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B., / '.i :•• MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, DOMINION OF CANADA. "WSBXTSSDA?, OCTOBSH 8tli, 1884. GAZETTE STEAM PRINT, BARRIE. •ce:^^ I a. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE TOWN OF BARRIE. . On tlie occasion of laying the Memorial Stone of the First Buihling erected in the Town of Barrie by the Dominion (iovernment tor Tiibhc purposes, it is deemed appropriate that, in addition to the docum, nts usually deposited in the cavity ^f the stone at simi- lar ceremonies, a record should also tliere l>e placed of aoine facts connecteil with the early history of Barrie, which are passing away from tlie recollection of the present inhalji- tants, and which would not l>e easily aHcer- tamed at that remote period, which may rea- sonably ba expected to elapse l>efora this re* cord will again be exposed for perusal. We therefore make the following .stat<;ments m relation to the Town, many of which are within the knowledge of persons now present, and all are believed to be of authentic pnof It can hardly bo said that there were any settlers in the County of Simcoe until after the American War ofl812. At that time the Penet,anguishene Road was cut out by the (Jovernment as a military road leading from Kempenfeldt to the Georgian Bay, where as early as 1799, the harbor of Penetanguishene was selected as a future depot ; but no mili- tary were stationed there, nor did a dock yard exist until until 1818 Barrie at that time appears to have had no existence, although the adjoining Village of Kempen- feldt, which took its name from the ill-fated Admiral Kempenfeldt. who perished on board the Royal George in Portsmouth Har- bour, was known as a landing place for goods and military stores on the way to the upper lakes. About the year 1828, two gentlemen bearing the still well known names of David Edgar and Alexander Walker, settled on the present site of Barrie, where a store house had stood since the war of 1812, for j-urposes counected with the transport of the 'Hudson Bay Company's Military Stores to the sta- tions on Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay. The site of this storehouse is immediately to the wast, on the property now owned by Mr. A Arnall. The goods and war itititcrial W"r~ brought here in boats from the Holland Landing. The two gentlemen named, Messrs. K'ar vessels lying at Kingston In 1823 the Town was honored by a visit from sir John Franklin when ou his way to the North pole by the North- West overland route and there are s ill persons residing in the County wiio reniember seeing him land here near the spot where this building will stand. The Gbvernnjent ha Blocks At an early date the Government built a log hut on Dunlop Street, where Mr Lower's tai'ar ahop now stands, as a place of shelter for incomingsettlers and Mr. S. M. Sandford, the present Treasurer of this County, opened !.t I r i «-«- t 11 i i r u t V ©at a store 5f gooas in this building and be- came the first merchant of the Town of Barrie in the year im He waa followed by Messrs Caldwell and Ross, who en-cted the store yet Standing and doing duty as a place of buai aess situated imme.liately to the East of the harrie Hotel, r.nd which is now the oldest I",' J"*^'.V' ^''^ '^°^»- On X mas day 1833, »Ir San.lford raised the frame of a new place Of business on the site of Mr Hen.lerson's present hardware store. Tlie cellar of this new building was at times, for want of a better room in the Town, used for social gatheriugH, which were called by the wits of the day -" Cellarbrations " The stores mentioned were follovred by those of John McWatt, Thos D McConkey, Frederick O'Brien, H. R A Boys, John Ki nie and a host of others of more modern date. Tlie early Hotels of Barrie were " l?ing- ham s," a log buildiny and now enlarged and known as the " Queen's" "Keanuw's Ho tel, which stood where King's Bakery now stands, and which will be better remembered by some as "Marks' Hotel" and "Mel drum's Hotel," which was kept by Tlirift Meldrum on the site opp. Dr Morton s pre- sent residence This building has only re- cently been pulled down, the frame was