports as to when it was concluded. No matter how late or how early it was when people left the town, they had the opinion that they were missing something. At two o’clock this morning the lights were put out, but the fun did not discontinue until a long time after that. Throughout the several hours of fun there was not the least let-up at any time. Everybody appeared to be tireless, and the mob rushed from end to end of the street, howling, yelling, cheering and throwing everything at everybody “without fear or favor.”<br>
Of all the games of the street last night, there was nothing so popular with the mob as the merry go round. To the majority of the readers there is no need to explain the principle of the game. They have experienced it, and know what it is. But it may be explained that the merry go round consists of the old time bull in the ring game. The innocent cause of the trouble, who may be standing on the street with his lady friends, is suddenly surrounded by a bunch of hooting, yelling lunatics and for the next few minutes they have the opinion that they are in the centre of a cyclone. But the storm soon passes to another quarter of the street, and no one is the worse for the experience.<br>
Another popular form of lunacy last night was the flying wedge, which worked on the principle of the rotary snow plow, and had the effect of clearing the street with a rapidity that would have done credit to the Guelph police force. At the ends it worked with the same effect as crack-the-whip and woe to the man who got in the way.<br>
Half a dozen wagon trucks, etc., put in their appearance on the street at different times and were pulled from one end to the other in great style. One of these was put into intentional collision with the wagon of the peanut man, who thereupon decided to make for safer quarters, but the crowd were after him, and before he got half way across the square wagon, charcoal, peanuts and fire were distributed over the square in a very impartial manner.<br>
The fountain on St. George’s Square was the Mecca of many of the hoodlums. More than one was ducked. Some were thrown in bodily, while one unfortunate who was reposing on the stone coping was compelled to turn a graceful back somersault into the tank.<br>
Apparently under the delusion that he was in the holy water of the Ganges, a local tonsorial artist entered the dampened arena, and with the water to his knees commenced a parade in which he was given the undisputed proprietorship of the parade ground. He seemed to enjoy it immensely, and kept not all the pleasure to himself. He had a sponge which he attached to a string and by its aid was very successful in distributing shower baths upon the crowd.<br>
Ald. Humphries, the chairman de parades, was the hero of the night, and his appearance for the midnight parade was the signal for a general ovation. Everybody cheered for Humphries. He was the idol of the hour. On Upper Wyndham street despite considerable damage to his wearing apparel, he was hoisted to the shoulders of some of the enthusiastic ones and carried all the way down the street.
</blockquote>
Magistrate Saunders had said that the orderly conduct of citizens during the week "would convince those who had been opposed to the reunion that it was not a week of drinking and debauchery." Were they convinced?
<p>
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<p>
No city could operate under such conditions for very long. By the evening of 7 August, the festivities wound down and Guelph put her sober countenance back on. People flocked to the train stations to catch trains out of town. Decorations were removed and special lighting turned off. A number of people attended the final performance of the Kishizuna Troupe and took in "<a href="https://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/worlds-fair-music/item/865">The streets of Cairo</a>," curious to see a sideshow deemed objectionable by some of their fellow citizens. This piece was a vignette about a young girl on the mean streets of Cairo and had been composed and performed for the Chicago Columbian Exhibition in 1893, where it was a hit. It featured a belly dance known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoochie_coochie">the hoochie-koochie</a>, which was probably the most objectionable part. The tune remains one of those old melodies widely recognized today but whose origin most have forgotten.
<p>
With these last, few performances over, the tents were taken down and the performers departed for their next gigs. Guelph became its old self. As the Mercury (8 August) put it:
<blockquote>
Where on the previous night riots reigned where the air was filled with confetti and talcum powder and funny noises, last night reigned the silence and quietude of a quiet city.
</blockquote>
Old Home Week 1908 was over. Was it a success? Fiscally, the Reunion Committee expected a small deficit. However, most everyone had had a grand time and were not concerned if the affair did not quite break even.
<p>
It is unclear that Guelph had demonstrated the superiority of small town Ontario culture or morals. Nor is it clear that the Royal City had set itself up as a tourist Mecca. Still, citizens could be satisifed that their city had come a long way since its foundation, and that it could put on a blast to compare with those of any of its neighbours.
<p>
Already, there was talk of mounting another Old Home Week.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/028/19781657.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="200" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/028/19781657.jpg"/></a></div>
("Guelph Old Home Week souvenir pin." Courtesy Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/B3677F0A-505F-4CF1-95C1-884912231374">1978.165.7</a>.)
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li>Brown, D. (1997). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/31009743">Inventing New England: Regional tourism in the nineteenth century</a>. Smithsonian Institution.
<li>Nye, D. E. (2022). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/993134378">American illuminations: urban lighting, 1800–1920</a>. MIT Press.
</ul>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-71114480630688826142023-09-03T12:44:00.007-07:002023-09-16T12:37:46.640-07:00Guelph in Postcards surpasses 250,000 views!The blog has recently surpassed the quarter-million mark in unique views (and that's not counting mine)! It's very gratifying to know that people have taken an interest in Guelph in postcards. Thanks for watching—more is on the way soon.
<p>
While yours truly prepares the next post, the blog and its author appear in the following Guelph history & art series, based on <a href="https://artgalleryofguelph.ca/exhibition/alison-norlen-armatures-and-imaginaries/">the art of Allison Norlen</a> currently on exhibition at <a href="https://artgalleryofguelph.ca">the Art Gallery of Guelph</a>. Check out the gallery and the posts below.
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwjBJh-pr75/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwjBJh-pr75/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwq1nAJpeGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwq1nAJpeGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyMMV3P9ZT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyMMV3P9ZT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw8GnszOWAy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw8GnszOWAy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw_bhwnpCQp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw_bhwnpCQp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw_bhwnpCQp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) (@agguelph)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<hr>
BTW, yes, there is a postcard to celebrate the occasion, thanks to <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/systems-design-engineering/profile/mjborlan">Matt Borland</a> and the creative community of the Systems Design (SYDE) Department of the University of Waterloo and their awesome, hand-crafted art:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9aJHvcCGPUMgRRjBa1BHfIZU0R1XI_Y8F0NHT76r4ZnMpC_PcSME7zT1jNk507J2lNvoz0OFD1xw_5ezWOv1IaT_64dyJyxxdyfTaDyE9WW-hQnsht5CC-pV14MGoTO8kgusH5HUTucMPkiMgV6Bl2msfpnZ5Hcg9gWi4PY4UpZSt76M3uOMXuD11WA/s1786/sydePC.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9aJHvcCGPUMgRRjBa1BHfIZU0R1XI_Y8F0NHT76r4ZnMpC_PcSME7zT1jNk507J2lNvoz0OFD1xw_5ezWOv1IaT_64dyJyxxdyfTaDyE9WW-hQnsht5CC-pV14MGoTO8kgusH5HUTucMPkiMgV6Bl2msfpnZ5Hcg9gWi4PY4UpZSt76M3uOMXuD11WA/s320/sydePC.jpg"/></a></div>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-39353359909967523172023-08-11T14:46:00.000-07:002023-08-11T14:46:26.374-07:00Gow's bridgeWe tend to think of bridges as keeping people dry when they cross over rivers. For the most part, this is true but not always. At its inception, what Guelphites call <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5518">Gow's bridge</a> today reminded its makers of this fact (Mercury, 1 Sep 1897):
<blockquote>
Got a ducking.<br><br>
City Engineer Hutcheon was inspecting the new stone bridge at Gow’s dam yesterday. Mr. D. Keleher, the contractor, and Mr. J.K. Weeks were along with him. They got on to a rather rickety scaffold. It gave way, and the three men were plunged into six feet of water. Then there was a scramble for the shore. Keleher, it is said, floated on one of the broken planks until it struck on an obstruction and saved him from being floated over the dam. The trio got a good ducking, but nevertheless went on with the inspection of the bridge, if not with the same eagerness, with far more carefulness.
</blockquote>
The scaffolding was intended to help laborers to build the bridge. In the absence of safety regulations, these structures could be rather unsound, as the inspector was here reminded.
<p>
Gow's bridge is perhaps Guelph's most noted and picturesque bridge (though <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-heffernan-street-bridge-short-span.html">the Heffernan street bridge</a> is also in the running for that title). For this reason, no doubt, postcards of the bridge were quite popular in the Edwardian era.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b6a8I9BMtKC8toF30lPd1SSic8WVBYfHWmOWJt3fmatSA_1axpVNxflfUhrUwawagWddB5_KCoDlOFqTnTkkedzpDjrGzTE-VBxJGgkjSMTU2J0-LZEJ2uOfv_xL2hM7jIUCKVVuYq197rT6C2QSRh6mKtGAemPBh_joofbnOGDI7XwdfichF5SHG2k/s779/gowsbridgeA.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="779" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b6a8I9BMtKC8toF30lPd1SSic8WVBYfHWmOWJt3fmatSA_1axpVNxflfUhrUwawagWddB5_KCoDlOFqTnTkkedzpDjrGzTE-VBxJGgkjSMTU2J0-LZEJ2uOfv_xL2hM7jIUCKVVuYq197rT6C2QSRh6mKtGAemPBh_joofbnOGDI7XwdfichF5SHG2k/s400/gowsbridgeA.jpg"/></a></div>
("Gow's bridge, Guelph, Canada," published by <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/12/guelph-postcard-producers-waters-bros.html">Waters Bros.</a>, Guelph, ca. 1910.)
<p>
Technology scholar <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdon_Winner">Langdon Winner</a> is noted for arguing that technology can be "political" in the sense that it can enforce political goals. His most famous example is a set of bridges built by urban planner <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses">Robert Moses</a> over some Long Island parkways. These bridges were designed with low clearances, which had the effect of impeding the passage of buses beneath them. Moses's critics argued that this arrangement suited Moses, who didn't want busses to use the parkway because they were the main means that poorer New Yorkers, especially black ones, would use to reach public beaches up the coast from New York City, something that Moses viewed with disfavor. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses#Racism">The veracity of this argument</a> has been disputed but it illustrates how the design of technologies, such as bridges, might further particular political preferences.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/1/2/121755/C6-0-0-0-0-1168.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="750" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/1/2/121755/C6-0-0-0-0-1168.jpg"/></a></div>
(A print of the photograph from which the postcard above was made. It is labeled, "Gow's bridge, Guelph, ca. 1875." Of course, this date cannot be correct as the stone bridge was not built until 1897, as noted above. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/gows-bridge-5">C6-0-0-0-0-1168</a>.)
<p>
Gow's bridge was also "political," not because of its design but because of its location. As Johnson (1977, pp. 95–100) explains, Dundas Road (now Gordon street), the only main road leading south from Guelph, was operated by a Commission that charged tolls in order to recoup the costs of its construction and maintenance. In 1852, the Commission raised its toll charges substantially in order to stay in the black.
<p>
Of course, higher charges substantially raised the costs for Guelph businesses to ship their goods south to market.
<p>
To say that Guelphites reacted negatively to this development would be to put it mildly. Citizens attacked the integrity of the Commission in print and physically attacked the toll gate south of town. In order to break the monopoly that the Commission held in southward routes, the Town Council set out to build more bridges over the Speed River, so that teamsters transporting goods to the south could circumvent the Dundas Road bridge. Its first effort focussed on the foot of Wellington Street, which, at the time, was at the Gow property a little west of the Dundas Road.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXzMVPFwTH1Os4XIyS397O9BVI139xZM8S9gYFz0AxJjy__vTsDDrrTieIvr5nGrjjc-t2E0ggFYHQfW_R5Uss2y00CdltmbHDi6WY8YKjfsP7RTRzBi7yKi90V6VjiZPrgR4KUN4lPxcr-WOfqAfIfBvRMSNdHB-iavjPAFRu2h9cDd3N2wX_0HtsAY/s480/a028637.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXzMVPFwTH1Os4XIyS397O9BVI139xZM8S9gYFz0AxJjy__vTsDDrrTieIvr5nGrjjc-t2E0ggFYHQfW_R5Uss2y00CdltmbHDi6WY8YKjfsP7RTRzBi7yKi90V6VjiZPrgR4KUN4lPxcr-WOfqAfIfBvRMSNdHB-iavjPAFRu2h9cDd3N2wX_0HtsAY/s320/a028637.jpg"/></a></div>
("Hon. Peter Gow, Member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly for S. Wellington," ca. 1870; courtesy Library and Archives Canada/<a href="http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3216191&lang=eng">MIKAN 3216191</a>.)
<p>
<a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gow_peter_11E.html">Peter Gow</a> (1818–1886), owner of that property, had immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1842 and arrived in Guelph two years later. Following his father's profession, Gow set up a boot and shoe store in town. He went into partnership with his cousin James on the latter's arrival in 1851.
<p>
Ever the go-getter, Gow built a tannery, a woolen mill, an oatmeal mill, and a quarry on property he purchased on the shore of the Speed. (The property had a propitious history: In 1830, it was the site of a distillery built by one Andrew McVenn.) A dam was built to provide power for the mills, which became known as Gow's dam. The convenience of this site to the centre of Guelph, along with the presence of the mills and dam, probably explain why the Gow property was chosen as the site for Guelph's new, Commission-busting bridge.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbkw83ZJukgpqZK6teo5upo9Uo7IMtCNblDLYsFJ_JlvLe1m3oBWSLm0o8xrnvo6O1aUy4-NaRTwoQc65dWXbg8U7TPwHIeePYLsYoqpyEnUazNfvboDVkjmcBObjUsle77DV2_1hU5qqmDp1u6YJKtledVRWYnVHxb-RBMimFFroL_8as9ESatOKsVQ/s515/mapgow.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbkw83ZJukgpqZK6teo5upo9Uo7IMtCNblDLYsFJ_JlvLe1m3oBWSLm0o8xrnvo6O1aUy4-NaRTwoQc65dWXbg8U7TPwHIeePYLsYoqpyEnUazNfvboDVkjmcBObjUsle77DV2_1hU5qqmDp1u6YJKtledVRWYnVHxb-RBMimFFroL_8as9ESatOKsVQ/s400/mapgow.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of the map of Guelph from <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/977867354">the 1877 Atlas</a> showing Gow's bridge and properties where the west end of Wellington street intersected the Speed River. This section is today part of McCrae Boulevard.)
<p>
By the end of October, 1852, a bridge apparently sporting stone abutments and piers with a wooden superstructure spanned the Speed River, connecting Wellington street to the mean streets of Brooklyn, the section of Guelph on the river's south bank.
<p>
It seems that the new bridge, which was inevitably known as Gow's bridge (though sometimes called the Wellington street bridge), was a success.
<p>
Exposed to the elements as they are, particularly ice and floods, bridges tend to wear out and require periodic repair. When the maintenance bills come due is when we see how attached people are to their bridges (or other structures).
<p>
By 1872, Gow's bridge was in a "dangerous and dilapidated state" (Mercury, 4 June) and there were calls for its replacement. Helpfully, Wellington County chipped in $500 towards the project, evidently considering the structure an important regional asset. Plans were drawn up and tenders sought. However, at $1400, the lowest bid involved more money than the Town of Guelph wished to spend. Pivoting to Plan B, the town simply had the existing piers raised by a foot and a new wooden deck built. This project cost only about $650, which was much more to the council's liking.
<p>
A significant, though unintended, consequence of the presence of Gow's bridge was that it facilitated the practice of swimming or "bathing" in the river. There was a bylaw that prohibited bathing in the river near bridges, so the papers occasionally related stories of people who were caught in the act by authorities.
<p>
The perspective of the authorities is nicely conveyed in an article in the Mercury (5 August 1887), which lodges a complaint against the practice in general:
<blockquote>
<b>Bathing at Gow’s bridge</b>.<br><br>
Numerous are the complaints that are made about young men and boys bathing at Gow’s bridge in broad daylight and in the evening. They run around the bridge, and dive from the parapet as naked as the day they were born and the language they use is most offensive beyond imagination. Ladies living on the other side of the river, and whose direct road home is over this bridge, are compelled to walk around by Dundas bridge.
</blockquote>
Of course, to the perpetrators, what was shocking about this scenario was the behaviour of the police attempting to catch them in the act. This perspective is nicely conveyed by John D. Higinbotham in a reminiscence of his childhood in Guelph in the 1870s (<a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/4754689">Higinbotham 1933</a>, p. 21):
<blockquote>
An excellent exemplification of the fact that "conscience makes cowards of us all" was seen in the terror of the very name of "Kelly" inspired in the hearts of the small boy. The town police force consisted of Chief Jonathan B. Kelly, and Sergeant Dooley. The former was a small man with dark piercing eyes; yet at the very sight of him every urchin sought cover. The principal duty of the Sergeant during the summer months seemed to be to parade the waterfront from Goldie's Mill to Gow's bridge and apprehend all small boys who, in violation of the town ordinances, insisted on bathing in nature's attire. Occasionally the boys outwitted him by throwing their clothes into an empty barrel and swimming with it to the opposite shore.
</blockquote>
Which party was finally in the wrong is left for you, dear reader, to decide.
<p>
This second version of the bridge continued to serve the community for another couple of decades. By 1893, wear and tear had brought it to condition of being "unfit for traffic" (Mercury, 7 September) and calls for a new bridge were made once again.
<p>
In 1896, the City Council took action. In August of that year, the water had been drained from in front of Gow's dam, meaning that the riverbanks and bed were more than usually accessible, and at no extra cost! The council decided to have abutments built immediately and have a deck designed and built later on (Mercury, 18 August 1896). The tender of Dundas & Cape was accepted and masonry abutments, 22 inches higher than the previous ones, were constructed.
<p>
Of course, the superstructure then had to be built. The council could not decide on a type and solicted tenders for a stone structure, an iron one, or a wooden deck (Mercury, 8 March 1897). The stone option won the day, over the strong protests of Alderman Clarke, who favored the cheaper option and called the stone structure, "that costly stone bridge" (Mercury, 16 March 1897). He was certainly correct about the difference in price, with the bid for the stone bridge by D. Keleher coming in at $2197, while the bid by Richard Boyle for the wooden structure would come in under $500.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/079/2004.32.17.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="550" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="510" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/079/2004.32.17.jpg"/></a></div>
("Gow's bridge, Guelph, Canada." Postcard in bookmark format printed by Rumsey & Co., Toronto, ca. 1915; courtesy of the Guelph Civic Musemus <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/B2DCCA92-42CD-4D1A-8D89-528692288137">2004.32.17</a>.)
<p>
Construction began on 16 July and the inspection, complete with the immersion of the inspectors, took place on 1 September. Guelph then had the romantic stone bridge that it continues to enjoy today!
<p>
Gow's bridge continued to be a favoured site for bathing but many other things, not always pleasant, occurred there as well. For example, the bank of the Speed at the bridge was a good place to pasture <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2023/05/close-encownters-urban-cows-and-their.html">the Royal City's urban cows</a>, a procedure that could occasionally be risky (Globe, 26 July 1916):
<blockquote>
<b>Frenzied cow gores woman attendant</b><br>
<b>Heat and flies madden animal and Mrs. Walker of Guelph is injured</b>.<br><br>
Guelph, July 25.—Frenzied with the heat and flies, a cow tossed and gored Mrs. William Walker, Birmingham street, this city, while she was endeavoring to drive the animal through the gate of a pasture field near Gow’s Bridge. Had two young men not hastened to her rescue it is altogether likely that Mrs. Walker would have been killed.
</blockquote>
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("Gow's bridge and mill, watercolour, 1910," by Effie Smith of Guelph. Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/BA4DCA6D-DBC0-4D9B-BB76-851795094598">A1985.110</a>, ph. 11243.)
<p>
Sadly, like many bridges, Gow's bridge was also the site of drownings and other unfortunate encounters with the Speed. Consider the example of Richard Hulme, a recent immigrant to Canada at the time of his death (Globe, 23 September 1924):
<blockquote>
<b>Depressed by lack of work young man takes his life</b><br><br>
Guelph, Sept. 22.—Depressed and discouraged owing to the fact that he was unable to obtain employment, Richard Hulme, an English man, 30 years old, drowned himself in the Speed River. He is believed to have been mentally deranged. Before committing the rash act, Hulme placed his sweater coat and hat in a neat pile on the abutment at Gow’s Bridge, and then it is supposed waded into the water. A little girl in passing noticed the man’s clothing and on further investigation discovered the body in about 4 feet of water. Hulme had been out of work for over a month, and had been unable to secure a job. He leaves a wife and two children in Leigh, England.
</blockquote>
<p>
Gow's bridge was designated <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5518">a historic site</a> in 1990 and noted as, "the only surviving example of several stone bridges which once crossed Guelph’s rivers."
<hr>
There are intriguing mentions of a second bridge at the site of Gow's bridge around 1900. Consider this notice in the Mercury (15 July 1904):
<blockquote>
<b>Bad Bridge</b>.<br><br>
Residents in Brooklyn and farmers generally, who are in the habit of crossing Gow’s bridge, are complaining about the state of the wooden bridge adjoining the stone one. It was washed away last spring, and remained in an impassible condition for some weeks, when finally a plank footpath was erected. The fence on the righthand side from the city, between the two bridges, is also down. People who have to do business at the Grundy factory, at Cartledge’s woolen mills, and general delivery men are compelled to go by the Dundas or Wells’ bridges, considerably out of their way.
</blockquote>
It sounds as though this wooden bridge connected the stone bridge to Wellington street, so that people crossing the river had to pass over both structures in sequence.
<p>
The Mercury (2 September 1904) later notes that this second bridge was replaced by another, "principally of cement".
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("Gow's bridge from boathouse, July 1902 // July 10th, 1902 // Oil by Fanny Colwill Calvert;" courtesy of <a href="https://artgalleryofguelph.ca">the Art Gallery of Guelph</a>.)
<p>
An oil painting made by Fanny Colwill Calvert in 1902 shows not the stone bridge but one with a wooden deck. Could this be the adjoining bridge that was washed out in 1903?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-1xrVxuleV7Wd2R_9aBUu9MorAxSnNGaGoA_Rk7Om7L9iNF9uwEb8tJ3rqL1IBnXkuqLbkhYBG1kUxcq8VEYT6xyx0NfXUkruMcDoe6p5OlICBv3gOkKXG0EGBHgsMnDH-OPmKSohgLUIQ8DFDfYRVzIVCPiAnf1SPPYBcmSQJr4pV6d5nzBZ8ZCTyo/s616/gowsbridgeB.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-1xrVxuleV7Wd2R_9aBUu9MorAxSnNGaGoA_Rk7Om7L9iNF9uwEb8tJ3rqL1IBnXkuqLbkhYBG1kUxcq8VEYT6xyx0NfXUkruMcDoe6p5OlICBv3gOkKXG0EGBHgsMnDH-OPmKSohgLUIQ8DFDfYRVzIVCPiAnf1SPPYBcmSQJr4pV6d5nzBZ8ZCTyo/s400/gowsbridgeB.jpg"/></a></div>
("Gow's bridge, Guelph, Canada," printed by <a href="https://torontopostcardclub.com/canadian-postcard-publishers/rumsey-co-ltd/">Rumsey & Co.</a>, Toronto, ca. 1910. Note the stone bridge on the left-hand side and another structure on the right. Courtesy of the John Keleher collection.)
<p>
It may be that this second, "adjoining" bridge stood on the section of Wellington street just north of the stone bridge, effectively connecting it to Wellington. A postcard of that period appears to show such a structure in that location. This structure is not wooden and so may be the one "principally of cement" built after Ms. Colwill Calvert's painting was executed.
<p>
The area between Gow's bridge and Wellington street was considerably altered in subsequent decades. The low-lying north shore was filled in with refuse and the buildings at the bridge were removed, making way for what is now <a href="https://guelph.ca/park/royal-city-park/">Royal City Park</a>. In place of an adjoining bridge, a third span was added to Gow's bridge and the Speed River was lined with stone walls, as part of a Depression-era works project.
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("Speed River, from Gordon Street Bridge, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.—8;" postcard printed by <a href="https://torontopostcardclub.com/canadian-postcard-publishers/peco/">Photogelatine Engraving Co</a>., Ltd. and mailed in 1938.)
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Johnson, L. (1977). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/4057172">History of Guelph, 1827–1927</a>. Guelph Historical Society.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-49795773999415541982023-07-04T16:45:00.000-07:002023-07-04T16:45:24.512-07:00Fire, water, and flowers: The Rose Bowl at the OACTime, like fire, is one of the chief consumers of old structures. Fire was never likely to consume the Ontario Agricultural College's (OAC) reservoir but time has always brought new things to campus and taken old things away.
<p>
So it was that the the old water reservoir, often called the "Rose Bowl," would soon "be history" (Sands 1956). The campus was being updated and, as it no longer served its original protective purpose, the reservoir was being filled in.
<p>
The history of the reservoir begins in the spring of 1896, when the OAC's Chemical Laboratory burned to the ground. Fire was ever a hazard for individual buildings but, as the College grew and its stock of buildings increased, the potential loss to fires increased rapidly. The College's existing fire-fighting equipment was no longer up to the task of controling blazes, so measures to improve it were undertaken.
<p>
In the previous year, wells had been drilled to supply the campus with water but there was no place to store water for use in emergencies such as fires. So, as a new Chemical Building was erected on the site of the old one, a rectangular pit was dug between it and <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/maps/locations/massey-hall">the Massey Library</a> to act as a reservoir. The pit was 100 ft. long, 63 ft. wide, and 10 ft. deep, holding about 250,000 gallons of water. It was lined with cement and pumps and hoses were set up so that water could be extracted and used to douse any campus blazes.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UC6IWZeO3_WvNf4TaqqCvPezfHqHDlArj5sElPn6ilFohqzD-fGiwcEiv0r3BcHRGBXZJpU2cuVHMhYEpZnr4gXHdle7zDNiXznIy78DafL9KYMwOPWwIffOseR0XC8bljMCX19ZlwotZ7Y4Xo-5DNYS72Y7sSZaHs0btBxOfnGcFvXk86-EShrxP5M/s641/rosebowlRumsey10.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="641" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UC6IWZeO3_WvNf4TaqqCvPezfHqHDlArj5sElPn6ilFohqzD-fGiwcEiv0r3BcHRGBXZJpU2cuVHMhYEpZnr4gXHdle7zDNiXznIy78DafL9KYMwOPWwIffOseR0XC8bljMCX19ZlwotZ7Y4Xo-5DNYS72Y7sSZaHs0btBxOfnGcFvXk86-EShrxP5M/s400/rosebowlRumsey10.jpg"/></a></div>
(The Gymnasium Building reflected in the new reservoir. Postcard published by <a href="https://torontopostcardclub.com/canadian-postcard-publishers/rumsey-co-ltd/">Rumsey & Co.</a>, Toronto, 1906. The <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/08/guelph-gets-in-swim-swimming-tanks.html">swimming "tank"</a> in the basement of the Gymnasium was also set up to act as a reservoir for fire-fighting when the need arose.)
<p>
A report in the OAC Review states that first- and second-year students were employed to dig the pit! If true, then we can only lament that standards for extra-curricular activities on campus have sadly fallen since that day.
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("Massey Hall and Library, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph." Postcard published by A.B. Petrie & Son, ca. 1910.)
<p>
In any event, students were called out to witness and participate in the system's first test (Mercury, 24 Nov. 1897). It was conducted by Chief Robertson of the Guelph Fire Brigade and went well:
<blockquote>
The students were called out and a detachment detailed off to work the hose. The double fire pump was started up, forcing the water into the hydrants. The first trial was made on a hydrant at the foot of the gymnasium, when a stream was thrown about twenty feet over the dome of the barn, a distance of about 60 or 70 feet, while the gauge showed 115 lbs. pressure. In front of the College proper, while the ground is a trifle higher, there was 120 lbs. pressure. At the rear of the main building two lines of hose were attached to one hydrant, and the water was thrown some 20 or 30 feet over the building. They have two new hand reels and 800 feet of new hose.
</blockquote>
Success!
<p>
The reservoir seems to have proved its worth on a number of occasions. One fire of particular note occurred on 20 March 1942 when the main barns on campus caught fire. These structures were notoriously prone to fires and, being full of flammable things, tended to burn down rapidly. The first campus barns had burned to the ground in 1885 and their replacements, built the following year, in 1888 (Buchanan 1942). The third set lasted for 55 years but finally succumbed.
<p>
At the time, part of the OAC was in use as a military training facility, especially for <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2016/10/rcaf-wireless-school-no-4.html">RCAF Wireless School No. 4</a>. It was two students of the School who turned in the alarm that evening. The fire-fighting effort went well (Buchanan 1942):
<blockquote>
Fortunately, the splendid fire fighting equipment of the Air Force was close at hand and was quickly brought into use. A little later the Guelph city fire brigade arrived, and between them the fire was sufficiently held in check to make possible the safe removal of all the livestock, both horses and cattle. Then, too, by persistent fire fighting the fire was completely checked at the junction of the horse stable and the main barn, so that only the east wing and the main barn were destroyed.
</blockquote>
In the effort to rescue the farm animals, OAC students and staff were assisted by Wireless School trainees, a collaboration that helped to ease tensions between groups then sharing the campus.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XDC5cy_uRu0JG70zWIsND2Z3uZCMt_FAWo0CKyI3y6EGPV3Izrb61XOhkOSFZxTxuaiUzf68i2kYlZlXgL8_fCaL4WSGur1BrGvMnkuBO0hqESN_DHrqRTdgotarb61r5S0kbzyCtmX7QSZGJsVMkC3NPBhxOiL2iYvPDoPW0IfgE_bbnkw2n-PKUpk/s613/rosebowlExcursion06.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="613" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9XDC5cy_uRu0JG70zWIsND2Z3uZCMt_FAWo0CKyI3y6EGPV3Izrb61XOhkOSFZxTxuaiUzf68i2kYlZlXgL8_fCaL4WSGur1BrGvMnkuBO0hqESN_DHrqRTdgotarb61r5S0kbzyCtmX7QSZGJsVMkC3NPBhxOiL2iYvPDoPW0IfgE_bbnkw2n-PKUpk/s400/rosebowlExcursion06.jpg"/></a></div>
("Excursionists at O.A.C., Guelph." Postcard by unknown publisher, ca. 1905. The Chemical Building can be seen at the left margin, the Gymnasium in the centre, and the new barns in the background on the right side.)
<p>
Of course, campus residents found uses for the reservoir beyond fire-fighting. For example, in its very first winter, students began to skate on it and play hockey. In the summer time, the reservoir was used for swimming to cool off from the seasonal heat.
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("Reservoir and Gynmasium." OAC Review, June 1907, v. 19, n. 9.)
<p>
Besides seasonal fun, a pool on a large campus afforded opportunities for students to discipline one another. One example may be illustrative (OAC Review 1913, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10214/13680">v. 26, n. 1</a>, p. 46):
<blockquote>
I knew a big, stout fellow who came to school with the avowed intention of stirring the place around some—and he proceeded to do it too. After he had been held under the surface of the reservoir for half a minute he was only mildly profane. Another half and he could have posed as a model sheep. His fellow students enjoyed life more pleasantly because of his hazing.
</blockquote>
At the same time, having a large pool of water around presented a hazard to safety, despite the presence of a three-foot-high fence. This risk was illustrated on 5 August 1916 when Billy Green, six-year-old son of Engineer A.E. Green fell into the reservoir and drowned (OAC Review 1916, <a href="https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/13690">v. 29, n. 1</a>, p. 18).
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("In memory of little 'Billie' Green, who was drowned on August 5th, in the College reservoir." OAC Review v. 29, n. 4, p. 114.)
<p>
On 4 November 1939, second-year student Ronald Miller fell into the pool and drowned while searching for insects beside it (OAC Review 1939, <a href="https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/2814">v. 52, n. 2</a>, p. 80).
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("Massey Hall and Library." OAC Review 1935, v. 47, n. 8.)
<p>
In aesthetic terms, the pool became widely admired for providing pleasing reflections of nearby landscape and buildings. After the Main Building was demolished in 1930 (among other things, it was determined to be a fire hazard), replaced by Johnston Hall, and its front gardens buried, the canon known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Guelph#Campus_traditions">Old Jeremiah</a> was placed next to the reservoir, adding another attraction and a focal point to the site.
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("Massey Hall, O.A.C., Guelph, Ontario." Postcard published by <a href="https://niagarahistorical.pastperfectonline.com/byperson?keyword=Leslie%2C%20F.H.">F.H. Leslie</a>, ca. 1935; from the Keleher Collection. Note the position of Old Jeremiah at the north side of the reservoir, not to mention what appear to be newly planted roses in the surrounding garden— the birth of the Rose Bowl.)
<p>
In the same year, the reservoir was chosen to be the site of the Rose Test Garden. The Rose Society of Ontario was looking for a site to house its program to develop varieties of roses, both for show and for commercial purposes. The OAC was chosen as host, in part because Paul Sanders, then in charge of ornamental horticulture at the College, was a fan (Rolph 1942). With the blessing of the College administration, work began with the planting of 450 roses in the garden in 1931. The garden was sited directly next to the reservoir, perhaps for ease of access to water and to enhance a place that was already regarded as a campus beauty spot.
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("Administration Building, O.A.C., Guelph, Ontario, Canada - 4." Postcard published by F.H. Leslie, ca. 1935. Here we see the back of Old Jeremiah from across the Rose Bowl.)
<p>
In honour of this association, the reservoir and garden became known informally as the Rose Bowl.
<p>
The Rose Bowl worked its way into the culture and imagination of OAC students. Being of large size, the reservoir water did not heat up quickly and gained a reputation for being cold. This characteristic became the basis for poetic comparisons among students, as in this poem published about (and by?) a resident of Macdonald Hall, the Home Economics school for young women on campus (OAC Review, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10214/2812">v. 53, n. 2</a>, p. 84):
<blockquote>
<b>Apologies to Rossetti</b><br><br>
The Mac Hall girl leaned out<br>
From the cold and draughty sill,<br>
Her eyes were cold as Rose Bowl water<br>
In November’s awful chill.<br>
She had three apples in her hand.<br>
The curlers in her hair were seven.<br> <br>
The Mill’s Hall boy looked up<br>
From the hard and frozen ground.<br>
She looked down with intense displeasure...<br>
He could not make a sound.<br>
Still with his eyes he could be beg—<br>
He got those apples—on his head!
