Keep checking this space as I will be adding a band every single night!! See you there!!
This celebration parade includes live bands, freebies, and a sea of red and white down Bridge Street! Don’t forget to join us at the Market Square Pavilion after the parade for family entertainment & activities as we gear up for Canada Day!
Bridge Street – the west side, between College and Emily/Elgin Street. No date, but c.1950. The occasion was an Orange Day parade, and landmarks include a barber shop, Chinese Laundry, the Roxy Theatre, and Carleton Lunch Bar. J. Gordon Lancaster is marching in the front row, second from left.
73 Bridge Street Carleton Place
This is J.G. Lancaster’s Grocery Store in 1947 – now the Eating Place in Carleton Place on Bridge Street. Before Lancaster opened, our dastardly devil of Carleton Place, Dr. Howard, was busy making and marketing his elixirs in that every same building–Photo from The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Mid 2000s
Now
The upstairs of this brick building housed the Loyal Orange Lodge and there is a plaque on the upper storey indicating that the building as being home to Loyal Orange Lodge No. 48. The downstairs was once the Leather and Harness Shop of Fergusson and Smythe, who sold suitcases and valises, as well as harness and horse collars. There is a deliberate alleyway giving access to the rear of both buildings.
Ferguson & Smythe, Bridge street.–In the early years of the Taylor Block some of the businesses included The Crown Grocery operated by Lowe and Richardson,Ferguson and Smythe’s harness shop, Andy Neilson Jeweller, I.O.O.F. had a hall upstairs, H. Abdallah’s, and Bennett and Code Grocery.
Then Ferguson & Smythe moved to the downstairs of this building. The Leather and Harness Shop of Ferguson and Smythe, who sold suitcases and valises, as well as harness and horse collars. There is a deliberate alleyway giving access to the rear of both buildings.
One of the partners was supposed to have pointed a revolver at one of the daily visitors to the business. Magistrate McNeely would not consider the laying of a charge regarding the alleged incident.
Later this site became Gordon Lancaster’s Grocery Store and Miss Wilson and Miss Patterson also came to operate a China Shop here. Mr. and Mrs. Latour operated a Lady’s Dress Shop at this site and Onna Archdeacon also operated her electrical shop here after it moved from 122 Bridge Street.
Robert Gordon’s Men’s Wear operated his business here during the early 1970s and there were two fires within two years. In 1975, Dorothy Burns operated a tea wagon that was later taken over by Kay Kingston. It is presently the home of the iconic The Eating Place.
In 1850, James C. Poole founded The Herald. Poole was the editor of The Herald for thirty-two years. The paper abandoned its hand press in 1854 and installed its first power press. With the ‘new’ cylinder press and reduced subscription price ($1.00 per year if paid in advance, instead of the previous 10 shillings). Thus leading to the increase in size and circulation of The Herald.
The Herald was located at 77 Bridge Street under W.H. Allan’s ownership with his son Glen. Mr. Allan, his son Glen, and daughter Queenie lived in the frame house on Emily Street which was later the home of Mayor Arnold J. Julian. The Herald later became Carleton Place’s first Canadian Tire store in 1954 managed by G.E. McIntyre, and John Morton of Almonte was the assistant manager.
Photo-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Later Deschamps Plumbing was located here during the 1970s and 1980s and then other businesses such as Apple Cheeks once operated a business at this site. There has been not been any significant changes to the building over the years, only storefront on the first storey has changed slightly. Now it is home to Surrounding Memories, a Custom Picture Framing, Gallery & Gift Shop and our beloved Erica Zwicker and hubby Barry who operate The Floral Boutique.
According to Marg Whyte two very large billboards (Lloyd Hughes says it was a long row of billboards) once occupied this lot between the two buildings, and there was also a well worn path that led to the Welsh house on Victoria Street. The property was then purchased by Imperial Oil who installed gas pumps and built the Esso/Earl Horricks Garage. Dave Thompson operated it and over the years it was under the management/ownership of Ray Simpson, and Dennis Coyles.