or- iginally put up by Mr. F.dgar for a dwelling house on rhe site of this new Post Office, but was removed by Mr. Mel.lrum and turned into the tavern just referred to. I n^the early days the means of reaching xne l^ront from Barrie, were very limited, the settlers having the choice of following a path through tlie woods, down to the Hol- land landing and from thence down Yonge fcitreet, to York, now Toronto, or they could go by boats through Kempenfeldt Hay, Lake Nimcoe and the Holland River to the "Ijand- mg." Prior to 1832 nmall boats and a schoo- ner comprise d the 'shipping" of these wa- ters, but in that year the necessity for better means of water transit, induced the half- pay otfacers, who were settled in considerable numbers along the shores of the Lake to build a steamer on a joint stock venture This steamer was named "Ths vSir John Colbome" after the then Lt. Governor. She was a high pressure vessel and made more noise than spee I for on her first trip to Borne from Hol- land Landing she took no less time than a week, partly owing to obstructions to navi- gation m the River, and to having repeat- edly to go ashore and cut living timber fnx' fuel, and partly owing to the necessity of calling on the way upon all the convivial stockholders in the concern to celebrate her advent. On this first trip she carried as a passenger Mr. John McWatt, who is still a resident and sufficiently hale and hearty to be present on this occasion. The " Sir John Colbome" was succeeded by the " Peter Ro- binson," afterwards called "The Simcoe " Then came the steamer "Beaver" which with her popular commander Captain Laughton, will be rememliered by many still living! The Captain and Mr. Thompson owned the ve8!»el, and sde. We now have the steamer " Enterprise," which if not possessing the tine liius im 1 appearance of some of her predncessi.rs, ih probably the safest and staunohest ves.'el of them all. The year 1853, when lUnie became a separate municipality from the Township of Vespra, is memorable in our history as being also the year in which the Ontario, Simcoe, and Huron Railway was opened as far « Al- landale. P^fore this a journey to Toronto took two or even three days, Imt by Mie open- ing of this railway, which was afterwards called the Northern Hallway, and now is known as part of the system called the Northern and Nerth Western Railways, the journey could be made in one day and a re- turn the next, and now we can leave Barrie in the morning, travel to Toronto, and after spending most of the business part of the day there return home again at night, making a comparison witn the early means of travel- ing which forcibly brings to our minds the immense boon conferred upon mankind by the introduction of railways. This facility for travelling has been greatly "lultiplied aa regards Barrie of late years. For not only can we re»ch Toronto by railway, but we can travel by the same means to the north as far as Penetangvishene. to 4;he north-east as far as Gravenhurst, to the aouth as far as Ham- ilton, and to the west as far as Collingwood and Meaford. and in fact by the counections „..,.... ^i^.n uLuci rau-.vays HOC COUOmitg at Barrie, we can reach by rail all parts of the American Continent. As Barrie did not become a separate muni- cipality until 1853, its early history is more or less that of the Township of Vespra, and iii.le«(l of the whole county. Simcoe county 18 mentioned for the Hrst time in the records of Parliament foi* the year 1800 as cons-titu tin« Diirt of the (.MinHtituency then chilled " Duihiini, Sinu'oe, and East York." That <;nnstituHn«y also included tht- whole of thi County of Ontario as now onstituted. In IS'JO^OiUaml Simcoe formed one oonati lu.'iicy. and were represented by I'eter Kohin .von and Wni VV Baldwin, and aft.r the elec- tion m J. si.'4 Sinn oe became a separate con^ stituency. ))iit included a larj,'e part of duty. and part of York as now known. On the in trodiiction of municipal institutions in 1841 on the union of the I'roviuces of Upoer and Lower Canada, Simcoe and York 'formed "What was known as "The Home District' In the followini,' year the Caol and Court House were en cted in Harrie, and Simco wase.tirelydivorcfd from York ami became ' 1 he Simcoe District/' but still comprisef] portions of Crey. The tirst Warden of Simcoe was Jacob .hinehus Irving, the father of the well-known l was established in 184.' which ha., now attaint the sfafu.s of a Coi'egiato us.ute The late Hedrick (io.c wa.s the i..the,.l master of the grammar school and i;«H ,'T "";'"' ''*" ■'"'"'■^ the position .as Uie rirst he.e, mas.e. ., the Jdlegiat. lM.','!.sh Churcl. which until rcvntly formed n conspicuou.