</blockquote>
Ouch! Not Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene but maybe more true to life.
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("In the grounds—Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Canada." Postcard published by <a href="https://torontopostcardclub.com/canadian-postcard-publishers/valentine-sons/">Valentine-Black Co.</a>, ca. 1945; from the Keleher Collection. Note the roses, Old Jeremiah, and the Portico in the background.)
<p>
The Second World War proved a setback for the Rose Bowl. Maintenance was cut back as energy was devoted to the war effort and control of the campus was divided between the RCAF and the Province of Ontario. After the war, the campus was restored entirely to the OAC but the Rose Test garden fell further into disrepair. By 1950, the Rose Society of Ontario decided to abandon it.
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("Administration Building, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada." Postcard published by Alex Wilson Publishing Ltd., ca. 1950.)
<p>
In the mid-1950s, a newer and bigger water reservoir was built further east, near the water tower that had been built in conjunction with the erection of Johnston Hall. That made the old Rose Bowl reservoir redundant. The time had come for its removal.
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("Administration Building, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada." Postcard published by L.F. Charter, ca. 1960. Note that the Rose Bowl has vanished.)
<p>
The ornamental fence was dug out, the hole filled in, and the site covered up. Memory of the Rose Bowl faded away, its image now confined to old pictures and postcards of the OAC campus.
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("Massey Hall and Library, O.A.C., Guelph, Can." Postcard published ca. 1915 by International Stationary Co.; from the Keleher Collection.)
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Buchanan, J. (1942). "Fire!—Fire!—Fire!" OAC Review, 54(7): 397–398, 435.
<li>Rolph, A.H. (1942). "<a href="https://archive.org/details/annualofroses1942onta/page/58/mode/2up">Ten years of the Test Garden.</a>" Annual of the Rose Society of Ontario, p. 58.
<li>Sands, D.R. (1956). "The 'Rose Bowl'." OAC Review, 68(4): 16–17, 25.
</ul>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-64243590901963188752023-05-31T16:35:00.000-07:002023-05-31T16:35:31.787-07:00Close encownters: Urban cows and their regulation in the Royal CityThey gathered furtively at the residence of Albert Fred Farley in Guelph, to discuss the foundation of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/communist-party-of-canada">a Communist Party of Canada</a> (Easterbrook 1995). Discussion was held in Farley's barn in order to allow space for the number of people involved. Of course, the barn already had several residents, whose presence sometimes intruded on the proceedings:
<blockquote>
“They brought food to us from the house in pails, so people would think they were feeding the cows,” said Dolgoy,” There were cows alright; I remember that whenever a cow urinated, the speaker had to stop for a minute.”
</blockquote>
Besides the cattle's disregard for the delegates, what is perhaps most surprising is that there were cows in Guelph at all. Since its early days, and even in 1921, when this meeting occurred, it was not uncommon to encounter cows in town. Today, meeting with a cow in Guelph would be startling. (Well, apart from the OAC.)
<div style=text-align:center>
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1685491279220!6m8!1m7!1sLpYSNyqwoqLJwC0QeybrVQ!2m2!1d43.5624303941247!2d-80.25702511270863!3f31.83577158455931!4f-7.450775651522818!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
(The former home of Albert Fred Farley, now 257 Metcalfe Street. The historic barn is no longer present.)
<p>
So, it is interesting for us to look back to ascertain what cows were doing in Guelph in its earlier days and what changed in the meantime.
<p>
Cattle had a number of uses in nineteenth century Canada. They were used for muscle power to haul heavy loads or sometimes to provide power for machinery. They were the source of beef, a food much prized in the Anglo-American world. And, cows could provide milk, which was an important part of most Canadians' diets.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/091/2009322163.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="544" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/091/2009322163.jpg"/></a></div>
(Two oxen yoked in front of the Albion Hotel, ca. 1895. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/96C04084-89F6-4475-A55D-253017731067">2009.32.2163</a>.)
<p>
For city residents, using cattle for muscle power was not usually necessary. Steam power, and later electricity, were available where human or horse-power were not adequate. Beef cattle require large investments as they normally take several years to grow to a size where it would be profitable to sell them to a butcher. However, milk cows pay off immediately in the form of regular milk production, which can help to meet the immediate nutritional needs of families and where any excess can be sold to generate extra income.
<p>
Ogle (2013) explains that it became common practise in the United States (and in Canada) for urban cattle to be pastured more-or-less where they lived. Early settlers got used to the idea that free pasture was never far away in what they regarded as the wilderness just outside of their towns. Cattle could simply be turned loose, forage for themselves, and be rounded up when need be. The habit proved enduring.
<p>
One obvious problem with this arrangement is that urban cows "running at large" can be a nuisance. No respecters of manners or property, cows eat whatever looks good that they can get at. This would be not only food and pasture provided for them but also their neighbour's lawns and gardens.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/071/1997211.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/071/1997211.jpg"/></a></div>
(Allan's bridge, ca. 1880. Note the two cows near the left-most pier. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/D4104F7D-D8FC-41E1-B6C7-786870856004">1997.21.1</a>.)
<p>
Towns and cities in Ontario passed "cow by-laws" since their early days. A typical cow bylaw made it an offence for citizens to allow their cattle to run unrestricted ("at large") in city limits. They had to be either under supervision of a cowherd while in pasture or going to or from the same in the streets. When at their owners homes, cows' movements had to be restricted with fencing or similar measures to keep them from wandering off. The consequences of violating a cow by-law were usually a fine and damages.
<p>
In 1876, Guelph adopted such a bylaw. It is not clear what precipitated the move at this time. Bradbury (1984) argues that animal bylaws were a symptom of class conflict. Urban livestock were kept mostly by poorer residents, who relied on them for non-cash support for their prosperity. Mainly urban chickens, pigs, and cows provided food and thus helped families to retain cash earned by wages for other needs. Restrictions on urban livestock constituted a way of disciplining such families and thereby ensuring their dependence on wage income, which the capitalist class controlled. So, controlling the domestic livestock or urban wage-earners was a way of controlling those people themselves.
<p>
Interestingly, there was an awareness of the class issue in Guelph. Debate in Council about the bylaw made note of the dependence of poorer urbanites on their cows (Mercury, 16 May 1876):
<blockquote>
<b>Town Council</b>.<br>
...<br>
Mr. Hart moved the third reading of the By-law forbidding cattle running at large.<br>
Mr. MacMillan spoke strongly in opposition to such a law being put in force at once, without any previous warning having been given. There were a great many cows in town mostly owned by poor people, who had at considerable expense managed to winter them, and if they were forced to sell now, just at the time they were beginning to be of use, it would be a hardship.<br>
Mr. Hood although opposed to cattle running at large considered it would be a great hardship to compel people to sell off their cows at once, without having some time wherein to dispose of them.<br>
A clause was then added to the By-law providing that it does not take effect until the 1st of Sept., next.
</blockquote>
The news suggests some concern for the poor cow-owners of Guelph but also implies that Councilors expected most of them to have to sell their animals to comply with the bylaw, probably because those people often allowed their animals to forage "at large."
<p>
Of course, passing a law is one thing, enforcing it another. Remarks about the bylaw in the next few years often convey complaints of official laxity on the matter. Consider, for example (Mercury, 22 May 1877):
<blockquote>
Cattle running at large.—On several occasions the Mercury has called the attention of owners of cattle to the provisions of the By-law prohibiting cattle running at large on the highways of the corporation, and to the proper authorities, whoever they be, to see that said provisions are rigidly enforced. Almost every day there are parties complaining about cattle breaking into their premises, and if not destroying anything they tramp down lawns and otherwise render themselves obnoxious to those who wish to live in peace with their neighbors. It is said that those who have suffered should impound the cattle, and assess damages. That would answer very well, and parties aggrieved would be justified in doing so, but by so acting they would incur the displeasure of their neighbors who might be proprietors of the cattle. If there is no official whose duty it is to see to the enforcement of the By-law, one should be speedily appointed.
</blockquote>
Besides such editorials, citizens wrote letters to the paper to decry insufficient enforcement. In one such letter, we also learn of a connection between the bylaw and attempts by the city at civic beautification (Mercury, 19 October 1878):
<blockquote>
<b>Cows at large</b>.<br>
<br>
To the Editor of the Mercury.<br>
Two or three years ago the Council offered a premium to parties who would beautify the town streets with trees, and on taking care of them for three years would be rewarded. I don’t suppose that many would claim the reward and that most of us were only too pleased to see that our City Fathers were alive to the necessity of making the place attractive as well as in future years rendering us a pleasant shelter from the sun. however, unless more stringent steps are taken to prevent cattle and horses running at large we shall never attain success.<br>
In the ward in which I live there are four or five cows, and sometimes a couple of horses tramping round the entire night, and sometimes during the day, so that one is compelled to be always on the watch to prevent one’s trees being stripped of leaves and tender branches—our ornamental casings, however high, cannot prevent a horse doing what he likes. This annoyance is not confined to one ward and should receive attention.<br>
If there was an enclosure or pound in each ward the annoyance could easily put an end to—driving animals down to the market is rather too far.<br>
Guelph, Oct. 18, 1878<br>
Ratepayer.
</blockquote>
In its early days, the Guelph townsite had been nearly clear-cut so that <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/12/david-johnston-kennedy-guelph-in-winter.html">it looked almost barren</a>. By the 1870s, the city had decided to encourage reforestation through establishment of parks and planting street trees. This was the job of the Parks and Shade Trees Commission. In addition, private citizens were encouraged to plant trees and establish lawns and gardens to beautify the streetscapes and enhance the reputation of the town with respect to its provincial neighbours (and competitors).
<p>
Adoption of the cow bylaw could be understood as a part of this project. Cows (and horses and pigs) tend to eat and degrade the lawns, trees, and gardens vital to urban beautification. So, their movements or even presence must be restricted.
<p>
This association could be viewed, as Bradbury (1984) suggests, as a manifestation of class conflict: Fancy lawns, trees, and gardens are mainly bourgeois concerns, whereby middle- and upper-class citizens distuinguish themselves from their poorer neighbours (and compete for status). If urban livestock make this distinction difficult, then they must be removed.
<p>
At the same time, parks and shade trees are civic amenities that should, ideally, benefit all citizens. But, they can be promoted only with control of hungry, urban herbivores.
<p>
One welcome feature of coverage of the cow bylaw in The Mercury is that we can get some idea of where the cows were. Explicit mention of locations is sometimes made. W.H. Jacomb (a housepainter) complains that it is particularly common in the West Ward for residents to turn their animals out to roam at night (Mercury, 15 June 1877). An editorial claims that St. Patrick's Ward (in the east) is "particularly blessed with bellowing bovines" (Mercury, 27 March 1879). Waterloo Avenue gets several mentions as a street where roving cows may be found. Another article makes mention of cows being a persistant nuisance on the streets behind Horsman's Hill (Grange Road) (Mercury, 28 May 1886).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/014/1973481-1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/014/1973481-1.jpg"/></a></div>
("View of Guelph, Ont. 1874." The perspective is from Horsman's Hill, now Grange Hill. Note the cows in the field in the lower, right-hand corner of the image. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/A7E58FC1-A77E-4514-86EC-649412488639">1973.48.1</a>.)
<p>
One item points out numerous complaints of roving bovines at "the Park," meaning Exhibition Park (Mercury, 1 October 1895). The article continues on to observe, "It is said the police arrested one cow last night, but there are still several at liberty."
<p>
Even so, cows were not always fugitives in Guelph. Vacant lots were considered fair game for hungry cattle. Also, some open areas were considered pastures where they could graze. There was a pasture near London and Woolwich Streets. Before it became a park in 1909, St. George's Park was also available for pasturing cattle.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlV1VqciHQ90y3_GtLYmYtXvYE4vuLymL_UyHOGosShbb7C5epVKbcvixp0eODeM3Lw49tZdzPkwEH5SqwHTNDQ5e-JXB1DVHW5IQk9PG0b5IS4rErB7YloAjwXn9I4a4qr3Dmsq58DxmacHLxOwgaKTn3EOYez4VSmSD-hAPim4uxgkD9pRcfA0W/s968/south-booth.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="968" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlV1VqciHQ90y3_GtLYmYtXvYE4vuLymL_UyHOGosShbb7C5epVKbcvixp0eODeM3Lw49tZdzPkwEH5SqwHTNDQ5e-JXB1DVHW5IQk9PG0b5IS4rErB7YloAjwXn9I4a4qr3Dmsq58DxmacHLxOwgaKTn3EOYez4VSmSD-hAPim4uxgkD9pRcfA0W/s400/south-booth.jpg"/></a></div>
(A real photo postcard view of Guelph, ca. 1910. The photo was taken by Guelph photographer D.H. Booth, apparently from the top of Idlewyld, a manor at 27 Barber Avenue, looking towards the back of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-church-of-our-lady.html">the Church of Our Lady</a> and <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/05/central-school.html">Central School</a>. The foreground shows a number of barns and small fields in the London Avenue and Yorkshire Street area, a likely place to find urban cows.)
<p>
Another place where roaming cattle seem to have been easily found was at the Speed River in the vicinity of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2014/06/wells-bridge.html">Well's bridge</a> (or The Three Bridges). Today, this site is the location of the Edinburgh Road bridge over the Speed.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8WDj0n77WURBrQRrEjDd_XwXGuAX0EjxHcm3sbKqGjN_fFCdgdREv7_dYT43S4ArK9Pi4cqgijh74rJw97nUz7wiMJPLg926NZa9vsy7UGxF6rm8-ejeIDpsqZ6V8qUMgxkHcLRaFGroM7xF8PLqwkcguaFL3xeR96dIUC-y_7auHqnCn7OH0mKa/s779/cowWellsBridge.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="779" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8WDj0n77WURBrQRrEjDd_XwXGuAX0EjxHcm3sbKqGjN_fFCdgdREv7_dYT43S4ArK9Pi4cqgijh74rJw97nUz7wiMJPLg926NZa9vsy7UGxF6rm8-ejeIDpsqZ6V8qUMgxkHcLRaFGroM7xF8PLqwkcguaFL3xeR96dIUC-y_7auHqnCn7OH0mKa/s400/cowWellsBridge.jpg"/></a></div>
The <a href="https://www.collectorsweekly.com/postcards/real-photo">real photo postcard</a> above shows several cows, with the derriere of a black one featured prominently, on the north shores of the Speed River, with the three spans of Wells's Bridge in the background. A message is written on the front: "Yours truly // Helen A. Bollert // Guelph Ont." The recipient's address, recorded on the back is, "M.elle Bertaux // 17 rue des Bastions // Cherbourg // France." The card is postmarked 18 May 1906.
<p>
It seems that this postcard was sent by Helen Amelia Bollert of Guelph, then 16 years of age, to a young woman in France as part of a postcard exchange. Such exchanges were often arranged through clubs, newsletters, etc., and allowed prospective recipients to identify the kind of postcards they would like to receive. Anyone who sent a postcard would receive an appropriate one in return, so that everyone could build up their collection. What was M.elle Bertaux's request? Did she like cows?
<p>
Remarkably, this image was reprinted in as a commercial postcard by <a href="https://worldclassantiques.com/insights/Antique-Postcards-Warwick-Bros-Rutter.aspx">Warwick Bros. and Rutter</a> of Toronto.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmwSF-UpE2zRv-gLV5FwtsNMEmgFdpAP8gVMmLltQ5L6WhIxP64e9ScTjcr-css-mp3ubT672H80OpdyTxI3JtVZPeqhV7kPYtT1crvxPXUWtkxNuKR4ugBreYuHGzuMG63b1FBseZlifOsxbV8nQa5-WifMVRXbJtAyREtdw4tg_mECoT9TIUEv0/s702/warwickCows07.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="702" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmwSF-UpE2zRv-gLV5FwtsNMEmgFdpAP8gVMmLltQ5L6WhIxP64e9ScTjcr-css-mp3ubT672H80OpdyTxI3JtVZPeqhV7kPYtT1crvxPXUWtkxNuKR4ugBreYuHGzuMG63b1FBseZlifOsxbV8nQa5-WifMVRXbJtAyREtdw4tg_mECoT9TIUEv0/s400/warwickCows07.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
The card above was postmarked on 13 April 1907. It is also notable because the caption misidentifies the bridge in the background as Gow's Bridge. Later versions of this card carried a corrected caption. (This is also a reminder that you cannot always believe postcard captions.)
<p>
In any event, by 1880 the police seemed to take enforcement of the cow bylaw more seriously and hired someone for the express purpose of impouding guilty cattle. This may have been Andrew McLeod, described as a "boy," who joined up for this assignment. Not everyone was grateful: young John Hollaran was brought before the judge on the charge of throwing stones at McLeod during the discharge of his duties (Mercury, 3 May 1880).
<p>
Nonetheless, over the next few years, the Mercury reported regularly on prosecutions under the cow bylaw. For example (Mercury, 25 September 1885):
<blockquote>
Police Court.—John Armstrong, having a cow running at large, paid a fine of $2 and costs for the privilege.
</blockquote>
Many reports are similarly brief, suggesting the matter had finally become a largely quotidian affair.
<p>
The number of milk cows in Canadian cities dropped steadily in the final quarter of the 19th century and into the 20th (Kheraj 2015). As the human population grew, space for cows started to shrink, thus squeezing them out. The effect of cow bylaws in making cows more difficult to keep may also have played a role, as did increasing sanitary concerns. Of course, another factor was no doubt the increasing availabilty of bottled milk. As urban and nearby rural dairy operations scaled up, delivery of fresh milk came increasingly easy and within reach of urbanites. The benefits of keeping domestic milk cows decreased.
<p>
Still, cows could be found wandering the streets and fields of the Royal City into the 1940s. This report from the Mercury (4 August 1943) would not sound much out of place in 1880:
<blockquote>
<b>Page Boy Blue—Cows on the lawn</b><br>
<br>
Two large, healthy, contented cows calmly occupying a fine lawn on Paisley Street, drew the amused attention of pedestrians this morning. Oblivion [sic] to rain, wrath of the owner, and the fine points of etiquette, the bovine ladies were munching succulent grass with a sly nip now and then at relish in the form of garden plants.
</blockquote>
Today, you would be astounded to find cows at large on the streets of Guelph but, in earlier times, you could cownt on it.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Bradbury, B. (1984). <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/llt/1984-v14-llt_14/llt14art01.pdf">Pigs, cows, and boarders: Non-wage forms of survival among Montreal families, 1861-91</a>. Labour/Le Travailleur, 14, 9-48.
<li>Kheraj, S. (2015). <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/uhr/1900-v1-n1-uhr02614/1037235ar.pdf">Urban environments and the animal nuisance: domestic livestock regulation in nineteenth-century Canadian cities</a>. Urban History Review, 44(1), 37-55.
<li>Ogle, M. (2013). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/666239979">In meat we trust: An unexpected history of carnivore America</a>. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
</ul>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-10463514912965852262023-04-25T16:28:00.000-07:002023-04-25T16:28:01.380-07:00Baker Street has taken many turns over the yearsIn <a href="https://guelph.ca/business/downtown-business/bakerdistrict/">its overview of the Baker District Redevelopment project</a>, the City of Guelph notes that:
<blockquote>
We’re transforming a former municipal parking lot into a compact district nestled in Guelph’s historic core that will create a renewed area of activity, commerce and civic space for the local community and city.
</blockquote>
The old parking lot is slated to be replaced by a civic hub, including a new public library, an urban square, residential units, commercial and institutional spaces, and, of course, parking.
<p>
As this process continues, it is interesting to take a look back at the tranformations that the space has seen in the past. Of course, many notable changes have taken place there—too many to catalog here. But, a sketch would be informative.
<p>
As <a href="https://guelph.ca/business/downtown-business/bakerdistrict/baker-district-investigations/#site-history">the city's background information</a> points out, the triangular lot that is currently the Baker Street parking lot was designated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Company">the Canada Company</a> as a burial ground at the time of the town's founding in 1827. It was common practise in Britain for graveyards to be placed in proximity to churches, so this was simply extended to Guelph (Laqueur 2015).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKn8Z8lL__KweA_KoKNTnuvVA0lflb1PCA-MKU_eYMHBmJygWPCs-Go7jhKcqYyERuByxIalm8ohYHMnNZFQqywKf56zH-ikKZOpOHdgAkhvV4du9tyICczLkSaJmAaK7huIcOfa8GCRVlt0cjMrUY8wcARPOQUb51yugrxUHsHIc1TLu5GwTgxj9/s569/buryingground.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKn8Z8lL__KweA_KoKNTnuvVA0lflb1PCA-MKU_eYMHBmJygWPCs-Go7jhKcqYyERuByxIalm8ohYHMnNZFQqywKf56zH-ikKZOpOHdgAkhvV4du9tyICczLkSaJmAaK7huIcOfa8GCRVlt0cjMrUY8wcARPOQUb51yugrxUHsHIc1TLu5GwTgxj9/s400/buryingground.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of a map of Guelph, 1827. The Burying Ground is the yellow triangle on the left side. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Musems, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/0376FDC5-3CC4-4156-9D9B-764963689504">1994.15.1</a>.)
<p>
However, times were changing and the trend in Britain was soon to move cemeteries outside of towns, and Guelph eventually followed suit. (For one thing, cemeteries in the old country were filling up, such that the crowding of corpses became regarded as insalubrious.) In 1853, the village of Guelph closed the burial ground and purchased a site from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Clarke_%28Canadian_physician%29">Dr. Clarke</a> in the township for that purpose instead. This site remains in use today as Woodlawn Cemetery.
<p>
The lot remained undeveloped and the townsfolk began making informal use of the space. One Mr. Hubbard employed it as a tree nursery, for example (Irwin 1999). Others used it recreationally and the grounds became known as Cemetery Park. In 1879, the town of Guelph petitioned the Provincial government to convey the property to the town to formalize this use. In 1885, the city undertook a project to transform the property by removing all remaining graves to the Union (Woodlawn) Cemetery. The lot was renamed Central Park and the lane that the city created around its periphery became Park Lane.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%205.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="512" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%205.jpg"/></a></div>
(Alfred A. Baker, ca. 1880. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/75BC9BFE-AC22-43F9-BE3E-264402187500">Grundy 5</a>.)
<p>
At this time, the street had a largely residential character, at least, on its west side. Initially labelled Elizabeth Street, it was renamed Baker Street after Alfred A. Baker, a County court clerk who built himself a house there around 1860. Formerly 70 Baker Street, the house was demolished in 1966 to make way for a parking lot.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/a/2/a234ec89bd1f9d6a4153000485ef3623ff7c3530e0aa053a33aeabc07f4ab562/F38-0-3-0-0-44_141.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="480" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/a/2/a234ec89bd1f9d6a4153000485ef3623ff7c3530e0aa053a33aeabc07f4ab562/F38-0-3-0-0-44_141.jpg"/></a></div>
(The Baker Home, April 1966, under demolition. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/mrs-bakers-home">F38-0-3-0-0-44</a>.)
<p>
Next door was the residence of R.E. Nelson, clothing merchant and Mayor of Guelph (1899–1900). Formerly 74 Baker Street, now 76 Baker Street, this is currently the home of the Baker Street Station.
<p>
As neighbouring streets like Wyndham became the downtown section of Guelph, the Baker Street lot began to be developed. One development in keeping with the recreational character of the park was the construction of a rink in 1892 for the Guelph Curling and Skating Club. This new rink, named the "Victoria Rink," served as an upgrade on the "old curling rink" situated at Wellington and Huskisson (now Wyndham South) Streets, which was then torn down. The new rink was situated on Central Park just behind <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-knox-church-fire-of-1904.html">Knox Church</a> and <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-church-off-old-block-origin-of.html">Chalmers Church</a>.
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(Lord Stanley of Preston, Governor General of Canada, May 1889. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, <a href="http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3194700&lang=eng">3194700</a>.)
<p>
During a tour of southern Ontario in 1893, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/frederick-arthur-stanley-baron-stanley-of-preston-16th-earl-of-derby">Lord Stanley</a>, then the Governor General of Canada, made a visit to Guelph on 6 January. During this event, the GG made an unscheduled stop to inspect the new Victoria Rink, no doubt because he was an avid curler. The curlers graciously interrupted their play to meet His Excellency.
<p>
Before the advent of artificial ice, curling had to be played when the weather permitted. So, the Victoria Rink served as a roller skating rink during the summer months.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/7/97072/F38-0-15-0-0-353.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="750" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/7/97072/F38-0-15-0-0-353.jpg"/></a></div>
("Knox Church, Guelph, Ont.," ca. 1895. What appears to be a drawing of the Victoria Rink appears on the left behind the church. Courtesy of the Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/knox-church">F38-0-15-0-0-353</a>.)
<p>
Besides the action on the ice, excitement was brought to the Rink when it burned to the ground. On 26 August 1914, a problem with its electrical wiring set the structure ablaze (Globe, 27 Aug. 1914). A strong east wind launched embers far abroad so that Knox Church and <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2017/01/james-lee-stratton-somewhere-in-france.html">the Guelph Creamery Company</a>, across Baker Street, were nearly set on fire as well. Happily, most of the $30,000 in damages was covered by insurance, so that the rink was subsequently rebuilt.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/091/2009322067.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="541" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/091/2009322067.jpg"/></a></div>
("Curlers In Front Of Old Victoria Rink, ca. 1909." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Musems, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/810AD71A-6849-485E-9FB1-888835338280">2009.32.2067</a>.)
<p>
In 1936, the Club defaulted on its rent and surrendered its lease on the property to the City. In turn, the City sold the property to the Club for $1, so that it could remain in operation.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20150.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="798" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20150.jpg"/></a></div>
("Victoria Rink Lawn Bowling Green, ca. 1900." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/B3073649-6E87-4BCC-AE36-333856777946">Grundy 150</a>.)
<p>
In addition, the Guelph Lawn Bowling Club began operating greens outside of the Victoria Rink around 1900. The Club produced some good players, perhaps the most notable being Graham Chapman, who won the Novice Singles Championship of Canada in 1904 and Dominion Singles Championship in 1908. In the same year, the Club won the Seagram Trophy.
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("Lawn Bowling at Baker St., ca. 1940." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/4BAFB9C6-8C7A-4BBC-83B4-734616909300">2002.81.33</a>.)
<p>
Lawn bowling continued in the Baker Street lot until about 1950.
<p>
Besides these recreational uses, factories were also sited on the lot. The Raymond Manufacturing Company built a three-storey brick factory just up the street from the Victoria Rink.
<p>
Charles Raymond moved his sewing machine company to Guelph in 1862 and set up operations in the town. Today, <a href="https://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/resources/museum_and_archives/Artifact-Stories/Artifact-Story_Sewing-Machines.pdf">the Raymond Sewing Machine Company</a> is most remembered for the factory that it built on Yarmouth Street in 1875. However, the company expanded and diversified over the years.
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("Raymond's Machine and Moulding Shop, Guelph, Ont.," ca. 1905. Postcard published for A.B. Petrie. Note that the factory is buff-coloured and not gray as the lithographer has depicted it here.)
<p>
Perhaps the sewing machine market had become tapped out. In 1895, the Raymond Sewing Machine Company reincorporated under the name Raymond Manufacturing Company and diversified into cash registers and bicycles (Globe, 23 December 1895). In 1897, the company was sold to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Sewing_Machine_Company">the White Sewing Machine Company</a> of Cleveland, Ohio. By 1899, the Company added cream separators to its product line, licenced under the National Cream Separator Company.
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("Suffolk Street and Raymond Factory, Guelph, Canada." Postcard published by Rumsey & Co., ca. 1905. Suffolk Street (right) here intersects with Yarmouth Street (left), with Woolwich Street in the foreground. This factory was built in 1872, with later additions.)
<p>
At this point, Raymond Manufacturing Company built a three-storey factory on the east side of Baker Street, where the cream separators were to be made. This site was connected with the Raymond Works on Yarmouth Street by both tunnels and a bridge over Baker Street.
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(Detail of "Insurance plan of the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada," 1911, page 6. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, <a href="http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3825810&lang=eng">R6990-430-9-E</a>.)
<p>
These features can also be glimpsed in the postcard below.
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("Raymond Manufacturing Co.y, Limited, Guelph, Ontario, Canada." Postcard published ca. 1910 by the Valentine & Sons Publishing Company. The Baker Street factory is the large red-brick plant at the rear with the big chimney belching smoke behind it. Note the bridge over Baker Street connecting it to the older Yarmouth Street plant. The surroundings are mainly fanciful embellishments contributed by the lithographer, although the Victoria Rink is represented on the right under the caption.)
<p>
Unfortunately, the business continued to decline. It was surely a bad sign when the new plant was the site of a horrible death as employee Charles Walker got his foot caught in a loose drive belt and was brutally dismembered by the machinery. His severed right leg was "hurled with great velocity" through a window and landed in the middle of the street (Globe, 5 October 1912). A coroner's inquiry produced the verdict of accidental death.
<p>
In 1916, the White Sewing Machine Company took over direct control of the old Raymond facilities and the business was wound up in 1922.
<p>
Space in the factory was occuped subsequently by a number of industries. City directories of the period mention the Hammond Brass & Aluminum Company, the Guelph Granite and Marble Works, Hepburn & Spotton (radio engineers), St. Williams Plantations Ltd and Windham Plantations Ltd, which I have little information about. Some of these concerns appeared only briefly while a few lasted for several years.
<p>
By far, the chief new occupant of the site was Steele's Wire Springs Company. The aptly named James Steele founded the business in 1883 and made steel springs, which it sold to other manufacturers for a variety of uses. Under the management of his sons, the company continued to expand and moved from place to place in doing so. It bought up the old Raymond plant on Baker Street in 1926.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyUI67KP5Rvgv-i9gs8g3JLP2V0Fbgj5F_vJuIs4MyVgphj2z3wGDrlyQxd0AjFWV5gUfr6chybzN0uGoT5wcg-tImWlEtCh7sHqWZm6N3BTgjZ8tclcYD_SjZj2e3G2ayEx-f98bicnMSboyYiAUVTVDptPCpgTzjjPitzLpl1T7kS0SRbbia0hy/s677/19793514.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="677" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyUI67KP5Rvgv-i9gs8g3JLP2V0Fbgj5F_vJuIs4MyVgphj2z3wGDrlyQxd0AjFWV5gUfr6chybzN0uGoT5wcg-tImWlEtCh7sHqWZm6N3BTgjZ8tclcYD_SjZj2e3G2ayEx-f98bicnMSboyYiAUVTVDptPCpgTzjjPitzLpl1T7kS0SRbbia0hy/s400/19793514.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of "Aerial Photograph of Guelph Downtown in Winter c. 1940." Baker Street is at the left margin. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/2955F1BD-1E07-418C-A5FA-235636723217">1979.35.14</a>.)
<p>
The most controversial businesses that set up shop in the old Raymond plant were the Popular Cloak Company and the Superior Cloak Company. In July, 1934, these garment manufacturers relocated from Toronto to Guelph to lease space in the old building. Apparently, this move was intended in part to dodge an agreement that the companies had with their employees in Toronto (Durtnall 2021, pp, 322–325). Local workers, eager for employment in the midst of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression">the Great Depression</a>, were hired and operations began.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/media/Digital%20Assets/70-Posluns/File%206/F70_f6_i001.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="800" src="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/media/Digital%20Assets/70-Posluns/File%206/F70_f6_i001.jpg"/></a></div>
("Posluns business activities, 192-," Superior Cloak Company. Courtesy of Ontario Jewish Archives, <a href="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/Permalink/descriptions289560">Samuel Posluns fonds</a>.)
<p>
However, workers from Toronto descended on Guelph in shifts to protest the Cloak Companies' tactics. Pickets were set up in front of the factory on Baker Street. In early August, the proceedings were peaceful but spiraled into violence by the end of the month. On 21 August, a "wild melee" broke out on Baker Street and spilled into neighbouring Quebec and Wyndham Streets. Arrests and the threat of having fire hoses turned on calmed the situation temporarily.
<p>
As negotiations for a settlement went under way, tensions reached the breaking point on 24 August. Strikers attacked the plant, smashed many of its windows, and dismembered a car belonging to a company official. The group also hurled volleys of bricks, stones, and bottles at a nearby police squad. After about an hour, the police, augmented by special constables sworn in from Guelph and surrounding towns, responded by turning on the fire hoses. Both strikers and citizens, who had gathered to watch the proceedings, were bowled over like nine pins. When this measure failed to have the desired effect, police launched tear gas bombs into the crowd.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/media/Digital%20Assets/1978-4-6/1978-4-6_001.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="800" src="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/media/Digital%20Assets/1978-4-6/1978-4-6_001.jpg"/></a></div>
("International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, 192-." This union represented workers at the Superior and Popular Cloak Companies. Courtesy of the Ontario Jewish Archives, <a href="https://search.ontariojewisharchives.org/Permalink/accessions22454">1978-4-6</a>.)
<p>
On 30 August, after nearly two weeks of violent disturbances, a settlement was reached in which the Superior Cloak Company returned to Toronto while the Popular Cloak Company remained in Guelph. The latter did not remain long, however, returning to Toronto late in 1935, where, apparently, it was more popular.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/6/96541/F38-0-15-0-0-63.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="750" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/6/96541/F38-0-15-0-0-63.jpg"/></a></div>
("Victoria Curling Rink, 1968." Courtesy of Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/victoria-curling-rink-2">F38-0-15-0-0-63</a>.)
<p>
Around the same time as these ructions, profound change stole into Baker Street. In 1933, both Rae's wagon works and Swanston's auto repair service appeared across the street from the Steele factory. Remarkably, the wagon works remained in business until about 1949. However, the auto repair service set the pattern for the future. Around 1940, Heffernan Motors took over this space, which served as the used car department of their business, which fronted on Yarmouth Street. Around 1950, the used car department expanded with the set-up of a used car lot on the east side of the street. Parked cars had begun their inexorable takeover of the old park.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1682455386935!6m8!1m7!1sLn-LWEux9mL8z6BDwtjQXw!2m2!1d43.54545677929285!2d-80.25156103011925!3f1.6276446058517422!4f-1.2020962723209863!5f2.1408543385581806" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
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(View of Baker Street. Courtesy of Google Street View, October 2020.)