Rick Roberts remembers that the Horricks family lived directly behind the Esso station in a white house facing Victoria Street. The empty lot to the south of the Esso station served as a Chrysler dealership for a year or two somewhere in the 1962-1964 era.
Jane Chandra recalled that the Bernicki’s from Smith Falls lived in the little grey house that was set back off the Main St. in the 60’s. They were originally from Smith’s Falls, and Dale’s Dad worked in the Butcher Shop where Young’s Variety Store was on the Main Street. If you want to read all the comments about this gas station click here—-Esso? Downtown Bridge Street Carleton Place
92 Bridge Street Carleton Place
Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
NOW
92 Bridge Street Circa 1820 and 1876
James Coleman once had a shoemaking shop on Bridge Street and previous to this James made boots for his fellow soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars. He was granted 160 acres in Canada following the Battle of Waterloo and arrived in Quebec City and travelled to Bytown (Ottawa) where the original property was. Coleman sold the property to move to Morphys Falls and obtained water rights to set up a gristmill, which he was unable to do, so Hugh Bolton bought the land.
The story goes that in 1820 Mr. Coleman bought one of the Morphy’s water privileges with the thoughts of building a mill here on the Mississippi banks- but he had such difficulties he didn’t carry through. Coleman however sold his rights to Hugh Bolton. Bolton erected what was the only grist mill between Perth and Bytown for many a day. In 1820 Hugh Boton ground out the first bushel of wheat in the first grist mill between Perth and Bytown.
The Coleman family was the third family to settle in Morphy’s Falls and James set up a shoe making business and built a two storey home beside in the 1830s. He taught his sons William, James, and Andrew the trade. Andrew was a shoemaker all is life and lived in the original family home on Bridge Street. Fred West and later Ned Root had a shoe repair shop where you could get lifts for your shoes for 15 cents or half soles for a $1.00. Later on this location was a candy shop called the Ideal Candy Store run by Sandy Robertson and his wife Thelma.
These two buildings were torn down in June of 1976 and a new professional building was erected in place of the Coleman House. The original log house was framed and clapboard, but in Fanny Coleman’s time it was stuccoed and there was a long board walk up to the front door as it was set well back from Bridge Street. In those days she had many regular customers and she also worked for Baird and Riddell as a dressmaker. It currently houses professionals in this building.
79-81 Bridge Street Carleton Place
79-81 Bridge Street Carleton Place Circa 1891
This building was the first building erected by the Government (1891-1892) to be used solely for Post Office and Customs services in Carleton Place. It is, however, the fourth location in Carleton Place that housed postal services.
Postmasters were:
Caleb Bellows–Robert Bell–Major Hooper–Duncan Campbell–Patrick Struthers and Findlay McEwen
Ten years after this village was founded in 1820, a post office was opened. At the same time, the name of the village changed from Morphy’s Falls to Carlton Place and then through a slip in typing to Carleton Place.
Mr. Caleb S. Bellows a merchant at that time was named post master in his store on the south west side of the main street what is now Bridge Street. Four years later, Mr. Bellows moved to Westmeath northwest of town and Mr. Robert Bell who was appointed and carried on in the store originally operated by Mr. Bellows.
In 1853, post office boxes were set up around town and the mail was carried by Pony Express by Mr. Andrew Houghton from Franktown to Carleton Place once a week. The roads were difficult and the load was heavy and when the mail courier arrived in town, he blew a little tin horn for the length of the main road in town. Soon, the mail courier by name of Mr. Ferguson provided himself with a carriage and thus our first mail coach service was started. Now the mail arrived three times a week.
Robert Bell soon required a larger building for business so in 1834 the post office and general store were moved to the Sumner Building now Hing Wah Restaurant and Takeout on the northeast corner of Bell and Bridge Streets. Mr. Bell carried on his business adding real estate to it. He needed assistance so he turned a part of his business over to his Clerk Mr. Duncan Campbell who was appointed the third postmaster in Carleton Place in 1854.
Then in 1858 with the growth and progression of the town, a new post office was needed. Soon quarters were rented from Dr. Preston in his drugstore on the corner of Franklin and Bridge Streets. Two years later in 1860 Patrick Struthers was appointed Postmaster.