^' .d.ject on the lull ,n the rear of he J own. immediately Kast of the Court iiouse It was erected in 1S;U, the late Rev. S. B. Ardagh I.e.og the Kector of the I'.u-ish. After thi.s came the Methodist church, then tfe^ l,esl.yr..ria.. toll„u-,d by the Roman tatholic, Bnni. Methodist church, Kef. Kpi.s. copal Baptist and Con.;regatiunal Churches, All these congregations stiJ| exist, and possess com,nodioi,s and hand.some places of worship. Some of them however have ceas- ed to occupy the sites of their original churches. ° In a.ldition to the Public Buildings already mentioned, we> have a line Town Hall Police < ourt. Council Chaiiiber and Fire HalLan Al'- r.cultu.al Hall and grounds, r.nd a Town lark comprising about 12 acres. As far back us 1847 the press had a repre- sentative in the Barrie .]/aj,„f published by ihomas I'ox Davies. The tirst issue appear- ed on 7 of Aug., 1847, and was the first newspaper issued north of Toronto. In 185" the Afa;pi,'t became the ^orth.rn Adcanct vvhich IS still regularly published, and is one ot the oldest newspapers in Ontario After- wards in 1857 Th^ Ihmld was started by Hon, James Patton now c(dlector of Customs at the Port of Toronto The paper after- wards became Vht Spirit of The Age and in ^course of time ceased to exist. In 1864 Tht Examiner commenced to issue under the management of the late Wm. M. Nicholson, J' f.mnir '^":'«'^:»n ^y »"8 *on, the present p.opnetor. and in 1876 Messrs Mann & Rich- anlsun commenced the pul)lication of the h? V ".^'^"f'^I"''" n"vv owned and published tlL« 1 T*^' «"*''"*** present we have ;• Among the early public officials of Barne »y be mentioned \Vellt.sly R.tchie. (iovern- Immigrant \^....t. who locoivl-d his ap. pmntment about the y.ar IHIMI Judg- {.owan, who waH appomted County Court unbor'". T\"''^' hehl the office until Sep tember of last year-a period of over 41 ^ears-and whoHtdl preai.le.s over the Board tin- f"'i'.^' '"'* ■•'"''^'"'' "f the Province in S L.rt- I J";f«'-^«^'"" "' all his faculties blentJ Sn.ith was our rirst Sherill' John A exau.ler ^vas the lirst Crown Land Agent, fttid at his death, some io years ago the of hce was aboHshed- there b\i„g li& ^- no Crown Lands left Icr sale in the County, K li.. ^'' *'r* ^'"'-'*' *''« "ffi'^^" of rjounty \\ « Vl'v -^""'1,*^ '''^^^"'^' t'"' "--^^^ Hegistrar f v ;"' ', '"'u' ^'"""^>' ''»"'t Clerk. M n.y ( r.-^wickc the (u«t and only County ?ec^.7"r I" **")pf '"'"- '^»^"li^^l"^^l upon his Clerk ; '^ ''n "'"■'• '^'">''^ "-^^ the Hrst t le k of the Barrie DivHi,,,. Court, Thrift M^ddrum was the first Crier of th« Court cf As,size, and Moses Mayttr was f.. tir.st fiaoi- ^r. Subsequently when the office of County Attorney was established H, B. Hopkins re- oeived the appointment ^ Barrie has always enjoyed the reputation of being a vvry healthy place to live^n. and frnmf?/ I""," -apparently well deserved ,y,T th\;^'-^t^l'^t some of the earliest settlers such as Mr. Sanford and Mr McWatt anH several of the first officials of' the CWn"; siich Tlov") f T"?' ^- ^- I^^l'-V an'l Thomas Llojd are still ahve and capable of attendin-. lied"!'/?r'- "'"* ?