Howard died in January 1994 at his home on Rochester Street in Carleton Place
Howard was mayor of Carleton Place from 1960-1967. In the 1950s he was also a councillor and reeve
Howard operated a barber shop on Bridge Street for nearly 60 years.
Howard teamed up with H.B. (Burnett) Montgomery and auctioned just about everything off for about 50 years. After H. B.’s death he teamed up for a spell with Frank Burns. “We aim to please” was his motto on his phamphlets, but I heard “It’s nice and clean folks!” more than the other phrase at his auctions.
As mayor, one of his priorities as stated in the Canadian was acquiring land from the Dunlop family which became the Business Park North and now known as the Dunlop Business Park.
One of Howard’s best friends were the parents of Brian Costello.
Howard was famous for towing along his public address system that he used in auctions for local events any time they needed him.
Howard was once the head of at least two local orchestras and was also a well known square dance caller.
Howard was a 45 year member of St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 63
Howard never told anyone his age preferring to leave it up to everyone’s imagination. Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.
Of course I have a few minor beefs about Howard McNeely’s reign. But then again I have a few beefs about everyone LOL. BUT– the Carleton Place Industrial Commission should have never been abandoned in the town of Carleton Place.
I thank the men and women of that era and— when you see Wally Cook walking around (the last council member alive from the 60s council) thank him for what they did for Carleton Place.
I believe the last sentence is: “In the background is the town’s busy main street” and “looking over one of Carleton Place’s main attractions– the Mississippi River”.
Photo of Mrs. Eric Simpson aka Muriel McNeely Simpson and her brother Howard McNeely—-photo donna mcfarlane
Dedicated to Blair White-
Years ago I used to know all my neighbours. I was lucky to have great people like Mrs. Cummings, Laurel McCann, the Johnstones, the Gordons and the Nephins live near me. Joyce and Stuart White lived across the street and Howard McNeely’s sister, Muriel Simpson, lovingly ruled us all in the neighbourhood like Margaret Thatcher. No one dared cross the line with her on Campbell Street, not even next door plumber Gerald Hastie. Especially Gerald Hastie! No matter how much he mocked her –if she yelled ‘jump‘ he would ask “how high?” and quickly at that.
When I moved here in 1981 I asked her if I detected an Irish accent. She laughed for barely 5 seconds and then looked at me like she was going to take my head off and said,
“My dear WE ALL talk that way here in Lanark County!”
After that firm answer I never disputed what Muriel said as I knew I would have a debate on my hands. No matter what year you moved to Carleton Place, if you weren’t born here- you were a newcomer for the rest of your life and that was that. No way, no how. What would get you into the most trouble with her was if you dared ask her how old she was. That lone question was the kiss of death, as this was not a woman that just stayed home knitting. This was more of a woman who would press a life alert button to see how many firemen showed up.
It doesn’t matter how many jokes Blair White still tells to this day about Muriel Simpson, I am sure she put the fear of God in him and his brothers as she did the rest of us–only he will never admit it. Muriel was afraid of no one, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t ask you if she was curious- and you had better be ready with an answer. Muriel never accepted silence or making excuses in any conversation. There was never anything off the table with her and she would find out what she wanted to know at any cost. She was a walking encyclopedia of local gossip and there was nothing this woman did not know about Carleton Place. She would begin most of her stories with the words,“Well you know…” and then launch into full barracuda attack mode.
Muriel loved to reminisce about her beloved ”McNeely farmhouse” that she was born and raised in. Her childhood home once sat just about where Mitchell’s Independent’s Grocery is now located on Highway 7 and McNeely Blvd. In fact if I had money I would erect a billboard in that field that said,“Muriel McNeely Simpson lived here” as I know that she would love that.
Each week she seemed to get more depressed as she watched the building fall apart from neglect, similar to the McCrae farm across the road. Muriel did not live to see the day of box stores and having the new road and bridge named after the McNeely’s, I often wonder if she would be complaining about the new structures that are sitting out there now. She didn’t like new things and scolded me once when I said we were getting prices for something we were having done in my home. She gave me ‘that look of hers’ and said:
“My dear, that’s not how we do it in Carleton Place. We just pick the right man for the job and call him- and we especially don’t call strangers!”
