Photos-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
127-131 Bridge Street Carleton Place
Photos-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
127-131 Bridge Street Carleton Place Circa 1870
The first storey storefronts of this building have been modified from the original glass windows for easier viewing of merchandise–hence the different colours of brick. 127-131 Bridge Street has housed a number of different businesses including pharmacies, clothing stores, grocery stores, and poolrooms.
The Hughes family bought the pharmacy from Dr. Preston in 1905.
W. J. Hughes Rexall Drug store was located on the corner and Thomas Lloyd Hughes born in 1897 along with his brother Harold until they each decided to run a smaller store at the opposite ends of town. Lloy’s store was on Moffatt Street and Harold on Lake Ave West. For 50 years they were in groceries together and then the store was sold to Thomas’s nephew and for 12 years Thomas drove a butcher wagon. There was a dark room at the rear of the store where Mr. Hughes tested your eyes for glasses. You could buy a roll of film #116 for a Brownie Box camera for 25 cents and for $1.25 he would send it away to be developed.
The folks in Carleton Place will always remember the Rexall Drug annual 1 cent sale and every local household stocked up on cough medicine, cough drops, peroxide and all sorts of liniment. Some of the clerks that worked there were: Olive Dick, Ruby Voyce, and John Briscoe and Wilbert Robertson.
Harvey Asselstine attended the Ontario College of Pharmacy in 1929. In 1944, he
returned to Carleton Place and bought the drugstore at the corner of Bridge and
Franklin, from W.J. Hughes who operated it for 38 years. Betty Findlay and Mary Cook both worked at Assestine’s Pharmacy. In the rear of Asselstine’s drug store the CPR Telegraph operated during the 1950s. Asselstine expanded his drug store and bought out Hughes Grocery. In 2006 the Athen’s Corners Restaurant was located there.
Taber and McCrae operated a Men’s and Boy’s clothing store within Struther’s Block, which later became a pool hall (next door) operated by Mel Barclay. Charlie Giroux, who only had one arm took over the pool hall then Ab Dowseth from Smiths Falls operated it for a short time but when McCann and Porter gained ownership they moved the pool hall to the old Bank of Commerce.
Jeremy Stinson— That corner was, for much of my childhood, the home of the Blossom Shop. Back before the one way street.
Related Reading
Bridge Street V.E. Day Parade Photos- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Who was the “Drugstore Woman” in Asselstine’s Rexall?
133-137 Bridge Street Carleton Place
All photos from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
133-137 Bridge Street Carleton Place Circa 1885 1904
In 1903 there was a fire so the entire Bell Block had to be rebuilt. 133-137 Bridge Street originally owned by Mr. Andrew Bell. Without the adventurous capitalist Andrew Bell, Carleton Place would not have flourished the way it has. Bell bought the property from McGregor in 1885.
The building belonged to Anne, Andrew’s wife until 1919 when she sold it to Stanzel. In
1898, Stuart’s or Stewart’s (confirm) drug store was situated in the Bell Block. W.J.
Muirhead had his hardware store in the Bell Block for a few years and returned to his
old stand when there was a fire in 1903. In 1906, Abraham and Aboud operated a
clothing store at this location. Percy Hardy had a music and photo shop in the Bell
Block that later became T. Eaton’s and Company.
Th doorway upstairs led up to Taber Business College on the third floor under the supervision of Charles J. Taber. Besides having students from Carleton Place there were many that arrived daily shortly sfter 9 am on the CPR local from the Ashton and Stittsville area. After C.J Taber retired his son Gordon took over
In 1917, Lewis and Frizell opened up shop in the Bell Block. In 1920, D.N. Frizell and Co. were the successors to Lewis and Frizell. Mr. Maguire operated his harness shop here and his site was eventually taken over by Mr. J. Craig who was a jeweller. By 1930, Mr. Craig left Carleton Place.
In 1936, Stanzel leased the building to Stedman and in 1960 Stedman bought
the building. Stedman’s operated at this location up until 1992 when the building
was sold to Cotter Canada Hardware and Variety. At 133 –Stedman’s Seltire Store or what was commonly referred to as the 15 cent store was located here. It employed about 4 girls and a boy to help with the heavy lifting. In 1936 Mr. Chittick was the manager and the staff included: Vera Edwards, Helen McGregor, Eileen Hart and Ethel Cable. Marg Whyte was one of the part tie gals and made 85 cents on a Saturday from 6 pm until closing which was about 10:30 Pm. It later became Stedman’s or V & G.
Next door was Eaton’s and their order office. Over the year it was staffed by 2 girls at a time and extras during the holiday rush. Florence McIntyre, Dot Peden, Leita Reid, Pat Bennett, Marjorie Crawford, Audrey Peden, Bertha Pye and Bessie Fee were some of the employees.
Related reading:
Who Was A. W. Bell of Carleton Place?
Stedman’s of Carleton Place 1950s
Stedman’s — Carleton Place Memories
Come Back to the Five and Dime Carleton Place–Robertson’s
The Taber Business College- Women in the 20s
Before and After — Photos of Carleton Place
139-141 Bridge Street Carleton Place
Photos from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
139-141 Bridge Street Carleton Place–Circa 1880 ca, 1904
Photos from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
A fire in 1903 required 139-141 Bridge Street to be rebuilt. William Stanzel, originally of France, settled in Goulbourn and in 1874, William moved his shoe shop from Goulbourn to Carleton Place. William’s son Stephen learned the trade and Ross and Earl later owned Stanzel’s shoes. William’s daughters had a millinery shop on Bridge Street too.