<p>
About 1960, the Steele Wire Springs company relocated and the old Raymond plant was demolished. The space became part of the Municipal Parking Lot. In 1968, the Guelph Curling Club moved to a new location and the Victoria Rink was torn down, its site paved to house more cars.
<p>
What the future holds remains to be seen.
<hr>
Sources used include:
<ul>
<li>Durtnall, B. (2021). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/1341286967">Labouring all our lives : Guelph's working class history (1827- 1950)</a>. Guelph: SingleMinded Publishing.
<li>Fear, J. (12 Aug 2011). "<a href="https://www.therecord.com/life/2011/08/12/flash-from-the-past-guelph-curlers-and-ice-skaters-used-victoria-rink.html">Flash from the Past: Guelph curlers and ice skaters used Victoria Rink</a>."
<li>Irwin, Ross (1999). "Historical notes." <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/977167387">Historic Guelph</a> 38: 56–57.
<li>Laqueur, T.W. (2015). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/908084082">The work of the dead: A cultural history of mortal remains</a>. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-63525191757734782932023-03-19T12:51:00.003-07:002023-03-20T06:28:48.095-07:00From Rochdale to Guelph with Ethel FouldsSometimes, old postcards reveal themselves through curious coincidences. That was certainly my feeling when British purveyor of postcards <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulSuttonKing">Paul Sutton-King</a>, whom I follow on Twitter, tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulSuttonKing/status/1622515248728092672?s=20">a pic of a real photo postcard of a fancy wedding cake</a> that he had picked up in a flea market in Cheshire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another niche area the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/postcard?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#postcard</a> collector could explore, how about the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wedding</a> cake card? We need the handwriting experts to work out this address. Was Ethel the baker or the recipient I wonder? <a href="https://t.co/KvdJOBP2rE">pic.twitter.com/KvdJOBP2rE</a></p>— Paul Sutton-King (@PaulSuttonKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulSuttonKing/status/1622515248728092672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Imagine my surprise to see that the recipient was one Ethel Foulds, resident of 98 Surrey Street in Guelph! Paul kindly shared the card with me and I began my investigation.
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<p>
The usual sources soon revealed the basics. Ethel Jean Foulds was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acton,_Ontario">Acton, Ontario</a>, on 23 March 1907, the daughter of William Edward and Eleanor Barwise (née Wilson). William was a Lancashire man, born in Littleboro in 1875, who had emigrated to Canada abord the Tunisian in 1904. He took up work as a tanner in Acton, home of the substantial <a href="https://www.heritagetoronto.org/explore-learn/acton-slogan-local-sayings/">Beardmore & Co.</a> tannery. He married Eleanor there on 4 January 1905. She too had just arrived in Acton from England, making me suspect that they were bethrothed there and had married once William had got himself set up on the other side of the pond.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.norwayheritage.com/gallery/gallery/Steamship_Companies/Allan_Line/Tunisian.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="400" src="http://www.norwayheritage.com/gallery/gallery/Steamship_Companies/Allan_Line/Tunisian.jpg"/></a></div>
(<a href="http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=tuni2">S.S. Tunisian</a>, courtesty of Norway Heritage.)
<p>
Nor were the Foulds the only former inhabitants of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale">Rochdale</a>, Lancashire, to relocate to Acton at that time. From the Acton Free Press (<a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/86825/page/2?q=rochdale&docid=OOI.86825">22 July 1926</a>), we learn that Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tweedale, plus daughters Phoebe and Sarah, arrived in Acton in July of 1906 with the intention of settling there. On arrival, they stayed at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Sunderland Taylor, who were themselves former Rochdale people. In fact, Mrs. Taylor was none other that Ruth Hannah, née Tweedale, who married Edward in England in 1890 (Acton Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/142321/data?n=1">13 June 1912</a>). They immigrated to Acton in 1903, where Edward took up work at the Acton Tanning Company. Had he spread the good word about Acton to the folks back home? It seems that, by 1907, Edward had made six trips across the Atlantic in the previous two or three years, so something was certainly going on (Acton Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/88488/page/10?q=tweedale&docid=OOI.88488">26 September 1965</a>).
<p>
(The fates of these families also illustrate that long-distance travel was not without its hazards. Mrs. Tweedale died only six weeks after her arrival in Acton in 1906. She had suffered from "lung trouble" for some time and her doctor thought sea travel would be good for her (Acton Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/138742/data?n=1">30 August 1906</a>). Apparently not. Mr. Taylor died in 1912 after a "prospecting trip" to a paint factory in Victoria, British Columbia, where he met with a fatal dose of lead poisoning (Action Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/142321/data?n=1">13 June 1912</a>).)
<p>
In any event, the Foulds family had better luck. By 1907, they had upped sticks and moved to Guelph, where William is listed as a machinist. He is later listed as a member of the 'Quarter-Century Club,' that is, employees of at least 25 years employment, with the <a href="https://castironcanada.com/?page_id=112">International Malleable Iron Company</a> (or IMICO, locally known simply as "Mall'able Iron") of Guelph, starting from 1914 (Daily Mercury, 29 January 1952). He was raised a Methodist and is listed as a member of the board of <a href="http://guelphchurches.faithweb.com/paisley.htm">the Paisley Memorial United Church</a> (Daily Mercury, 29 July 1927).
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(Former Paisley Memorial United Church, now <a href="https://riveroflifeint.com/locations/main-campus/">the River of Life Church</a>.)
<p>
The Foulds maintained ties with the Old Country. Ships' records show Ethel Foulds and her mother Eleanor traveling from Liverpool to Quebec abord the Virginian on 13 May 1914. Significantly, the message on the back of the wedding cake card sent to Ethel states: "Eva Mae // Cake // April 29/14." I suspect that the two had taken a trip to Lancashire to visit relations there, during which time they attended a marriage featuring the wonderful cake. Unfortunately, I have not been able to track down what wedding it might have been. Was Eva Mae the bride? If any Yonners can ferret this out, please let us know in the comments!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.norwayheritage.com/gallery/gallery/Steamship_Companies/Allan_Line/virginian.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="400" src="http://www.norwayheritage.com/gallery/gallery/Steamship_Companies/Allan_Line/virginian.jpg"/></a></div>
(<a href="http://norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=virgk">R.M.S. Virginian</a>, courtesy of Norway Heritage.)
<p>
It seems that William continued work with Mall'able Iron until shortly before his death on 10 July 1947 (Mercury, 11 July 1947).
<p>
The City Directory of 1914 gives the Foulds's address as 98 Surrey Street East (since demolished), where the postcard in question was sent that very year. Around 1917, the family had moved to 25 Wood Street in the Ward, near <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2015/02/tytler-public-school.html">Tytler School</a>. The house has recently been heightened and expanded, as can be seen in this Street View image from 2009.
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<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1679248055796!6m8!1m7!1s7UJhi7afn-A-VDHQzY8zKw!2m2!1d43.54546610105356!2d-80.23533123439427!3f300.8831709369197!4f4.285895393347246!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
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<p>
Finally, around 1925, the Foulds relocated to their 'forever' home at 149 Kingsmill Ave., a 'shotgun' house located close to the Eramosa river. Since the area was developed around that time, the Foulds were liklely the first occupants of this house.
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<p>
Just before this move, Ethel Foulds made her own appearance in the City Directory, as a shoemaker in the employ of <a href="https://labouringallourlives.ca/northern-rubber-from-footwear-manufacturer-to-condos/">the nearby Northern Rubber Company</a>. Incorporated in 1919, Northern Rubber manufactured a variety of rubber footwear.
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<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1679176670604!6m8!1m7!1sFdE5NzzPc4d2rpTe--WNnw!2m2!1d43.54763718625355!2d-80.23603390119092!3f91.58671938209297!4f14.966637470740892!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
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<p>
Identified for <a href="https://pub-guelph.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=11434">heritage designation</a>, the iconic building is being renovated for condos as part of a larger redevelopment of the site.
<p>
As it happens, there is a panoramic photo of employees of the Norther Rubber plant, taken in 1934.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/081/2005142.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/081/2005142.jpg"/></a></div>
("Northern Rubber Employees, 1934." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/32CCF5C4-3A5F-4CCA-A161-234427212554">2005.14.2</a>.)
<p>
Amazingly, someone included a sticky note that points out an employee in the fourth row named "Ethel." Could this be Ethel Foulds?!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/081/2005142-3.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/081/2005142-3.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
It appears that Ethel Foulds remained with the company until it folded up its tent in 1941. Thereafter, she is listed as an "operator" with the Aberfoyle Manufacturing Company. More specifically, it appears that her job was that of "<a href="http://www.weasteheritagetrail.co.uk/Resources/some-old-job-titles-from-the-textile-industries/index.htm">quiller</a>," which, I gather, refers to someone whose job is to operate a machine that winds yarn onto spools.
<p>
I don't have much information on the Aberfoyle Manufacturating Company. <a href="https://archive.org/details/canadiantradeind1943unse/page/176/mode/2up?q=aberfoyle">The 1943 Canadian Trade Index</a> lists its products as mercerized bleach and dye, and cotton yarns. Its location was later reported not in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puslinch,_Ontario#Aberfoyle">the town of Aberfoyle</a> but at 69 Metcalfe Street, today 69 Huron Street, in Guelph. A stone's throw from the Northern Rubber Plant, this facility was also in easy walking distance of Ethel's home.
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(This plant later became part of <a href="https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/heirloom_series/volume6/350-351.htm">the W.C. Wood Company</a>, makers of fridges and freezers.)
<p>
At this point, the trail came to an end. Ethel Founds disappeared from the City Directory around 1950. At the same time, her mother, Mrs. Eleanor Foulds (widow of William), was suddenly recorded as a resident of R.R. (rural route) 5 in <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-rockwood-academy.html">Rockwood</a>, not far from Acton. What happened?
<p>
<a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229449907/william-e-foulds">Records from Woodlawn Cemetery</a> in Guelph revealed that William's widow Eleanor died in 1953 and was buried alongside him. <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229426865/ethel-jean-walker">Cemetery records</a> also reveal the final resting place of Ethel Jean Foulds, who died in 2001 and is listed as the wife of one Harry Walker. Indeed, an Ethel Walker appears as a resident of R.R. 5 of Rockwood at the right time. Ethel had married and her mother had moved in with her son-in-law!
<p>
Unfortunately, there were at least three Harry Walkers in the region of Rockwood, and no record of their marriages resides online. However, the Acton Free Press mentions a Harry Walker "of Rockwood" as a pall bearer at a funeral, accompanied by several brothers. This Harry Walker was born in 1889, farmed in Eramosa township, and had married Jennie McLean in 1919. Jennie died in 1943, which would have made Harry available for marriage around 1950. This Harry Walker died in 1965, and his obituary in the Mercury (3 December) turned up the facts that he had the brothers mentioned in the earlier article and had married the former Ethel Jean Foulds in August 1949. Voilà!
<p>
A further look at the Guelph City directories showed that Ethel Walker (wid. Harry) had taken up residence at 149 Kingsmill Avenue in 1967, the old Foulds household. Ethel likely kept possession of the house, rented it out upon her marriage, and returned to it afterwards. She is not listed with an occupation and instead seems to have enjoyed a long retirement.
<p>
Harry Walker was buried with his first wife Jennie McLean in <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199757251/henry-s-walker">Stone United Church Cemetery</a> in Erasmosa Township. Ethel Jean Walker (née Foulds) was buried with her parents in Woodlawn Cemetery in Guelph.
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<hr>
If you have any further information about Ethel Foulds or her family, in Canada, England, or elsewhere, please let us know in the comments below!
<hr>
Speaking of coincidences, shortly after finding and tweeting the wedding cake postcard addressed to Ethel Foulds, Paul Sutton-King reported this:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Now here’s the best bit Went to the antique fair yesterday and couldn’t believe my eyes! <a href="https://t.co/eaV9d2AfiP">pic.twitter.com/eaV9d2AfiP</a></p>— Paul Sutton-King (@PaulSuttonKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulSuttonKing/status/1627658013350797312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yes, another random postcard found in England was addressed to Ethel Foulds, this one sent from Acton!
<p>
The transcription goes as follows:
<blockquote>
Acton Sept 20, 1920 <br>
Dear Ethel: <br>
You will be thinking I have forgotten you all, but I have not. I got your lovely card when I came home last Sat. I got some lovely cards for my birthday. will any of you be down for the Fair Wed. love from Alice <br>
xxxx
</blockquote>
At a guess, this postcard may have been sent by Miss Sarah Alice Tweedale, daughter of Edward Tweedale, whom I mentioned above as another emigrant from Rochdale to Acton.
<p>
It seems likely that the young Ethel Foulds enjoyed postcards and may have kept and collected those that she received. At some point, this collection may have found its way to relations in the Old Country, who have since dispersed it there. So, keep your eyes peeled, Britishers, and report any more finds!
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-49005904719465799592023-02-18T14:12:00.000-08:002023-02-18T14:12:35.053-08:00Edgewood Park: Eden Mills summer campThe local papers printed a number of accounts of an interesting new facility in Eden Mills. For example, the <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/86780/page/1?q=%22edgewood+park%22&docid=OOI.86780">10 September 1924</a> edition of the Acton Free Press notes that Mr. and Mrs. Nodwell and family of Toronto recently left for Hogtown after spending the summer at their cottage in Edgewood Park, Eden Mills.
<p>In <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-early-days-of-eden-mills.html">a previous post</a>, I noted that Eden Mills was known early on mostly as a rural village featuring several mills and a modest hotel. However, things had recently changed and the village had become something of a regional destination. At least, it now sported a popular park and summer homes for out-of-towners.
<p>
The history of Edgewood Park really begins with the arrival of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-toronto-suburban-railway-guelphs.html">the Toronto Suburban Railway</a> (TSR) in the village in 1917. Bypassed earlier by the Grand Trunk and the Guelph Junction Railways, the inclusion of a TSR station at Eden Mills promised to lower shipping costs for the produce of the village's mills and the region's farmers.
<p>
Of course, the TSR could also bring passengers into town. This meant that people from nearby towns like Guelph, Acton, and Georgetown could easily make day trips to Eden Mills, as could anyone from Toronto who might desire to do so. The commercial potential of this connection was not lost on towns along the route. For example, a fun facility called <a href="https://hikingthegta.com/2015/04/13/eldorado-park/">El Dorado Park</a> was set up at a TSR stop in what is now Brampton. A Ferris Wheel, a Merry-go-round, and other attractions were added to entice daytrippers to buy tickets on the railway.
<p>
In 1924 or perhaps early 1925, a group of Eden Mills residents led by Duncan McDougall got together and built a park next to the Eden Mills station. Land was cleared, a picnic area and baseball diamond laid out, and cottages built. In addition, a dance hall was constructed, where acts from Toronto and beyond could drop in by rail and perform for the delight of locals and courting couples.
<p>
One of my favourite early ads for the dance venue featured George Wade and his "Corn Huskers", featuring Sid Jackson, the piano accordian expert (Acton Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/86980/page/4?n=">18 July 1929</a>):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63Vy89gN5v17YT25x6j3CyFzeDhzyd9KXjbjoXTFcukPt4bovnn6nu-lQJKnQ5jSVZohJEZreuhUY1Bp6e2OUbVr7SV7Av2qImFvp-6CAd5Es4Uq-uwWcogvyy60IcGDHUaS_11PNAN3urTklJZaMOwTvxK2THkN5lugv_YLC76sZEfgIDCo42KVO/s712/cornhuskers29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="712" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63Vy89gN5v17YT25x6j3CyFzeDhzyd9KXjbjoXTFcukPt4bovnn6nu-lQJKnQ5jSVZohJEZreuhUY1Bp6e2OUbVr7SV7Av2qImFvp-6CAd5Es4Uq-uwWcogvyy60IcGDHUaS_11PNAN3urTklJZaMOwTvxK2THkN5lugv_YLC76sZEfgIDCo42KVO/s320/cornhuskers29.jpg"/></a></div>
McDougall added a swimming pool in 1928. Children simply could have swum in the Eramosa river, but a swimming pool was more family friendly. As explained in my post on <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/07/bathers-of-both-sexes-find-good-bathing.html">Riverside Park</a> in Guelph, parks promoted co-ed swimming by building special swimming facilities where boys could be prevented from swimming au natural, as was their wont.
<p>
Schools and social groups soon began to hold picnics at Edgewood. The Acton Free Press of 10 September 1924 mentions that, "The Union Sunday School pic-nic was held at Edgewood Park on Monday afternoon, an enjoyable time being spent."
<p>
The venue also became an annual host to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Day#Canada">Labor Day</a> festivities. This holiday was established in Canada in 1894 as part of the movement to celebrate industrial labour and provide workers with more time off the job. The 1925 Labor Day celebration at Edgewood Park as quite a shindig:
<blockquote>
The celebration here on Labor Day was a fine success and well attended considering the threatening weather that prevailed. The affair was started off with a Calithumpian parade, headed by Acton Citizens’ Band from the village to Edgewood Park. The hard time prize outfits were won by W. Mino and R. Argo and E. Reid. The first ball game was between Arkell and Eden Mills, and was won by Arkell, and in the second game York Road won from Brookville. The third game was won by the picked team against the W.S. Progress Lodge, of Guelph.
</blockquote>
Not to mention the numerous races and horseshoe throwing contest!
<p>
Perhaps the most memorable blowouts at Edgewood Park were the company picnics. The Acton Free Press (<a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/2313709/page/10?q=%22edgewood+park%22&docid=OOI.2313709">6 January 1971</a>) makes special note of the Beardmore & Co. picnics. <a href="https://www.heritagetoronto.org/explore-learn/acton-slogan-local-sayings/">Beardmore & Co.</a> were a leather tannery in Acton, said to be the largest in the British Empire around 1900. Ontarians of a certain vintage will associate Acton with the Olde Hide House, a large leather goods store and a successor to Beardmore, which made it "worth the drive to Acton."
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/internal/media/dispatcher/2108313/preview" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="651" src="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/internal/media/dispatcher/2108313/preview"/></a></div>
("The Beardmore Tanneries, Acton, Ont," ca. 1910. Postcard courtesy of the Toronto Public Library, <a href="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/331990/the-beardmore-tanneries-acton-ontario">PCR-6</a>.)
<p>
The 1938 event, held on <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/87446/page/1?q=beardmore&docid=OOI.87446">July 28</a>, was attended by about 500 company employees, their families, and well-wishers. All the usual picnic pleasers were held, including swimming and races for the children, an egg race for the ladies, a fat man's race, and a performance by the Acton Citizens Band. Naturally, the main event was a copious picnic supper.
<p>
A special feature of the 1938 edition was the taking of a panoramic picture of the attendees. This was reproduced in the 1971 newspaper thus:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bQwyEFcoA1bleXbVuVK6Hb8dKUjETx2D2jdZM9Lyt99Z1JkG0zOB3mAV10_NPil7tRN6IIEISWAPwYWkFaV0ePQ_oO_hEFhBhYDpAsOuCXyqlpNRNzqd94a2LHc3PgP7b4Ku87qxrWS7kZDQWbJLdYJ_siI2ijbP0ECc6pUb7WBAarXOvQtBoUtc/s8473/beardmore38.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1843" data-original-width="8473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bQwyEFcoA1bleXbVuVK6Hb8dKUjETx2D2jdZM9Lyt99Z1JkG0zOB3mAV10_NPil7tRN6IIEISWAPwYWkFaV0ePQ_oO_hEFhBhYDpAsOuCXyqlpNRNzqd94a2LHc3PgP7b4Ku87qxrWS7kZDQWbJLdYJ_siI2ijbP0ECc6pUb7WBAarXOvQtBoUtc/s600/beardmore38.png"/></a></div>
(If anyone knows where a better copy is available, let me know.)
<p>
This was not the first panoramic photo taken at Edgewood Park. A photo of the "Nth Erin & Gara. picnic at Edgewood Park, Eden Mills," 1930, is available at a better resolution:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/185/ph51164.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/185/ph51164.jpg"/></a></div>
(Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/EA6AE8D6-E233-4E4D-BE70-022148166348">A2018.4 ph. 51164</a>.)
<p>
Look carefully and you may see that a man near the middle of the picture appears to have a teacup upside down on his head. Why, we may never know.
<p>
Attendance at the 1938 Beardmore & Co. picnic was made possible by the use of "nearly all the motor vehicle transportation available" in Acton at the time. This note reminds us that the TSR was no longer operating when the picnic took place. The Railway was in financial difficulty since its inception, since it was hard to compete with private automobiles and hefty, government road building programs. In 1931, the TSR ceased operations and its assets were sold off. However, its downfall seems not to have clipped the wings of Edgewood Park, which remained an established place for regional recreation.
<p>
Even so, change did come to Edgewood Park. In 1944, the Park was purchased by the Lutheran Church of the Canada Synod as a location for their annual summer youth camps. The Church had run a Lutheran Boys Camp at <a href="https://woodstocknewsgroup.weebly.com/fisherrsquos-glen.html">Fishers Glen</a> on Lake Erie since 1936. (A Girl's camp was started in 1940.) However, the camp had outgrown the facility there and the Church went looking for a larger one, which led it to Edgewood Park. Around 1,000 people attended the official opening service on 30 July!
<p>
Camp Edgewood, as it came to be known (later Edgewood Camp and Conference Centre), provided camping facilities for various youth organizations, not to mention adult and family retreats, Luther League and Synodical Brotherhood meetings, and Salvation Army events. For example, the Guelph YMCA held its annual camp there until 1951, when they moved on to Camp Nagiwa.
<p>
In so doing, Camp Edgewood became part of a significant cultural phenomenon: The Ontario Summer Camp. As Sharon Wall (2009) explains, summer camps for city children had become increasingly popular destinations for young Canadians, particularly in Ontario, especially after the Great War and picking up pace after World War II.
<p>
Some camps emphasized a 'wilderness' ideal, in which children were taught how to 'rough it' by swimming, canoeing, woodcraft, and sleeping under canvas. These sorts of camps were typically private, sited in more northern areas of the province (as far as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temagami">Temagami</a>), and catered to the scions of well-to-do city dwellers.
<p>
So-called 'Fresh Air' camps were sited near the big cities and were operated by charities. Their clientele were typically children of low-income families who otherwise would have no respite from the noxious fumes of Ontario's major urban centres like the Big Smoke. (The Toronto Star's <a href="https://www.thestar.com/initiatives/fresh_air_fund/history-of-the-toronto-star-fresh-air-fund.html">Fresh Air Fund</a> began in 1901 as a charity to help urban children escape their overheated urban slums.)
<p>
In between were 'agency' campus run by organizations like the YMCA that catered to the middle-class and so funded their operations mainly through fees. Like Fresh Air camps, they lay near the big cities and featured less a wilderness experience than a chance to escape urban hothouses for rural idylls and what be called nature literacy. Camp Edgewood fell into this category.
<p>
An article in the 12 June 1952 Toronto Globe & Mail provides an insight into the sort of expeience that campers at Edgewood would have:
<blockquote>
Enjoy bedtime snack of hot dogs, crawl in creek to find crayfish<br>
By Eldon Stonehouse<br>
Guelph, June 11.—The little red school house was never like this.<br><br>
Pupils in Guelph have moved out doors for this week to get their lessons under the open sky. So far the idea has been working well, and the pupils, at least, wouldn’t mind if teacher Ron Campbell never took them back under the school house roof.<br><br>
The children, aged 9 to 13, are camped at Edgewood Lutheran Camp at Eden Mills, a few miles from Guelph. And, while some subject such as arithmetic may be slightly neglected during the week in the open air, other subjects such as art, marine life, birds agriculture and water safety are getting more attention than they have since last September.<br><br>
Teacher Campbell, who was once a swimming instructor, has 36 young students under his care at the wood-fringed camp. And, while they have been as quiet as they ever were in classroom during the first couple of days, the children are enjoying their lessons more than they did during the first part of the year. (Hot dogs for bedtime snacks have helped.)<br><br>
The open air schoolhouse is something new for Ontario, although it has been tried in various sections of the United States. So far, the Department of Education is keeping a watchful eye on the camp from Toronto and saying practically nothing. Guelph’s school board hopes that when the department does make its comment, it will be favorable.<br><br>
The Guelph department launched the idea and put up the first $150. Parents of the Grade 5 children added $1 per day for the period the pupils will spend at the camp. The Home and School Association will pick up what’s left of the cheque after the pupils come back to town.<br><br>
The children moved into the camp on Monday night, and, after getting accustomed to their new surroundings, were hard at work (hah!) by Tuesday. Monday, of course, was a holiday.<br><br>
On Tuesday, and each succeeding day, the class was divided into groups, each for a different type of outdoor classroom work. Teacher Campbell took the class in first-aid, and also in water safety at the swimming pool.<br><br>
Supervisors gave the regular teacher a helping hand with various other types of study. Helen Marr taught art in the dining hall, and Ray Mulford each day took a separate group to a nearby bird sanctuary and on a compass hike through the woods.<br><br>
The Ontario Lands and Forests Department, although not directly involved, lent a hand too. Representatives just happened to drop into the camp to take the youngsters into the woods and teach them how to identify various trees. This lesson caught on about as fast as any, with the possible exception of Bill Hawley’s historical hikes and marine life studies. He had the children in the near-by creek in the water up to their knees capturing crayfish and underwater creatures for identification.<br><br>
Keith Barber took another group to near-by farms to let them see what life was like in the rural areas. And, lest there be some need for added physical education, Ernie Berner from the Guelph YMCA was on hand to give the boys and girls some pointers on muscle development.<br><br>
By the end of the first day at the Lutheran Camp, Ron Campbell had decided the outdoor school was a great idea.<br><br>
“I wouldn’t mind,” he said, “teaching like this for 10 months of the year.”<br><br>
Bob Noel, 9-year-old pupil, added his approval. “Gee,” he said, “This is keen.”<br><br>
But if it rains during the week, it’s back to the books on arithmetic and you know what in the buildings on the camp grounds.
</blockquote>
The "Shoebox memories: Edgewood Park" column of the North Halton Compass (<a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/304854/data?n=1">2 July 2004</a>) provides a two-page spread of very interesting pictures spanning Edgewood Park's history, which I will insert below. The pictures run from the earliest on page 8 to the later ones on page 9.
Page 8:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIqKokMAjwsDQcFYyHrStHOyRBBWuR66Ayf_nBarVKo8R0L_PhF6Kb_GYjBu7E3mw8U-bGrx3NSFH4i1vGzQPI4L_JFWti68b8wRsfSAPAZqEETBWRORqTMfPjN6paPVhM9lTcvOWaG0ehN5Wlx4WQPafQKWGEf0e3Rcq5fc1wIBT2ASiwanUQUVm/s4105/HNC%202004%20P.%208.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="4105" data-original-width="2528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIqKokMAjwsDQcFYyHrStHOyRBBWuR66Ayf_nBarVKo8R0L_PhF6Kb_GYjBu7E3mw8U-bGrx3NSFH4i1vGzQPI4L_JFWti68b8wRsfSAPAZqEETBWRORqTMfPjN6paPVhM9lTcvOWaG0ehN5Wlx4WQPafQKWGEf0e3Rcq5fc1wIBT2ASiwanUQUVm/s600/HNC%202004%20P.%208.jpg"/></a></div>
Page 9:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOIS_UR84PavD3izU3TEmF_aOm5Ymb6YiRqzdrW4Axuya5PCNK8EZaSPNxu_j66rXgIV2mX1-F9Nrl3WCU74-WpNoooYtYRVKGgYotNZVWQaylAhsK43c5KsoCn_b5FwhLjgg2g9rtXx56e_1La4ItU6lNEoFPNt6hTTHo7R9H_op1deFiejYWiZL/s4111/HNC%202004%20P.%209.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="4111" data-original-width="2909" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOIS_UR84PavD3izU3TEmF_aOm5Ymb6YiRqzdrW4Axuya5PCNK8EZaSPNxu_j66rXgIV2mX1-F9Nrl3WCU74-WpNoooYtYRVKGgYotNZVWQaylAhsK43c5KsoCn_b5FwhLjgg2g9rtXx56e_1La4ItU6lNEoFPNt6hTTHo7R9H_op1deFiejYWiZL/s600/HNC%202004%20P.%209.jpg"/></a></div>
The Edgewood totem pole reminds us that 'Playing Indian' was a common feature of summer camp programming in that era. As the ersatz totem pole suggests, the point was not mainly to provide education about Ontario's indigenous peoples but to allow modern children to indulge in a confabulated 'primitive' play-acting, which was held to be a kind of theraputic relief from the ails of modernity they faced in city living.
<p>
Postcards of Edgewood reveal an interesting dichtomy in its depiction.
<p>
The first postcard shows the entrance to Edgewood Park, ca. 1940, featured on page 8 of the <i>Shoebox memories</i> article above:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003508703f.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="800" src="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003508703f.jpg"/></a></div>
("Edgewood Park, Eden Mills." Real photo postcard; courtesy of <a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Laurier/3508703/data?n=5">Wifrid Laurier University Archives</a>.)
<p>
While the picture does not show any people, their presence is revealed by the semi-orderly arrangement of parked cars near the office inside the camp entrance, whose shadow is visible in the lower-left corner.
<p>
The postcard below shows the entrance to Camp Edgewood, ca. 1950.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc0i5MgoUFfXXJt_CuNt8XS1gE8bFOGYME7EpS9m8-MD8eIp-CXM0xe5vtjuq5m_G_7sPaRI_KyE-PadZaErnRuMTOuUKdqqmNMR2YgGDvotN2TjwAg6uLR2DFDGaMw9wNK-Vqu1NyGVXk2M5uECEY8w7Aazdf-XgSfayUxyQcstEW4ZxxpiPyI18/s644/gates.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="644" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc0i5MgoUFfXXJt_CuNt8XS1gE8bFOGYME7EpS9m8-MD8eIp-CXM0xe5vtjuq5m_G_7sPaRI_KyE-PadZaErnRuMTOuUKdqqmNMR2YgGDvotN2TjwAg6uLR2DFDGaMw9wNK-Vqu1NyGVXk2M5uECEY8w7Aazdf-XgSfayUxyQcstEW4ZxxpiPyI18/s400/gates.jpg"/></a></div>
("The Gates, Lutheran Summer Camp, Eden Mills." From the author's collection.)
<p>
This image omits any suggestion of people and instead determinedly shows the camp's gate firmly closed and its religious orientation displayed. The impression it leaves on the viewer is that of a locale under the decided control of its managers and focussed on its sectarian mission. Wall (2009) points out that one of the main concerns of parents sending their kids to camps was the safety, both physical, spiritual, and otherwise, of the facility and its management. The image above seems designed to assure them Camp Edgewood is a secure place.
<p>
Another postcard of similar vintage is designed to leave a similar impression:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003724352f.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="800" src="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003724352f.jpg"/></a></div>
("Lutheran Summer Camp—Edgewood Park. Eden Mills, Ont.—'Camp chapel'," ca. 1950. Courtesy of <a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Laurier/3724352/data?n=2">Wilfrid Laurier University Archives</a>.)
<p>
Again, no people are shown. Instead, the outdoor chapel is featured, with its religous symbols and orderly rows of seating. Though rustic, the impression remains one of order and security.
<p>
A futher card in the series shows one of the natural attractions of the Camp:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/158/ph45682.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/158/ph45682.jpg"/></a></div>
("Lutheran Summer Camp—Edgewood Park. Eden Mills, Ont.—'Camp stream'," ca. 1950. Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/200F50BE-1427-43E0-A0E2-124690711216">A2015.1.3</a>, ph. 45682.)
<p>
This card was sent to Mrs. Dundas, Waterloo, Ont. on 7 August 1951, from Betty, who reports
<blockquote>
I am having a very nice holiday and I am hoping you are too.
</blockquote>
<p>
A final view from the same series shows the scene inside the entrance of Camp Edgewood:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi7N_FVJfJsZz0mtGgEV7t5woIFZb2RHya4sxRsw4XaTqh2QmmJoY2C-3oW1_-XQif4GF-qEpCEt0hJiUSAN2RQYoDA9E6VGihfhEFfSpcyy1cr-HF-81t-HHBhQEfCwCXnacXJF7VRNeng01Cq6kQkFri6xolT12zD-EqYgYTzqIvLldZsOWbGCy/s639/entrance.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="639" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi7N_FVJfJsZz0mtGgEV7t5woIFZb2RHya4sxRsw4XaTqh2QmmJoY2C-3oW1_-XQif4GF-qEpCEt0hJiUSAN2RQYoDA9E6VGihfhEFfSpcyy1cr-HF-81t-HHBhQEfCwCXnacXJF7VRNeng01Cq6kQkFri6xolT12zD-EqYgYTzqIvLldZsOWbGCy/s400/entrance.jpg"/></a></div>
("Lutheran Summer Camp—Edgewood Park. Eden Mills, Ont.—'Inside of camp entrance'," ca. 1950. From the author's collection.)
<p>
As expected, no one is present but the orderliness of camp is dipslayed in the form of the prominent flagpole, the carefully trimmed lawn and greenery, and the park office looking out from behind it.
<p>
This postcard was actually sent through the mail and is postmarked on 10 July 1951. The message states:
<blockquote>
Dear Frank [??]<br><br> Monday evening and still Hanging on. The sun was shining swell to-day. Can’t get Bill to go in swimming. Love to you all<br><br> Wes
</blockquote>
It's good to know that people were having a swell time at the Camp!
<p>
Camp Edgewood was renovated and continued in operation until 2017. It was sold to <a href="https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/group-of-eden-mills-residents-buys-camp-edgewood/">the Eden Mills Eramosa River Conservation Association</a> (<a href="https://www.edenmills.ca/EMERCA">EMERCA</a>), who are incorporating it, under the name <a href="https://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/community-group-planning-eramosa-river-naturalization-project/?fbclid=IwAR3RkoQeG06xxUOZjBdK8obZEdpuKH2SWgAQxen9ieW3GgPA-ykVwHOnN1E">Edgewood Trails</a>, into a naturalized area.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003508907f.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="800" src="https://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/WLU/003508907f.jpg"/></a></div>
(Aerial photo of Edgewood Camp and Conference Centre, 16 July 1996. Courtesy of <a href="https://images.ourontario.ca/Laurier/3508907/data?n=1">Wilfred Laurier University Archives</a>.)