On February 26, 1866 just six years after Struther’s becomes Post Master, he moved the post office to the corner of Bridge and Bell Streets. Sometime during the 1870s, the post office was moved once again to Struther’s store site, which was the northeast corner of Bridge and Franklin streets. This was the last time that the Post Office was located in a merchant’s privately owned stores. The classic red sandstone structure served for some 75 years as the Carleton Place Post Office and Customs Office.
This steam heated building housed the post office until the Government built a new federal building in 1891 on Bridge Street during Mr. Struthers’ term of office. This new building called the old brown stone building was the post office for years between the Franklin street site and the present post office opened in 1963. This building also housed the Customs Office and caretaker’s apartment, and later the unemployment office. Findlay McEwen was appointed Post Master in 1907 after the death of Struthers. McEwen fulfilled the role until his death in 1920. During his term of office three rural mail deliveries were established: Ashton, Innisville, and Appleton.
On the first floor was the post office with Mr. Struthers as postmaster and two ladies for clerks (The Virtue Sisters). Here too as a part of the post office was the Railway Telegraph Service (Myles Shields being CPR operator with Mina Scott). This service later moved to its own building.
Major W.H. Hooper was appointed Post Master in 1920 and served as Post Master until his retirement in 1950. During Hooper’s time if office many changes occurred.He had control of the clerk for the position of Telegraph operator until the telegraph service moved to its own building. The school children popped in daily to get warm on cold days and enjoy the steam heat. The caretaker lived on the upper floor and could be counted on to appear as soon as the children entered the building and order them out. Major Hooper was also a gruff individual and his family on the corner of Lake Ave and Bridge Street.
The next caretaker was Jim Welch and he too along with his family occupied the upper floor. The second floor became the place to file to get tour SIN card when you had to apply for unemployment insurance and was managed by Frank McDiarmid and his assistant Lillian Bassett. When the Post Office moved to its new location where the old Central Public School stood at the corner of Bridge and College Streets Sam and Elsie Gardiner purchased the building and converted to office on the ground floor and 2 upper floors became apartments. One of the first ground floor tenants was Phil Dadson’s Law Office and later Nephin & Winter Accountants. It is now an apartment building.
The building itself is three storeys and made from Limestone quarried in Beckwith. The back wall is made of brick. The Post Office clock was installed in 1913 and James H. Dack a jeweller was given custody of it and Howard Dack his son was given the honour of starting the 150-pound pendulum in motion.
Some of the ladies that worked there over the years were: Edith Cram, Annie Burnie, Bertha Carr,Eleanor Jamison and Eleanor McNeely.
Photo- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
In August 30th of 1897 an article was published in the Ottawa Journal about the new Carleton Place Town Hall and it was said that it was a building of which any town or city would be proud of. Of course in true fashion it was also included in the headlines that this new building might cause a new row at the next election.
Carleton Place Town Hall. ‘Our thriving neighbour— Carleton Place— is going to build a town hall, and to cost about $6,000 or $7,000. We understand that our townsman, Mr. Wm. Willoughby, has got the contract, and will begin work as soon as the snow disappears next spring. The new building will be erected on the north side of the river, and in rear o f Mr. Wm. Glover’s property.
1903 Postcard.. Never seen this one before.. Front and back photo–Click on each
Thanks to Laura @Restovation — we now have this complete photo on file and available for all to look at online. Thank you. Downtown Carleton Place 1909
Built on the south side of the Mississippi riverbanks the new town hall was just about to be opened. The building which faced Bridge Street was to house “a joint” town hall, fire and police station, concert hall and new library.
It was advertised as a building that would astonish strangers by its proportions and ornateness. The cost was currently at $25,000 and there were still yet bills to be settled. There was a good many ratepayers that were furious that the cost was above and beyond of the initial quote of $12,000 and they swore that council would be held responsible for such monstrous costs at the next election. In fact the media wrote that the council was said to have run away with their duties to their constituents, and it was built solely as a monument to them.