Muriel would also probably throw in a “Hmmph” and “For Land’s Sake” in conversation every 60 seconds. She was frustrated in the early 90’s about our new addition going up at our home. It just wasn’t going up fast enough for her and she would throw her hands up in the air and say to anyone who visited her,
“Do these people across the street know what they are doing?”
Muriel would complain incessantly about the possibility of the local corner stores staying open 24 hours. Day after day I heard,
“Surely, if these places are open until midnight folks should have enough to get them by until 7am.”
In reality, her complaints always had me in a fit of giggles and I loved her. We were as different as night and day, but she would talk about me like I was her daughter. If my name came up in conversation she would say,
“Oh you know the gal with the ponytail on the side of her head and she wears only one earring”.
Like everyone should know a woman sporting an 80’s disco ponytail wearing one earring.
Each week I would load this elderly woman into my pink Corvette Stingray and she would wave to her subjects in a regal manner as we went to Sunday service at St. James. She never failed to tell me that she and her husband Eric had bought the cross that hangs over the altar in the Anglican church. So remember that when you walk into St. James as she would want you too.
Muriel made an impact on me and there is never ever a day that I will not forget her. You see she made me promise that I would sit in her spot in a certain church pew after she died. If you were sitting in it when she was alive she made you move. She told me that bad things would happen to me if I didn’t sit on her spot upon her demise. If you have seen me sit on the right hand side of the church it is for a very good reason, and– if you are sitting in her spot I will slide myself in there no matter how many people are sitting there. After all God said she had full custody of that seat and like Muriel I always have thought that life should be Pay per Pew. 🙂
Amen!
Miss you Muriel!!
Karen Blackburn Chenier —I remember her when she was also “Queen ” of the kitchen at the old St James Parish hall, I have no idea who the actual head of “The Energetics” as the Womens Council was called then, but I do know everybody hustled when Muriel spoke. As a teenager and being volunteered,by my mother, to help out I was quite intimidated by her and just stayed out of the way. Heaven forbid if I put the wrong cup and saucer on.. The kitchen ran like a well organized military operation and look out if the potato masher got put away in the wrong drawer!
Photo–Here it is, of course I’m on a booster too. I believe that’s my first hair cut Photo–Donovan Hastie HVAC TECHNICIAN EnerCare Home Services
Linda Gallipeau-Johnston– The best thing I remember about Howard McNeely is him driving around in his car with the big speakers on the top and telling everyone to come out to the Tombola at Central School yard. That’s the way stuff like that got around in the 50’s. I’m sure he did it for other stuff too – but that’s the one that caught my ears at 7yrs. I just remember how he could drum up excitement doing that!
Author’s Note- Lynda I still use the word “tombola” LOL and people give me the strangest looks.
Ann Stearns Rawson –Do you remember going to the Tombolas? I remember one in particular because my dad was working at it for the IOOF (I think).
Debbie Roy– Howard used to call for square dancing all around the county while my Grandpa Shail played fiddle, my Nanny Shail played piano, my Dad on guitar, and my Uncle on banjo. He was such a fun-loving guy!
Nancy Hudson —Yes I remember Howard calling sqare dances at local dances, he really kept everyone on their toes and was always the life of the party. He also served as Mayor for quite a few years and his barbershop first beside Woodcock’s Bake shop and later down the street at the corner of Elgin[Emily] st. was always a meeting place for local men.
Christy Zavitske McNeely— My mom Tina McNeely worked for him as the auctioneer recorder??? Secretary???
Dale Lowe—I remember the inside of his barbershop….little things like the Export A calendar that hung on the wall. When you were small, Howard placed a padded board across the arms of the chair so your head was at at a good level for him. It was a memorable day when you were finally tall enough to get your first haircut without that board…a rite of passage!
Forty years ago a large broad axe fetched a quarter. Today, if it’s really old it could command a lofty $60. The crowds were smaller back then, and Howard McNeely, the newest auctioneer in the valley knew just about everyone by his first name. But times have changed since that day almost 40 years ago when Howard thought he could do what he had been watching other auctioneers do for years. He thought…..”there’s nothing to this. All I have to do is stand up on the platform or the back of a truck and ask for bids.” Well, it turned out not to be quite that simple.
A young Howard McNeely had been following the local auctions for years. He never paid too much attention to the “stuff” being sold, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the auctioneer. He was fascinated with the fast talking, the rapport with the crowd, and the obvious delight when a bid was over.