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li>Kushner, S. (2023). <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/879633/summary">Cover Essay: Reading Ordinary Photographs</a>. Technology and Culture, 64(1), 1-6.
<li>Wall, S. (2010). <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/298135411">The nurture of nature: Childhood, antimodernism, and Ontario summer camps, 1920-55</a>. UBC Press.
</ul>
Wilfrid Laurier University Archives also has <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/edgewood-camp-and-conference-centre-fonds">an extensive collection of Camp Edgewood materials</a>.Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-39606262749583849382023-01-22T10:18:00.000-08:002023-01-22T10:18:40.947-08:00The Heffernan street footbridge 3.0Early in the morning of 5 February 1913, Martin O'Donnell came across a grisly surprise, "the body of a dead man, frozen stiff, in the centre of the through siding near the C.P.R. freight shed, one arm being missing" (Mercury). The body was later identified as Carmillo Angelo, who lived in a boarding house in the "Italian colony" in the Ward.
<p>
Forty-two years old, Angelo worked at the Pipe Mill (later <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-old-mill-kept-guelphites-swimming.html">the Old Mill</a>) and was probably returning to his boarding house when he was struck by the 8:30pm train from Toronto, which dragged him some distance and severed his arm. He had lived and worked in Guelph for five years and had become naturalized only a couple of months before. He left a widow and five children back in Italy.
<p>
The incident occurred in behind the CPR freight shed, formerly the Speed Skating Rink, near the Heffernan street bridge. Angelo's death illustrated the hazard to pedestrians of having a popular pedestrian route, fed by the pedestrian bridge, hard by a railway.
<p>
As noted in <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-heffernan-street-bridge-short-span.html">an earlier post</a>, Guelphites seemed generally happy with the convenience and aesthetics of the second Heffernan street footbridge. However, the proximity of its southern entrance to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Junction_Railway">the Guelph Junction Railway</a> was always problematic.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCXFyo-K2hin_plQ4GCMvaw3WBUWdHPLKaSmosv3XdGtS06waGrsfXFmVNvGNDzww26y_CsVkbTtQVBJ0tTaqBLJxXKnnYhcEKzEsMRC9nB-KrbfqBQZPNFCLy_EV2ZA3Ho4dn4CQDvzvLS5i3xxdSEP818WWLpoi7fSN9jIR1pIZNW38zX0e8fGa/s639/heffernan13.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="639" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCXFyo-K2hin_plQ4GCMvaw3WBUWdHPLKaSmosv3XdGtS06waGrsfXFmVNvGNDzww26y_CsVkbTtQVBJ0tTaqBLJxXKnnYhcEKzEsMRC9nB-KrbfqBQZPNFCLy_EV2ZA3Ho4dn4CQDvzvLS5i3xxdSEP818WWLpoi7fSN9jIR1pIZNW38zX0e8fGa/s400/heffernan13.jpg"/></a></div>
(This view shows the proximity of the second Heffernan street footbridge to the Gueplph Junction Railway. Postcard published by the International Stationary Co., ca. 1910. From the author's collection.)
<p>
In the early 1900s, the Canadian Pacific Railway was spending money on improvements to its facilities and, in Guelph, aimed to build a new railway station to replace <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-priory-gets-rebuiltalmost.html">the decrepit Priory</a>, the first building constructed on the townsite. In conjuction with this plan, the CPR made a offer to the City of Guelph: It would build gates at the Eramosa Road railway crossing, and erect a new Heffernan street bridge that went over the tracks, if the city would upgrade the crossing at Allan's bridge (Mercury, 17 November 1909). This would ensure that the CPR would be in a position to build a new railway station at the nearby Trafalgar Square site in the following year or so.
<p>
(Indeed, it appears that the board of the Railway Commissioners ordered a new footbridge to be built that passed over the tracks, though I have yet to find a record of the order itself.)
<p>
The city seems to have accepted the deal and the tender of Rutherford & Paten, of St. Catherines, was accepted to construct the new bridge.
<p>
This was duly not accomplished. The city's Board of Works returned to the old idea that a vehicular bridge should be built to carry street traffic over the river. This plan was not carried out, apparently because the city refused to drain the river for the purpose of construction, as the builders had assumed they would (Mercury, 15 April 1912).
<p>
So, the Board reverted to the scheme of having another footbridge constructed instead. New plans were drawn up and a call for tenders issued. Ever indecsive, the City's call for tenders listed two different designs for the bridge (Engineering and Contract Record, <a href="https://archive.org/details/contractrecordv27p02/page/n415/mode/2up">23 April 1913</a>):
<blockquote>
Tenders will be received up to April 26th by Board of Works and Sewerage Commissioners for: (1) steel foot bridge, consisting of 2 97-ft. deck spans, 1 through truss at 100 ft. and 6 I-beam approach spans; (2) construction of concrete substructure for the above; (3) alternative tenders for a reinforced concrete bridge on same site. Plans, etc., from City Engineer. $5.00 deposit required for concrete bridge plans.
</blockquote>
Option (1) seems much like the previous bridge, albeit with extra approaches and elevation on a concrete substructure. Option (2) was for a newer style featuring 100% reinforced concrete, perhaps reflecting a desire that the bridge might appear more "modern" than the earlier one.
<p>
Spoiler alert: A tender for option (2) was selected, from the company of Galbraith & Cate of Montreal. Construction seems to have begun in September and finished around November 1.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/131/20137277.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/131/20137277.jpg"/></a></div>
("Construction of the Heffernan Street Walking Bridge," 1913. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/A64FEEAA-20B1-46CC-863B-812520875085">2013.72.77</a>.)
<p>
Naturally, the third Heffernan street footbridge featured in many postcards of the post-Great War era. Its graceful arches and interesting slope were too much for photographers to resist. Consider the view below, taken from Eramosa street bridge upstream.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z48eguiBCYncMahuF292BRtuZFibJ66F1b84JB8s-IXEXnn21yqdY3EcY5MaaBwacDeHWELSes8lX6LXtlzJCI65LHYyL39FBTe6xtFzV6kAPDnwDnMCkMSNRIXFYOScEluk-ezG0Hxp6x6Aq6CrIcoFa6yZ0GUHl_qA8jAIhUMp6RwJ4BUfwm5k/s643/heffernan25.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="643" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Z48eguiBCYncMahuF292BRtuZFibJ66F1b84JB8s-IXEXnn21yqdY3EcY5MaaBwacDeHWELSes8lX6LXtlzJCI65LHYyL39FBTe6xtFzV6kAPDnwDnMCkMSNRIXFYOScEluk-ezG0Hxp6x6Aq6CrIcoFa6yZ0GUHl_qA8jAIhUMp6RwJ4BUfwm5k/s400/heffernan25.jpg"/></a></div>
("Speed River, Guelph, Ont." Published by <a href="https://vintagepostcards.ca/Publishers/Canadian/Bulman/">the Bulman Bros.</a>, B. C. Lithography & Printing Ltd, Vancouver, BC, ca. 1925. From the author's collection.)
<p>
Another picture taken from downstream shows the same interest in the juxtaposition of the river and the slanting angle of the new bridge.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYHniZDKCZXDjffDqoG8-vVtfhUVx1p2KYeERdRYhWloa9IrktzLheruRgyGKuUAnCvW-PINTXrbvaaCJpeIxrGbahhdaAN57ZB3V7USmj3laifCuz6PyDNDQWB4su8J0pzRAXg-q1JE6i6WZbnj6wPgDSyUiCk3pKzfemuyxrAS2LpGJDEr2IVmd/s642/heffernanFHL.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYHniZDKCZXDjffDqoG8-vVtfhUVx1p2KYeERdRYhWloa9IrktzLheruRgyGKuUAnCvW-PINTXrbvaaCJpeIxrGbahhdaAN57ZB3V7USmj3laifCuz6PyDNDQWB4su8J0pzRAXg-q1JE6i6WZbnj6wPgDSyUiCk3pKzfemuyxrAS2LpGJDEr2IVmd/s400/heffernanFHL.jpg"/></a></div>
("Footbridge over the Speed River, Guelph, Ontario." Published by F.H. Leslie, Niagara Falls, ca. 1930. The perforations on the left margin show that this card was sold in a booklet along with other cards, which could be torn out individually for use. From the author's collection.)
<p>
The elegant concrete arches of the bridge's substructure invite closeups, as they appear almost like the path a stone might follow if skipped over the river.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4snUHIvuKnt2lBZSpGJ4lvzbdeLZEGTwemPwyfoaqZDntxAW4y6uGxkMLl5LCUuXyrcIMhIJq7tSmkcMSEbf9LBtVUpqikU8tPu8QN31iQ134bFtYGUMkPSf3B0fNVVDhrfkLKKJE2XZeJQtLnGtATHvGprJnrU1IGQyyDsNoTLXtek8OrEexZJNP/s645/heffernanHCo.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4snUHIvuKnt2lBZSpGJ4lvzbdeLZEGTwemPwyfoaqZDntxAW4y6uGxkMLl5LCUuXyrcIMhIJq7tSmkcMSEbf9LBtVUpqikU8tPu8QN31iQ134bFtYGUMkPSf3B0fNVVDhrfkLKKJE2XZeJQtLnGtATHvGprJnrU1IGQyyDsNoTLXtek8OrEexZJNP/s400/heffernanHCo.jpg"/></a></div>
("Foot Bridge over Speed River, Guelph, Ont." Published by the Heliotype Co. of Ottawa, ca. 1920. From the author's collection.)
<p>
Note the original lighting system featuring inverted-J poles.
<p>
Guelphites took to the new bridge as they had with the previous one. It soon became home to the same sorts of uses, such as serving as a "dressing room" for youth taking dips in the Speed (Mercury, 5 August 1926):
<blockquote>
A number of citizens have been objecting to the practice of a number of boys dressing and undressing under the Heffernan Street bridge. They state that the practice has become very prevalent lately and, besides being a danger to the boys themselves, is offensive to passers-by. One of the objectors said that while passing over the bridge last night, with a lady, the lads were using extremely bad language and when he remonstrated with them they only redoubled their efforts.
</blockquote>
Plus ca change!
<p>
A few unusual events were also reported occurring under the bridge. Consider the picture below, showing Guelphites waving to the crew of the HMCS Swansea, the only naval vessel to pass under the bridge (Mercury, 1 April 1953):
<blockquote>
The ship, on her way back from battle manoeuvers in the Georgian Bay area, nosed her way slowly down the Speed River to the cheers of amazed and sleepy-eyed early risers.
</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF8pM0GZgboScr9Gii4vB2i02hUhRNJwYJeA4-T0ltTJfYEF2TsTH4N3t9BoiXlRKufyH-031Ie4YAa3vW89NMtaQWCnYUPxnpSX8G83LI0eKIBR7baIQBc24lqNts2X59KOkCfuRI6WCNqXS12ljqI1lTvcejTHplv_0A2xhG6TaXiRxrzGm6wTa/s1950/heffernan53.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="1950" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF8pM0GZgboScr9Gii4vB2i02hUhRNJwYJeA4-T0ltTJfYEF2TsTH4N3t9BoiXlRKufyH-031Ie4YAa3vW89NMtaQWCnYUPxnpSX8G83LI0eKIBR7baIQBc24lqNts2X59KOkCfuRI6WCNqXS12ljqI1lTvcejTHplv_0A2xhG6TaXiRxrzGm6wTa/s400/heffernan53.jpg"/></a></div>
If you are similarly amazed, then take note of the date of the picture's publication.
<p>
Of course, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since its construction, and it experienced a few close calls as it aged. In 1951, the bridge underwent repairs to fix up the cracking and spalling that concrete structures tend to suffer over time. It was closed for four weeks while cracks and holes were sealed with steel mesh and additional concrete (Mercury, 27 July 1951).
<p>
In 1971, when the bridge needed further repairs, the Guelph City Council made plans to tear it down. Despite the urgency that was broadly felt to make Canadian cities more modern and shed vestiges of the past, there was a public outcry at the news and the Council reversed its decision, opting for repairs instead.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/043/09510.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/043/09510.jpg"/></a></div>
(Photograph of the Heffernan street footbridge by Gordon Couling, 1982. Courtesy of the Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/0421F4E0-906A-401D-9412-466993058220">A1985.110</a>, ph. 9510).
<p>
In 1990, the Heffernan street footbridge was declared <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=13903">a heritage site</a> and the City Council decided to return it to its original appearance. Thus, the bridge was demolished and rebuilt. As Troy Bridgeman remarked (Guelph Today, <a href="https://www.guelphtoday.com/rooted/the-bridge-that-spans-generations-1949162">10 December 2019</a>), it remains today one of the most photographed city landmarks. It is also a monument to the vagaries of civic traffic patterns and the survival of old structures in growing cities.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/202/2009325402.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/202/2009325402.jpg"/></a></div>
("Repair of Heffernan Street Walking Bridge," 1990. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/99526C97-6B25-47B5-8E41-163496033550">2009.32.5402</a>.)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Heffernan_Street_Footbridge%2C_Guelph%2C_ON.jpg/800px-Heffernan_Street_Footbridge%2C_Guelph%2C_ON.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Heffernan_Street_Footbridge%2C_Guelph%2C_ON.jpg/800px-Heffernan_Street_Footbridge%2C_Guelph%2C_ON.jpg"/></a></div>
("Heffernan street footbridge," 20 October 2019. Courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heffernan_Street_Footbridge,_Guelph,_ON.jpg">Peter Burian via Wikimedia Commons</a>.)Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-24935529527820923722022-12-17T14:36:00.001-08:002022-12-17T14:36:26.761-08:00Merry Xmas and Happy New Year, 1914The postcard shows a lovely, summery scene featuring <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-origin-of-blacksmith-fountain.html">the Blacksmith Fountain</a> in St. George's Square. The streetcars carry passengers in their summer attire, who are probably happy that the open sides let in cooling breezes. Perhaps the driver of the oncoming car secretly hopes to apply the made-in-Guelph cow-catcher on the front to scoop an errant pedestrian out of the way.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxzJJkRxEWs-EXTC86IBCTxzfoTJRqLtdpd4En714SInBaNk2L7k_357q_21ZAvjegC5gPZt93a0ze0514_sRLL0ovnwyO0-edd3TEj4vnCSTRUf3h4rJExGqULMTQJNkZyFBoJ_SfdmfwzDSqJIiF8NPptt5Qf16c_jYMbwU73nBfBUUPXm1Awb1/s785/stgsq14.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="785" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxzJJkRxEWs-EXTC86IBCTxzfoTJRqLtdpd4En714SInBaNk2L7k_357q_21ZAvjegC5gPZt93a0ze0514_sRLL0ovnwyO0-edd3TEj4vnCSTRUf3h4rJExGqULMTQJNkZyFBoJ_SfdmfwzDSqJIiF8NPptt5Qf16c_jYMbwU73nBfBUUPXm1Awb1/s400/stgsq14.png"/></a></div>
("St. George's Square, Guelph, Canada," ca. 1910. Published by the International Stationary Company, Picton, Ontario.)
<p>
Although postcard publishers tended to prefer summer photography, postcards were sent all year round, and this card was actually dispatched from Puslinch to Guelph on 31 December 1914, when the Royal City and its surroundings had be socked in under repeated snowfalls.
<p>
Addressed to Mrs. James D. McPherson on York Road in Guelph, the message relates to the holiday season:
<blockquote>
Dear Jim & Belle:— <br>
We got the photos and you could not have sent us a better Christmas box. Glad to hear baby is growing so well.<br>
Wishing you all<br>
A Happy New Year<br>
Aunt Flora
</blockquote>
Of course, the year 1914 was an unusual one in Guelph. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I">The Great War</a> had begun a few months earlier and Canadians were still unsure what it would amount to. Many young men had left with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and were still in Britain training for combat. <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/herbert-philp">Herbert Philp</a> wrote a letter home to his family, which they subsequently published in the Mercury (24 December), under the ironic title "Salisbury mud a wonderful thing." In it, Philp speaks eloquently of the frustration of the contingent:
<blockquote>
For, despite the eagerness of practically every man in the contingent to be "over the way," we are still wallowing about in England's mud.
</blockquote>
Philp explains that the conditions were fine and dry on their arrival, and they pitched their tents in a "slight valley." Then down came the English rains, leaving their modest dwellings with:
<blockquote>
ambitious rivulets flowing either through them or snuggling close to their sides. Not a tent but contained a pool of water.
</blockquote>
When the weather let up, the tents were moved up slope but the cookhouse remained down in the valley, meaning that everyone had to line up there three times a day, in whatever weather, to get their food. The result was frequenty cold tea and soup and soggy bread at meal times.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vTUoJLwed3N4y9cZnG__G0n1rwU8c7qcAAkDdLD0dY9PSCTuS1j8ROyXrRezlRIPP2gU19vkZ-0ft6FMPLSvOzT3CkZ-cD6SS0sfT_2Bkszy30cAzEV0SIu5DeQrHEengsGaVNDOttnzKr6hsbKfqrZqGwVdqlTshLbMrnekJyRRFkPcSVbN3JN0/s467/hwPhilp.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vTUoJLwed3N4y9cZnG__G0n1rwU8c7qcAAkDdLD0dY9PSCTuS1j8ROyXrRezlRIPP2gU19vkZ-0ft6FMPLSvOzT3CkZ-cD6SS0sfT_2Bkszy30cAzEV0SIu5DeQrHEengsGaVNDOttnzKr6hsbKfqrZqGwVdqlTshLbMrnekJyRRFkPcSVbN3JN0/s200/hwPhilp.png"/></a></div>
(Detail of "Herbert William Philp," no date; Courtesy of <a href="https://library.mcmaster.ca/spaces/archives">William Ready Division, Archives and Research Collections</a>, McMaster University Library, via <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/herbert-philp">The Canadian Encyclopedia</a>.)
<p>
Philp finishes his letter thus, "But, so far as excitement and entertainment are concerned, Salisbury Plains still runs a close second to the grave."
<p>
(Herbert Philp's many and eloquent letters home throughout the Great War have been collected by Ed Butts in the book, "The Withering Disease of Conflict: A Canadian Soldier's Chronicle of the First World War." It is available from <a href="https://www.guelphhistoricalsociety.ca/bookstore/book-descriptions">the Guelph Historical Society</a> and I highly recommend it!)
<p>
War news was a mixed bag. Accounts of terrible battles were featured, but the general tone conveyed the sense that the Allies had the upper hand and German defeat in the near future was still a possibility, though not by Christmastime.
<p>
Rumours of German attacks on or in Canada circulated. For example, a national article printed in the Mercury (1 December) related a scheme set in motion for German forces to take over Quebec City. A concrete structure made the previous year near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré">St. Anne de Beaupré</a> by a German movie crew in 1913 was thought to be a bunker intended as a weapons cache for a surprise attack launched by sea. Luckily, British naval superiority had frustrated this plan, it was thought.
<p>
The many Canadians of German descent in the region also caused concern. A letter to the Editor (11 December) attempts to address rumours of a German-Canadian fifth column thus:
<blockquote>
Editor of the Mercury. <br>
Dear Sir: Who are the meddlers who have been reporting to Guelph authorities that secret meetings are being held in Morriston by the Germans and German-Canadians? <br>
There are no secret meetings held in Morriston to my knowledge. Perhaps the meddlers had reference to the revival meetings, held in the Evangelical church, which are held annually. These meetings are not secret, but sacred, and people of all nationalities are welcome to attend. <br>
Are such meddlars as these throughout the Dominion interested in uplifting our Canada? No, they are too ignorant to realize the harm they are doing their own village and community, also their own country, Canada. <br>
Yours respectully, <br>
A life-long Mercury reader.
</blockquote>
As ever, conflict breeds suspicion and mistrust, well-founded or not. Locally, misplaced suspicion of German- and Catholic Canadians resulted in <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-guelph-novitiate-raid-of-1918.html">the Guelph Novitiate Raid of 1918</a>.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/028/ph31342.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/028/ph31342.jpg"/></a></div>
("Evangelical Ch., Morriston." Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/82A78322-E21C-4E19-BE24-221975634108">A2009.124</a>, ph. 31342.)
<p>
Compared to previous years, the Xmas shopping ads in the Mercury seemed subdued. Still, they were far from absent. The D.E. Macdonald & Bros. shop urged Guelphites to "Hurry up! Only two more Saturdays before Christmas" (11 December). Extensive gift suggestions for him, her, and baby were provided, along with an illustration of Santa Claus hauling a prodigious sack of goodies.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydfJ-rfuRQ_-7T3XYDkiNFVSevQy_mMsbCNgeJ2xiNnBvL46WRUL2YAyOFgs_0r7UkL3nNGkuImK0wp5O9ucLnq8lOMDF1Jlk_XB00_8eWcVvUgZki8tWOskICPVSUwjHjHZxjKhpt12LZUJEPHuqk5Zfv5OCkraBJtGA6OMxCxjE0k6jdTPGZ_Nv/s509/1914dec11macdonald-ad%20copy.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydfJ-rfuRQ_-7T3XYDkiNFVSevQy_mMsbCNgeJ2xiNnBvL46WRUL2YAyOFgs_0r7UkL3nNGkuImK0wp5O9ucLnq8lOMDF1Jlk_XB00_8eWcVvUgZki8tWOskICPVSUwjHjHZxjKhpt12LZUJEPHuqk5Zfv5OCkraBJtGA6OMxCxjE0k6jdTPGZ_Nv/s320/1914dec11macdonald-ad%20copy.png"/></a></div>
Similarly, Moore and Armstrong noted that there were only nine shopping days left (14 December): "If you have not got the Christmas Spirit yet, you will have it in large measure when you get to the White House," that is, their store on Wyndham street.
<p>
Their illustration also showed Santa Claus carting a super-sized sack of gifts. One can understand the look of relief on the jolly old elf's face at the sight of the very wide chimnney before him!
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If nothing else, Santa's message was to go big or go home, or both!
<p>
Even Santa Claus was not unaffected by the conflict in Europe. This cartoon shows how low German Kultur had sunk with the war (22 December):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PRje7zNwFOLy99YUvZSCvRv9_PvIlIYY9LA4OHBbaRzc1dINQP7f1rw9A8gISmfRpZM3HSFc06iO3zCipriafGlSGPgYgqgomZPPAbk8CspLDzqsjaQStAhflZD6tbOndHIHX9dFmGjm4hCWIOuKfF_Gbf0nbk1sRkiSTwo6MMtkhB-RFVVfikme/s1074/1914dec22xmas%20copy.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="899" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PRje7zNwFOLy99YUvZSCvRv9_PvIlIYY9LA4OHBbaRzc1dINQP7f1rw9A8gISmfRpZM3HSFc06iO3zCipriafGlSGPgYgqgomZPPAbk8CspLDzqsjaQStAhflZD6tbOndHIHX9dFmGjm4hCWIOuKfF_Gbf0nbk1sRkiSTwo6MMtkhB-RFVVfikme/s320/1914dec22xmas%20copy.png"/></a></div>
The caption says, "An act of barbarism: Not only are the Germans firing on the Red Cross and flags of truce, but they are rendering the work of Santa Claus difficult and hazardous."
<p>
Being magical, Santa had the means to rectify the situation, as shown in a subsequent cartoon (26 December):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLa6yqqY1uASyvPLLi7gtLuaQcQAkDm9CAn5Uyn_Ioekr0P0dGu7rsuicxK4E2gQWwwON4hz50k3XUxT9gke5Kag-FJ_w5e45CJ7gKRMgjoKw1-08_BzwcnZSCiRhhHfdUpLD7WyGTBBVavh1iwGA5oOFknwCnP_vOI9Fb3QGncUO5i0y-Z_RF96I/s1127/1914dec26war%20copy.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="892" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLa6yqqY1uASyvPLLi7gtLuaQcQAkDm9CAn5Uyn_Ioekr0P0dGu7rsuicxK4E2gQWwwON4hz50k3XUxT9gke5Kag-FJ_w5e45CJ7gKRMgjoKw1-08_BzwcnZSCiRhhHfdUpLD7WyGTBBVavh1iwGA5oOFknwCnP_vOI9Fb3QGncUO5i0y-Z_RF96I/s320/1914dec26war%20copy.png"/></a></div>
Here, Santa deploys what I assume is a stocking full of doorknobs to give <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_II,_German_Emperor">Kaiser Bill</a> a jolly good thrashing.
<p>
People on the home front carried on. <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/01/william-philp-and-guelph-musical.html">The Guelph Musical Society</a> held a parade downtown on 9 December. The performance was marred somewhat when large bulldog followed the squad down Wyndham street. The drummer found that the dog would bite the drumsticks whenever he raised them to beat the kettle drum. Fearing that he might be "minus a wing" if he provoked the dog further, the drummer ceased drumming and the band had to proceed without their bass.
<p>
The animals did not have it all their own way. A bear cub named "Teddy" had been kept as a curiousity at the American Hotel on Wynhdam street for most of the year. Having reached the size of 200 lbs, Teddy was sent Bernard Schario, the butcher, who turned him into roasts and steaks as a holiday feast for the hotel residents (24 December).
<p>
The skating season took shape. With the cold weather, Guelphites were soon skating on the pond above <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-goldie-mill-grounds.html">Goldie Mill</a>. Skating also began indoors at the Royal City Rink (formerly <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/09/petries-pleasure-scheme-guelphs-first.html">Petrie's Athletic Park and Rink</a>) at Wellington and Gordon streets.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fKRVX6rnRbL52ls9HX17djCXNecE5Fn9pTcMczNh49P6n5ZlnHdj_6SJ7Xxzu_XP0jT5csHDRcwl7Hmy3jzlrB_6NuKAgaAI5EN9MFxPDmG6VXJ5UA4MUGe7ux0IOyQ4l0dtVinBPEZHwL5fsrJGnz6gz7gG_4nkIY0ig1oyNe7GucH27PjPn5kq/s426/petrieRink99.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fKRVX6rnRbL52ls9HX17djCXNecE5Fn9pTcMczNh49P6n5ZlnHdj_6SJ7Xxzu_XP0jT5csHDRcwl7Hmy3jzlrB_6NuKAgaAI5EN9MFxPDmG6VXJ5UA4MUGe7ux0IOyQ4l0dtVinBPEZHwL5fsrJGnz6gz7gG_4nkIY0ig1oyNe7GucH27PjPn5kq/s320/petrieRink99.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of "The Petrie Rink, Gymnasium and Baths," 1898. Courtesy of Guelph Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/2B84A1EC-BE84-48E8-A8FA-337701939390">2014.84.2</a>.)
<p>
Curiously, the street railway company decided not to open their usual skating rink on Howitt's pond, on the basis that it would not be "a paying proposition" (18 December). In previous years, the rink behind the streetcar barns on Waterloo road had been run as an attraction to get people onto the streetcar system in winter.
<p>
Perhaps they had too much competition. The City had decided to fund a rink on the grounds of the Guelph Collegiate Institute on Paisley street. A room in the basement was even made available for people to put on their skates (22 December). Perhaps this level of comfort and style attracted skaters who might have been inclined to travel to the streetcar rink in previous years.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/089/2009201.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/089/2009201.jpg"/></a></div>
("Collegiate Institute, Guelph, Ont." Postcard printed for <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/12/guelph-postcard-producers-waters-bros.html">Waters Bros.</a>, Guelph, ca. 1910. Courtesy of Guelph Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/6CA5513B-A576-422E-AA36-423092943835">2009.20.1</a>.)
<p>
The Royal City Rink was also home to Guelph's very first NHL team! Yes, Guelph entered a team in the 1914–15 Northern Hockey League senior series (21 December). Although some of the players trying out for the team were from out of town, lots of local boys turned out to show their stuff, including Allan, Anderson, Stricklerr, Greer, Hayes, Spalding, Ogg, King, Mowat, and Bulgin.
<p>
The side lost their first exhibition game against the Dutchmen of Waterloo (26 December). Although the Guelphites mainly acquitted themselves well, the superior size of the Seagramites gave them a distinct advantage, resulting in a 5–2 win for the visitors.
<p>
Another tilt against the same team was arranged for the first regular season game. This time, the Royal City skaters were better prepared. The result was a "wild sort of affair," beginning with a dispute over whether one of the Guelph players was a professional—strictly forbidden! The play was very physical and Referee Knell of Berlin (Ontario) "had his hands full."
<p>
The police had to be called in to break up a melee after the crowd joined in an on-ice altercation in the second half. Tied at the end of regulation play, the game went ten minutes into overtime before Guelph's centre, McGregor, put the home team up 7–6.
<p>
At the Reformatory (or "Prison Farm"), the provincial government announced plans to install an abattoir on site (31 December). The Ontario prison system required 600–700 tons of meat annually in its operations, which was obtained from private butchers. Building an abbatoir at the prison meant that prisoners could be employed to perform the butchering at a lower cost than private butchers, saving the system some $50k a year. In addition, prisoners would learn skills that they could use to obtain regular employment as meat dressers in private industry after release.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/191/2014841276-270.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="386" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/191/2014841276-270.jpg"/></a></div>
("Ontario Reformatory Guelph, Jan. 1915 The Abattoir." Courtesy of Guelph Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/37740972-5D81-48DE-96D3-326165904797">2014.84.1276</a>, p. 59, ph. 3.)
<p>
A final point of interest came with the annual, municipal elections. First, there was some talk of not holding the elections at all, in view of the war situation (17 December). But, the election went ahead as usual.
<p>
Besides electing a Mayor, Aldermen (Councilors), and other officials, citizens of Guelph were asked to weigh in on the following by-law, "Are you in favor of municipal votes for married women?" (8 December). The 'Women's Franchise plebisite' was carried by a majority of (male) voters 1140 to 838 (5 January 1915).
<p>
Women's groups had long campaigned for women's suffrage in Ontario. In the Edwardian era, efforts tended to focus on municipal voting. In 1914, the Canadian Suffrage Association, led by Dr. Margaret Gordon, had lobbied many Ontario municipalities <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/womens-suffrage-in-ontario">to hold referenda on extending votes to women</a>. It appears that Guelph was one of 33 municipalities where the effort met with success, albeit for married women only.
<p>
Women's role in the Great War led to further support for the cause. In 1917, Ontario women finally gained the right to vote in provincial elections.
<p>
In many respects, the holiday season of 1914 was like those of previous years. Even so, as the prospect of the end of the conflict in Europe receded, it was clear that times were changing and that the New Year would bring on many new challenges.Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-19698555863574261402022-11-27T13:11:00.004-08:002023-05-21T10:35:00.097-07:00The Heffernan street bridge: A short span a long time comingBefore 1856, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Palmer_%28priest%29">Rev. Arthur Palmer</a> lived in a handsome stone house on the north shore of the Speed River, today 96 Arthur street north. In those days, there was no footbridge across the river there, so the good Reverend was known to row across the river in his own little boat, where he would disembark to make his way to <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2015/04/st-georges-anglican-church-clock.html">St. George's Anglican Church</a>, then standing in the middle of St. George's Square.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U_Uy4qeT9uQdzjhgEXafu_q3mIRDg-p0y4YQTRR9EhiJASW2K8QQ5W0CuMw91Bf5tB0exIYcAZ8DfKpMKlNA6zwLpU3r5PiyxtS3ehnVpcog5AU8dVO5GGgr7tCEkn8S8KjVlha2TpnBeHiaUFjgYe1IPBF96V0lruHMFT_fqXf3kozrBhpQVerv/s1495/96arthur.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U_Uy4qeT9uQdzjhgEXafu_q3mIRDg-p0y4YQTRR9EhiJASW2K8QQ5W0CuMw91Bf5tB0exIYcAZ8DfKpMKlNA6zwLpU3r5PiyxtS3ehnVpcog5AU8dVO5GGgr7tCEkn8S8KjVlha2TpnBeHiaUFjgYe1IPBF96V0lruHMFT_fqXf3kozrBhpQVerv/s320/96arthur.jpg"/></a></div>
(96 Arthur street north, as viewed from today's Heffernan street bridge. Author's photo, 26 Nov. 2022.)
<p>
Today, the Heffernan street footbridge stands almost exactly that place, a monument to the Reverend's old commute to work.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/112/2009322762.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="524" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/112/2009322762.jpg"/></a></div>
("Arthur Palmer, 1874." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/955CD128-0B87-4611-9C3A-424738553550">2009.32.2762</a>.)
<p>
But, the bridge did not come into existence straightforwardly. Indeed, for many years, it was a kind of confabulation, a structure that existed only in the desires of commuters like Rev. Palmer. On land, such "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path">desire lines</a>" are paths worn into the ground by many feet passing by the same route through a park or vacant lot. For example, a wide desire line led across <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/maps/locations/johnston-green.php">the Johnston Green</a> from the corner of Gordon and College streets to Massey Hall, a route that was recently paved by the University of Guelph.
<p>
Of course, you cannot wear lines into a river but people can still yearn for a permanent way across them, a sort of fluid line of desire.
<p>
Perhaps the earliest record of this particular desire line comes in the 1855 Palmer Survey map. At this time, the Rev. Palmer had bought up a goodly parcel of land along the north bank of the Speed and up across the ridge of the hill behind. (He was then in the process of building his new residence "Tyrcathlen," now <a href="https://guelph.ca/city-hall/planning-and-development/community-plans-studies/heritage-conservation/designated-properties/20-26-stuart-street/">Ker Cavan</a>, on the site.) In a detail of the map, a bridge labelled "proposed bridge" is shown connecting the foot of Grange street with Thorp street on the other side.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/043/1981x2211-4.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/043/1981x2211-4.jpg"/></a></div>
(Detail of "Land Survey, Arthur Street Subdivision, 1855;" courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/EE35B420-D39C-42C4-803A-760224319563">1981X.221.1</a>.)
<p>
Proposed by whom? We are not told but the Reverend himself must surely have blessed the plan.
