One of the important medical men in Wellington County’s history is Dr. Stephen Lett, who…
Valuing Our History
A major blaze threatened downtown Fergus in 1953
On the evening of June 3, 1953, the members of the Fergus chapter of the Orange Lodge ended…
Mount Forest hosted major Jubilee festivities in 1897
No one living can remember the reign of Queen Victoria, but she still casts a long shadow…
Squabbling among Irishmen escalated to a murder in 1847
Unlike some parts of Ontario, Wellington County was largely spared the violence that came to Canada…
Officials feared sectarian strife after 1847 execution
Last week’s column related the events of March 22, 1847, and the death of Richard Oliver…
Itinerant Gypsies sometimes ran afoul of the law
Few readers of this column have ever seen old-fashioned bands of Gypsies – or Roma, as they…
Rash of barn fires hit the Guelph area in 1896 and 1897
Fire was a constant fear of 19th century property owners. Towns and villages maintained volunteer…
The judge dealt harshly with convicted Guelph arsonists in 1897
Last week’s column described the burning of five barns in Guelph and Guelph Township in 1897…
Planning for new Fergus Beatty plant began 100 years ago
The Beatty Brothers firm of Fergus was, by a large margin, the largest 20th century…
More on the Beatty Brothers factory
Last week’s column on the start of construction of the Beatty Brothers Hill Street factory…
Beatty firm marked 60th anniversary with big celebration in 1934
Fergus celebrated its centennial in 1933. It seems that the managers of the Beatty Brothers…
Effective local government began with Baldwin Act in 1849
A little while ago I was chatting with the editor of this newspaper about the history of municipal…
Turnout in municipal elections was frequently low in the 20th century
Last week’s column covered some of the changes in municipal voting through the 19th century.…
Does anyone remember the old Wellington County Police Association?
The picture accompanying this column should tug at the memories of some of the older readers of…
Farmers political picnic in 1897 featured notable speakers
Today there are very few people who know of the Patrons of Industry, but in the heyday of the…