R.H. Clemens, the first agricultural representative appointed by the province for Wellington…
Valuing Our History
J.K. Blair caused furor with maiden speech in House of Commons
About 18 months ago this column featured an outline of the public career of Dr. J.K. Blair of…
Jack Tweddle of Fergus built up a major chicken hatchery
The name of Jack Tweddle of Fergus has appeared at least a half dozen times in this column, most…
Briefs: Churches, fires, taxes, trade boards and a runaway horse
While searching through old records and newspapers I frequently stumble on very interesting items…
Vacuums, X-rays, Melville church: More historical briefs for 2014
Last week’s column featured a few odds and ends that have been accumulating in my files. Here…
Ghoulish discovery of bodies in 1949 Mount Forest house fire
At about 10am on the morning of Friday, January 7, 1949 the Mount Forest volunteer fire brigade…
Coroner’s inquest investigated deaths in 1949 Mount Forest fire
Last week’s column described the fires in the house of George White of Mount Forest on Jan.…
J.B. Perry of Fergus penned most successful local book of 1920s
The 1920s and early 1930s was a period of great activity among writers in Wellington County. Those…
Department of Highways vowed to keep roads open in 1931
On several occasions this column has looked at the efforts of provincial, county and local…
George L.A. Thomson enjoyed career with American railroads
A characteristic of the 19th century history of Wellington County is the enormous migration of…
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…
Peter Perry a memorable principal of Fergus High School
During the 19th century many of the schools of Wellington County attracted notable teachers.…
Elora principal George Edgcumbe ended his career in disgrace
Members of Elora’s High School Board did not know much about George Edgcumbe when they hired…
Tanner’s woolen mill in Mount Forest burned twice in a year
George Tanner of Mount Forest was one of dozens of small manufacturers in Wellington County in the…
Railway passenger service waxed and waned over the 1900s
The following is a re-print of a past column by former Advertiser columnist Stephen Thorning, who…