An interesting chapter in our local industrial history was the attempt in the 1930s to establish a…
Valuing Our History
Management of Wellington County Poor House had vocal critics
A controversial issue in Wellington County in the 1870s was the construction of the Wellington…
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…
Erin council moved ahead very slowly with water system
Last week’s column traced the history of Erin’s water system up to a public meeting on…
Elora man died from fall after 1933 drinking session
On the evening of Nov. 28, 1933, Elora’s volunteer militia gathered at the Armory Hall (now…
Brazen 1886 theft in Palmerstons rail yard committed by a farmer
Today much of the site of the former rail yard in Palmerston is a largely a vast open area. It is…
Failed 1886 Palmerston bank heist landed local man in penitentiary
The working lives of Wellington County’s bankers, normally routine and uneventful, have…
First World War draft was very unpopular in rural Wellington County
Thousands of young Canadian men responded to the call for military volunteers in the late summer…
Wellington County teachers attempted to unionize in 1920
The question of salaries for school teachers cropped up regularly in the late 19th and early 20th…
Fergus Basket Factory generally a forgotten industry
About a decade ago this column featured a piece on the sewing machine factory that set up business…
James A. Beatty is a largely forgotten Fergus native
Over the years the Beatty Brothers firm of Fergus has been the subject of several of these columns.…
Crown attorney failed to get conviction after fatal 1929 crash
Both the public and police authorities cringe at the number of automotive crashes today, but in…
Barn fires added to problems of Wellington County farmers in 1930
I have remarked previously about the curious way fires seem to have occurred locally in clusters.…
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…
Thieves hit Fergus stores twice in six months
One of the consequences of the widespread popularity of motor cars and improved roads in the…