Millbrook Times Articles
Making History
Now & Then – Let’s Have a Little Fun
Now & Then – What's In a Name?
Now & Then – What's In a Name - Again?
A few months ago, this column looked at the origin of some local place names. Due to unprecedented popular demand (at least three non family members said they liked it), this is the sequel.
Place names often reflect the people who settled in an area, their history, religion, culture, or in remembrance of prominent forebears. Sometimes it's simply whimsy or wishful thinking.
Now & Then – Historical Tidbits
Tid or tyd, from the Old English word for fanciful/fond and bit, a small piece/bite.
A little while ago, the Millbrook Cavan Historical Society began a project to digitize our archives, the plan being to ultimately make them available online. Currently we are scanning our collection of old newspapers. This can be time consuming, mostly because we keep coming across articles that are interesting small slices of life in the past, point out local accomplishments that may not be earth shattering but are meaningful nonetheless, or sometimes just whimsical. Here’s a few that caught our eye.
Now & Then – Old Wills, Estates, and Human Rights
A little while back I came across a small article in the back pages of the Millbrook-Omemee Reporter of February 17, 1927 titled “Restore Property Rights to Women- Error in Ontario Law Deprived Them of Title Following Marriage.” Apparently, about a year earlier during a revision of the law which included women’s property rights, “… the section was dropped which preserved to the wife her title to property owned by her at the time of marriage, and also secured to her the sole title to any gain which she might make by any employment or profession”. In other words, prior to the earlier law being passed, all of the wife’s property became the husband’s property upon marriage and the error now made the husband the owner, as in previous times. At the time the article was printed, the legislature was working to correct the error.
Now & Then – From Armoury to Legion Hall
Most people in this part of the world know the local Legion Hall on King St in Millbrook. Many have attended various events in this venerable building. However, not that many know that the building was originally an armoury, built by the federal Department of the Militia (now Department of Defense) in 1913.
So, how did an army installation end up the middle of a village in peaceful east-central Ontario, Canada? Well, a dive into local and national history helps answer this question.
Archival Articles
When the Railway Comes to Town
“There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run…”. This is the opening lyric of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic song Canadian Railroad Trilogy.
More Railway Stories
When the railroad from Port Hope to Millbrook opened in 1856, extending to Lindsay and Peterborough shortly afterwards, our region was transformed from a rural backwater to a transportation hub.
The Municipal Hall as a Multipurpose Structure
By the 1840s, Cavan's population had grown to several hundred and a rudimentary civic administration with elected councillors and an appointed clerk was in place. In the mid 1840s, a wood frame municipal structure was constructed in Millbrook (the largest community) at the site of the current Nexicom building.
A Name Not on the Cenotaph
There is a plaque along the west wall of St Thomas Anglican church in Millbrook “In loving memory of William Henry Bateson.... killed at Passchendaele Nov 6th, 1917”. His name is not on our local cenotaph and I have wondered about this over the years.
Cavan Monaghan Historical Overview
John Deyell assisted Samuel G. Wilmot in the first survey of this area in 1817 and is credited with naming Cavan and Monaghan Townships in honour of his Irish birthplace. An extraordinary entrepreneur, John Deyell lived to age 103 and is credited with significant early development in the area.
John Deyell, First Settler of what is now Cavan Monaghan Township
John Deyell is generally acknowledged to be Cavan Township’s first settler, arriving in 1816. He and his family were certainly among the first to put down roots. He had a long and remarkable life, and he left his mark.
Needler's Mill in Historic Millbrook, Ontario
From This Green & Pleasant Land, p. 303: “The Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society was born on Nov. 24, 1978….The immediate burning cause was the preservation of the old mill from which the Village takes its name; there was a move afoot to tear the building down….”
In February 2018, Needler’s Mill officially became the property of the Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society as representatives from Otonabee Conservation and the Historical Society signed the final paperwork at a public gathering at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 402 in Millbrook.
Shady Nook Dairy
The following history has been gathered from an interview and subsequent newspaper feature written by Melodie McCullough for the Peterborough Examiner, March 22, 1999. The article was sent to the Historical Society by Jan Rowland, Cedar Valley Road, Fraserville.
For 35 years, Clifford Larmer was part of the Shady Nook Dairy operation, first as the son of the owner, Wilberforce (Wib) Larmer and then as the owner himself. From the age of 13, he would don his Shady Nook uniform and cap and set out for the village of Millbrook each day by horse and wagon from his father’s Holstein dairy farm four miles northeast of Millbrook.
Memories of Main Street
Fowler's Store:
Tracing the history of the recently restored cabinet that now houses displays in the Millbrook branch of the Cavan Monaghan Library, led us to Reg Fowler. Reg’s uncle Dave owned Fowler’s Men’s Wear, which he took over from his father George who ran it as Fowler & Pendrie, and before that, Fowler & Kells, at 17 King Street East in Millbrook.
her family from Drum in County Monaghan, and they had three children; Robert (Bob), Sara and my father William (sometimes called Will but usually Bill).
Who was Harry Williams?
The Resource Room of the Millbrook Public Library is named in honour of Harry Williams. So, who was this fellow? The fine citizens of Millbrook may have thought the same thing as a dashing young man in a Barbour motorcycle jacket rode his motorcycle into the village in the summer of 1950 to take up a teaching position at the Millbrook High School.
Harry had visited Millbrook on previous rides through he back roads of Ontario and felt this would be a good place to settle down and build a life. Over a 30 year career he taught Sciences, Latin and French and was a greatly respected favorite among the teachers at the school.
Now, many of us can recall a beloved high school teacher, but not many get something named after them. So, what else did he do?
Land Speculator, Developer, and Politician
William Henry Sowden was born in 1823, the eighth of 16 children of William Sowden and Maria Louisa Varley. The elder Sowden was a corn miller in Yorkshire, England before migrating to Upper Canada in 1818. He must have been successful as he purchased 600 acres of land outside of Port Hope, naming the farm Beaver Meadows. The younger William was educated in Port Hope and in 1846 at age 23 he moved to Millbrook, following older brothers John and Thomas. His brothers already held properties in and around the growing village.
The Millbrook Grand Prix
Most people know what a go-kart is. The original ones were gravity propelled. In other words, they needed a slope to run down. These became popular in the 1930s and could be built at home out of scraps of wood or metal, with wheels taken from baby carriages, old bicycles or tricycles, or fancy "store bought" sets. The nickname Soapbox racer comes from the frequent use of wooden soap (or apple) crates, which were common articles in back sheds of the day, in their construction.
The Day Millbrook (Partly) Blew Up
In early December 1975, folks were preparing for the Christmas holidays. Baking materials were selling briskly at Calhoun’s IGA. Turkeys were on sale for 89 cents/pound (Butterballs for 99 cents/pound). Some families and community groups were preparing floats for the Santa Claus parade. Pet rocks were the hot toy item of the year (yes, this was a real thing).
When is a Line a Quarter Line?
Have you ever wondered why our township roads are (mostly) so straight? wouldn't it have been easier to build them following the contours of the land? Why are they called Lines? Why do some townships call them Concession roads? And what about these Quarter lines? Isn't that just a short line? To answer these questions, blame the British.