Actually, Howard had had plenty of experience on the stage by the time he first tried his hand at auctioneering, so he wasn’t walking into the job cold. For years he had an orchestra that toured the Ottawa Valley, and he was well acquainted with standing up before people. He is probably one of the few people who had an orchestra but never mastered a musical instrument. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying the toe tapping valley music everyone loved. He really had two orchestras. One was a rag tag group who got together for the sheer love of valley music. It included Ab Duncan, Stewart Comba, Les Neild. When he wanted to fancy things up a bit he added Jack Peckett and Les’ daughter Elsie on the piano. Howie kept up a steady patter between songs and dances and found it pretty easy to entertain the crowd, so that the first time he took to the platform at an auction sale, he wasn’t even nervous. “I had been so used to being in front of people, that I never gave it a thought. And besides, in those days you knew everyone…everyone!” he said.
Not so today. Even if the faces of the collectors and dealers are familiar, Howard often doesn’t get to meet them personally. For that reason, and because the crowds are so much bigger now, Howard finally had to go to a number system like the big auctioneers in the city. The crowd didn’t like it when he first introduced numbers about 15 years ago, but as he said, times had changed.
Howard’s first sale was on Park Avenue, “just across the fence from where I was born and raised”, and Burnett Montgomery was the auctioneer who set out to show Howard the ropes. Burnett had been auctioneering for a long time, and the partnership was to last for 30 years. “All that time we never had a disagreement. It was a great relationship. We got along well, and I learned a lot from Burnett” he admits.
The biggest sale Howard ever held was when he sold the Mississippi Hotel by public auction. All the furnishings went too, and then the big stone heritage building was put on the block. Howard lives by the adage that discretion is the better part of valor, and insists he cannot honestly remember what the landmark building sold for.
One of the longest running auctions was on a farm on the old Ashton road that took three days to complete. “It was loaded with antiques, and the dealers were there from all over. The prices held up for the full three days too” he remembers.
There are items today that couldn’t be given away 40 years ago. Old milk cans command a good price now, and Gingerbread clocks which sold for $10 in the 50’s would be considered a good buy today if you paid a mere $100.
Although he won’t say from which sale it sold, Howard recently got the bidding up to $6,800 on an old corner cupboard. “Forty years ago, you’d consider it a pretty good sale if you got that for a whole house full of furniture.”
Over the years Howard has always tried to keep a good sense of humor. Early in the game he learned if one person in the crowd was entering into the spirit of the sale by bantering back and forth with the auctioneer, you capitalized on that. Just last week one woman seemed to be in perfect sync with Howard. They both ended up cracking jokes throughout the entire sale much to the delight of the crowd.
In the early years Howard has sometimes inadvertently sold the same item twice. It can happen. Two different helpers will hand Howard the same item after it has been sold….but as a rule the crowd is astute, and there is always someone there to holler, “Hey, McNeely, you’ve already sold that once today.”
Howard remembers an incident from years ago that still makes him chuckle today. “It was a large sale, with two or three people in on it. Someone handed me up a baby carriage. It was in pretty good condition too. It was one of those old fashioned jobs. You don’t see them around anymore. Anyway, I asked for a bid and got one right away. The bidding went pretty high too. And it sold to someone. Then this woman came to me in an awful sweat. It seems she brought her baby to the sale in the carriage, and was just off looking at something else when I sold it. Everyone thought it was very funny, because I had to get the carriage back. The people who bought it were just loading it into their car. I was a bit embarrassed, but those things happen.”
Right from the day Howard started auctioneering 40 years ago, he has always been on the lookout for stealers. He remembers one sale where two women were busy loading their shopping bags with small things at a sale. “But unknown to them Herb Cornell, the Chief of Police was watching them. It was his day off, and of course they didn’t know he was a policeman. When he showed his badge they put everything back in a hurry.”