The newspaper also flip flopped and said that they had to admit the building was a credit to the town of Carleton Place built of such fine stone, fancy dressings and a slate roof. The ground floor would house the fire hall where the engine would be kept, along with the police station and the janitor’s quarters. The back of the fire hall opened on to the river by means of a tank under the fire hall. Fires anywhere near the town hall could be simply fought without taking the engine out of position. The suction pipe was simply let down into a hole in the floor and the hose carried out to the scene of the fire. Carleton Place had a Ronald fire engine at that time and Mr. Peden the town clerk has said it had given out every satisfaction and prevented many a serious fire. It was reported that they had the same fire engine for 12 years.
On the first floor the council chamber, a really handsome room wainscotted in polished birch with painted metal ceilings and stained glass windows. On the same floor was the mayor’s and town clerks office and a suite of three rooms to be used by the free library. The main entrance on this floor with all its glass doors, brass fixings, the polished steps and detail of finish of luxury was something only a city might have.
On the second floor approached by an ornate staircase the grand hall was the full size of the building. This will be where public gatherings are held and the town will rent it out for concerts and to different theatrical companies. The arrangements of this room are fairly modern. There is a large stage 60 by 30 feet and slanting which is in accordance with the latest views on theatrical architecture ,and this hall will hold 1000 people.
Between the floor of the stage and the ceiling of the fire hall is a long hall to be set aside for use for the members of the volunteer fire company. They will use it for their own social gatherings and to store their fire clothes in. At the end of the building next to the fire hall is a fire hose tower where a capital view of the town can be had. The architect that deserves enormous credit is Mr. G. W. King of Toronto. Carleton Place should say proudly,
“Come down and see our new town hall” and then aside, “It comes high but we must have it.”
Painting of town hall by Blaine Cornell
Councillor Sean Redmond was the mastermind behind these vintage looking glass coasters–NOW AVAILABLE at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
When the present Carleton Place Town Hall was built, the central building on its site, said to be the second dwelling built in the town, was the home of Mrs. William Morphy, daughter of George Willis, where she had lived to 1888 and the age of 85, a widow for over fifty years. The town hall was built on the spot very a ‘shanty’ was built.
Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 20 Oct 1897, Wed, Page 6
Jennifer Fenwick Irwin is looking for looking for a company of young girls to perform an artistic march and sword drill at the Town Hall 120th anniversary event!.. check the posting about the town hall concert below in celebration of its opening and comments. Gymnastics and drills were quite prominent in Carleton Place. Know any names? I see a few I recognize. Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 27 Nov 1897, Sat, Page 12
More LIMITED Carleton Place items. Get them fast!!!–Be the first on your block to have these vintage 50s style glass beverage coasters. Ring in the 120th anniversary of the Carleton Place Town Hall in style. LIMITED stock.. $10 for one coaster–While you are sipping that beverage on a warm summer night you can read all about the history of the town hall here. Buy them at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
The basic facts from Parts 1-5 (see links below) are from the flyer that I added on too which were passed out on January 1: Carleton Place-A Valley Town at Confederation 1867 by the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
From Parts 6 on– are facts I am personally researching and doing as a 150 challenge…I am going to do mostly community– as community past and present is what makes up the history of our town.
So today I thought we would pull a year number out of our Carleton Place hat and it is– 1903. Here are your Carleton Place headlines and memories:
Fact: Business was brisk on our Main Street which is known as Bridge Street and Edward Sibbit was taking over the Summit Store.
January 2 1903-Mr. Ed. Sibbit has secured a lease of the Summit Store and will open up for business as soon as he can get possession with a full line of staple groceries and crockery. The new firm will be known as Sibbit & Co. and will open later this month.
January 23, 1903–Carnations were as plentiful on the streets on Saturday as ordinary bouquets during the flower show. The sequel was found in the reopening of the Summit Store under the management of Messrs. Sibbit & Co.and every visitor to that shop during the day receiving a beautiful carnation.