139 Bridge Street was sold to Andrew Bell in 1885 and belonged to his wife Annie
until 1919 when she sold it to Stanzel. Stanzel started out in business in 1888. In 1917, Stanzel’s moved once more to its final location at 139 Bridge Street where Graham’s Shoes is now. There was a bad fire and one side of the building was entirely gutted. After the fire, Stanzel’s Shoes moved to 143, then moved to 101.
In 1929, James Moore and William Buse owned the business for four years. and called it The Boot & Shoe Store. Moore and Buse were former Findlay employees who wanted another occupation. Walter later went into the taxi business and in 1958, Stanzel’s Shoe Store was sold to James Graham. Graham worked at Allan Bros Shoes for 35 years and in 1971 Bob and Isobel Hawkins took over the business. Now their son Doug Hawkins runs it.
141 Bridge Street originally part of the property owned by the McArthur family was
sold in 1885, to Mr. Pattie. Pattie and Andrew Bell built what was referred to as the
Opera Hall. In 1898, Pattie sold the building to James McDiarmid who owned 141
Bridge Street until 1926 when it was sold to W.W. Taber and Ladies and Millinery were sold on the 2nd floor. Among his staff were Bertha Grant, Edith Machlen and Louise Playflair who all remained spinsters. It remained in the Taber name
until 1963.
Photos from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Wally Cook of Cook’s retired after 37 years and in 1958, Cook went into business for himself. Wally managed the Walker’s store that was at the same location and there were other managers and Dutch Ryan was another popular man in the store. Over the years some of the clerks were: Violet Craig, Eileen Bunty Muff, Gladys McLaren, Gwen Cable, Helen McKittrick and Stewart McGregor was the delivery boy.
At the turn of the twentieth century when the Tabers owned the store and there was
a vault on the first floor. Due to a fire, the vault fell through the floor into the cellar
and the front of the vault was up against the wall. Wally’s wife, Mary was curious
about what was inside so on the last night that the store belonged to the couple, the
vault was opened and they found in the vault a small box inside with a piece of paper
with McDiarmid Block in large bold letters. Later The Remembrance Shop was in this location.
Related reading:
And Then There was Cook’s– and Most of All Mary Cook
Mary Cook’s Deportment Classes for Young Ladies in Carleton Place
Carleton Place Mod Fashion Show 1960’s
The “Chosen Friends” of Carleton Place –The Fire of 1904
Tales From the Maguire Block in Carleton Place
Do You Know What This Building Used to Look Like in Carleton Place?
Where Was Walker Stores in Carleton Place?
143-147 Bridge Street Carleton Place
143-147 Bridge Street Carleton Place Circa 1880 ca, 1904
Some of the earlier businesses in the Bell Block included Tucker’s Jewellers, T.
Steele’s shoe store, W. Philips Men’s Clothing Store, Mayhew, and Robert McDiarmid.
W.J. Muirhead’s hardware store also sold wallpaper and paint and Peter Dunlop was an employee and Ken Muirhead worked for his father before moving on to the RCMP.
It was sold in 1932 to George W. Eades, who operated his hardware store at 143 Bridge Street up until his death in 1983 and then his estate took over ownership. In 1953, Eades remodelled his store front, and this was when the hardware store took over the smaller shop next door. George made improvements to the store and also employed Pete Dunlop, Gerald Haskins, Jim Griffith, Carman Lalonde and George’s daughter Helen was the bookkeeper.
The small store Eades took over had been a tailor shop and at one time a jewellery shop run by Mr. Craig. It had also been a tearoom where a lady would read your tea leaves for an extra 25 cents. The George Allan Shoe Store was known for its large green boot and their longest serving staff was James Graham who later opened his own shoe store. On the 2nd floor was the dental office of Dr. Ernie Walroth, a photography shop operated by Percy J. Hardy and later by Victor Goodwin as well as the office of Fred. J. Tighe who gave music lessons and later William Stephenson. Did you know the Walroths lived in the brick house at the corner of William Street and Baines that had a Hackaberry tree on the premises.
Eades Hardware of Carleton Place-Allen Wrenches Toilet Seats and Electric Heaters
The J. H Tucker Store Carleton Place
In Memory of Carman Lalonde — Grandfather, Father and Historian of Lanark County
149 Bridge Street Carleton Place
149 Bridge Street Carleton Place– Circa 1880
In 1894, C.C. Allan Shoes conducted business at 149 Bridge Street. Mr. E. Farmer
bought the business in 1900 and sold it in 1910 to George Allan. Allan’s shoes store was one of the first Stedman’s stores in the Carleton Place area and it belonged to Charles Allan in 1890. Charles’s son George took over in 1900. There was a fire in either 1903 or 1904 so George bought Box’s shoe store at 149 Bridge Street in 1910. George sold the store to Maher in 1958. In or around 1969 Simpson Sears conducted business at 149 Bridge Street until about 1977. Nancy’s Impressions has been in business since 1983.
Related reading..
Past “Impressions” of Nancy Code Miller
Nancy Code Miller– A Chip Off the Old Block
“Bossin’ Billy” McEwen Muirhead –Box family
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
Carleton Place Then and Now–Bridge Street Series– Volume 8–Olympia Restaurant to McNeely’s
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