At another sale many years ago, he was aware of a big jackknife that was in the auction. “It was a beauty..very old, and huge, with a handmade wooden handle. During the sale I remembered it and asked my helper to hand me the jackknife. Well, it was gone. It vanished in a couple of seconds. That’s all i
The biggest sale Howard ever held was when he sold the Mississippi Hotel by public auction. All the furnishings went too, and then the big stone heritage building was put on the block. Howard lives by the adage that discretion is the better part of valor, and insists he cannot honestly remember what the landmark building sold for.-Mary Cook
Photo by Sherri Iona (Lashley) Carleton Place Canadian
Poppa, Burnett Montgomery. My cousin didn’t send entire article and unfortunately he wasn’t wearing his trademark Stetson. This was taken a couple years before he died I think.The Carlton Place Canadian June 1982-
Well-known Carleton Place Auctioneer Henry Burnett Montgomery died in Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital following a short battle with cancer. He was 86. HB, as he was affectionately known throughout the Ottawa Valley, had a career which spanned 40 years in the auction sale business.
A former farmer and butcher he handled as many as three or four auctions a week for years and over his past years teamed with another well respected local auctioneer, Howard McNeely.
“I always said the auction sale was part of Burnett and he was part of the auction,” McNeely said Monday in reminiscing about his many years of working with Montgomery. “He was a good fellow to work with, a perfect gentleman with a great respect for everyone,” McNeely fondly recalled. “He worked hard for the person he was doing the sale for, but he was also fair with the person buying the item,” he noted. “In all the years together we never had a (bad) word,” McNeely stated. “We worked a system and he often said to me ‘Howard there aren’t two men in a million who get along as we do,’ and I’d tell him that it was because neither of us was power hungry and we worked for the betterment of all concerned.”
Despite his age Montgomery couldn’t completely quit the auction business. “He’d tell me many times he was going to quit, but he never really did,” McNeely mentioned. In a feature story with appeared in The Canadian in June of 1982 Montgomery said he began auctioneering to help “make ends meet”. At that time he was operating a general store in Ashton.
The largest sale HB and Howard McNeely did was when they sold the Mississippi Hotel- They sold all the contents , including pine and oka bedroom sets the same day.
The biggest farm sale they did was Sinclair Turner’s farm in Appleton. According to Montgomery the sale lasted two days.
When HB fist began selling china cabinets they went for 35 bucks– 35 years later they climbed to $1500. Now the antique furniture business has declined with said cabinet going for less that 200 bucks.
Dairy cows used to go for 30 bucks a piece and Montgomery and McNeely earned two percent commission on farm sales and 7 percent on furniture sales. When he first began there was only auctionees Clayton Hands around and when this article was written he said there were so many it was hard for younger lads to begin a business.
To be an auctioneer you have to be pretty good to catch the bids, plus have the gift of gab and know just about everyone. That was HB.
With Stetson. Looks small. He had many over the years. Photo by Sherri Iona (Lashley)
Okay folks I have a piece that I am working on about Howard McNeely. Now I would like this to be a community piece. Please add in the comment section your thoughts on Howard McNeely. I have the facts– but I would love what you remember about him to be part of it.
Well-known Carleton Place Auctioneer Henry Burnett Montgomery died in Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital last Thursday March 9, 1989 following a short battle with cancer. He was 86. HB, as he was affectionately known throughout the Ottawa Valley, had a career which spanned 40 years in the auction sale business and despite his illness of recent months he was involved in an auction sale as recently as late August of this year.
A former farmer and butcher he handled as many as three or four auctions a week for years and over the past 26 years teamed with another well respected local auctioneer, Howard McNeely. “I always said the auction sale was part of Burnett and he was part of the auction,” McNeely said Monday in reminiscing about his many years of working with Montgomery. “He was a good fellow to work with, a perfect gentleman with a great respect for everyone,” McNeely fondly recalled. “He worked hard for the person he was doing the sale for, but he was also fair with the person buying the item,” he noted. “In all the years together we never had a (bad) word,” McNeely stated. “We worked a system and he often said to me ‘Howard there aren’t two men in a million who get along as we do,’ and I’d tell him that it was because neither of us was power hungry and we worked for the betterment of all concerned.”
Despite his age Montgomery couldn’t completely quit the auction business. “He’d tell me many times he was going to quit, but he never really did,” McNeely mentioned. In a feature story with appeared in The Canadian in June of 1982 Montgomery said he began auctioneering to help “make ends meet”. At that time he was operating a general store in Ashton.