This is the family of James Dunlop and his wife Anne Chambers-Photo-Roland Humphries
Fact-January 9 1903-Mr. James Dunlop, millwright, went to Almonte Friday to assist Mr. Slater in setting the latter’s portable sawmill in running condition. What do you now about the James Dunlop family from Carleton Place? Click here-Rescuing the Money Pits —The Other Dunlop Home with the Coffin Door
Fact-January 23, 1903-The Chosen Friends are to have a big festival in their hall on Friday evening. Who were ‘The Chosen Friends’ and where was their hall–and what does the photo of the 1904 fire have to do with them? Click here-The “Chosen Friends” of Carleton Place –The Fire of 1904
Fact-January 30 1903–The Carleton Place town hall was not large enough to hold the immense crowds which gathered- to witness’ the annual Sunday school entertainment of St. James church last week. -$163 was taken in with 10 and 15 cent admissions. The Sunday school performed on the slanted stage. Do you know why the town hall stage is slanted? Click here–Why is the Town Hall Stage Slanted? Is it Collapsing?
The Millstone has published its first instalment of 365 FACTS ABOUT MISSISSIPPI MILLS. It will be a series of posts for Canada’s 150th birthday this year — “365 Facts About Mississippi Mills.” So I thought I would begin to a few about Carleton Place.
The facts below are from the flyer passed out on January 1: Carleton Place-A Valley Town at Confederation 1867 by the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum. I have personally added some extra tidbits under the facts.
Fact- Industries included a grist mill, carding mill, shingle mill, a tannery and David Findlays’ foundry. James Gillies was constructing his new sawmill, soon to employ 100 men, and produce 10,000 feet of lumber per day.
Do you know the story behind this millstone on Mill Street? The original millstone was found during the renovations. What makes it so significant? Find out here: Down by the Old Mill Stream — Carleton Place
Fact- Shops on Bell, Bridge and Mill Street were open from 6 a.m until 10 p.m and the average work day for laborers was 11 hours.
Did you know the block of Bell Street next to Bridge Street was the second early business section of the town? Read more here:Bell Street– Carleton Place Ontario
Did you know about our earlier businesses like William Kelly who was the proprietor of the British Hotel, on Bridge st. corner of High Street?The travelling public will find this a good house to stop at, as it is centrally situated, and every attention is paid to the comfort of its guests. Read more here: Business Directory of Carleton Place 1866 and 1867- Any name you recognize?
Photo of Edward John Griffith from Maryanne Bannon Robertson, Burlington Ontario
So many stories about the Findlay Foundry– where do you begin? Some kids even learned to swear walking by the Findlay plant each day– and when the daily whistles coming from the plant stopped– the town mourned for a business that helped make our town. Click here for many links to stories about the Findlay Foundry-Looking for Names- Findlay Foundry
The Millstone has published its first instalment of 365 FACTS ABOUT MISSISSIPPI MILLS. It will be a series of posts for Canada’s 150th birthday this year — “365 Facts About Mississippi Mills.” So I thought I would begin to a few about Carleton Place.
The facts below are from the flyer passed out on January 1: Carleton Place-A Valley Town at Confederation 1867 by the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum. I have personally added some extra tidbits under the facts
Photo and text-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum—Pastor Ellis of the Methodist Church in Carleton Place sent out New Year’s Greetings to his congregation in 1902. The illustration shows the church as built in 1888. Rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1954, the church is known today as Zion Memorial United Church.
FACT-Three churches served the population: St. James Anglican, the Baptist Church and Wesleyan Methodist.
Wesleyan Methodist
Methodism was introduced into this area in the 1820s by missionaries from the United States. The Canadian branch separated from the American Church in 1824, forming the Canadian Methodist Conference, then united in 1833 with the Wesleyan Methodist Conference.
The Carleton Place Methodist congregation was organized by the Rev. Mr. John Black (great grandfather of the first organist for Zion-Memorial) in 1829, and in 1831, built the first church in the village of Carleton Place (Morphy’s Falls). It was a frame structure, large enough to seat 250 persons, situated on Bridge St. on the site of the present Baptist Church. In 1871, the wooden church was moved, and a new brick building was built (the present Baptist Church).