^ 'J'' '*h^" "-^t of them died at their posts full of years this ';v?fn'°'"'- ''W^T'^"-^ '^«'^'''«"t befalls this oaildu.g m all human anticipation this document will not again see the light for at sih'l ;Li'""i •'l'^^"^"' *^'"^'" ^■'«^- of the pos- s.b.l ties which seem l.tent in the Electric ultuJfi '"''-^i , •'' '"*"'^'' "f «"™« curiosity t a/fV *;•' ^"'^^bitants of Harrie, to know t at the iown was at this time lighted by coal gas. And it is to be hoped that at that future period it will be a matter of some as- tonishment to learn that notwithstanding the magnificedt reservoir of pure water we have ^'of^J ^''^'' ""'^ ""^^ ''*^P^"^ for ouv drinking water upon spnnga and wells, and for water for fire purposes mainly upon tanks, and that we have no waterworks or sewerage system With Banking facilities Barrie has been fairly well supplied for many years. The first banking institution established her« was the Bank of Upper Canada, under the local management of the late Cap. Moberly. The Commercial Bauk aftei wards opened an agency, with Mr Sanforu as agent. These two Banks in course of t.me ceased to do business, and for the later years we have licen well served with Banki.ng accommoda- tion by agencies of the Bank of Toronto and Canadian Hank of Commerce, under the present management respectively of Mr. John A, Strathy and Mr. \Vm. (iray. We have also some private bankers in the town, Barrie has never taken that stand as a manufacturing centre which her natur.d ro. sitiou and Kailway facilities would indi>'ate as properly belonging to her; ypt we hare some establishments of considerable iiuport- arce, Among these may he mentioned, Mr Sewrey's Foundry, Mr. Butterfield's Foun- dry, Mr, McKay's Woollen Factory, Mr. Wilkinson's Griht Milland Woollen Factory Mr, Hyment'sGristMill, Mr, Crosi> Tanuery .Mr. McMillan's(;nst Mill, Simpson, Arnall it (.OS Brewery, .\nderton Bros. ' Brewery, Mr. Ball's Planing Mills and Factory, Mr. lian- kin's Planing Mill, Mr. Freeman's Furniture Factory, Mr. Dougall's Furniture Factory, Messrs. Barr & Henry's Carriage Factory,' Mr. Sevigney's Carriage Factory, and Mr' Vansickle's, Steam Saw Mill. The Physical features of Barrie have some- vvliat changed during the last fifty years. W flat was then a dense forest is now cleared and largely built upon. Until recent times the road, from what is now Allandale, was along the head of the bay with the wagon wheels on one side in the water and those on the other side on the beach, and after passing down Dunlop Street it went in front of Judge Gowan's residence between the present roau and the bank. Here was a wet spot and some of the logs which formed the cord- uroy across it are still traceable. The line of shore was then immediately in the rear of the South wall of this buil.ling, and where the Railway station and freight shed now stand was deep water. The ground there now IS "made ground" and the buildings are on pdes. At the back of the Town a high gravel ridge ran from Berczy street to Toronto street. Portions of tiie ridge are still exist- ing. Behind this ridge in the flat where the school play-grouud i.s, and where a consider- able portion of the Town i« now built, was a poud or small lake covering 5 or 6 acres. This has been removed by drainage and the natur- l^lamf'^rh^ >t« aource. through d.-aring ino laud. 1 ho iifttura fall (r„„T tu * HP'»ken of to the Bay an.lthe uw f '"'«*' vvate. courses c««ae li k..s. PIC ,"''»!K»". W,„, I!,,,,,. R„,„..i, 'v„,,'^-sl:„f,:;,"i';"',"T*"i •'"■;'■•• San.L-,,, Chaa S„„le;. •„''•?. '-""kIi' reference to th^ i.; . "•'**^ ' "«t otftce a short tieswi.rno ^ ;;::V; ;;••; P-tal fadli post office was hrSlSbffirir'f^i, ""Ik «'>'r first merchant, Mr San f ^ 1 ""'^^ Jnaster. hi the earlv J 'V' ''f'T'l, a.s po^t --.uiar po;^..;f;:!?'.: ^r '^::,"7' i^ '^ «ui«hene to the \,.ith and Ho ^1 \'°^':^'" to the .S,.uth. ]J..twecn these 1 wo ffi"^"'''' mai carrer niss,.,i -„ f V " ottces a 1.0 was afte w^rl a w:;/ T*^^ '^ ^'-^' «nd Montreal ,t „., ,2^ „;'"', /""■f"'ij- ..^o 3s. or COc. aiKl to 1; ihr„; .' " "*''''"' to the „U «o„ ,tr/wM .,, S"'" ';S " '""■' only W enjoye,, ^J'Jh" S'"^ P .l^el;! g;^c=y-rorzL-^^^^ a few pSjeon ho^i ^i''*:- •''"""'l oo.aiated of foumhn counTr.;!- "T^ ^'"^ '^^^'^^ «**" ty Mr slVf 'f''*'' throughout the cnun pu! lie In . ; '"' '^^••^""""•"lat.Mg tne we have r.'s.,l..nf „ ** 'lt|'artnient « h pk.a,i„B ;„ h, , M r y.,",;'!':";' ;■"■' ' Mtn.ii ,,f J ),.,„; '"tun; uooorwnui- general public. Few ac 1. f '. ., ^"l*, ^^^ in time be cut cff bv th„ f '"';""*'■••"• ""*y countie^ • but f , I !• ^^''"''itK.n „f new t..ry wni be "na ^u X ^ T''^^> ^'^"• ;n.an,U,ense..«::t^^^.r;rt^^;;;l-^-- iate prospect ot .li.- .^.f '' *^*'' """'»(1- MAYOR. i