<p>
Nothing was done but the desire did not fade. In 1869, a scheme was floated and money pledged to carry it out, with a hearty endoresement from the editor of the Guelph Mercury (7 May 1869):
<blockquote>
There is no question as to the desirableness or utility of such a bridge, for it would be of great service to the bulk of the ratepayers living in that section across the river, as well as those residing on the road in rear of the hill on which Archdeacon Palmer’s and Mr. John Horsman’s residences stand.
</blockquote>
The Archdeacon himself put his money where his mouth was:
<blockquote>
Archdeacon Palmer has with great liberality offered to give twelve feet of land from the road to the river bank as an approach to the bridge, and in addition will give $100 subscription towards the construction of the bridge.
</blockquote>
For reasons they do not explain, the City's Board of Works shot down the idea at their next meeting. It was still a bridge too far.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%2060.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%2060.jpg"/></a></div>
("St. George's Church, 1874." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FF53346D-C20D-4774-894C-794054860197">Grundy 60</a>. The first footbridge would be built at this site a few years later.)
<p>
Headway was made in 1876 when Heffernan street was created on the north side of the river, right where the bridge was to make land. (The street was named after Thomas Heffernan, a prominent merchant.) Surely, bridging of the river, and thus completion of the street, would be accomplished the next year said a column in the paper (Mercury, 5 December 1876).
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("T. Heffernan, n.d." Courtesy of Wellington County Museum and Archives, <a href="https://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/57557E41-C116-417C-B96F-237272959468">A1985.110</a>.)
<p>
This was duly not accomplished. The issue turned on what kind of bridge was to be realized. Some people's desires went as far as a street bridge, which would accommodate general traffic. Others' vision was limited to a footbridge, which would carry only pedestrians. The main difference was price: A full-sized bridge would cost $2,300, while a footbridge would run only $1,500—or even merely $500 for a basic model.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20225.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="290" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20225.jpg"/></a></div>
("Goldie's Mill race, ca. 1885." Courtesy of the Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/3C0D2DAE-6A98-43CE-8720-954543427335">Grundy 225</a>.)
<p>
There were many footbridges in Guelph. In the main, these were built into dams so that goods and people necessary for business could be easily transported over the river. The <a href="http://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-goldie-mill-grounds.html">Goldie Mill</a>, for example, had a footbridge that connected the mill on the west side of the Speed to a cooperage on the opposite side. Barrels made for packing flour could be brought from the cooperage to the mill over this little bridge. The general public often used these bridges for commuting or casual purposes. Other such bridges were present at the Taylor-Forbes plant and Presant's Mill, the latter of which was particularly popular.
<p>
Even so, a dedicated footbridge not attached to a mill would be a new thing for Guelph. This novelty may have persuaded some townsfolk that the idea was not an acceptable one.
<p>
After much wrangling, some funds (perhaps $1000) were allocated by the Board of Works towards construction of a bridge. Local surveyor T.W. Cooper was paid for plans and surveys while builder George Pike began construction of the abutments (Mercury, 15 January 1879). The bridge was on its way!
<p>
This was duly not accomplished. Funds ran short and no more were allocated for two years. For this time, only the abutments were present to bear witness to the incipient structure.
<p>
In 1881, the Council allocated $500 for completion of the bridge. When no tenders for this modest amount were received, the Board of Works called its own number and set out to construct the bridge using city workmen (Mercury, 5 July 1881). These would be overseen by George Bruce, a prominent local builder and Alderman who was also chair of the Board of Works.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/135/m199192147.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="494" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/135/m199192147.jpg"/></a></div>
("Captain Bruce, ca. 1870." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/5384E3C7-808A-4ACD-93FB-539219528425">M1991.9.2.147</a>. Besides being a prominent builder and alderman, Bruce had been a member of the Guelph Company of the Wellington Rifles and fought in the response to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenian_raids">the Fenian Raids</a>.)
<p>
The $500 allocation constrained the structure to a footbridge with a width of 6 feet (ca. 1.8m). Nonetheless, the piers for the bridge were built 20 feet wide (6m) so that a full road deck could be substituted when more money became available (Mercury, 16 Sep 1881). The Mercury editor thought the result incongruous and the pedestrian deck a waste of funds in light of the imminent upgrade.
<p>
After many more arguments, setbacks, and changes of mind, the Heffernan street footbridge with railings and a five-foot wide deck finally spanned the Speed river in December 1881.
<p>
Pictures of the first bridge are scarce. The only archival image that I have been able to locate is the one below:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/9/99835/F38-0-6-0-0-4.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="800" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/9/9/99835/F38-0-6-0-0-4.jpg"/></a></div>
("St. George's Church." Courtesy of the Guelph Public Library, <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/st-georges-church-6">F38-0-6-0-0-4</a>.)
<p>
If you look carefully to the left of St. George's Church, you can see the bridge extending across the Speed, with a flat deck, resting on three piers. It seems that Guelphites didn't find it very photogenic.
<p>
In any event, once opened to the public, the bridge attracted the usual sort of uses. There were complaints about the smell of refuse dumped off the approach to the bridge behind St. George's Church (Mercury, 16 May 1882). Before municipal waste collection became common, dumping of refuse at or into rivers was a common practice. Besides aesthetic issues, the resulting pile of waste gave rise to bad odours, which were thought to give rise to disease.
<p>
As ever, young men were wont to swim in the river near bridges, often in their birthday suits (Mercury, 24 June 1882). This behavior contravened the swimming by-law, which was often honoured more in the breech than the observance.
<p>
It also did not take long for a few people to ride horses over the bridge. The Mercury editor called them "stupid cranks" and warned that the practice put women and children on the bridge at risk (15 July 1882). For the townsfolk, the matter of riding horses over the bridge may have cut to the issue of just what sort of a structure it was. I suspect that many people regarded it as akin to a sidewalk: At the time, a sidewalk was a platform, usually constructed of planks, that was laid out in front of businesses or, occaionsally, as a kind of crosswalk. Horses and vehicles were not allowed on sidewalks so that pedestrians on them would not have to trouble about dodging horses or their droppings, as they would on the dirt streets of the day. Businesses might construct sidewalks and keep them clean in order to attract potential shoppers to their windows and storefront displays.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/060/1991355.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/060/1991355.jpg"/></a></div>
("Douglas street, ca. 1880." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/098478CF-F6D5-4303-AA58-562338441143">1991.35.5</a>. Note the board sidewalks on either side of the street.)
<p>
Even though it did not approach any stores, the plank deck of the footbridge was essentially a sidewalk in the eyes of many, so that riding horses on them was considered completely inappropriate.
<p>
Bridges also afford other, unintended opportunities. On one occasion, a Mrs. W.P. Howard, wife of the sexton of St. George's Church, was seen to act erratically on the bridge and then to climb over the railing, seemingly with the aim of throwing herself into the river. This she was prevented from doing by the intervention of passers-by. The Mercury editor observed (4 June 1889):
<blockquote>
It is understood that Mrs. Howard’s mind gets a little unhinged sometimes, and yesterday she managed to elude the vigilance of her friends.
</blockquote>
Construction of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Junction_Railway">the Guelph Junction Railway</a> in 1887–88 also changed the bridge's situation. Since the rail line was built right by the south bank of the Speed, pedestrians at that end of the bridge found that they sometimes had to dodge passing trains. This was an especially daunting task at night as the space was not well illuminated.
<p>
The bridge might have weathered these hazards well enough but it suffered also from the ancient foe of Canadian footbridges: ice and floods. On 23 February 1893, for example, inspectors from the Board of Works found that the bridge had been raised up two feet on the upriver side due to an ice jam against its piers. Not good! Citizens began to complain and campaign for a replacement.
<p>
In 1896, after much discussion of materials and costs, funds were allocated and contracts let. Local builder Thomas Irving (who had worked on the Church of Our Lady) oversaw construction of the stone abutments and piers. Alderman Kennedy, chairman of the Board of Works, supplied the stone, a conflict of interest then not unusual but that did draw comment during a Council meeting (Mercury, 30 Sep 1896). The iron superstructure was manufactured and installed by the Canada Bridge and Iron Company of Montreal.
<p>
All was duly accomplished by 29 October when the work was completed and the bridge opened to the public.
<p>
Guelphites seemed to like the look of the new structure. Its solid, modern ironwork and graceful catenary curves feature in many photographs and postcards of the era.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKABDD-g8Vk9DhV7LI3IBc8e2V5NGyTbYNgvHlKMMGwx3rnAdlKAe0g0sF52WWzMO2LlRB8ziRyOatABdqb5iRKKM_XU_2z5_-r3WPNzRmQQOczGlVFaJKvQwxKyuDSUPIXKtLGcmpMNpp5r-Cyy2G3MMW08WipBS2EX5hXsaVb0BewStcZguE4lx/s702/heffernanA.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="702" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKABDD-g8Vk9DhV7LI3IBc8e2V5NGyTbYNgvHlKMMGwx3rnAdlKAe0g0sF52WWzMO2LlRB8ziRyOatABdqb5iRKKM_XU_2z5_-r3WPNzRmQQOczGlVFaJKvQwxKyuDSUPIXKtLGcmpMNpp5r-Cyy2G3MMW08WipBS2EX5hXsaVb0BewStcZguE4lx/s400/heffernanA.jpg"/></a></div>
("Foot bridge on the Speed, Guelph, Ont." Published by Warwick Bro’s & Rutter, Toronto for C. Anderson & Co., Guelph, ca. 1910. From the author's collection.)
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("St. George's Church and River Speed, City of Guelph, Canada," ca. 1900. This postcard was one of "Turnbull's private postals," a very early postcards set in the Royal City. From the author's collection.)
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("Footbridge, Guelph," ca. 1900. Postcard printed for the Pugh Manufacturing Co., Toronto. From the author's collection.)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/080/2004.32.61.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="532" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/080/2004.32.61.jpg"/></a></div>
("Foot bridge, Guelph, Can." ca. 1910. Postcard printed for International Stationary Co. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/BD872A74-2165-4124-ACEB-380147986340">2004.32.61</a>.)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/112/2009322760.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/112/2009322760.jpg"/></a></div>
("St. George's Church and Footbridge, c.1910." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/0CC97004-2617-49B2-8FB5-090760527859">2009.32.2760</a>.)
<p>
Despite its good looks and charm, the new footbridge did not address one of the significant disadvantages of the old one, which was proximity of the Guelph Junction Railway tracks to the south end of the bridge. Eventually, this prompted the replacement of the iron bridge with a concrete one that would look familiar to Guelphites of today. However, that is a story for another occasion.
<p>
When the old bridge was taken down in 1913, part of it was purchased by the Taylor-Forbes company. The company installed a span over the Speed just downstream from the Guelph Junction railway trestle bridge so that employees who wanted to cross the river there would not have to dodge trains (or walk around by Allan's bridge) to do so.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/156/201484569.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="606" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/156/201484569.jpg"/></a></div>
("Aerial Photograph, Allan's Mill, 1948." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/AB543156-C0F2-4137-8A92-325917356783">2014.84.569</a>. The footbridge can be seen at the left margin, just to the right of the railway bridge, leading from Allan's mill in the foreground to the Taylor-Forbes plant across the river.)
<p>
What ultimately became of that last piece of the old Heffernan street footbridge, I do not know. But, whatever the fate of its particular incarnations, the idea of the footbridge retains a firm footing in the minds and desires of Guelphites today.
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li> Partridge, Stelter, and Seto (1990). "<a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/22703918">Slopes of the Speed</a>." Guelph Arts Council.
</ul>
<hr>
21 May 2023: I have found another image of the first Heffernan street bridge! This comes from the "Diary of Fanny Colwill Calvert" (Colwill-Maddock 1981, p. 44). Unfortunately, no source is give for the image and I have not seen it elsewhere. Anyway, it looks much the same as the image given above but includes more of the bridge. I would guess that it was taken from the top of the Royal Opera building.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp97qkNgAAdMsy07m6aXvNVdfBydDGlo4CkUECYdZLJecIff_mC2cIm6SXBu-8yMb8O-zrZomZ8c-Ucd6KswUZzO30-uLLHCJnh9R6Bw2BmBmoSB-p9lmVEeSczB_6hlfKgjFRCNkC4N5Vu5Wia-gXTIisctPC77yJKdHgSDz8Xb9RyiGoOxD22b9W/s1072/heffernanBridge1Calvert81.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1072" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp97qkNgAAdMsy07m6aXvNVdfBydDGlo4CkUECYdZLJecIff_mC2cIm6SXBu-8yMb8O-zrZomZ8c-Ucd6KswUZzO30-uLLHCJnh9R6Bw2BmBmoSB-p9lmVEeSczB_6hlfKgjFRCNkC4N5Vu5Wia-gXTIisctPC77yJKdHgSDz8Xb9RyiGoOxD22b9W/s400/heffernanBridge1Calvert81.jpeg"/></a></div>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-56646542881451168822022-10-16T15:19:00.001-07:002022-10-16T15:19:25.932-07:00The Rockwood AcademyI recently came into possession of a series of real-photo postcards produced by Don Hilts, a resident and historian of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph/Eramosa">Rockwood, Ontario</a>, who made a speciality of historical images of this beautiful town. Amongst the many pictures on offer are some of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwood_Academy_%28Ontario%29">the Rockwood Academy</a>, an educational institution once well known in the region and beyond. So, it seemed opportune to display some of these postcards and talk about the history of this noted place of learning.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDyPFG_cDL_uFmMbT_JbeNbS0A_WaU1diBSTCniCN1ayh4grfDu441Jk7O7GSXuEd_GprpJKZJl2ULrv2f8_kCO_e6X4YRsxPItR9HbX2X5NGE9M3wG1G6UrQpL60GPNAD6LyRwDR5Ip6uGJzFAuNm1N3r0T-DD-gnd0gz61qOmrJcz1BACYiGjrR/s1613/rockwood-academyHilts01.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1613" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDyPFG_cDL_uFmMbT_JbeNbS0A_WaU1diBSTCniCN1ayh4grfDu441Jk7O7GSXuEd_GprpJKZJl2ULrv2f8_kCO_e6X4YRsxPItR9HbX2X5NGE9M3wG1G6UrQpL60GPNAD6LyRwDR5Ip6uGJzFAuNm1N3r0T-DD-gnd0gz61qOmrJcz1BACYiGjrR/s400/rockwood-academyHilts01.jpg"/></a></div>
(Rockwood Academy. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_photo_postcard">Real-photo postcard</a> by Don Hilts, no date.)
<p>
Situated on the banks of the Eramosa river some 10km northeast of Guelph, Rockwood began to take shape in the early 1820s as John Harris and Colonel Henry Strange planned a townsite on property they had purchased at that location. John Harris and other early settlers were Quakers and the settlement was consequently known as Brotherstown in its early days.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1665952439702!6m8!1m7!1sKl1RHQoABRaPhwwFPHLX7g!2m2!1d43.61048864774688!2d-80.13226325907871!3f254.72987239077764!4f-0.7968674947563414!5f1.8862183993671304" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
(Rockwood Academy as seen from Highway 7; courtesy of Google Street View.)
<p>
Several mills were established along the banks of the river at suitable spots and the town attracted the usual set of businesses able to serve the farming community that was established in its environs. A school and post office were added to these commercial enterprises in due course.
<p>
The Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Wellington (1867) describes the village in these terms:
<blockquote>
Rockwood—A post village and station on the Grand Trunk Railway, situated in the township of Eramosa, on a branch of the Grand River, eight miles from Guelph, having a telegraph office, together with extensive marble quarries and fine water power. The village contains two flouring, one saw mill, four general stores, four hotels, three blacksmith shops, and the Rockwood Academy. Daily mail.
</blockquote>
Clearly, the Rockwood Academy stood out as one of the attractive features of the village.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood%2C_Ontario.jpg/1024px-Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood%2C_Ontario.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood%2C_Ontario.jpg/1024px-Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood%2C_Ontario.jpg"/></a></div>
(<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood,_Ontario.jpg#/media/File:Rockwood_Academy_-_Rockwood,_Ontario.jpg">Rockwood Academy</a>, 2017. (CC) by Magnolia677.)
<p>
The Academy was founded by <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/wetherald_william_12E.html">William Wetherald</a> in 1850. William was born to Quakers John and Isabel on 26 September 1820 in Swaledale, Yorkshire. In 1835, the family immigrated to a farm in Puslinch Township. Of slight build, William had difficulty with farm labour but was interested in continuing the education that he had begun at the Friends School at Ackworth, Yorkshire.
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(William Wetherald, ca. 1850. Courtesy of Guelph Public Library <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/william-wetherald">F38-0-14-0-0-531</a>.)
<p>
To this end, he hit on the scheme of fashioning axe handles from elm and bartering them in Guelph for scholarly supplies: a Bible, paper, a steel pen, and a bottle of ink. Over the next seven years, Wetherald went through textbooks in various subjects, studying late into to the night. Such was his success that, at age 23, he secured a teaching position at a school in Eramosa.
<p>
On 17 March 1846, Wetherald married Jemima Harris Balls, a relation of John Harris, when she was seventeen years old.
<p>
Having enjoyed success as a teacher, and having observed the lack of advanced educational opportunities in the region, Wetherald advertised the Rockwood Academy in the Guelph Advertiser in the summer of 1850 in this wise:
<blockquote>
Boarding School <br>
William Wetherald, having been engaged for some years in private as well as public tuition, respectfully intimates that he can accommodate a few additional pupils, to whose domestic comfort and literary progress the closest attention will be given. <br>
The course of instruction embraces the following branches:—English grammar, writing, arithmetic, bookkeeping, history, geography, Latin, geometry, the theory of land surveying, and algebra.
</blockquote>
The first Academy in 1850 was a log cabin. By 1851, Wetherald had erected a storey-and-a-half frame structure, followed by a handsome three storey stone building in 1854. The stone building was vernacular Georgian in style with a centre hall plan and two windows on either side of the central entrance. The second and third floors featured five windows each and both side walls included chimneys for heating.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/038/ph31096.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="335" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/038/ph31096.jpg"/></a></div>
(William Wetherald, no date. Courtesy of Wellington County Museum & Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/E11B2C52-BE27-45F8-AE8C-733810397019">A1992.179</a>, ph. 31096.)
<p>
In the interior, the basement contained a kitchen and dining room. The main floor held a library, living room, parlour and a large classroom. The second floor had five bedrooms for the family (Wetherald had eight children at Rockwood, with a ninth later) as well as quarters for a servant or assistant, while the third floor contained nine dormitory rooms for student boarders.
<p>
Wetherald did seem to take to this work and his teaching style might be described as earnest. It is characterized as follows in an obituary ("Canada yearly meeting of Friends," 1899, p. 66):
<blockquote>
Rigid disciplinarian though he was, he won the allegiance of his pupils by an intellectual power they were compelled to respect, and a moral enthusiasm to which they could not fail to respond.
</blockquote>
Mr. J.T. Mitchell, a former pupil, describes Wetherald's teaching in a retrospective as follows (Douglass 1984, p. 14):
<blockquote>
Mr. Wetherald was a great teacher…. He could, so to speak, hypnotize instruction into a boy…. He had a magnetic personality, especially his eyes, which might be termed “ X-rays”. They searched a boy through and through, and having detected all his weak spots, proceeded to administer healing unguents to the same. He seldom used the rod, and never in anger, and never in the presence of other pupils, but in a separate room in another part of the building, and although we never knew what exactly happened, we were able to perceive a marked change in the character of the boy afterwards…. Mr. Wetherald, wise professor, glad as he was to assist an eager pupil, would not let me rush the pace, but insisted on sandwiching in <i>Le Juif Errant</i>; <i>Don Quixote</i>; and <i>Gil Bias</i> between Anthony, Caesar, <i>de Bello Gallico</i>, and Horace as a relaxation. He also taught me to play chess, of which he was a brilliant player, and in cricket, and other outdoor sports, always joined us in them as one of ourselves….
</blockquote>
In 1864, Wetherald accepted the position of Superintendent of Haverford College, a Quaker college near Philadelphia. However, he remained there only a year, returning to Canada in 1866 to a farm near Fenwick, in Niagara County.
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(Rockwood Academy, 1866. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/6F6C9F52-0489-4F52-A02F-189626455419">Grundy 79</a>.)
<p>
Upon his departure, Wetherald rented Rockwood Academy to Donald McCaig and Alexander McMillan. Under their direction, the Academy continued to flourish. Another classroom was added, along with extra dormitories and a stone gymnasium.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/086/24691_2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="410" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/086/24691_2.jpg"/></a></div>
(Alexander McMillan, no date. Courtesy of Wellington County Museum & Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/E95CFCD5-7151-49D8-852E-278594506355">A2007.56</a>, ph. 24691_02.)
<p>
In 1871, McCaig was appointed as the principal to the Central School in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, leaving Alexander McMillan to continue the work of the Academy. This McMillan did until 1882. At that point the school closed and McMillan converted the facility into a knitting factory. Closure of the Academy was likely to due the expansion of public education in Ontario: High schools were built in centres like Galt and Guelph that competed for advanced rural students, while the introduction of free and compulsory elementary education throughout the province lessened the pool of younger children to draw on.
<p>
The knitting enterprise was not successful and the old Academy became a resort (a "Home of rest"), a venture that also seemed not to last too long. It was purchased by Mrs. Gordon of Rockwood around 1900 and converted into a farm and remained in her family.
<p>
In 1960, Yosef Drenters purchased the building and three adjacent acres, the remainder of the property having been sold for development. Drenters was a sulptor who had admired the property on trips through Rockwood from his father's farm north of town.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/058/ph11237.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="423" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/058/ph11237.jpg"/></a></div>
(Yosef Drenters sitting in his living room at Rockwood Academy, ca. 1970. Courtesy of Wellington County Museum & Archives, <a href="http://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/1356E62B-F23F-4B4B-9EB8-715442787931">A1992.179</a>.)
<p>
He set about returning the Academy to its state when it was an educational institute. He scoured old farmhouses for appropriate flooring, a dining room mantlepiece, and other period, architectural details. He made the dining room table out of parts from several others. He also added a stone chapel and walled garden.
<p>
Upon his death in 1983, he willed the property to the Ontario Heritage Foundation. His brother Andreas took up residency and continued to undertake sympathetic updates and restorations.
<p>
The Academy was designated <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10546">a historic structure</a> under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1986.
<hr>
For many decades after its closure, the Rockwood Academy was remembered for the role it had played in the education of men who later attained political or commercial prominence. Whether their time there was long or short, the fact that so many alumni went on to social achievements certainly reinforces the impression that the Academy delivered a good education.
<p>
Some of the most prominent alumni include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Erb_Bowman">Isaac Erb Baumann</a>, M.P. for Waterloo North (1887–1896);
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Beck">Adam Beck</a>, Ontario M.P.P. (1906–1925) and founder of the province's hydro-electric system;
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Corby_Jr.">Henry Corby Jr.</a>, M.P. for Hastings West (1888–1901) and senator (1912–1917);
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Hammell">William Henry Hammell</a>, Ontario M.P.P. (1883–1894);
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sturgis_Hardy">Arthur Sturgis Hardy</a>, who became the fourth premier of Ontario (1896–1899);
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_J._Hill">James Jerome Hill</a>, who went on to become a Gilded Age American railroad magnate;
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Talbot_%28politician%29">Peter Talbot</a>, M.L.A. (1902–1904), M.P. (1904–1906) and senator (1906–1919).
</ul>
For decades after its closure, obituaries of men of note in the region and beyond made a point of mentioning the deceased's education at the Rockwood Academy in their youth.
<hr>
Obviously, the Rockwood Academy catered to boys only. However, two of William Wetherald's daughters achieved distinction in arts and letters.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/14247/Ethelwyn%20c.1900-1.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="592" src="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/14247/Ethelwyn%20c.1900-1.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y"/></a></div>
(Ethelwyn Wetherald, ca. 1900. Courtesy of Brock University Archives, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10464/14247">Agnes Ethelwyn Wetherald fonds RG 84</a>.)
<p>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethelwyn_Wetherald">Ethelwyn Wetherald</a> became an author and journalist with a reputation across North America. Duff (1914) provides a quick précis of her journalistic undertakings (p. 14):
<blockquote>
Ethelwyn was educated at Friends’ School in Ontario and New York. She has had considerable journalistic experience, having been on the editorial staff of the Toronto Globe, as well as conducting, at one time, a regular column in that journal, using the pen-name of “Bel Thistlethwaite.” With Mrs. Cameron, she conducted a woman’s magazine known as “Wives and Daughters,” in London, Ont., and was on the staff of Chas. Dudley Warner while he was compiling his monumental work, “The world’s best literature.” From her home at Chantler, Welland County, she is still a frequent contributor to the press, revealing among other admirable qualities, a playful humor that would not be suspected by a reader of her poems alone.
</blockquote>
She also published poems in numerous magazines and also several books. A prominent theme of the poems is psychological experience of passing scenes, as in "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tangled_in_stars;_poems_%28IA_tangledinstarspo00weth%29.pdf">Tangled in Stars</a>," the feature poem in her book of the same name (1902):
<blockquote>
Tangled in stars and spirit-steeped in dew, <br>
The city worker to his desk returns,<br>
While 'mid the stony streets remembrance burns,<br>
Like honeysuckle running through and through<br>
A barren hedge. He lifts his load anew,<br>
And carries it amid the thronging ferns<br>
And crowding leaves of memory, while yearns<br>
Above him once again the open blue.
<p>
His letter-littered desk goes up in flowers; <br>
The world recedes, and backward dreamily<br>
Come days and nights, like jewels rare and few. <br>
And while the consciousness of those bright hours<br>
Abides with him, we know him yet to be <br>
Tangled in stars and spirit-steeped in dew.
</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/12919/Jane_Wetherald.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="800" src="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/12919/Jane_Wetherald.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y"/></a></div>
(Jane Wetherald, no date. Courtesy of Brock University Archives, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10464/12919">Agnes Ethelwyn Wetherald fonds RG 84</a>.)
<p>
Jane Wetherald also had a career in letters, including editing but also a focus on oratory and elocution. A brief biography of her is given in Moffatt (1896):
<blockquote>
Jane H. Wetherald was born in Rockwood, Ont., where her father was for many years Principal of the Rockwood Academy. In 1886 Miss Wetherald attended the Philadelphia School of Oratory, graduating with honours, and has filled engagements in most of the towns and cities of Ontario. For three years previous to 1895 Miss Wetherald, as editor of the <i>Ladies’ Journal</i> of Toronto, put new life and vigor into that publication, and showed a talent for journalistic work equal to that possessed by her for elocution.
</blockquote>
In her contribution to the magazine, Jane takes the view that the Philadelphia School of Oratory had done much to promote elocution in Canada but that is was high time for Canadians to take hold of the subject for themselves. Did they, I wonder?
<p>
In any event, although these women were not alumnae of Rockwood Academy, their experiences and fortunes were certainly connected with it.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/12921/Wetherald_Family.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" src="https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/12921/Wetherald_Family.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y"/></a></div>
(The Wetherald family, ca. 1861. Courtesy of Brock University Archives, <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10464/12921">Agnes Ethelwyn Wetherald fonds RG 84</a>.)
<hr>
The Academy featured in the movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_of_God_%28film%29">Agnes of God</a> (Jewison 1985), when it was dressed up as a Montreal convent. Don Hilts also took a picture of the Academy in this temporary vestment:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3faq2A1IIGvcKJchfL2FNpdYh0R27oDqlU43uY53bYtVNa1GdBBu_b_ttaZ2kDs3RRZYK4lYOujnfpj7Dg-udASXW32rG6ch_6fPehhrWBKb3nIBqXAB4Gb_nkFhnfMGlJJhQhyTqDjxeX6QBaVZaPZwzaJhCYQO0V0WW7T6qnUkhptC6p-WS-Dj/s1621/rockwood-agnes84.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1621" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3faq2A1IIGvcKJchfL2FNpdYh0R27oDqlU43uY53bYtVNa1GdBBu_b_ttaZ2kDs3RRZYK4lYOujnfpj7Dg-udASXW32rG6ch_6fPehhrWBKb3nIBqXAB4Gb_nkFhnfMGlJJhQhyTqDjxeX6QBaVZaPZwzaJhCYQO0V0WW7T6qnUkhptC6p-WS-Dj/s400/rockwood-agnes84.jpg"/></a></div>
(Rockwood Academy as a Montreal convent, 1984, by Don Hilts.)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JAc0C_1G0B8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A casting call went out locally for women aged 75–90 to play nuns. Ina Warren points out that (Globe & Mail, 20 November 1984):
<blockquote>
About 30 women turned up, but those wearing too much makeup were told to take it off—real nuns don’t wear blusher.<br>
Whether or not an applicant got one of the 14 nun jobs, depended on how she looked in a wimple.
</blockquote>
If life were only always so wimple!
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li>Douglass, H. (1984). "The history of Rockwood Academy," <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/977167387">Historic Guelph</a>, v. 23, pp. 4–25.
<li>Duff, C. (1914). "Little trips among the eminent: Canadian poets," in <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/1241533111">Farmer’s advocate and home magazine</a>, v. 49, n. 1110, p. 14.
<li>Hilts, D. and Day, G. (1982). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/13164954">Rockwood</a>. Guelph: Ampersand.
<li>Lindsay, J. (1 September 2001). School days, <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/51203917">Globe and Mail</a>, p. L7.
<li>Moffatt, G. (May 1896). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/317995045">Our monthly: A magazine of Canadian literature, science and art</a>, v. 1, n. 1, pp. 18–22.
<li>Quaile, D. (2003). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/53037964">Rockwood: A mosaic of memories</a>. Rockwood: Wordbird Press.
</ul>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-5526885106809054702022-08-29T11:08:00.009-07:002022-11-08T05:53:56.220-08:00A church off the old block: The origin of Chalmers Church From the perspective of postcard collecting, the main issue relating to Chalmers Church in Guelph (now <a href="https://www.royalcitymission.ca">the Royal City Mission Church</a>) is the rarity of postcards featuring views of it. The card below is the only one that I have yet come across.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0Jy-WRNaGpKGoBvdiD-Xx6dObDHeCZm8KmwJN__xghKsn4abncQtxU8ngZQ9OXxMwuY6ZAOlXae2LIoOqNEa_hbdhCY7hUHOzHsN3xU2aYqynHtEMdEILWxnB9IJf-v8pGv6IqUaIZ0yNGh9FSapAREMVA2C37ZAD1CwMmK6theHdXOSVdQllbIw/s597/chalmers09.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="597" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0Jy-WRNaGpKGoBvdiD-Xx6dObDHeCZm8KmwJN__xghKsn4abncQtxU8ngZQ9OXxMwuY6ZAOlXae2LIoOqNEa_hbdhCY7hUHOzHsN3xU2aYqynHtEMdEILWxnB9IJf-v8pGv6IqUaIZ0yNGh9FSapAREMVA2C37ZAD1CwMmK6theHdXOSVdQllbIw/s400/chalmers09.jpg"/></a></div>
("Chalmers Church, Guelph." Courtesy of the John Keleher collection. Publisher unknown.)
<p>
Comparison with a recent Google Streetview image shows that the exterior of the church has not changed a great deal since the postcard picture was taken sometime in the early 20th century.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1661628066360!6m8!1m7!1sdGLxII_Rdb0gcj8serFEEQ!2m2!1d43.54573725641311!2d-80.25003403556134!3f300.0287553248208!4f13.162757329144355!5f1.5610386468335555" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
Stone churches were a highly collectable category of picture postcard back in the day and the Chalmers Church was no slouch in the aesthetics department. Furthermore, the Knox Church just down the block was represented on a number of postcards.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUjrYs-hlDvpf3KB5EUf7wjo9WIbWGxtkq2UI_7QUOVTbQnJ-hydXFNOfDYTo74xLTOST7CoYJqJH6UYzVN6a4GbEEs3QyOzkvMqWeIxv_8Zf_E8Bvt3Qjdu2e1nf3cLIhDTpx0eFPdkLO5DvDW4NIRmXiiT2jKE37B9-xvJDXXDilZRwCdRWY6H3/s676/knox.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUjrYs-hlDvpf3KB5EUf7wjo9WIbWGxtkq2UI_7QUOVTbQnJ-hydXFNOfDYTo74xLTOST7CoYJqJH6UYzVN6a4GbEEs3QyOzkvMqWeIxv_8Zf_E8Bvt3Qjdu2e1nf3cLIhDTpx0eFPdkLO5DvDW4NIRmXiiT2jKE37B9-xvJDXXDilZRwCdRWY6H3/s400/knox.jpg"/></a></div>
(From "<a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-knox-church-fire-of-1904.html">Knox Church fire of 1904</a>.")
<p>
Like Knox, Chalmers was also a Presbyterian Church, a mainstream denomination that any city like Guelph would boast of. So, why Knox would be prominently featured while Chalmers was the Royal City's secret remains a head-scratcher.
<p>
Interestingly, Chalmers Church owes its existence to Knox Church. The first Knox Church edifice on Yarmouth Street was sold to the Raymond Sewing Machine company when it expanded its shop along that street. The congregation built itself a smart new home around the corner on Quebec Street, where the cornerstone was laid in October, 1868.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20249.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="297" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/095/grundy%20249.jpg"/></a></div>
(The first Knox Presbyterian church on Yarmouth Street, to the right of the Raymond Sewing Machine factory, ca. 1870. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FCCE1E73-6BA4-4521-99AA-257674340301">Grundy 249</a>.)
<p>
By the early months of the following year, a sizeable portion of the congregation was looking to break away! Official histories are somewhat mum on the reason. C.A. Burrows (1877), in his <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/11713081">Annals of the Town of Guelph</a>, says only that there was an "unhappy divison" within the congregation, while Smith (1955, p. 96) says that some members were "at variance" with the minister, W.S. Ball.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/071/1997212.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="465" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/071/1997212.jpg"/></a></div>
(Rev. W.S. Ball, ca. 1880. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FA6E6E3A-6157-40E3-884B-954131222132">1997.21.2</a>.)
<p>
Perhaps my favourite perspective is that of George B. Anderson, who reminisced about the incident, which occured when he was a boy (Mercury, 20 July 1927):
<blockquote>
About the time I came to Guelph to live we all went to Knox Church. Knox Church was a barn-like structure on Yarmouth Street, a diagonal street running from Norfolk Street to Woolwich. There is, or was, a sewing machine factory on the site of the church. But two factions sprung up, over some question I could never quite understand what it was all about. However, the Chalmers Church faction broke away and worshipped in the Court House for some time, until the present church was built.