As the numbers increased, a larger more central location was desired, and subscriptions were sought. Some 200 members and adherents participated, and construction began on the present site early in 1888. The cornerstone was laid on May 6 of that year. The first worship service was held in the new building on Sunday, 9 December, less than a year after the cornerstone was laid. The next year, the bell was placed in the tower.
The original mortgages were cleared and the mortgages burned at a special service on 12 March, 1908. A Casavant Bros. pipe organ was installed in 1913. The foundation of the first manse was visible a few years ago on the north bank of the river, not too far from Bridge Street. The manse was later moved to one part of a framed double residence on Beckwith Street just north of the Zion Manse, and separated by a laneway.
In 1925, when St. Andrew’s and the Methodist congregations joined and the church became Memorial Park United Church, the Beckwith Street Manse was sold, and the former St. Andrew’s manse on Lake Avenue West at MacArthur Avenue was occupied.
Zion Church, Carleton Place, will be reopened on Sunday next, in consequent of which the Methodist Church there will be closed, to allow its members to attend.
St. James Anglican Church- Did you know the building originally consisted of unshapely masses of windows and galleries? The unattractive structure was replaced in 1881/1884 with a seating capacity of 500. The following year the debt was paid off-read more about it here: Let The Church Rise– A Little History of St. James Anglican Church
Packard car driven by Elise Gillies circa 1910 with the Baptist Church in the background- Photo Public Archives- MIKAN-3550347
Photo and text from —Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum—This postcard from our collection shows the north side of the Beckwith arena. The caption reads: “Memorial Park & Skating Rink, Carleton Place, Ont.
Fact–A new Militia Hall (1866) was located on Beckwith Street and the Carleton Place area had recently contributed 60 well trained and equipped volunteers during the U.S. Fenian raids into Canada.
Drill halls built in 1866 at county centres including Perth, Carleton Place and Almonte were used for many years. The Carleton Place drill shed was at the market square between Beckwith and Judson Streets, at the former site of the skating rink which is now the library.
0The Millstone has published its first instalment of 365 FACTS ABOUT MISSISSIPPI MILLS. It will be a series of posts for Canada’s 150th birthday this year — “365 Facts About Mississippi Mills.” So I thought I would begin to a few about Carleton Place.
The facts below are from the flyer passed out on January 1: Carleton Place-A Valley Town at Confederation 1867 by the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum. I have personally added some extra tidbits under the facts.
Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum Photo and text–These children attended Central School on Bridge Street where the post office stands today. They are pretty bundled up!… maybe the wood stove wasn’t throwing much heat that day? Taken in the mid 1920’s – note the bare electric bulb, inkwells, and map of North America.
Fact- School Children attended the Central School on Bridge Street, the older student’s attended Hurd’s Hall on Bridge Street-
Did you know the building was built to form the letter T so the whole student body could be under the eye of one teacher? Read how crowded the Central School became in: The ‘Crowded House’ of Central School in Carleton Place
Hurd’s Hall was used for a lot of purposes and finally turned into a residence. Did you know the building was once hit by a car? Read all the fact’s about Hurd’s Hall here: The Most Photographed Home in Carleton Place
Fact-The town had a weekly newspaper the Carleton Place Herald and a Mechanic’s Institute with a circulating library for members.
The Carleton Place Library was established in March, 1846 as a subscription library under the management of the Carleton Place Library Association and Mechanics Institute.
Did you know the Carleton Place Herald once sold small pets? Read the rest here: What Was Going On at The Carleton Place Herald Office With the Birds and the Bees? The James Poole estate sold the Carleton Place Herald, founded in 1850, to William H. Allen and Samual J. Allen ; and sold the family’s large stone residence at Bridge Street and the Town Line Road to David Gillies, son-in-law of James Poole. William H. Allen continued publication of the Herald for sixty years. Did you know there was once a terrible fire at the Herald building? Read the rest here: In the Year 1923 —- “BHM”– (Before Howard McNeely)
The inner remains of Findlay’s- Photo from the Delmer Dunlop Collection at 
lindaseccaspina 