Ninety Fifth Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY SECOND SECTION service gave Acton its name 126 years ago postil service tur 120 year those years arc by the lusty rubble corner of Mill arid Willow It WISlllC Oil ILL till Acton its name Out village at lust called wis by when Us post office was in Ml up The bird working Rufusand were the first settlers But mad idy a registered post office by the name of miles in Quebec Hit liad to Ik IIlL SlllCStlOl to Linn from Robei son in John Nickhn It was the il recalled AppirtiUly Robert worked Willi Ins credit Hit- postmaster The first post with villigc s new name in a frame building stood lor yens on mi St area which was the centre business Mr Nicklm was succeeded by McDon ild also id general store tram buying Lonier of Mill Willow where the old post office was liter built had lie post office in front and office in the rear Here the post office staved until IH7 when Mr Matthews di posed of his grocery business mother local in to he found Hie I ree Press then occupied the building to Mr next door which he decided to utilize so the had to find premises ol ts own limber down Mill St store This building was Acton building office and Customs Office was the town plide Wrote the Press November I Ml The post office is a splendid tribute to the loyalty of Mr Henderson M to the which has been his home town for Through his pci efforts this handsome and commodious building has been erected here There is no lack of of Mr Henderson in Acton behalf on the part of our The new building was greatly needed its comprehensive character convenient fulfil ill tlu retirements th community ill building of any importance to be erected in the county of James Matthews was for years Lkrk wo years before that a record for and took cilice the buildup saw laming hamlet yow to the serviced by new building l When he emu to Acton he helped Ins mother dip He helped he Ad hoys farm brought the first coat oil lamp saw electricity and the Ik inlioduced the first sewing m in his store When the first post offjee wis est no stamps used and hey I introduced until Mr Matthews had been postmister some years It wis Im postage rate wis equivalent to six cents actually the present rate The rile to Britain for letter W cents Before the Grand Trunk was constructed and traftic opened the mail went by horse or stay The stage roads to Guelph wlil fairly good the trip to Milton with the mail was through dense bush The mail then station in a pack back ol horse and Now trucks ar from trains After John Nieklm Robert Swan Laclilan McDonald and John Matthews post mailers and their deputies William Snyder George John Thomas Kennedy Robert Hawkins A I Matthews Robert Lyon J M I L Matthews Miss Daisy Mrs Richard Somcrville Mrs Anna Mrs M McDonald just The Old Man of the Big Clock Tower was the name of a column of reminiscences in the Free Pratt for many years The columni were reprinted in in book form as Acton s Early Day Writers of the column Freo Prets editors Moore and then A Dill A picture of the clock tower topped each column MaeDonald was popular Billy Middle 1 1 still a resident and held in affectionate esteem After Ins retirement there were several customs fleers before Murray Harrison Sandy Ben was member of when it was decided another federal building was needed Moic room for stall mtil and truck turning was urgent The Ave was decided upon and the Storey Glove factory and old home then occupied by lid Spent dished Long time residents of the old federal Mr and Mrs am overlooked the towns heart from then upstairs apartment tot many years The bell lolled the hours faithfully lor over years Cam Lcishman looked ifter the clock with pride The new building opened with an official ribbon cutting ceremony in 1JoJ The old building was bought by Ben and George Robertson It was vacant then converted into couple of years The clock failed the bell no longer lolled Recendy the building was bought by Mrs Pauline Ollcn Mr and Mrs Ollen who live at will build on the site for the TorontoDominion bank before the wreckers arrived Ben wound the clock for the last time Soon the bell weighing two tons was hauled down the clock knocked lashed to ground and demolition was underway Stokk ActovWhst AFTER BEING located in James Matthews store the pott office moved into its tint separate building in The Free Press moved out of the small frame building to permit the change The post office was located therefor years until 1914