</blockquote>
Luckily, issues of the Evening Mercury from 1868 survive and provide some details. As noted by Smith, the matter turned on some acrimony regarding Rev. Ball, to whom some parishoners took great exception (17 April):
<blockquote>
Knox’s church, Guelph.—The Presbyterial investigation of charges preferred against the Rev. W.S. Ball by members of his congregation, which began on Tuesday evening, closed on Thursday afternoon. The decision of the Presbytery will be read to the congregation on Sunday first by the Rev. Mr. Smellie, of Fergus, who has been appointed to preach on that day.
</blockquote>
The resolution adopted by the Presbytery as a result of their investigation was printed subsequently (Mercury, 20 April). To make a long story short, the resolution focusses on a few specifics. It notes that Rev. Ball continued to enjoy the support of many members of the church. However, some members had impugned his "pulpit abilities" and his spread gossip about his "moral character." Access to Sabbath School and pew rentals also seem to have underwhelmed some congregants. In fairness, the Presbytery found that Rev. Ball had addressed the situation using "imprudent language," thus feeding the fire afflicting the congregation.
<p>
It is hard to know exactly what to make of these points. However, the mention of pew rents is interesting. It was a custom brought from the old country that pews were rented to congregants. The best pews were at the very front and were rented to the wealthiest and most prominent families. Rents got cheaper the closer to the back they sat, while some at the very back were freely available to strangers and indigents.
<p>
Rents were not very expensive but were an important source of income for churches. Collecting pew rents, which were frequently in arrears, was a regular headache for the pastors of churches where rents were applied.
<p>
Of course, since the location of a family's pews was a signficant signal of social status, they could also be a source of social dispute. Since the Knox congregation had recently moved into a new building and thus had to negotiate pew rentals for everyone, it may well be that some members of the congregation took exception to their new arrangement, to which Rev. Ball may have responded with impatience.
<p>
Doubtless, the situation was complicated and particular to local circumstances. As <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7142-all-happy-families-are-alike-each-unhappy-family-is-unhappy">Tolstoy</a> wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
<p>
In any event, attempts at reconciliataion proved fruitless and a segment of the Knox Congregation applied to the Presbytery to form its own group named Chalmers Church, in honour of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Chalmers">Thomas Chalmers</a>, a luminary of the Free Church of Scotland. This petition was granted and the group began to hold services in the city Court House while making plans to establish its own place of worship.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpMis6eFqgR2O1pfDd-P6Qj0SiQzOoGY2pKhlqyehXwB9tVjlQJizdqPs6SeJlycJcrmQ1tho2swgI_bL5a81i6wSo2_ykw235mC9ePVHJb8aS60H72P7C14rX7b1NIBaofO7fnQBRdN-u6AmHcBjBMBGPIWTbYQKnftw0C7Y9TjoZXylPJMcBTiG/s1283/chalmersAd68.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpMis6eFqgR2O1pfDd-P6Qj0SiQzOoGY2pKhlqyehXwB9tVjlQJizdqPs6SeJlycJcrmQ1tho2swgI_bL5a81i6wSo2_ykw235mC9ePVHJb8aS60H72P7C14rX7b1NIBaofO7fnQBRdN-u6AmHcBjBMBGPIWTbYQKnftw0C7Y9TjoZXylPJMcBTiG/s320/chalmersAd68.jpg"/></a></div>
(An ad from the Guelph Mercury, 24 July 1868, for the first meeting of the Chalmers church in the Court House.)
<p>
The founders' plans went well. In September of 1869, Rev. Thomas Wardrope of Knox Church, Ottawa, agreed to become minister of the new church. The cornerstone of the new building was officially laid by Rev. D.H. MacVicar, Principal of Montreal College, on 22 June 1870, and services began there in December of the following year.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/008/19703917.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="667" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/008/19703917.jpg"/></a></div>
("Laying Cornerstone—Chalmers United Church 1870." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/Photo/197E9C60-3F75-4186-AD86-709564365023">1970.39.17</a>. In the background on St. George's Square, note the original Wellington Hotel on the left, the old Bank of Montreal building in the centre, and the rear of the second St. George's Anglican church on the right.)
<p>
Leaders of the new church spared no expense in setting themselves up. They hired Toronto architect <a href="http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1433">Henry Langley</a>, "the undisputed dean of ecclesiastical architecture in Ontario during the last half of the 19th century." The Board of Managers were quite specific that they wanted a church in the latest taste, modeled on the Knox Church of Montreal, though on a smaller scale. Langley certainly delivered! The church cost a total of $25,000, a considerable amount for a new congregation.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Henry_Langley_%28Architect%29_1836_-_1907.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Henry_Langley_%28Architect%29_1836_-_1907.jpg"/></a></div>
(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Langley_%28architect%29">Henry Langley</a>. Courtesty Wikipedia.)
<p>
Gilbert Stelter (1989) makes the following point about the relation of Chalmers Church to Knox Church down the block:
<blockquote>
The choice of a site for the new church seems almost provocative, for it was almost next door on the same downtown street (Quebec) as Knox Church, from which they had split. And the use of a relatively sophisticated Gothic design must have been calculated to look more impressive than the very simple Gothic of Knox's new building, designed by James Smith of Toronto a year earlier. Knox Church was essentially a rectangular box ornamented only with plain pointed windows. Chalmers, however, was described as "the best constructed and the most elegantly furnished church in town" when it opened for services in 1871.
</blockquote>
The building was also distinguished by the fact that it constructed of imported gray limestone rather than the plentiful, warm local material. No doubt, this measure also serveed to distinguish the church from Knox church.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%2063.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="750" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/096/grundy%2063.jpg"/></a></div>
("Knox Presbyterian Church, 1871." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FB21F4B4-235A-42FE-8907-864953033503">Grundy 63</a>.)
<p>
The congregtation grew during the Victorian era and the church was altered and expanded to meet additional demands for space. A substantial renovation was completed in 1896. Designed by the original architect, Henry Langley, the shingles on the roof were replaced by slate and a series of dormer windows were added as well. Each row on either side of the roof could be opened at once with a hand crank. The ventilation thus achieved served as an early form of air conditioning.
<p>
A new gallery was added around the main auditorium, which could seat 320 people, bringing the total capacity to 850 persons. In a pinch, partitions between the vestibule and the auditorium could be lowered mechanically and 200 seats added to the vestibule also, meaning that the church could hold over 1,000 souls.
<p>
A point of particular pride was that the lighting of the church was converted to electricity. A review in the Mercury (23 September 1896) speaks most highly of the two main electroliers suspended in the auditorium. (In fact, many of the fixtures were hybrids that combined incandescent lighting with gas, as a precaution in case the power went out, which was not so unusual in that era.)
<p>
The total cost of these renovations was $6,050, a considerable outlay.
<p>
Perhaps the most interesting alteration in that era was the purchase and installation of a pipe organ in 1890. Today, organ music and singing in church services is de rigeur but it was not so when Chalmers Church was founded. Until 1873, singing in Prebyterian church was "lined", that is, a leader or "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precentor#Presbyterian_precentors">precentor</a>" read a line from a Psalm and the congregation sang it back. A tuning fork was sometimes deployed to assist everyone in hitting the appropriate pitch.
<p>
In 1867, just before Chalmers Church was founded, Knox Presbyterian Church in Montreal created a brouhaha by including organ music in its services. The issue of whether or not instrumental music was kosher for its churches was referred to the national Synod. This body made no decision, thus effectively leaving the matter to each Presbytery to decide for itself.
<p>
An "interesting discussion" was held on the matter in the Guelph Presbytery (Mercury, 15 January 1868), which voted down the idea. Even so, services gradually became more musical. Chalmers' first choir was formed in 1871. Hymn singing was introduced to service a few years following. The organ question was revisited again in 1884 and rejected in a vote of the congregation.
<p>
Finally, installation and use of an organ was approved in 1890. It may have helped that Knox Church had approved the use of an organ in 1887. True to form, the new organ was a top-of-the-line instrument featuring 900 pipes in all, powered hydraulically by connection with <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-pride-of-mountain-town-guelphs.html">the city waterworks</a>. Considerable renovations were required to accommodate it (Mercury, 8 September 1890).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752121.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="644" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752121.jpg"/></a></div>
("Chalmers Church, ca. 1890." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/6E28211B-DD27-4BA3-AB06-852246534814">1975.21.21</a>.)
<p>
While Chalmers and Knox churches remained social rivals the actual division between their congregations was neither profound nor long-lasting. At the time Chalmers Church was formed, there were four different Presbyterian groups in Canada. These had been engaged in negotiations for a union for some time, a project that resulted in the amalgamation of all four into <a href="https://presbyterianarchives.ca/2014/06/09/historical-vignettes-snapshots-from-our-history/">the Presbyterian Church in Canada</a> in 1875. Thus, Chalmers and Knox congregations became equal members of a single, national body.
<p>
Chalmers Church became Chalmers United Church when the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_Canada">the United Church of Canada</a> was formed in 1925.
<p>
In his reminiscences, Geo. B. Anderson notes that many of the great and good of the Royal City were members of Chalmers Church in its early days:
<ul>
<LI><a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/gow_peter_11E.html">Peter Gow</a>, who ran a tannery business where <a href="https://www.guelphheritage.ca/places/bridges-and-other-structures/gow-s-bridge-mccrae-blvd">Gow's bridge</a> now lies, was twice Mayor, Guelph's first M.P.P. after confederation, and held the post of Provincial Secretary. He assumed the office of County Sheriff upon his retirement in 1876.
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stirton">David Stirton</a>, who owned a farm in Puslinch near town, was elected as the Member for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (1858–1867) and then Member of Parliament (1867–1876), after which point he retired to Guelph and assumed the office of Postmaster.
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Guthrie_%28politician%29">Donald Guthrie</a>, a local lawyer, succeeded Stirton as M.P. for Wellington South (1876–1882), and then served as M.P.P. in the same area (1886–1894).
<li><a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/innes_james_13E.html">James Innes</a> was for 36 years an editor and publisher of the Guelph Mercury.
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Guthrie">Hugh Guthrie</a>, son of Donald Guthrie, was also a local lawyer who had a long and eminent career as M.P. for Wellington South (1900–1935) during which time he held many high offices.
</ul>
So, whatever it lacked in postcard representations, Chalmers Church was an eniment fixture in the culture and landscape of Victorian Guelph and, happily, continues to adorn Quebec street to this day.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Paton, D. G. (1968). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/1086692208">Centennial history Chalmers Church, Guelph, Ontario 1868–1968</a>.
<li>Smith, D. C. (1955). <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/221932463">The History of the Presbyterian Church in Guelph, 1827–1927</a> (Doctoral dissertation, Knox College, Toronto).
<li>Stelter, G. A. (1989). Henry Langley and the making of gothic Guelph, <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/977167387">Historic Guelph</a> 28:4–29.
<ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-32412576786563728482022-08-16T06:22:00.002-07:002022-08-16T06:22:49.423-07:00Video talk: The origin of the Blacksmith Fountain, GuelphMy talk for the Guelph Historical Society on <a href="https://youtu.be/jp39lJG5JRk">the Origin of the Blacksmith Fountain</a>, once in the centre of St. George's Square, is now available on YouTube. Enjoy!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752194.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="725" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752194.jpg"/></a></div>
(St. George's Square, ca. 1880; Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/Photo/0B91E5E0-2551-46B9-B8E9-214469731794">1975.21.94</a>.)
<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jp39lJG5JRk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-65683207350172623462022-07-29T17:58:00.000-07:002022-07-29T17:58:16.075-07:00Diamonds are a girl's best friend: The Ladies Softball League of Guelph in the 1920sUnder the title "Girl softballers play off tonight," the Evening Mercury (19 Aug 1926) sports column began with this observation:
<blockquote>
In all the excitement of the men’s city softball finals, between the Tigers and the Stove Co., local fans have almost forgotten that there is a ladies’ city league operating in Guelph. To-night at Exhibition Park the first game of the playoffs will take place between the fast Woolworth and St. James’ teams. These two teams have been running neck and neck all season, and the St. James’ team is sitting on top of the heap with a slight margin. They will try conclusions again in a series of three games to decide which is the better team.
</blockquote>
The Royal City, usually associated with the feats of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/04/guelph-is-now-baseball-mad-maple-leafs.html">the Maple Leafs baseball team</a>, was home to a vibrant, young women's softball league in the 1920s and beyond.
<p>
The 1920s were something of a "golden era" in women's sport. Well-to-do women had entered various sports such as tennis and cycling by the dawn of the 20th century. However, women of all classes began to compete in all manner of sporting events following the First World War. Masculine preserves such as ice hockey and basketball were no exception.
<p>
Neither was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softball">softball</a>. Informal competitions were translated into organized league play by 1923 in cities such as Toronto and London. Leagues were usually local or regional in extent and operated under different auspices. For example, the Toronto Ladies Major Softball League was organized by local sports clubs. Other leagues were organized by local businesses, often factories, that sought to use sporting competition as way to build corporate loyalty and morale. The Young Women's Christian Association (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YWCA">YWCA</a>) organized girls softball leagues in many cities, such as London, in which school, business, and church teams might play against each other. In larger cities, leagues of all types often operated simultaneously.
<p>
Records of the early history of organized girls softball in Guelph are sparse, but the Globe does mention a softball tournament held in November, 1924, in which teams from Wentworth, Halton, Waterloo, Wellington, Bruce and the City of Guelph competed in a direct elimination format. The tournament was played inside the Guelph Winter Fair building on Carden street (softball had begun as an indoor version of baseball, so this was not unprecedented) and the Guelph team emerged victorious, defeating Wentworth 7 to 6 in an exciting finish (11 November).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/078/2002921.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="558" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/078/2002921.jpg"/></a></div>
(Guelph Winter Fair building, ca. 1915. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/92457278-797F-4CA1-8F6E-738415072955">2002.92.1</a>.)
<p>
It may be that the Guelph team was the local YWCA league champion, like the one shown in the picture below.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/046/1982881.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/046/1982881.jpg"/></a></div>
(Y.W.C.A. Softball Team, 1924; Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/Photo/48A5E04E-AFAD-43CA-B756-241757106136">1982.88.1</a>.)
<p>
Indeed, it is tempting to infer that the trophy held by the young woman in the middle of the middle row, M. Fulton, is the prize won from exactly this event. Unfortunately, there is no way to be sure.
<p>
Another interesting feature of this picture is how many of the same young women appear in the real-photo postcard below:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxyrUGXasq78Ed-oFcCv2MEwFvZoj_JyRwXEzbTR9RU2CCVh7S0l8ADjHdPubT5nq1lmZ8Lj-fOPqFzSFRGVSZIZasJoNjIzD_kr551boig_9vopZUqt8LsuFnysH907wgx9fNVVpgFF4nNStNqs_kKz7AuPdair4e_K9qSbi9bEwDyJ68F2Yfij2/s1587/girlsTeam.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1587" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxyrUGXasq78Ed-oFcCv2MEwFvZoj_JyRwXEzbTR9RU2CCVh7S0l8ADjHdPubT5nq1lmZ8Lj-fOPqFzSFRGVSZIZasJoNjIzD_kr551boig_9vopZUqt8LsuFnysH907wgx9fNVVpgFF4nNStNqs_kKz7AuPdair4e_K9qSbi9bEwDyJ68F2Yfij2/s400/girlsTeam.jpg"/></a></div>
<p>
The similarity in uniforms and the fact that five girls seem to appear in both photos suggests that the postcard is also a picture of the Guelph YWCA league champions, although of a subsequent year.
<p>
In particular, the five girls on the right of the postcard also appear in the 1924 photograph. To the right of the coach (who may be Hugh Stanley, coach of <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/97B015BF-42F4-44A9-9368-090704140182">the 1928 GCVI girls softball team</a>), stand girls named I. Kennard and F. Kenny in the earlier picture. These may well be Ivy Kennard and Florence Kenny. In front of them sit R. King (holding the trophy), L. Barton and M. Fulton. I am not sure who R. King is, although a "Mrs. King" is listed as a "fine first baseman" for a Guelph team in 1925 (Acton Free Press, <a href="https://news.haltonhills.halinet.on.ca/86772/page/1?q=%22ladies+softball%22&docid=OOI.86772">16 July 1925</a>). L. Barton also remains obscure. M. Fulton may well be Minnie Fulton, who is listed as a player for St. James and Guelph teams in 1926.
<p>
The other two girls in the front row are much easier to identify. The one seated at the left end is Elma Earon and to the right of her is Helen "Curly" Bardwell. Happily, we are in possession of a photo album belonging to Elma Earon, which has many pictures of the two of them, plus another star softball player Isabel "Torchy" Grieve, ca. 1927 (Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/57684899-751E-44D9-B15C-035721409350">2017.1.35</a>).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-6.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="492" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-6.jpg"/></a></div>
(Elma Earon)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-8.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="497" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-8.jpg"/></a></div>
(Helen Bardwell)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-39.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="493" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/189/2017135-39.jpg"/></a></div>
(Helen Bardwell and "Torchy" Grieve)
<p>
These three girls were senior students at the Guelph Collegiate an Vocational Institute together in 1926 and are described in the following terms in the school yearbook (<a href="https://archive.org/details/actanostrayearbo1926guel">Acta Nostra 1926</a>, p. 33):
<blockquote>
HELEN BARDWELL, "Curlie," 5 ft. 3 in., 117 lbs., 17 years—Captain of the Basketball team, and plays check; plays first-base on the Softball team; she does both well and is an all round sport.
<br>
ISABELLE GRIEVE, "Torchy," 5 ft. 3 1/2 in., 110 lbs., 17 years—Captain and pitcher of the Softball team. A glance at the "Review of Softball games" will show her an able pitcher. Forward on the Basketball team, and you should see her free shots! Sr. Field Day Champion.
<br>
ELMA EARON, "Blondy," 5 ft. 7 1/2 in. 120 lbs., 18 years—Captain of the Basketball team last year. She doesn't know how to miss the basket, and is half of the team. Plays short-stop on the Softball team, and is the star hitter.
</blockquote>
The yearbook also provides the following photo the school team for 1926:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBVlZfpI5sWcTz4z1F7WVqg8UstzF_3BwmQf8C-DYZVX2CdF_Bd7oEC2WzGYW7yl3i-kpWpTBGI1cyOkiZqyyoCOadCxIDaLNqVKWcNsxt9N8819y6zaJ09FKSBq_lXg46QeE69WxC27R0QtnPHi8Yj2LbccLFIJh5PkiwyTK-PnCm-4tdVwSxqlZ/s1669/gcvigirlsSoftball28.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1591" data-original-width="1669" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBVlZfpI5sWcTz4z1F7WVqg8UstzF_3BwmQf8C-DYZVX2CdF_Bd7oEC2WzGYW7yl3i-kpWpTBGI1cyOkiZqyyoCOadCxIDaLNqVKWcNsxt9N8819y6zaJ09FKSBq_lXg46QeE69WxC27R0QtnPHi8Yj2LbccLFIJh5PkiwyTK-PnCm-4tdVwSxqlZ/s400/gcvigirlsSoftball28.jpg"/></a></div>
Altogether, the appearance of Elma and Helen in the postcard image suggests that it was taken in 1925 or 1926, when they were top players in the Guelph softball leagues.
<p>
Another interesting point about the postcard picture is that the girls all wear sashes that say "Guelph". Perhaps this means that they had won the title of city champions in the YWCA league. Records of competition for this period are spotty, so it is not clear who was competing and which team won the championships.
<p>
In any event, remaining records for the 1926 season suggest how league play unfolded in that era.
<p>
The Mercury (20 August 1926) states that the city championship that year had come down to a contest between the St. James's Church team and the Woolworth's team. The St. James's Church team was organized by the local Anglican Young People's Association (or AYPA) while the Woolworth's team was sponsored by the local store belonging to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._W._Woolworth_Company">the famous department store chain</a>.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/055/198618116.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/055/198618116.jpg"/></a></div>
(St. James Anglican Church, Guelph. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/archive/735C66D9-69CB-4725-AFDE-788143075143">1986.18.116</a>.)
<p>
(It is not clear what other teams were in the league that year, and membership in such organizations often varied from year to year. In any case, the 1927 league included the AYPA, Woolworth's, and teams from Northern Rubber and Guelph Carpet Mills. In any event, the AYPA and Woolworth's teams were the top contenders in both years.)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/029/19783810.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="219" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/029/19783810.jpg"/></a></div>
(Military parade, 1938, St. George's Square [F.W. Woolworth Co. store in the background]. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/Photo/43BA6281-3D56-4FB0-B863-815333943652">1978.32.10</a>.)
<p>
In the first game of the 1926 series, the St. James's team defeated the Woolworth's side handily. The Mercury sports column provides an account of the play in the usual sportswriter's idiom:
<blockquote>
It was quite evident from the opening innings that Miss Joy Pfaff, the star pitcher for the F.W.’s [Woolworth's] team, could not get her benders working, undoubtedly due to the cold, and the Saints lost no time in securing a safe lead, knowing that anything may happen in a softball game, and they added to their total in every innings but the fifth, in which frame they went down in order, the last two striking out. On the other hand, the heaver for the church ladies seemed to have better luck with her slants, and although she only struck out three, she had them waving at almost everything, she only allowed the usually heavy-slugging “fifteen-centers” seven hits, all singles, while she and her assistants hammered out fourteen, two of which were homers, one by “Pep” Hill, and the other by Helen herself.
</blockquote>
Unfortunately, the Mercury did not report on the remaining games of the series, but the St. James's team was described as the "league leaders" in the first game of the 1927 season (Mercury, 22 June), so we may infer that they carried off the 1926 city title.
<p>
Play in women's softball was essentially the same as in the men's game. (The main adaptation was that the diamond in the women's game was a little smaller.) Unlike in earlier eras, when women athletes were required to compete in bulky dresses, girls in the 1920s could wear shorts and stockings, which allowed them to play a physical game.
<p>
As a result, injuries were common. Collisions and rough slides during base running produced bruises, abrasions and even broken limbs. Also, since only the catcher and first base player could use mitts, other players suffered contusions and broken fingers in both hands from fielding high-speed balls.
<p>
Injuries were reported in women's play in Guelph. During the Woolworth's vs. St. James 1926 game described above, the paper relates how the St. James's second base player "Pep" Hill was shaken up:
<blockquote>
Every player on both teams turned in a good game, but the performance of “Pep” Hill, who cavorts around second for the Saints, was by far the outstanding feature. When coming home in the fourth innings, Miss Hill tried to evade the catcher who had the ball, and in so doing overbalanced herself sufficiently that when the receiver touched her with the ball she lost her balance completely, and received a terrible jolt when she hit the ground. It was several minutes before she could be brought around again, but showing the gameness for which she is known, she went right back into the game, and made even a better “fist” of it from then on, if that were possible.
</blockquote>
Another example came during another play-off tilt between the Woolworth's and St. James teams in 1927, when they played to a 5–5 draw. During that game, Woolworth's Pearl Richardson was injured during an aggressive slide into base (Mercury, 22 July):
<blockquote>
The game was marred by an accident to Woolworth’s good left fielder, who had the misfortune to break her ankle whilst sliding into the third station. The player was removed to the hospital and the injured member set. The sympathy of the whole softball community goes out to the injured player.
</blockquote>
Interestingly, the two teams arranged to play an exhibition game as a benefit for the injured Miss Richardson. The reason for this arrangement is described as follows (Mercury, 23 July):
<blockquote>
The members of the team feel that Miss Richardson should not be called upon to defray her own expenses since she was injured in playing in a league match, and it is for this reason that the benefit game is being played.
</blockquote>
As was often the case, employers such as Woolworth's do not seem to have offered sick days or other health benefits to employees who lost work due to injuries, even those sustained while playing on the company softball team. The benefit game was evidently intended to raise money to help Miss Richardson make up for the salary she would lose during her recuperation.
<p>
The 1927 season seems to have been a very good one for the St. James's team. As usual, their main rivals were the Woolworth's nine and the inevitable playoff contest was closely fought. After winning one game each, the two teams battled to a 5–5 in game three (as noted above), necessitating a sudden-death final.
<p>
This proved to be an exciting game where the St. James's team had to come from behind in the late innings to carry off the honours (29 July 1927):
<blockquote>
The battle was productive of some smart baseball, and was a nip and tuck struggle all the way. Woolworths led up to the eighth inning, but St. James’, by good batting and good base running, tied the score in their half of the eighth by notching five runs. Woolworths replied with one run in the last half of the same inning, and were leading by 12 to 11 at the start of the ninth frame. St. James’, however, were not to be denied, and cinched the game by scoring three runs in the ninth, whilst their opponents were held scoreless.
</blockquote>
Happily, there is a picture of the winning, 1927 edition of the AYPA squad in Harold Cole's 1972 booklet, "Guelph sports hall of fame" (Wellington County Museum <a href="https://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/archive/36A4D663-0769-4993-AE45-352692205541">A1997.126.07</a>).
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/137/pm_file%207_077.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="492" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_460/137/pm_file%207_077.jpg"/></a></div>
The caption identifies the players, some of whom are now familiar:
<blockquote>
In front: Elsie Hume, catcher.<br>
First row seated (L. to R.): Torchy Grieve, Pitcher; Dorothy Richardson 2B; Dorothy Harris, Pitcher; Helen Bardwell, 1B; Maizie Barr, 3B; N. Wilson, OF.<br>
Second row (L. to R.): M. Fulton, Catcher; Mildred Peer, OF; Dave Burnett, Mgr; Garson Davis, Dave McClosky, Coach; Helen McGibbon, OF & Pitcher; Adeline Leader, OF.
</blockquote>
The uniforms are much splashier than earlier versions. The jersies identify the team sponsor, the AYPA, the shorts are more abbreviated than before, and the stockings are banded.
<p>
Cole notes that the St. James's team 1927 was undefeated in Western Ontario competition, which is, presumably, whey they were included in his booklet. The Mercury provides a zealous account of a game between the St. James's team and opponents from the Goodrich team from Kitchener (30 July):
<blockquote>
St. James’ girl softballers handed Kitchener Goodrich ladies a 20-7 drubbing in Lyon Park last evening in an exhibition fixture. Outclassing the Twin City aggregation in every department of the game, they had no trouble at any stage of the proceedings.<br>
The Saints were at the peak of their season’s form against the out-of-towners and played airtight ball behind Helen McGibbon, who was on the slab for the locals. Her battery-mate, Minnie Fulton, turned in her usual perfect performance, and every member of the team was right on her toes throughout. All the locals fattened their batting averages to a considerable extent at the expense of the Goodrich visitors, while Misses Wilson and McGibbon counted the two circuit blows of the tussle.
</blockquote>
It would be lovely to know about more the teams' triumphs in regional play but the requiste issues of the Mercury are missing from the archives.
<p>
Ladies softball was firmly establiished in the Royal City. Local teams continued to compete and hone their skills each summer and fall. Regional play also carried on, when Guelph was represented in the 1930s by teams with names like the Supremes and the Leafettes.
<p>
Leagues in Toronto, London, and St. Catherines have been well researched. The history of ladies softball in Guelph awaits our efforts. So, if you have futher information on this matter, let us known in the comments!
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Adams, C. (2011). "<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/453847">'I just felt like I belonged to them': Women's industrial softball, London, Ontario, 1923–1925.</a>" Journal of sport history 38(1): 75–94.
<li>Hall, M.A. (2002). "Assuming control: Women's sport run (almost) by women", in <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/957649943">The girl and the game: a history of women's sport in Canada</a>. Broadview Press: Peterborough, chapter 2.
<li>Kidd, B. (1996). "'Girls' sport run by girls", in <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1023175666">The struggle for Canadian sport</a>. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, chapter 3.
<li>Schram, M. and Likavec M. (2009). <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/424087086">Ladies softball league : St. Catharines, 1919–1960</a>. Looking Back Press: St. Catherines, Ontario.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-47368210891396194822022-06-09T18:12:00.002-07:002022-06-09T18:12:35.657-07:00The Canada Ingot Iron Company was a long-lived Guelph businessFor <a href="https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/23634975/41-44-george-street-guelph">only about $22m</a>, you could own an intersting piece of Guelph history. The Armtec properties, residing at 41–44 George Street, are now for sale.
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m12!1m3!1d2070.659844519068!2d-80.26137250982666!3d43.55667032472522!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1654732695852!5m2!1sen!2sca" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
(The Armtec properties from above. Courtesy of Google Street View.)
<p>
Once developed, a substantial group of condominiums may soon loom over the banks of the Speed River from this site.
<p>
The company began as the Ontario Metal Culvert Company in 1907. The founders were R.W. and D. Gladstone in Guelph along with H.B. and A.L. Sharman in Russell, Manitoba (Contract Record 1908, <a href="https://archive.org/details/engineeringcontr231torouoft/page/n151/mode/2up?q=%22ontario+metal+culvert%22">v. 23, n. 4, p. 23</a>). As the name suggests, the company made iron culverts of the type that resemble a series of large rings stuck together on their sides to form a tube. These pipes were commonly used to provide drainage under roadways and so on, and were made using a pattern owned by the American Rolling Mill Company (ARMCO) of Middletown, Ohio. In fact, investors from ARMCO had provided the money to begin the Guelph operation in order to move into the Canadian market.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC-AdBoJ7kDqobP0J4FQG3_ThnQ0eskxQQrMNfpP8ZXwOsXdZtfsp6SNm6BfaNVBL-25XCtj_hk_og7h_AyXA5r1oh6LgoUJLXQc1VLnvdJOu7GFKyMYGZe9JLIgZE_AnFZeL1frpkxJW_AAQ5zLbhWlJ43Y74Jr1W_mKU1AKk6_gpf5f2xk1rqyc/s1653/culvert10.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1653" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKC-AdBoJ7kDqobP0J4FQG3_ThnQ0eskxQQrMNfpP8ZXwOsXdZtfsp6SNm6BfaNVBL-25XCtj_hk_og7h_AyXA5r1oh6LgoUJLXQc1VLnvdJOu7GFKyMYGZe9JLIgZE_AnFZeL1frpkxJW_AAQ5zLbhWlJ43Y74Jr1W_mKU1AKk6_gpf5f2xk1rqyc/s400/culvert10.jpg"/></a></div>
(Ontario Metal Culvert Co. postcard, ca. 1910; printer unknown. From the author's collection.)
<p>
<a href="https://www.lipad.ca/members/record/a7bf8074-1cd3-4818-b32d-9a1892ae5957/1/">Robert William Gladstone</a> was born on a farm in Kent County in 1880 and became a teacher after finishing school and taking a short teacher-training course at the age of 18. In 1899, he "went west," as the common expression then was, to seek his fortune in business. He became a salesman for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massey_Ferguson#Massey-Harris_Limited">Massey-Harris</a>, then the largest agricultural machinery supplier in the British empire.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPLClYpIyx2G5HNTmytl8XPLjefTs44QGkT6fvBu70T2D5p4MINDdqxWmfLFPX7u23aQmpRDipLY7bVSiKXbIEbEEuaEFyfMGhqUeWtKLn-aY44yDAmV4BZFoFvGaugbUlLXrFH43prFUOgPzhwL-ooN1M214tPY11aW76U5m5oMXntL9pcGgu1bB/s312/gladstone43.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPLClYpIyx2G5HNTmytl8XPLjefTs44QGkT6fvBu70T2D5p4MINDdqxWmfLFPX7u23aQmpRDipLY7bVSiKXbIEbEEuaEFyfMGhqUeWtKLn-aY44yDAmV4BZFoFvGaugbUlLXrFH43prFUOgPzhwL-ooN1M214tPY11aW76U5m5oMXntL9pcGgu1bB/s320/gladstone43.jpg"/></a></div>
(R.W. Gladstone, MP, on a military stand on Wyndham street, Guelph, ca. 1943. He is the one with his hat off. Detail of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/BC786253-8D77-43E8-BF50-504253005000">1979.75.45</a>.)
<p>
In 1907, Gladstone became associated with ARMCO, which tapped him to lead their new venture in Canada. Guelph was chosen for its favourable location in south-western Ontario and the old Inglis-Hunter foundry beside the bridge at Norwich and Perth (now Arthur) streets was selected for its first home.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1654818184757!6m8!1m7!1sXBXV-vXch-2GkQU423UpQw!2m2!1d43.55060794212261!2d-80.2521105168393!3f280.6518871860658!4f0.7095481746425918!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
<p>
(The Inglis-Hunter foundry, built ca. 1850. Now condominiums at 196 Arthur St. N. Courtesy of Google Street View.)
<p>
Business was good and the company expanded. In 1910, it changed its name to the Canada Ingot Iron Co. to reflect both its expansion across the country and the fact that it had diversified its product line beyond culverts. By 1915, it employed 25 to 40 people in Guelph and had branches not only in Winnipeg but also Montreal and Calgary.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ8bXcwocyyi7EN3UsqZcD1Fna9DLrSibfpU0u3VQaPAvF0PBEUf3kzB7cfrH4cwGlBsTts1mP_hNCg7hJghwT2SLfTLvKXFtrzAKd4jP7Fz9g_mpzMNjO65OlzKRnFXMhU6TRETsPg18BuS_5imO3B4JZcgCtkhnOL6kXws6mO3UUxQLXvxAx_VH/s1950/culvert27.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="1950" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ8bXcwocyyi7EN3UsqZcD1Fna9DLrSibfpU0u3VQaPAvF0PBEUf3kzB7cfrH4cwGlBsTts1mP_hNCg7hJghwT2SLfTLvKXFtrzAKd4jP7Fz9g_mpzMNjO65OlzKRnFXMhU6TRETsPg18BuS_5imO3B4JZcgCtkhnOL6kXws6mO3UUxQLXvxAx_VH/s320/culvert27.jpg"/></a></div>
(An Armco culvert made by the Canada Ingot Iron Co. Courtesy the Globe, 23 April 1927.)
