On the afternoon of June 19, 1908 a Guelph constable, on foot patrol in the downtown area of the…
Valuing Our History
Harriston bridge dispute dragged on for three years
One of the old landmarks of Harriston was the bridge that carried Elora Street and Highway 9 over…
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…
United Farmers of Ontario held huge picnic at Elora in 1920
The United Farmers of Ontario were one of the more interesting developments in the first two…
Fuel sources, illegal alcohol, train tragedy: A few tales from the 1920s
A few weeks ago this column featured several short pieces, none of which was long enough for a full…
Area newspapermen formed an association in early 1900s
One of the more interesting professional groups to have operated in this area was the Wellington…
Appearance of downtown Fergus changed dramatically in 1927
The towns and villages of Wellington County experienced some dramatic changes in the 1920s. Over…
Highlights of the week in Wellington County in July 1929
The weekly newspaper business has never been an easy path to quick riches. The newspaper business…
Notorious outlaw Orval Shaw appeared in Wellington County in 1929
The increasing use of automobiles by criminals in the 1920s has been noted in this column on…
Egremont farmer blamed hobo for burning his barn in 1930
Several columns over the past few months have dealt with an epidemic of barn fires in Wellington…
Fire gutted Fergus building owned by Robert Kerr in 1931
On the evening of Feb. 6, 1931, Fergus experienced a serious fire on its main street. The victim…
An afternoon of hooky led to 1880 Guelph tragedy
A fine fall afternoon can be an irresistible lure for young boys to abandon the classroom, and to…
Narrow gauge railway ended isolation in the north
The main impediment to rapid development in Wellington County was a lack of transportation.…
Founder of Tamblyn Drug chain grew up at Belwood
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the death of Gordon Tamblyn. Today the Tamblyn name is well…
1890 marriage breakup had city’s tongues wagging
Joe Brydges, a resident of Guelph in the 1880s, worked as an iron finisher in the foundries of the…