The years between 1900 and the start of World War I were exciting ones for railway proposals in…
Valuing Our History
Crime spree of a brazen 18-year-old led to jail term in 1916
A few weeks ago this column carried a summary of the career of Howard Coughlin, a young petty…
Fergus council considered assistance for new housing in 1916
For the first time in the history of Canada, the economy geared up for an all-out military effort…
Conestoga Egg Farm operated hatchery in 1916
During the first half of the twentieth century the Arthur area had a reputation as a centre for egg…
Drifting snow paralyzed Wellington County in 1918
Over the years this column has carried accounts of some of the major winter storms that have struck…
Coal shortage aggravated wartime conditions during First World War
Last week’s column noted that the scarcity of coal in 1917 forced the railways to cut back on…
Couple fined $10 each for assault while seizing a child
In February of 1942 a farm family in Eramosa Township endured what today might be called a home…
Needs during First World War resulted in revival of flax growing
The history of flax growing in Wellington County is a sporadic one. In the 1870s a number of…
Young Toronto flax harvesters ran afoul of the law
Last week’s column described the revival of flax growing in the Arthur area in 1918, when…
Introduction of prohibition in 1916 caught many by surprise
The liquor question was perhaps the most controversial and divisive one in Ontario in the late 19th…
Raid on Guelph novitiate drew national attention in 1918
The introduction of conscription in 1917 was the most controversial step taken by the Canadian…
1918 raid on novitiate remained a hot issue for months
Last week’s column described the immediate aftermath of a raid by the federal government on…
Failed 1886 Palmerston bank heist landed local man in penitentiary
The working lives of Wellington County’s bankers, normally routine and uneventful, have…
Woman abandoned infant near Mount Forest in 1886
On June 26, 1886 two sons of Bob McDonald of Mount Forest decided to spend their Saturday morning…
United Farmers became major political force in 1919
A domestic political consequence of the First World War was the rise of the farmers movement. In…