<p>
Gladstone's timing was impeccable. With the widespread adoption of automobiles in that era, public demands for road work increased dramatically. Iron culverts were much more durable and reliable than their wooden predecessors and cheaper than their concrete competitors. Burgeoning government road contracts led to a huge and profitable market. Other important customers were railways and airports, as air shipping and travel become more common.
<p>
The company began to expand its product line into other metalic, road-related hardware. For example, when the name of Berlin street was changed to Foster Avenune in the wake of the Great War, new street signs were donated to the city by R.W. Gladstone (Mercury, 18 December 1918).
<p>
By 1920, as the firm expanded its product line and sales, it sought out a bigger space to house larger facilities. It purchased a site between George and Clarence streets, and added adjacent properties where it could build factories to suit its needs. One building for culverts and another for other roadway supplies were put up at the direction of Donald Soper, engineer of the Beatty Brothers firm of Fergus, which had recently built similar structures for themselves.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/093/200932911.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/093/200932911.jpg"/></a></div>
(View down George St. to the Canada Ingot Iron Co. Limited foundry, ca. 1930. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/36EF2881-D4EA-4323-A718-701048774055">2009.32.911</a>.)
<p>
The site also had the advantage of lying beside the Canadian Pacific Railway line connecting Guelph to Goderich, making shipping trainloads of goods a straightforward proposition.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKU8fmWDa0ABFgKbnJOuq8PidgbruofvjxZvWF2-KW4OwsMrogZE3EGFL2Nr5bTzBrspuQhvneBnYB0VwUmbRVLYzAjDv2j7KeuuCOcr69I74o718GYeDZoPwXnqhBELDUOtEBU2hQXJ9SicVuXG0vX1fNt9koe9bLcmHvleUSyuPPr0p2wyqVfQl/s1653/culvert30.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1653" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKU8fmWDa0ABFgKbnJOuq8PidgbruofvjxZvWF2-KW4OwsMrogZE3EGFL2Nr5bTzBrspuQhvneBnYB0VwUmbRVLYzAjDv2j7KeuuCOcr69I74o718GYeDZoPwXnqhBELDUOtEBU2hQXJ9SicVuXG0vX1fNt9koe9bLcmHvleUSyuPPr0p2wyqVfQl/s400/culvert30.jpg"/></a></div>
(Advertising card for the Canada Ingot Iron Co., date and publisher unknown. From the author's collection.)
<p>
Besides road signs, the new space allowed the Canada Ingot Iron Company to expand into items such as roadside guardrails and road graders, featured in its advertising of the period.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6H41ApXlJlix-pQsJr3sLBoBHGh80O4P5SkO7MXqVnTh5Xc9_6afIZC1HrAdDGEuRZQkEzswc2DOoteiNRo32Li0FoNExwk1RwzqR5iQMBGB4irOS0b6mK6mK5PhWmbBzsIyuqKEPQGv0tWQDETOiJGK0gbcixWwOwHDAxjbfAwDxdfcRDf2c8pe/s2625/grader27.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1804" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6H41ApXlJlix-pQsJr3sLBoBHGh80O4P5SkO7MXqVnTh5Xc9_6afIZC1HrAdDGEuRZQkEzswc2DOoteiNRo32Li0FoNExwk1RwzqR5iQMBGB4irOS0b6mK6mK5PhWmbBzsIyuqKEPQGv0tWQDETOiJGK0gbcixWwOwHDAxjbfAwDxdfcRDf2c8pe/s400/grader27.jpg"/></a></div>
(Advertisement for the Canada Ingot Iron Co., showing road grader and guardrails of their manufacture; Mercury 20 July 1927.)
<p>
In 1946, the name of the company was chagned to the less inspired Armco Drainage and Metal Products of Canada, as the concern apparently became a subsidiary of its American parent.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/032/19795711.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/032/19795711.jpg"/></a></div>
("Aerial Photograph of Armco Company c. 1940." Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/ABA818CD-F025-468C-AB23-128789632970">1979.57.11</a>.)
<p>
One interesting development of this period was development of prefabricated metal buildings under the moniker of Steelox. The Steelox system consisted of standardized metal panels, connectors, etc., that could be assembled to form a building, such as a schoolroom.
<p>
In 1948, the Paisley Road Public School sought to rapidly expand its classroom space in order to accommodate the increasing population of the post-war suburb springing up in the district. By 1953, it had put up five different buildings, containing 11 classrooms, and a "spacious auditorium-gymnasium," all for the low price of $170,000 complete with furniture (which was not steel, I assume). A report in the Globe (24 June 1953) notes that, although not as pretty, the steel buildings may improve in eyes of residents as they behold their lower tax bills compared to the cost of a nicer, regular school building.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneRLaMBfyvER6kiByl6Z12u_zSylUYUiCB1JjoiuUqEW5FGHoYqNYj7GhLfzwOrFAZR0BEMefwhtVXQkUzTDeFJdL0RORWWc6xblh7hphORylYB8t98VlHI6dHtRZjLHyNB-0Do8VAdVMrQRfUPNkezovrgo1ZztZhn5HZqoezNzCA_Gjv5Oh4H8m/s2670/steelox53.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="2670" data-original-width="1975" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneRLaMBfyvER6kiByl6Z12u_zSylUYUiCB1JjoiuUqEW5FGHoYqNYj7GhLfzwOrFAZR0BEMefwhtVXQkUzTDeFJdL0RORWWc6xblh7hphORylYB8t98VlHI6dHtRZjLHyNB-0Do8VAdVMrQRfUPNkezovrgo1ZztZhn5HZqoezNzCA_Gjv5Oh4H8m/s400/steelox53.jpg"/></a></div>
("New Grade One classroom of Armco STEELOX construction at the Paisley Road School—Guelph." Mercury, 31 January 1953.)
<p>
The article goes on to give a detailed description of the new campus:
<blockquote>
The five buildings which make up the school are arranged in a semi-circle around a foreyard. The central unit contains the principal’s and nurse’s offices. The gymtorium, as it is called, is built on behind. All but one of the buildings have two classrooms each, and the odd one has an extra room built on behind to form a T.<br>
Steel panels about one foot wide which lock together were used as walls and roof. Made by the Armco Drainage and Metal Products Co., here in Guelph, the panels make an airtight, strong building which needs no frame. Insulation is inserted in between the steel and plaster board which forms the inside wall. Teachers said their classrooms were warm all winter.<br>
The classrooms have windows on two sides and each has two exit doors, one of them opening directly onto the playground. Each building has its own oil furnace, concealed in a small room opposite the main entrance.
</blockquote>
Was the insulation made with asbestos? Could be.
<p>
The article notes that much of the cost saving of this modern school derived in no small part from not having any corridor space. As is usually the case with portables, when students move from one room to another one, they do so outside. The Principal, J.A. McCallum, also remarked that this arrangement had reduced discipline problems: With corridors gone, corridor infractions disappear too!
<p>
Curiously, enthusiasm for Steelox buildings did not extend to the administration, which built a conventional structure, with interior corridors, to house the school offices.
<p>
As it happens, Armco's own office building was also not made of steel.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/136/20139100.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="100%" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/136/20139100.jpg"/></a></div>
("Armco Drainage and Metal Products Staff, 1957" in front of Armco's George St. offices. Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums, <a href="http://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/80C41AE4-022D-4B49-9314-902423565097">2013.9.100</a>.)
<p>
All was not completely above board in the culvert business, however. In 1957, the the Restrictive Trade Practices Commission delivered a report to the federal Minister of Justice finding that Armco Drainage and Metal Products of Canada, Ltd., Guelph, along with other foundries, had been involved in a long-standing price-fixing scheme (Globe & Mail, 17 August 1957).
<p>
According to the report, the cartel had been organized 30 years previously among members of the Metal Culvert Council. In essence, they refused to undercut each other's unit prices and charged customers the same amount for shipping regardless of the distance between factory and delivery site. Of course, this practice reduced competition between manufacturers and raised prices for governments and other purchasers.
<p>
Another report by the same Commision in 1970 found that Armco Drainage and Metal Products of Canada Ltd., Guelph, among other suppliers, were again engaged in price fixing (Globe & Mail, 31 July 1970).
<p>
In 1987, Armco severed its relationship with its American parent and became Armtec. Now, after more than 100 years at its current site, Armtec is pulling up stakes. Like its culverts, this old Guelph concern will soon be out of sight.
<hr>
Besides his leadership of the Canadian Ingot Iron Company, Bob Gladstone had political ambitions. In 1925, he entered the fray as the Liberal candidate for the Wellington South riding. This contest pitted him against the popular and ensconced Hugh Guthrie, who had been the MP for the riding since 1900, first as a Liberal then as a Conservative.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MI3OBQ54s9DOPQI3IwUlbD7MHxmzw4k9cjRqp9BSRkWZD0_5p0gq5PpuBw-f68MIjLYkKv7mmDTLiA8_xy1SDPaU_7estcCARsH4SnugavesVJMQTHbUzzbHOEGULTd21l90WZmsy3IR941ogtHBQZZ_3CvIclsLpO2dcsuBEG0qB6Wm-4WTdW_-/s979/gladstone45.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="687" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MI3OBQ54s9DOPQI3IwUlbD7MHxmzw4k9cjRqp9BSRkWZD0_5p0gq5PpuBw-f68MIjLYkKv7mmDTLiA8_xy1SDPaU_7estcCARsH4SnugavesVJMQTHbUzzbHOEGULTd21l90WZmsy3IR941ogtHBQZZ_3CvIclsLpO2dcsuBEG0qB6Wm-4WTdW_-/s320/gladstone45.jpg"/></a></div>
("Robert William Gladstone," ca. 1945. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, <a href="http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3216073&lang=eng">3216073</a>.)
<p>
Not as polished a campaigner as Guthrie, Gladstone made headway in Elora, Erin, and other rural townships. However, Guthrie's strong showing in Guelph and Fergus put him comfortably back in office.
<p>
In 1935, Guthrie retired from politics to assume an appointment to the Board of Railway Commissioners. Having steered the Canada Ingot Iron Company through the early years of the Great Depression (and being involved in a price-fixing scheme, it would seem), Bob Gladstone threw his hat into the ring once again. On this occasion, he was successful, defeating Hugh Guthrie jr. and punching his ticket to Ottawa, where he remained for the rest of his career.
<p>
One of the projects that Gladstone had a hand in was the construction of <a href="http://www.hember.ca/pdf/ShandDamStory.pdf">the Shand Dam</a>, begun in 1939 and completed in 1942. He was also a member of an all-party committee that set out to design Canada a new flag. The committee approved Gladstone's proposal of the red ensign with a single maple leaf in place of the coat of arms. The proposal inspired little support and the matter was dropped for 20 years.
<p>
In 1949, Gladstone was in ill health and suffered a long stay in hospital. As a result, he was unable to run for office again. However, fortune smiled upon him and he was appointed to the Senate. Still a senator, he died two years later of a heart attack on 2 June 1951.
<hr>
Another figure of distinction associated with the Canadian Ingot Iron Company was <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/218710450/louis-elgin-jones">Louis Elgin Jones</a>. Born in St. Thomas, Ontario, in 1877, he graduated in engineering from the Unviersity of Toronto and taken up the post of assistant city engineer at Vancouver until the outbreak of the Great War.
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("Col. L.E. Jones." Mercury, 4 March 1949.)
<p>
In April, 1915, Jones enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and went overseas as a captain with the 18th Battalion. He had a distinguished career, receiving the Distinguished Service Order on two occasions, and being made a Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. He also rose to the rank of Colonel.
<p>
After the war, he resumed his profession as a civil engineer, partly with the Ontario Department of Highways. He most likely became acquainted with the Canada Ingot Iron Company in that connection. In 1925, he became Ontario sales manager for the company and was appointed general manager of the Guelph operation ten years later. There he remained until his retirement in 1946.
<p>
He was also active in other walks of life. He was actively involved with the militia, being commander of the Wellington Rifles and, during World War II, was appointed honourary colonel of the 11th Field Regiment, Guelph.
<p>
In addition, he as a city alderman (councillor) in 1943, 1944, and 1947.
<p>
Finally, he had the additional distinction of being presented to King George and Queen Elizabeth in 1939 on their visit to the Royal City during their whirlwind tour of Canada.
<hr>
So, the old Armtec site is in many ways a historic one.
<p>
If you do have $22m on hand, then you may be interested in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNaJD5Y8UI">the video tour below</a>:
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<hr>
Works consulted include:
<UL>
<LI>Thorning, S. (22 March 2002). "<a href="https://eservices.wellington.ca/Museum.JournalAndEssays/FileUploads/Articles/ST_WA_12_22_March_2002.pdf">R.W. Gladstone: From teacher to Armco to Senator</a>." Wellington Advertiser.
<li>Thorning, S. (29 March 2002). "<a href="https://eservices.wellington.ca/Museum.JournalAndEssays/FileUploads/Articles/ST_WA_13_29_March_2002.pdf">R.W. Gladstone went undefeated after 1935 win</a>." Wellington Advertiser.
</UL>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-28764105121911751202022-04-17T16:23:00.003-07:002022-04-20T13:50:12.245-07:00Jubilee Singers come to GuelphOn 19 August 1879, the Guelph Mercury printed a review of a group of musicians who had apparently given their first performance in the Royal City. The Jubilee Singers (later the Canadian Jubilee Singers) had been formed in Hamilton, Ontario, some years earlier to perform in the musical genre that had swept North America and western Europe: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituals">the Spiritual</a>.
<p>
The writer for the Mercury was very pleased with what he heard:
<blockquote>
The singing was in every respect first-class, and the pieces sang were of a sacred character, mostly plantation songs, the composition of which went to show that although the black man was a slave and in the house of bondage, the spirit was unfettered, and that he was a freeman in the highest sense of the word. Whether in the low and plaintive wail of sorrow, or in the high and jubilant song of victory, there was alike displayed a pathos and vigor enchanting. While the clear intonation in which the words were uttered made it capable for everyone to catch the words distinctly, and while enjoying the music of the song were able to appreciate the words.
</blockquote>
As the review suggests, the source material of Spirituals was songs sung by enslaved persons in the antebellum American South. Following the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War">US Civil War</a>, performance of this folk music had become the foundation of an entertainment industry that put black musical culture on the same stage as its European counterparts.
<p>
The review goes on to name some of the songs performed and the performers themselves:
<blockquote>
In such songs as “Hard Trials,” “Ring dem bells, Peter,” etc., which were rendered very powerfully—the singers were loudly encored. Mr. J. O’Banyoun conducted the music, and was well supported by Mrs. O’Banyoun, who also presided at the organ, assisted by Master Ernest O’Banyoun, Mrs. Bland, Messrs. A. Johnston and J. Holland.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/02/black-history-month-canadian-jubilee.html">The Rev. Josephus O'Banyoun</a> was born in Brantford, Upper Canada, in 1838. His father, Simon Peter O'Banyoun, had escaped slavery in Kentucky and sought freedom in Canada. He was pastor of an American Methodist Episcopal church in Brantford, which later joined with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Methodist_Episcopal_Church">the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) church</a> following its foundation in 1856.
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("Rev. Josephus O'Banyoun," from Wright, R.R. and Hawkins J.R. <a href="https://archive.org/details/centennialencycl00wrig/">Centennial encyclopaedia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church</a>, 1916, p. 377.)
<p>
The apple did not fall far from the tree: Josephus became a minister in the BME church. He gained a reputation for his skill as a singer and became one of the most accomplished concert company managers in the country, leading the Canadian Jubilee Singers, in its various incarnations, on tours of North America and Western Europe.
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("Famous Canadian Jubilee Singers," 1902; courtesy of Library Archives Canada <a href="https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=3023562&new=-8585513804552633196">R5500-363-9-E</a>.)
<p>
On this occasion, the Jubilee Singers had embarked on tour for a particular purpose: To help raise money to reconstruct their church in Hamilton, which had been destroyed by fire. This mission reflected the origin of the Jubilee singing phenomenon, which was to raise money to support a black cultural institution.
<p>
Following the US Civil War, various liberal and activist groups sought to enhance educational opportunties for formerly enslaved people in the US South. One such initiative was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_University">Fisk Univerity</a>, in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1865 by the American Missionary Association and named in honour of Clinton Fisk, a Union general who secured a site and funds for its inception.
<p>
Housed in decrepit former army barracks and in constant need of more cash, a group of its students went on a fundraising tour of northern states in 1871. The group had trained for several years and toured locally with some success but it was felt that performances for more liberal—and well-to-do—audiences in the North would be more productive.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg/800px-The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg/800px-The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg"/></a></div>
("<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg#/media/File:The_Story_of_the_Jubilee_Singers_%28cropped%29.jpg">Fisk Jubilee Singers, 1875</a>," courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)
<p>
The tour was a do-or-die gamble: Arranging the tour took all the resources that Fisk University had left, so that failure of the tour could well mean closure of the school. At first, response to the group was tepid among white audiences: While their performances were techically superior, their repertoire was conventional popular music and failed to resonate. However, it was noticed that audiences responded well to pieces derived from so-called plantation songs. Performances were rearranged to feature these pieces and the group was christened "The Jubilee Singers" in November, a reference to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_%28biblical%29">the Jewish year of jubilee</a> or emancipation, not to mention its general association with celebration of significant events. The troupe considered this name dignified and it struck a chord with the public as well.
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("<a href="https://youtu.be/Wo0AOf9b6fU">Steal away to Jesus</a>," often first in programs of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Courtesy of the Barbershop Harmony Society.)
<p>
The Jubilee singing phenomenon was born! By the end of 1872, the Fisk Jubilee Singers had featured at the World Peace Festival in Boston and sung for President Grant at the White House. Signature numbers such as "Roll Jordan, roll," "Steal away to Jesus," "Swing low, sweet chariot" became known to all. The tour raised $20,000 for a new building. In 1873, the troupe began a European tour.
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("<a href="https://youtu.be/7oFcFzJT7Tw">Roll, Jordan roll</a>," from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_%28film%29">Twelve years a slave</a>, 2013.)
<p>
Given this kind of success, it is no surprise that many Jubilee singers followed in the wake of the Fisk troupe. Many groups, such as the O'Banyoun Jubilee Singers, followed the Fisk model and sang spirituals arranged for performance in concerts to passive audiences. Others incorporated spirituals into other forms of entertainment. For example, they soon found their way into performances of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom%27s_Cabin">Uncle Tom's Cabin</a>, set on plantations in the antebellum south. In these shows, spirituals were presented in a traditional mode where everyone present (on stage) sang together, more like hymns sung in church by the congregation rather than by the choir only. Of course, spirituals were also incorporated into variety acts and minstrel shows, where parodies or comic pieces, such as "<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/sm1879.7901966/">Oh, dem golden slippers</a>," were performed.
<p>
Jubilee singers did not take long to get to Guelph. The ad below appears in the Mercury (13 Feb. 1878):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsaref6AZXopvqxyUV48bcShOeRSvAmAwogwwsLOkQTNZC0_xQM1v3KEQuvFtxEfa5FbuUNcMakS5kwHvgtJVghCpQoPix1nHO5m-2av8U7VPVAltobyjLF6Ny-RzsqyF29v4p3k8E47WpH4OjuhGnrDPhkstP2Kx3arAPSOsQxY8850Fp38XH90R/s1529/sheppardJubilee78.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsaref6AZXopvqxyUV48bcShOeRSvAmAwogwwsLOkQTNZC0_xQM1v3KEQuvFtxEfa5FbuUNcMakS5kwHvgtJVghCpQoPix1nHO5m-2av8U7VPVAltobyjLF6Ny-RzsqyF29v4p3k8E47WpH4OjuhGnrDPhkstP2Kx3arAPSOsQxY8850Fp38XH90R/s320/sheppardJubilee78.jpg"/></a></div>
The ad certainly provides clues as to some of the attractions that jubilee concerts had for white audiences. Its emphasis on "genuine colored people" reflects the significance of authenticity to audiences. Accustomed to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show">minstrel shows</a> in which black people were portrayed and mocked by white people in blackface, the ad assures readers that the proposition in a Jubilee concert involved no imposture—it was the real deal.
<p>
As Graham (2018, pp. 249–250) comments, formal Jubilee concerts offerred white audiences an apparently direct connection with black performers:
<blockquote>
Student jubilee concerts served as a forum in which whites with no previous experience of plantation slavery could imagine that they suddenly understood the pain of the freedmen.
</blockquote>
The music was certainly touching and many audience members were moved to sympathy. Still, the effect itself was something of an illusion:
<blockquote>
The singers were seen as a symbol rather than as individuals, and their spirituals represented an imaginery Other that encompassed essentialized notions of blackness, slavery, and ultimately Africa.
</blockquote>
Of course, the singers did not see their performances in the same way. The Fisk singers had initially been reluctant to sing spirituals in public precisely because of their association with slavery. However, they came to see the music not as a throwback to that era but as a public assertion of their musical culture on terms at least signficantly under their own control. Their mission was to promote the education and advancement of black people by presenting themselves to the general public as performers with talents, skills, and material that were to be taken seriously. In this mission they certainly succeeded: Troupes like the Fisk and O'Banyoun singers raised significant amounts of money and support for their causes.
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("<a href="https://youtu.be/U1KQi2xPfs0">Swing low, sweet chariot</a>," Fisk University Jubilee Quartette, Victor Records, 1909.)
<p>
In addition, the Jubilee singing phenomenon became, as Graham puts it, the birth of a black entertainment industry. Despite its shortcomings, the demand for authenticity that it brought created a space where black performers could represent and promote themselves. The scope of demand also created career opportunities for black muscians, albeit in a system dominated by white businesses. Even after interest in Jubilee singing faded, its precedent made room for the growth of further black musical genres such as blues and jazz.
<p>
The Fisk Jubilee Singers, re-formed after their European tour, visited Guelph in 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1888, 1889 and 1892 (on the last two occasions as the Tennessian Jubilee Singers). These performances were sell-outs and were praised rapturously in the Mercury (e.g., 26 Oct. 1881):
<blockquote>
Nothing in the way of music could be sweeter or more harmonious than the blending of voices, now sinking to softness like the sound of distant chimes, then swelling into rich volume like the tintinnabulation of silver sounding bells wafted on the breeze.
</blockquote>
The length of the concert was doubled by demands for encores, "and the audience dispersed delighted with the entertainment."
<p>
Other American troupes that performed in town included the Sheppard Jubilee Singers mentioned earlier, the Memphis Jubilee Singers, The Nashville Students, and the Ball Family Jubilee Singers.
<p>
The O'Banyoun Jubilee Singers performed in Guelph numerous times. Sometimes, these visits were meant to raise funds for their own purposes. On other occasions, they were in support of the local churches. For example, they gave a concert at the City Hall on 18 Sep. 1880 as part of the celebration of laying the cornerstone of <a href="https://www.therecord.com/life/2016/02/29/old-methodist-church-embodies-a-lot-of-guelph-history.html">the BME church on Essex street</a>. When the church was officially opened the next year, the Singers performed a number of songs and the Rev. O'Banyoun presided over the ceremony.
<p>
A related troupe was the Canadian Jubilee Singers, organized by William and Sadie Carter, which included a number of Hamiltonians such as Mrs. Bland-O'Banyoun, Josephus O'Banyoun's fourth wife, and his son Earnest. Formed in 1878, the group was an international hit, touring Europe and the United States for a number of years.
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(Postcard of "The Original Canadian Jubilee Singers," courtesy of the New York Public Library <a href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-fcde-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99">NYPG00-F335</a>.)
<p>
This group performed in Guelph several times, such as on 19 June 1889, as indicated in the Mercury ad below.
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<p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/23/256566647/the-extraordinary-story-of-why-a-cakewalk-wasnt-always-easy">A cakewalk</a> was a dance in which black performers would perambulate about a square in an elaborate choreography that served to show off their agility and also mocked the stereotypical mannerisms of well-to-do white people. The couple that gave the best performance took the prize, which was an elaborate cake—thus the English expressions "to take the cake" and the ironic "easy as a cakewalk."
<p>
By the late 1880s, interest in Jubilee concerts had begun to wane due to familiarity and growing interest in other music genres. The presence of a cakewalk in the 1889 Guelph concert is evidence of this trend. After the US Civil War, cakewalks featured in minstrel shows but became a popular activity in many kinds of get-togethers. The music played during cakewalks became a predecessor of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime">ragtime</a>, so its presence in a Jubilee concert suggests that performance of spiritual songs was no longer sufficient to meet audiences's expectations.
<p>
Besides touring companies, Jubilee singing was also performed by local companies, and Guelph was no exception. Members of the congregation of the BME church on Essex street performed them for local audiences. It is not clear when this effort began, but the Mercury (26 June 1891) mentions that members of the BME choir assisted in the performance of a concert featuring members of O'Banyoun's company during an event the Norfolk street Methodist church.
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<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1650227749766!6m8!1m7!1sJeihlhDERc7Hak0zih5lvQ!2m2!1d43.53962947972393!2d-80.25004943410596!3f282.75349294844966!4f4.3823557979343235!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>
</div>
(T<a href="https://www.guelphblackheritage.ca">he Guelph Black Heritage Society</a> Hall, formerly the British Methodist Episcopal Church; courtesy Google Street View.)
<p>
An early mention of Guelph's own Jubilee singers appears the following year (21 March 1892):
<blockquote>
W.C.T.U. Concert.—The third of the series of Saturday night concerts under the auspices of the W.C.T.U. was held in the R.T. of T. hall. The attendance was large. The chair was occupied by P.C. Kenning, of Guelph Council. After the opening hymn and prayer, Rev. Mr. Cunningham delivered a short address on the evils of intemperance. The Guelph jubilee singers, eight in number, then gave a programme of jubilee songs and hymns, which was interspersed with readings by Miss Maddock and Mr. Payne. The jubilee singers were the chief attraction, and several of their selections were encored. A vote of thanks moved by Mrs. Jones, President of the W.C.T.U., and seconded by Mr. Payne, was tendered to the jubilee singers, and the singing of God Save the Queen brought a very pleasant evening’s programme to a close.
</blockquote>
It seems clear that Jubilee singing was well established at the Guelph BME church by this time. This impression is confirmed by the fact that Miss Melissa Smith, a young member of the local congregation, toured with the Canadian Jubilee Singers for about six months at around this time.
<p>
Mentions in the Mercury of local Jubilee Singers connected with the BME church continue through the 1890s, where they are described as the "BME Jubilee Singers," the "Guelph Jubilee Singers," the "Royal City Jubilee Singers," and the "Evening Bell Jubilee Singers." There is even mention of Junior and Senior Jubilee groups, suggesting that the church had a deep bench of talent in the field.
<p>
The most fulsome description of a concert by the local group is connected with a church performance (Mercury, 21 Oct. 1896):
<blockquote>
The concert given in the B.M.E. church on Tuesday evening by the Evening Bell Jubilee Singers was a success not only in the extensive programme, but also in attendance. The little church was well filled with people of all denominations and the programme was first-class in every respect. The jubilee songs and hymns by the company were excellently rendered, and the quartettes by Mrs. Waldron, Messrs. A. Waldron, J. Waldron, Miss Cromwell and Mr. A. Waldron were exceptionally well sung. Mr. A. Waldron’s solos were cleverly given. The Misses Williams also sang some pleasing duets. Their singing was the feature of the evening. They were accompanied on the organ by Miss Schofield. Another new candidate for public honors was Mr. J.H. Matthews who, in his solos and guitar accompaniments, stamped himself as a clever performer. The violin solos by Mr. Joseph Mallott were fairly well performed. The chair was occupied by Mr. E.J. Tovell, who, in his opening remarks, bade all a hearty welcome. It is the intention of the singers to give a concert once a month, the proceeds of which will go to pay the indebtedness of the church. The company give a concert in Freelton next week.
</blockquote>
It's not clear yet how long Jubilee singing persisted as a genre at the BME church, although jubilee songs were on the program for the installation of a new organ in 1922 (Mercury, 14 Feb.).
<p>
In any event, it is clear that Jubilee singing was an important part of the musical scene in Guelph, as it was elsewhere, and that it played a significant role in the local black community as well.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Abbott, Lynn, and Doug Seroff. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/917959626">Out of sight: The rise of African American popular music, 1889-1895</a>. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2009.
<li>Brooks, Tim. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3052431.pdf?casa_token=-n4ldTefUzsAAAAA:PzE9Ph3p3nCBX4Z-6ed4BSQ8L5Z-XTMrG-R01BRkH_MdtawSNHoXxgoJMP7tDCWEgmMQbL-DyPmSqlEDK7iHWTOyK7rF3Smd73aRbD1HfbcJRfEdv1nR">"Might take one disc of this trash as a novelty": Early recordings by the Fisk Jubilee Singers and the popularization of" Negro folk music."</a> American Music (2000): 278-316.
<li>Files, Angela. <a href="http://brantmuseums.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1995-Autumn.pdf">The O'Banyoun Jubilee Singers of the early British Methodist Church in Brant</a>. Brant Historical Society, 1995.
<li>Graham, Sandra Jean. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1040603723">Spirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment Industry</a>. University of Illinois Press, 2018.
<li>Graham, Sandra Jean. <a href="https://files.press.uillinois.edu/books/supplemental/p083273/web_table_4.4.html">Biographical Dictionary of Jubilee Concert Troupes</a>.
<li>Henry, Natasha. <a href="https://www.guelphblackheritage.ca/change-starts-now-our-stories-our-history-our-heritage-booklet/">Change starts now: Our stories, our history, our heritage</a>. Guelph Black Heritage Society, 2022.
<li>Shadd, Adrienne. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1005890378">The journey from tollgate to parkway: African Canadians in Hamilton</a>. Dundurn, 2010.
</ul>
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("<a href="https://youtu.be/SXn5fLMO70Y">Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: 150 Years of the Fisk Jubilee Singers</a>," courtesy of American Experience—PBS.)
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/JubileeSingersSacrificeandGlory" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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(<a href="https://archive.org/details/JubileeSingersSacrificeandGlory">Jubilee Singers : Sacrifice and Glory</a>, WGBH 2000.)
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(Michigan J. Frog performs a cakewalk dance to the ragtime tune of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello!_Ma_Baby">Hello! Ma baby</a>," in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Froggy_Evening">One froggy evening</a>," 1950; courtesy of <a href="https://youtu.be/lSSOUU6yYYM">WB Kids</a>.)
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-87330388007591525232022-03-09T07:29:00.001-08:002022-03-09T07:29:24.337-08:00Guelph Historical Society talk: The Blacksmith FountainYours truly is giving <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/evenings-with-history-april-2022-lecture-tickets-292807644547">a little talk</a> for <a href="https://www.guelphhistoricalsociety.ca">the Guelph Historical Society</a> on the origin of the Blacksmith Fountain. Don't miss it!
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk7ghgz6GRkno3VxnvidWQbOH_hWfhInUQ7IApyzjL43R53zOnO-vS25ZqFldc8JrnT7x8lYuPIyOcivPsqoS1Z8Eom6wvSg7RuYfbzrtqSaXZYQcYpmV5eFvi8n5eXz651ze3pPonHTnWFPBeucHbB3Ho5O8iKCiit2FYWhYBRs_Gv28EQAPEVIEE=s1650" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk7ghgz6GRkno3VxnvidWQbOH_hWfhInUQ7IApyzjL43R53zOnO-vS25ZqFldc8JrnT7x8lYuPIyOcivPsqoS1Z8Eom6wvSg7RuYfbzrtqSaXZYQcYpmV5eFvi8n5eXz651ze3pPonHTnWFPBeucHbB3Ho5O8iKCiit2FYWhYBRs_Gv28EQAPEVIEE=s600"/></a></div>Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-90419349760310752342022-01-30T14:36:00.000-08:002022-01-30T14:36:41.496-08:00You would enjoy this sport: The Snow Shoe Club of GuelphA propos of the winter season, this postcard was sent by A.N.B. from Guelph to Kathleen Tate of Bedford, Pennsylvania, on 21 December 1911.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWNBiyDkgmGbon7Lal03nF-ThO_5zI8oZnfNfYe-00W1fxcGPxjHupYPMbTiPkBEXUHxxdqNc_7s57d9omSdB3QbEh9aoOTLvfomPrqL5fgB3wHoHLEQwogd7BEDmE78VPFZ_R55dLs3VQ1dJAQjiCo2jeBCHq6An_3HHzt7yfPpWrpDwnyQQTDEVG=s645" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="645" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWNBiyDkgmGbon7Lal03nF-ThO_5zI8oZnfNfYe-00W1fxcGPxjHupYPMbTiPkBEXUHxxdqNc_7s57d9omSdB3QbEh9aoOTLvfomPrqL5fgB3wHoHLEQwogd7BEDmE78VPFZ_R55dLs3VQ1dJAQjiCo2jeBCHq6An_3HHzt7yfPpWrpDwnyQQTDEVG=s400"/></a></div>
A.N.B. writes cheerfully, "You would enjoy this sport. Hope you have a very merry Xmas and a Happy New Year." As the caption notes, the sport depicted is snowshoeing.
<p>
The card was printed by the large British publisher <a href="https://tuckdbpostcards.org/items/101041">Raphael Tuck and Sons</a> beginning in 1908. It was not a Guelph scene. In fact, it was adapted from a photograph taken by noted Montreal photographers <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Notman">William Notman & Son</a> (Courtesy of the McCord Museum of Montreal, <a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/VIEW-3613">VIEW-3613</a>). It was made to resemble an oil painting; thus the descriptor "Oilette" in the bottom-right corner.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v3613.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="385" src="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v3613.jpg"/></a></div>
The photo's title is, "A snowshoe tramp on the river ice, Montreal, QC, 1903." No doubt, it depicts members of one of the many Montreal snowshoe clubs out for one of their regular outings.
