Flour mills were the key industries in Ontario’s towns and villages during the middle part of…
Valuing Our History
Insufficient evidence to lay arson charges in 1864 Guelph fire
Note: This is the conclusion of the story of the fire at Guelph’s People’s Mills, the…
Firearms were involved in three separate 1897 incidents
Today, Canadian police and courts take a dim view of the brandishing and use of firearms. That was…
Erin played host to a major provincial Liberal rally in 1897
Over the years this column has featured accounts of a number of major political rallies in…
Residents feared arsonist set major 1848 fire in Fergus
The late 1840s were surely the liveliest years in the history of Wellington. Migrants came to this…
Charles Davidson was an important figure in local history
In every generation there are a handful of people who stand out prominently in the historical…
Competitive speed skating became a local fad in 1899
Ice skating and hockey became popular winter pastimes in Wellington County during the 1880s and…
Huge Reform Party celebration in Guelph after elections of 1848
The history of elections is something of a specialty, exciting some people and boring a larger…
Crash near Fergus claimed life of glider pilot in 1958
Wellington County has been spared the tragedy of major air disasters, but there have been a few…
Drainage lawsuit in 1899 was costly to East Luther Township
Robert McKim is a name that has appeared in this column a number of times. An Irish immigrant,…
Quiet hamlet the scene of police and residents brawl on Dec. 31
The name Yatton is probably unknown to the majority of Wellington County residents. Located in the…
Beatty Bros. company installed fire fighting system in 1935
No business in Wellington County dominated a town to the extent that the Beatty Bros. Company…
Guelph businessman William Bell survived fall from a train in 1897
Most antique aficionados in Wellington County are aware of Bell Pianos and Organs. In the last…
1860 Breach of Promise case provoked laughter in court
Some of the most interesting legal cases in our local history are those pertaining to breach of…
Plans for new Kenilworth Catholic church announced in 1902
The Roman Catholic church has had a presence in Wellington County since the early days of…