He was born in Goulbourn Township and later lived in Ashton where he operated the store and a farm. He moved to Carleton Place in the early 1940s where he eventually got into the auction business. Montgomery is survived by his wife Helen and daughters Shirley (Mrs. Don Lashley) and Iola (Mrs. Bob Blackburn) both of Smiths Falls as well as a sister Jean (Mrs. Ted Andison) of Jasper, Ontario, Also by six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Funeral service was held Sunday at 2:30pm at Zion-Memorial United Church in Carleton Place with Rev Wesley Mitchell officiating, Interments was in the United Cemeteries.
Sherri Iona added the following —This was my Poppa. I always wonder why his first wife, my Nana is never mentioned. Laura (Bradley) Montgomery was a teacher a Munster in one room school. They met when Poppa was working in the quarry – where Dogwood Drive now is. He was a couple years younger. Nana who was very active with The United Church died from a long battle with breast cancer in the 1974 at age of 79.
Poppa was actually born in Marlborough township south of Richmond, in the family homestead. He survived the depression, by buying and selling livestock, my paternal grandparents included. He was also the first person in town to have a skidoo and the first person to buy a Pellikan, the precursor to the seadoo.
H.B Burnett, Poppa, with his grandchildren and spouses (at the time). This would be early eighties as my oldest was born in 80, and was 3 when Poppa died.
Missing Grandson Wayne. Kent (Debbie), Karen (Tony), Dave (Debbie), Sherri (Jerry ), Sonya (Randy) the bride.
Recent articles about old murals and paintings on the walls in CP had me thinking about this painting. While not painted on the wall, it hung on the wall above the fireplace in my grandfather, HB Montgomery’s den. It mesmerized me as a child. It needs cleaning but I had a lady from Pakenham, a consultant with the antiques roadshow look at it. She said it was a great example of folk art from late 1800s. Now as you know Poppa was an auctioner so I have no idea where he got this. There are painter initials MDT. The American flag has always had me curious. I thought maybe it was Thousand Islands as a child but the evaluator thought the mountains and scenery may be where Washington had his estate.
Ideas anyone?
Linda, this is the den where it hung in. You can see the bottom part.
It is with great regret that we must inform you that, despite our best efforts to the contrary, the owner of the building in which our business, The Ashton General Store, is located has decided that we will have to close our doors for good on April 22nd, 2016. Somehow, the owner, the Estate of our dearly departed friend, Bill Patterson, has concluded that the value of an empty building is greater than a building containing our viable and vibrant business serving the community.
It is hard for us to express the sorrow we feel knowing that we will no longer have the privilege of greeting you in the mornings and wishing you the best day ever, or helping you deliver an important parcel for your grand-daughters’ birthday or, just chatting with a friend.
When we first bought the business in 2011, we had a vision that it should be a community space; a place where we could all gather and feel comfortable enjoying each other’s company. We and our family all regret the loss to our community more than any economic hardship we ourselves may suffer. Our thoughts are with you.
You will always be our Ashton family. We love you all!
This is from a calendar when my grandfather HB or Burnett Montgomery owned and ran the Ashton General store with his wife Laura (Bradley) in the late 1920s. They lived above the store and my mom (Shirley Lashley) and Aunt Iona (who died at 2 weeks) were both born there. Aunt Iola was born in Munster, I think. They are all buried at United Cemeteries.
Who recognizes this building? Taken on January 7, 1923, this photo shows the aftermath of a fire at the Herald/Central Canadian Newspaper office located on the north-west corner of Bridge and Elgin/ Emily Street in Carleton Place. This is now the site of Body Graphics Tattoo.
It was 10 pm when the fire was discovered in the office of the Central Canadian. It took over two hours to get the fire under control-but in no time the roof had fallen in and the floors collapsed in several places.The newspaper plant and stock valued at $13,000 was destroyed, and the building frame veneered with brick was a wreck estimated at $5000 in damages.
The flames had spread upward to the second floor where the heavier type of metal machinery was and it became too dangerous for the firemen to enter, less the floor give way. Mr. F.A. Davis the owner had insurance of $6000 on the plant and the Wm. McDiarmid estate owners of the building $2000, so the loss was a heavy one to both parties. The brick building adjoining the burned building was saved intact –so the Central Canadian moved next door and Mr. Davis determined what arrangements he could make to get the town’s newspaper out the next day. No word if that paper did come out.
Buy Linda Secaspina’s Books— Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac– Tilting the Kilt-Vintage Whispers of Carleton Place and 4 others on Amazon or Amazon Canada or Wisteria at 62 Bridge Street in Carleton Place
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