<p>
Snowshoeing, of course, was nothing new in Canada. French soldiers, farmers, coureurs de bois and voyageurs all learned to use snowshoes from the Indigenous peoples they encountered. Members of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_West_Company">the NorthWest Company</a> learned it from them. In their day, using snowshoes was a necessity for getting around in wintertime.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhovPIFv_7koN3qHa8ARfcb8cP9u08kyZzqah8TTlvQTGd4aIeEn7bQ2oqOLYS5XamJrmyiCAxRPW0yWiUIUB6pxYhdzPGuLCKM52eeK9DSwhsxcxCXBqJCoGpNjWC1wVqglMNcGmeuxxaKWdlyJ0aZ6jAgcyhWzL58lJX6ZPw_unWTtstNI0ynozwN=s2000" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhovPIFv_7koN3qHa8ARfcb8cP9u08kyZzqah8TTlvQTGd4aIeEn7bQ2oqOLYS5XamJrmyiCAxRPW0yWiUIUB6pxYhdzPGuLCKM52eeK9DSwhsxcxCXBqJCoGpNjWC1wVqglMNcGmeuxxaKWdlyJ0aZ6jAgcyhWzL58lJX6ZPw_unWTtstNI0ynozwN=s400"/></a></div>
("Indiens voyageant en raquettes avec un traîneau," Cornelius Kreighoff, ca. 1856. Courtesy of Library and
Archives Canada, <a href="https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=FonAndCol&id=2896422&lang=eng">C-013458</a>.)
<p>
As the nineteenth century wore on, the need for snowshoes declined. Lower and Upper Canada were becoming increasingly settled so that road networks and sleighs, then railways, tended to sideline snowshoeing as a form of winter travel. So, it was in 1840 that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Snow_Shoe_Club">the Montreal Snow Shoe Club</a> (MSSC) was formed to promote snowshoing as a sport and leisure activity.
<p>
Enthusiasm for the sport increased and reached a peak in the 1880s, when there were about 25 clubs in Montreal alone and dozens more throughout the country. Guelphites fell into line and the Guelph Snow Shoe Club was formed in 1882.
<p>
The Club kept to a regular schedule. One night each week of winter, club members would convene at a conveient site, often the Wellington Hotel, and set out for a "tramp," often to the house of someone who had invited them for the purpose.
<p>
For example, the Mercury (6 January 1883) describes a first-season tramp in some detail. Club members mustered at the residence of J.D. Williamson, across London Road from what is now Exhibition Park. At about 8pm, they tramped about 2.5 miles due west then "circled" to the south and called at the residence of Mrs. Armstrong, who was "delighted at the visit" and well prepared:
<blockquote>
She extended the club the most cordial hospitality, and correctly perceived the preference of her company in the way of refreshments, when she set before them such a quantity of milk as would have seemed enormous in the eyes of men with ordinary appetites, but which so quickly disappeared before the sharpened appetites of the snow shoeists that one of their number was led to remark, it must have reminded the lady of calves in the spring-time.
</blockquote>
The men departed and returned to the city at about 11pm, having covered about 5 miles in all.
<p>
The trip relates many of the attractions of snowshoeing as it was then practiced. The physical activity was cold but invigorating, which increased the snoeshoeists' relish for their pit-stop refreshments all the more. Navigating in the dark had its pitfalls:
<blockquote>
Rough fields, with a snow drift here and a bare spot there, a hill in one place and a hollow in another, are not the most easy places traversed in the darkness, even with a pair of snow shoes as a means of locomotion. This was verified by numerous falls, and one of the tourists was unfortunate enough to tumble into a gravel pit, half filled with soft snow, in which he was almost buried out of sight.
</blockquote>
Enduring these little setbacks was all part of the fun.
<p>
Of course, snowshoeing provided some enjoyable social opportunities. Besides being entertained by hosts, club members often entertained each other with song and competition. Consider one evening spent at the popular camp site called <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2019/05/boating-on-eramosa.html">The Rocks</a> (now the quarry site on the Reformatory lands; Mercury 30 January 1885):
<blockquote>
About twenty-five members of the Guelph Snow Shoe Club went for a tramp last night. The snow was in splendid condition and the boys enjoyed themselves immensely. Taking a cut across the fields they struck the river at the Water Works and followed it up to the Rocks. There they lit a fire, and after enjoying themselves smoking and listening to some excellent songs by the Captain and others, they marked off a hundred yard track and had some exciting and closely contested snow shoe races.
</blockquote>
Although certainly boisterous, Club events could be quite civilized. For example, a social event was held at "Springfield" (the farm of James Anderson, to the southwest of town) to raise money for the purchase of an organ for St. Andrew's church. The chief feature of this soirée was a musical programme including instrumentalists, soloists, and an ensemble of the choir. Although late, due to have gotten lost, the Snow Shoe Club arrived to play its part (Mercury, 13 February 1885):
<blockquote>
The Snow Shoe Club which tramped out during the evening added a very interesting part to the programme. They signalled their arrival by singing the well known glee “There is a letter in the candle.” Their singing was heartily enjoyed and they presented a very pretty appearance as they stood around together with their blanket coats and tuques.
</blockquote>
"<a href="https://digital.nls.uk/english-ballads/archive/74896222?mode=transcription">There is a letter in the candle</a>" seems like a charming tune. I cannot locate a recording but there is <a href="https://archive.org/details/songsthatneverdi00redd/page/352/">sheet music</a> if you'd care to try it out.
<p>
The passage also mentions part of the snowshoeist's uniform: Blanket coats and tuques. In full, the dress consisted of a white blanket coat tied with a sash, tuque, leggings and moccasins.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v1018.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="290" src="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v1018.jpg"/></a></div>
("Snowshoer running, Montreal, QC, about 1875." Photograph by William Notman. Courtesy of McCord Museum <a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/VIEW-1018.1">VIEW-1018.1</a>)
<p>
Different clubs often distinguished their uniforms with particular colours of hats, sashes and leggings, as well as special epaulettes and badges. Happily, David Allan jr., who was a member of the Club, later drew a picture of a member of the Guelph club (<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/771915796">1936/2012</a>, p. 97):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigDUWzHktdYjCd-StCYMbTJmcwe7eiOEmNS2S3xK85lIA59w00Bk56DQxmBqMjJ_5GbSOB633AoxcMHana3Jtd2H7PJvaapj08LNNjhMbtMwNdkU3NFVB2aJ1FV1pWNzpB68prorx3zX0ocM9Of7axiSBP78n_EFn6MTrAnQeXCszKAKgmiw8XVud_=s1760" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1760" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigDUWzHktdYjCd-StCYMbTJmcwe7eiOEmNS2S3xK85lIA59w00Bk56DQxmBqMjJ_5GbSOB633AoxcMHana3Jtd2H7PJvaapj08LNNjhMbtMwNdkU3NFVB2aJ1FV1pWNzpB68prorx3zX0ocM9Of7axiSBP78n_EFn6MTrAnQeXCszKAKgmiw8XVud_=s400"/></a></div>
The figure wears a dark blue tuque, sash, and leggings, along with red epaulettes and trim on his coat, suggesting that these were perhaps the Club markings.
<p>
Besides uniforms, showshoe clubs adopted other aspects of military organization. In addition to presidents and board members, clubs had Captains, Lieutenants, and Whippers-in, whose job it was to direct the other members during tramps. The Whipper-in job was take up the rear of the column and ensure that no one got lost or left behind.
<p>
Also, snowshoe clubs were predominantly male. Board members and officers of the Guelph Club were all men, which seems to be typical. There is no mention of women joining the tramps, although women certainly did go snowshoeing. In some clubs, women would go for shorter excursions or join the men for part of theirs.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/85031182.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="385" src="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/85031182.jpg"/></a></div>
("Snowshoe group, Mount Royal, Montreal, QC, about 1901." N.M. Hinshelwood. Courtesty of McCord Museum, <a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/MP-1985.31.182">MP-1985.31.182</a>.)
<p>
Also like military units, the Club also held occasional marches. Perhaps the biggest one occurred in February 1886, when the Club marched around the downtown core and then led the way to the great toboggan hill on Evan Macdonald's farm (now the Cutten Club) (Mercury, 5 February 1886):
<blockquote>
Last evening the members of the Guelph Snow Shoe and Toboggan Club assembled on the Market Square in front of the office of Mr. John Davidson, President, and formed a torch light procession. There were close on fifty members bearing torches, and about a score more without. The President took the lead, having his toboggan attractively decorated with Chinese lanterns. The route taken was along Macdonell to Norfolk Street to the junction with Woolwich, thence along that street to Wyndham. On coming along this street in single file, serpentine fashion, and occasionally shooting off rockets as they proceeded, the effect was very good and the appearance attractive. On reaching St. George’s Square the procession filed around the fountain and discharged a number of rockets, after which they proceeded down Wyndham and Macdonell streets turning at Bell’s factory, and proceeding along Market Square and the Dundas Road to the slide on Macdonald’s hill, where they enjoyed themselves until ten o’clock.
</blockquote>
In the days before winter street plowing, a pair of snowshoes may have made parading down the city streets quite a bit easier.
<p>
Besides recreation, snowshoeing was also done competitively. As noted above, casual events occurred during club outings. However, national competitions were held at the annual Winter Carnival in Montreal. Members of the Guelph Club did not compete at this level, although one entrant with Guelph connections did well: G.M. "Dooty" Watt, who won the 200-yard race (Mercury, 26 January 1883), was a former student at the Ontario Agricultural College.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v3147.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="385" src="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/v3147.jpg"/></a></div>
("Hurdle race on snowshoes, Montreal, QC, 1892," William Notman & Son. Courtesy of McCord Museum, <a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/VIEW-3147.0">VIEW-3147.0</a>.)
<p>
Given the popularity of the sport, it wasn't long before photographers began to offer snowshoe-related backdrops in their photography studios. In winter of 1885, Guelph photographer William Marshall advertised that he had a "snow shoe scene" available, which must have appealed to club members and their hangers-on. Unfortunately, no photographs of the Guelph Club have yet come to light, although we can get a sense of what was on offer from portraits of showshoeists from other Clubs.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/II-80085.1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="264" src="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/ObjView/II-80085.1.jpg"/></a></div>
("Miss R. Hamilton and snowshoe, Montreal, QC, 1886." William Notman & Son, <a href="http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/II-80085.1">II-80085.1</a>.)
<p>
The Mercury (12 April 1883) also mentions "a very fine" sketch of the members of the Club, excuted by Mr. Hetherington. Twenty-seven men were depicted and the work was "the best of the kind that has yet been produced in Guelph" and many photographs of it were taken. This work seems not to have survived but many Clubs of the era had similar portraits done.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/internal/media/dispatcher/2145594/preview" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="800" src="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/internal/media/dispatcher/2145594/preview"/></a></div>
("Toronto Snowshoe Club, in front of fountain, Queen's Park, at head of University Avenue," ca. 1884. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library, <a href="https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/354198/toronto-snowshoe-club-in-front-of-fountain-queens-park-a">PICTURES-R-5289</a>.)
<p>
Mentions of the Club seem to end after the 1887–1888 season. It's not clear why. Poulter (2003) argues that the sport enjoyed a vogue, in part, because its associations with Indigenous and French Canadian culture distinguished it from British sports like curling and American sports like baseball (much like lacrosse). Perhaps the continuing rise of ice hockey took some of the wind from snowshoeing's sails in this connection.
<p>
In any event, Guelphites and other Canadians continued to enjoy snowshoeing, as our postcard suggests. Of course, it continues to be a popular winter activity to this day. If you are a snowshoer, then please enjoy your next tramp! If not, then consider trying it out.
<hr>
Works consulted include:
<ul>
<li>Poulter, G. (2003). <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14610980312331271639?casa_token=YUl4RZl8BHMAAAAA:-qD_r1cyeTY4V8eka_H_DJCHv_n5Tv-0ECUj7sMH4Ga8HjgwE9oXMHHgq_psiAstgxGPyHY1hZo7Tw">Snowshoeing and lacrosse: Canada's nineteenth-century 'National Games'</a>. Culture, Sport, Society, 6(2-3), 293-320.
<li>Morrow, D. and Wamsley, K.B. (2013). <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1044341703">Sport in Canada: A history</a>. Don Mills: OUP Canada.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-67528093104200653312021-12-28T17:43:00.003-08:002021-12-30T10:21:38.210-08:00David Johnston Kennedy: Guelph in winter, 1845On March 8, 1888, the Guelph Mercury reported that "quite a crowd" gathered before the office window of Mr. Charles Davidson, at Wyndham and Carden streets. In the window was a painting of Allan's mill as it appeared on January 19, 1845. The perspective was from the brow of Strange's hill (where Palmer and Queen streets meet), looking over the Speed river.
<p>
The picture would have looked like this:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-9pZ9HZWFCrsGoUuZDWD8vvWuBq6tZ4Zb16TSZ1133iEDqHhesO2eh9U1B_TSxd8E2Qjc9xxPiJODEGUN854B-t90NDZMs21qUnsh8JJbPGI19Pk9aEh7pm6J4Hhtwu9EXXRUmUGBYqI-XTGR-k2McC_iMtz7FbE2vcTijuKXzhaQqIEjnMKc485=s626" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-9pZ9HZWFCrsGoUuZDWD8vvWuBq6tZ4Zb16TSZ1133iEDqHhesO2eh9U1B_TSxd8E2Qjc9xxPiJODEGUN854B-t90NDZMs21qUnsh8JJbPGI19Pk9aEh7pm6J4Hhtwu9EXXRUmUGBYqI-XTGR-k2McC_iMtz7FbE2vcTijuKXzhaQqIEjnMKc485=s400"/></a></div>
("Allan's Mill, on the river Speed, Guelph, Canada West, 1845.")
<p>
As the Mercury article notes, the scene was fascinating for the locals as the Guelph it portrayed was, even then, so different from the familiar one:
<blockquote>
This part of Guelph in those days was sparsely inhabited indeed, for there are only shown about half a dozen buildings, and were it not for the way the ground is laid out the whole would have the appearance of a farm pretty well cleared. In front where the G.T.R. station now stands, and along the banks of the river are seen numerous stumps, among which is the one of the first tree cut in Guelph.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-priorya-sad-ending.html">The Priory</a>, the first house in Guelph, can be seen on the right-hand side. Nearby, a horse and sleigh is proceeding up McDonnel street towards that first stump, where <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/john-galt">John Galt</a> had founded the settlement in 1827. In the middle is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan%27s_Mill">Allan's mill and distillery</a>, while on the left-hand side lies Delamere's Tavern, one of Guelph's first inns.
<p>
The painting was one of many executed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Kennedy_%28painter%29">David Johnston Kennedy</a>, brother-in-law to Charles Davidson. Kennedy was born in Scotland in 1816 and, as a young man, worked as a stone mason alongside his father, William. He also acted as an assistant in his father's archictural drawing classes. Indeed, he decided that he wanted to be an artist but his father "hooted at the idea." Even so, he was permitted to take painting lessons in his spare time. He continued to make numerous sketches and watercolour paintings throughout his life.
<p>
In 1833, the family immigrated to Canada, settling on a farm in Nichol Township north of Guelph the next year. David did not like farming, nor did it like him: During his first winter, a pack of wolves nearly caught him as he walked home after a barn dance.
<p>
Kennedy's sister Betsy had married a Philadephian and invited him to join her there. This he did, remaining there for the rest of his life. Although he worked as a railroad agent, he created a unique artistic record of the architecture of City of Brotherly Love. However, he visited Guelph on many occasions and made many fine drawings and paintings of the Royal City also, of which Allan's Mill 1845 is one.
<p>
Several of his Guelph works were donated to the <a href="https://www.lib.uoguelph.ca">University of Guelph</a> by the Alma Mater Fund in 1973, which was duly celebrated with an exhibition and the issue of postcards, including the one above. Another painting similarly reproduced shows the same part of town but nearer the east end of Allan's bridge:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk3GYLEbXILwmhBCIg2w7RRJe1k0Zb6p2WtoikHKrwbgMNivrstuxETb655lr4ZjVjtPiPPhzFhh1e6Zy3zeYU_RlNReG6da7Y3Y9xtmoDHvR70sdp1apNZspP5TEMUaLLaq4klNr-o6C7bMpwVcKgkI82Z60-qEd7XVqw92HzSrAHm2A2ZxpraeI6=s645" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="645" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk3GYLEbXILwmhBCIg2w7RRJe1k0Zb6p2WtoikHKrwbgMNivrstuxETb655lr4ZjVjtPiPPhzFhh1e6Zy3zeYU_RlNReG6da7Y3Y9xtmoDHvR70sdp1apNZspP5TEMUaLLaq4klNr-o6C7bMpwVcKgkI82Z60-qEd7XVqw92HzSrAHm2A2ZxpraeI6=s400"/></a></div>
("Sketch of part of the town of Guelph, Canada West, 1853.")
<p>
In 1839, David's mother and father joined the him in Philadelphia but wisely decided to return to Guelph eight years later. There, William purchased a lot on the east side of Speed River and built a house thereafter referred to as "Yankee Cottage" on Arthur street, just north of Allan's bridge.
<p>
David Kennedy painted a picture of it in 1852:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnGxX_rKAwZsy8vHoQubppHufZJp069vNkAZhBZ2Hci1KgIHECmKCtGogXpu8TVAq2YX26r73Txfo46B3YAcjGAeeQmifggWx4yJy0J8cheGXreU_gKZKb_4qaM-5oHqqcPsd0EGdQpwE0yOp-b4lwlnKUeyP3viD3HMViPSzB4qL3t0D3hYKdBXNP=s700" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnGxX_rKAwZsy8vHoQubppHufZJp069vNkAZhBZ2Hci1KgIHECmKCtGogXpu8TVAq2YX26r73Txfo46B3YAcjGAeeQmifggWx4yJy0J8cheGXreU_gKZKb_4qaM-5oHqqcPsd0EGdQpwE0yOp-b4lwlnKUeyP3viD3HMViPSzB4qL3t0D3hYKdBXNP=s400"/></a></div>
("Yankee Cottage, On the Speed, Guelph, Canada West, 1852." <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/4314">HSP Library 4314</a>.)
<p>
Happily, Yankee Cottage remains today at 9 Arthur Street north.
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1640888322243!6m8!1m7!1sNsRqTFFevZz2rY6CtR8VDQ!2m2!1d43.54798024684465!2d-80.24314745829813!3f55.23995826575057!4f-6.526873439695066!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy"></iframe>
</div>
<p>
In fact, the sketch of 1853 shown above was probably made from the front window of Yankee Cottage.
<p>
At one point, David Kennedy apparently had plans to return to Guelph himself. In 1850, he designed a house for himself, purchased a lot adjacent to Yankee Cottage, had a basement dug and building supplies moved to the site. However, for whatever reason, his brother-in-law Charles Davidson bought out the property and put up a house of simpler design on the lot.
<p>
This house became known as <a href="https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9663">Sunnyside</a> and stands today at 16 Arthur Street north:
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1639862702313!6m8!1m7!1sQMeBqtmmlJWKh3I1AYfRIg!2m2!1d43.54729155477679!2d-80.24382036714022!3f7.5834359240610665!4f-0.15966011768549038!5f3.325193203789971" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy"></iframe>
</div>
David Kennedy's original design for Sunnyside can be seen in the painting he executed:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHn8bMvWNchlDOvmvGv4nUlVZDq4GiRv-cd-7-J6HKKv09TfAIjEvmkx497m8BbJquyHMX6iT62UosrXKYAn-rECIte3X-z0BAOu0-Ej3h5b0bBLA-4H6CcvVdeCELfm4L5N1ILixzXLEsdFcdWF3_U1HnAN0PUAUmkkl8_lLw08uZ_AlhTNNRvrdT=s700" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHn8bMvWNchlDOvmvGv4nUlVZDq4GiRv-cd-7-J6HKKv09TfAIjEvmkx497m8BbJquyHMX6iT62UosrXKYAn-rECIte3X-z0BAOu0-Ej3h5b0bBLA-4H6CcvVdeCELfm4L5N1ILixzXLEsdFcdWF3_U1HnAN0PUAUmkkl8_lLw08uZ_AlhTNNRvrdT=s400"/></a></div>
("Residence Proposed to be Erected Opposite the Priory on the River Speed in Guelph, Ontario watercolor, 1852." <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/4643">HSP Library 4643</a>.)
<p>
Obviously, Sunnyside was considerably simplified from David Kennedy's own plans. His parents moved into Sunnyside and sold Yankee Cottage to the Grand Trunk Railway.
<p>
Many of his works are in the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. With a little patience, images may be viewed at <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/entities/ENT.000000017">the Society's Digital Library</a>. There are at least 18 images of Guelph, some of which are shown above. Here are a few more:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgovNwqwFAiOpYvttJRSd7hgc7AoDuvH7Gvb_ZerxGisv-4wpD_y5sqjzAP-0x7YDme3V1WuJ3MVkR9hfs-dDw_yHp_plLYqWMg48ZkWFGgmeLvZ4qNXk2n6ZqsYPsrcY5Xgfr5Tq-M8syd6ofOrzTvrzShbzVXdEm9ZKCjKmxFH9dima-fY468XHxu=s700" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgovNwqwFAiOpYvttJRSd7hgc7AoDuvH7Gvb_ZerxGisv-4wpD_y5sqjzAP-0x7YDme3V1WuJ3MVkR9hfs-dDw_yHp_plLYqWMg48ZkWFGgmeLvZ4qNXk2n6ZqsYPsrcY5Xgfr5Tq-M8syd6ofOrzTvrzShbzVXdEm9ZKCjKmxFH9dima-fY468XHxu=s400"/></a></div>
("Guelph, Canada watercolor, 1845". <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/4312">HSP Library 4312</a>.)
<p>
Yes, it's the same image as in the postcard above! Kennedy sometimes made copies of his own works, which may explain why the colours are different here.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitIk2oyxn0CTQvQtp6pAxhDEi_l2SBT2KgKnCLYJJ5_5iqlWm5gpSCQYT0Xl6_PgT7XCae5rroOOFmsFnF-Q6G2oQ3Sicq5HnpTC_MjhnKUGy7aGld1ml0GuRvMkw10r7k7QKKpUxZUpVsncFmb7xIBgmAaDYC_uQBowPFBMJ1jesvvpDTgGZC8yI_=s700" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitIk2oyxn0CTQvQtp6pAxhDEi_l2SBT2KgKnCLYJJ5_5iqlWm5gpSCQYT0Xl6_PgT7XCae5rroOOFmsFnF-Q6G2oQ3Sicq5HnpTC_MjhnKUGy7aGld1ml0GuRvMkw10r7k7QKKpUxZUpVsncFmb7xIBgmAaDYC_uQBowPFBMJ1jesvvpDTgGZC8yI_=s400"/></a></div>
("Residence of A.M. Jackson in Guelph, Canada watercolor, 1864." <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/3035">HSP Library 3035</a>.)
<p>
This was at 18 Douglas street—since demolished.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglcV9n8x0Zhf3vmt_a6K9VKvDO7m24Crao_cD47yMvGGW2Fv2KxmrL39FB7mUxUxpRyQ4zO1-396X_7uDXUX_BnObPr_Or9k180VyUtWLQyFCdDFn4j0buSkX0Uo30t1_eAwxcVHUcFo_SUgrYDLfh1aL4K3wfwBj-88sKafiB5JnSYS3PJtZiYVVO=s700" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglcV9n8x0Zhf3vmt_a6K9VKvDO7m24Crao_cD47yMvGGW2Fv2KxmrL39FB7mUxUxpRyQ4zO1-396X_7uDXUX_BnObPr_Or9k180VyUtWLQyFCdDFn4j0buSkX0Uo30t1_eAwxcVHUcFo_SUgrYDLfh1aL4K3wfwBj-88sKafiB5JnSYS3PJtZiYVVO=s400"/></a></div>
("Priory, Guelph, Ontario, Canada." <a href="https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/4105">HSP Library 4015</a>.)
<p>
This photo shows the Priory with the stone wall along the riverbank and before it became a railway station, ca. 1870.
<p>
David Kennedy seldom exhibited any of his artworks, which were usually displayed informally, as in Charles Davidson's office window. After retirement in 1875, he began to prepare some of his work for publication but, sadly, this project was never completed. He died in Philadelphia in 1898.
<hr>
Works consulted for this post include:
<ul>
<li>Nasby, Judith M. (1976). "A painter of Guelph: David Johnston Kennedy." <a href="https://www.guelphhistoricalsociety.ca/publications/historic-guelph">Historic Guelph</a> 17:36–49.
</ul>
Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127420739337011079.post-74618747687729697692021-11-24T06:43:00.003-08:002021-11-25T06:39:22.572-08:00Howard Cant, the Sleeman Trophy, and the Diamond JubileeOn its first birthday, the Sleeman Trophy sat on display in the window of H.F. Cant & Co., druggist, at 20 Lower Wyndham Street. Doubtless, crowds of avid and occasional curling fans crowded around to see the trophy that Guelph's most famous brewer and sports fan, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sleeman">George Sleeman</a>, had purchased for $350. It was to be the prize for a Guelph curling bonspiel that would attract teams throughout the province west of Toronto.
<p>
The tumid tankard can be seen in the possession of the team that won it the following year, consisting of <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2020/04/william-macalister.html">W.W. Macalister</a>, Charles R. Crowe, E.J. Presant, and John Kennedy.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/190/2014841112-2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="616" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/190/2014841112-2.jpg"/></a></div>
("Royal City Curling Club, Winners of Sleeman Trophy, 1898;" Courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/photo/275C805E-5E50-470B-863D-030384531958">2014.84.1112</a>.)
<p>
Howard F. Cant was a young man of 26 years, newly arrived from his hometown of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galt,_Ontario">Galt</a>. There he worked as a druggist and had bought out the business of W.G. Smith of Guelph in 1896. A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling">curling</a> man, he no doubt hurried hard for the chance to be the one to publicly exhibit the shiny trophy and burnish the reputation of his new store in the doing. To ensure the success of this plan, Mr. Cant took out a special ad in the Guelph Mercury (18 February 1897):
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI4lbSKK-tZ4kRV51Zky8Q83XrL_uGCyB1AxyzIOdhQzuHQ41IOfHnaRuJDN4ql6xz-yXe_BSS_Z4XfDnEaBTZiltSsREb3Jh7NfmDUxRX3IUsCNrHUfSO6lSVXm04rxnSlqu2GhTHKQ/s382/cant-ad.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI4lbSKK-tZ4kRV51Zky8Q83XrL_uGCyB1AxyzIOdhQzuHQ41IOfHnaRuJDN4ql6xz-yXe_BSS_Z4XfDnEaBTZiltSsREb3Jh7NfmDUxRX3IUsCNrHUfSO6lSVXm04rxnSlqu2GhTHKQ/s320/cant-ad.jpg"/></a></div>
Hm. Why can't you get a bottle of "Beef, Iron, and Wine" at the corner druggist's today?
<p>
Happily, the building still stands, now 20 Wyndham Street North:
<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1637628550853!6m8!1m7!1sHshsIWInNgQ_Losi2Pfgjw!2m2!1d43.54509401028643!2d-80.24846243348917!3f243.47963395915633!4f6.490464589884141!5f0.7820865974627469" width="400" height="300" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy"></iframe>
</div>
(Courtesy of Google Street View.)
<p>
The historically inclined may recall that 1897 was a special year in Canada, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Jubilee_of_Queen_Victoria">the Queen's Diamond Jubilee</a>, celebrating her 60th year on the throne. The event was celebrated in 22 June, in honour of Victoria's ascension on 20 June 1837. Naturally, the event was observed copiously in the Royal City, with decorations, speeches, parades, games, and so on (Mercury, 23 June 1897). The little triangular park created ten years earlier, previously known as "Alderman Stull's Park" was renamed "Jubilee Park" in honour of the occasion. (In 1911, <a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-arrival-of-guelph-central-station.html">the VIA station</a> was built on this site.)
<p>
No doubt, the window of Herbert Cant & Co. was suitably dressed too.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752130.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_51/016/19752130.jpg"/></a></div>
("Souvenir scarf, 1897," courtesy of Guelph Civic Museums <a href="https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/11CBCEAC-2F89-4E06-8AD2-662919477929">1975.21.30</a>.)
<p>
Another way in which the world-wide empire was celebrated was with the creation of a special postcard. At this time, shortly before private, picture postcards were allowed, the postcard's design was modified for the occasion by having a new frame around the title "Canada Post Card" as well as a "stamp" that showed Victoria as she appeared in 1837 and in 1897. Luckily, one such card was sent from Galt to Howard Cant in Guelph:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnDLP6iV54dDlU53Q5rSgkTsz835ZpkTa7uxtk9uhSGLlMtUlj5Gx0z-SrCPZx4LdrlAXmh6davgr-5ELyVBQdfFZ2VxqRd5RMDadlsuiGS6MGP3DtnWkrpXU2rBJAaz3HAG6n6SRHHI/s642/cant-pc97.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnDLP6iV54dDlU53Q5rSgkTsz835ZpkTa7uxtk9uhSGLlMtUlj5Gx0z-SrCPZx4LdrlAXmh6davgr-5ELyVBQdfFZ2VxqRd5RMDadlsuiGS6MGP3DtnWkrpXU2rBJAaz3HAG6n6SRHHI/s400/cant-pc97.jpg"/></a></div>
The addresse was Lorren Cant, one of Howard's younger brothers. The message on the back reads:
<blockquote>
Aug 26/97. // Dear L // Arrived home last night on 6.10 train. Was in Buffalo for the G.A.R. and stayed for a couple of days. Blanche O. came down with me from Peoria and we had a fine time. You better write her if you want to get a photo. All the folks at Caledonia are well and wished to be remembered to you & How. Will be up some day soon. // D —
</blockquote>
I assume that "D" was Duncan, Howard's other younger brother. Duncan, it happens, was attending the Buffalo Dental College, where he had recently passed his second examination (Mercury, 14 April 1897).
<p>
Like the Jubilee and commemorative postcard, Howard F. Cant's stay in Guelph was brief. Besides his fondness for curling, we learn only a few things about him from the 1897 Mercury. On 1 February, the paper reported that:
<blockquote>
The authority to sell postage stamps and postcards, granted the late W.G. Smith, has been transferred to H.F. Cant & Co.
</blockquote>
It sounds odd that someone would need a license to sell stamps and postcards but recall that both were strictly regulated by the government before private postcards were allowed a few years later.
<p>
On 6 October, we learn of Mr. Cant's success at the "World's Fair" held by the Puslinch Agricultural Society at Aberfoyle:
<blockquote>
The following is the prize list:
…
Toilet set with pin cushion, 1st by H.F. Cant & Co.
</blockquote>
Unhappily, we can only guess at the design of this world-class pin cushion.
<p>
American immigration records show that Howard Cant migrated to New York in 1897 and there married Minnie Fowler in 1899. However, the couple subsequently relocated to Galt, where they appear to have remained. Thus, it is in the Cambridge archives that <a href="https://archive.cambridge.ca:443/the-city-of-cambridge-archives/public/permalink.html?key=11164">a picture of Howard Cant</a> is to be found, posing with members of the Galt Stamp Club around 1950.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://archive.cambridge.ca/webcat/watermarkImage/webcat/systems/cambridge/resource/6000_1038_11164_ph5886.jpgplu_p181pbb3i91dnn1mt71ae0ku1gcv1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="800" src="https://archive.cambridge.ca/webcat/watermarkImage/webcat/systems/cambridge/resource/6000_1038_11164_ph5886.jpgplu_p181pbb3i91dnn1mt71ae0ku1gcv1.jpg"/></a></div>
("B/W photo of the Galt Stamp Club c.1950;" Courtesy of <a href="https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/Archives-and-Genealogy.aspx">the City of Cambridge Archives</a>.)
<p>
Howard is standing in the second row, second from the left, as shown in the detail below:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME9Rm4uZikAWU4PiigGBNsRirhXGPGCMWnb5AGDJ7rZSr_ejcfAL3NdHkQEVaFBkgN61oQrxbAnahwBJ7SVBzz8sfJ1kB6qY1yJpnr4jSrtJlIHDUHpwgMjPfSp-84xavLW1LJS5cN3s/s163/6000_1038_11164_ph5886.jpgplu_p181pbb3i91dnn1mt71ae0ku1gcv1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME9Rm4uZikAWU4PiigGBNsRirhXGPGCMWnb5AGDJ7rZSr_ejcfAL3NdHkQEVaFBkgN61oQrxbAnahwBJ7SVBzz8sfJ1kB6qY1yJpnr4jSrtJlIHDUHpwgMjPfSp-84xavLW1LJS5cN3s/s200/6000_1038_11164_ph5886.jpgplu_p181pbb3i91dnn1mt71ae0ku1gcv1.jpg"/></a></div>
Although a Guelphite for only a year, Howard Cant left us a bit of our postcard history, as a good <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philately">philatelist</a> should. Thanks, Howard!
<hr>
This post is the third in a series on postcard history before view cards. Here are the previous posts:
<ol>
<li><a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/09/before-they-had-pictures-wm-stevenson.html">Before they had pictures: Wm. Stevenson gets one of Guelph's earliest postcards</a></li>
<li><a href="https://guelphpostcards.blogspot.com/2021/10/a-model-of-industry-jb-armstrong.html">A model of industry: J.B. Armstrong, postcards, and the carriage trade</a></li>
</ol>
<hr>
The Sleeman Trophy continued as a curling prize for many years. Here it is in the possession of the Guelph Curling Club in 1938, on the occasion of the club's centennial at the Baker Street rink:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/b/9/b9a18a06197d608a45e4a9eb9a3b268e45cf7e44f572a4632ca9a3b6a5832321/F51-0-3-0-0-1_141.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="480" src="https://www.archeion.ca/uploads/r/guelph-public-library-archives/b/9/b9a18a06197d608a45e4a9eb9a3b268e45cf7e44f572a4632ca9a3b6a5832321/F51-0-3-0-0-1_141.jpg"/></a></div>
("Centennial year at club;" courtesy of Guelph Public Library <a href="https://www.archeion.ca/centennial-year-at-club">F51-0-3-0-0-1</a>.)
<p>
<a href="https://app.pch.gc.ca/application/artefacts_hum/detailler_detail.app?d=ACPX986.053.001&w=peel+heritage+complex&t=any&i=false&n=0&p=a&o=&f=&k=&pID=4916&r=50&s=1&in=Doon+Heritage+Crossroads&colId=&v=none&l=l&lang=en">A record at Artefacts Canada</a> from 1986 says that "the present whereabouts of the trophy are unknown." So, if you notice it in your attic, basement, or at a yard sale, be sure to let me know!Cameron Shelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955793238851330677noreply@blogger.com0