Photo- Almonte Gazette 1871
November 15 1871
Editor Almonte Gazette:— In your last issue I noticed an item on “Shop Lifting.’
Since then it has been rumoured that the party’s name; who committed the theft was Mary Delaney. I deny knowing anything about the matter whatsoever. By giving this a place in your valuable paper, you will oblige .
Yours, Mary Delaney
November 10 1871-Almonte Gazette
While the proprietors and clerks of The People’s Store were out at *the fire on Monday, a young lady coolly appropriated to herself a parcel of dry goods, put up for a customer, and carried it off. The theft, however, was quickly discovered, and the suspected party was followed and the goods were found in her possession. They were taken back and the woman was allowed to depart in peace.
Photo thanks to Brent Eades of Almonte.com
Within the special world of new stores, women found themselves challenged to resist the enticements of consumption. It was the tiniest of crimes, but it wasn’t innocent- the history of shoplifting really remains unwritten. Once tied to the rise of the kleptomania, most shoplifting was done by female customers. With all the new choices some women couldn’t help but steal. It’s actually rather interesting to note that with the rise of cheap items and a plethora of choices in shopping, people felt more compelled to take it than buy it.
Did you know that buying something, wearing it to a party, and returning it to the store the next morning was a known occurrence in the nineteenth century? Another crazy aspect was that sometimes women were deemed insane in relation to the crime of shoplifting. So, if I was Mary Delaney from Almonte I would have written to the newspaper too before I was *committed.
It was one of the first areas in which a woman’s crime was seen to be an aspect of mental illness rather than criminality. The concept that a respectable woman, who had been caught stealing something which she did not need, was an anathema to a society who could see no reason for a respectable woman to steal something which she could easily afford.
Photo- Almonte Gazette 1871
The decoration of stores and private residences is a proof of the good wishes of the citizens and an evidence of their interest in the undertaking. Many places of business were tastefully adorned with banners and evergreens. The Dominion Block was surrounded by balsams, while the windows of Messrs. Hayes, Gavin and Gardner were tastefully dressed. A rope stretched to the Almonte House bore the words “The People’s Store Welcomes All.”— Grand Balloon Ascension At McFarlane’s Grove In 1879
1889 map — this is almost surely it. Note the 3-story main building with 2-story addition, and the bevelled corner.-Brent Eades (People’s store)
*Fire–On Monday forenoon a defective chimney in Mr. J. L. Reed’s house set fire to the wood-work adjoining, and for a few moments there was every prospect of the long-expected fire that is some day to lay Mill Street in ashes. The fire being discovered before it had gained much headway, it was soon put out with a few buckets of water. The loss was very trifling— about §10. November 1871
Almonte Gazette–April 1 1892-
Four Smith’s Falls boys were lately
fined $2 and costs each for loafing at a
street corner on Sunday evening. This
should be a warning to the crowd that on
Sundays lounge around the People’s
Store corner staring at people going to
Church–
*May 6 1892-Wonder where those loafers were when the fire started? On Tuesday last the People’s Store brick block had a narrow escape from being damaged by fire. The chimney leading from Mrs. Greig’s kitchen stove runs up the wall between her residence and Riddell & McAdam’s store. Tuesday noon the chimney took fire, and through an imperfectly protected pipe hole in R. & M’s. the flame was communicated to a curtain stretched across it.
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun
related reading
lindaseccaspina 