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with a handsome moroccobound Bible by Mr James Brown on behalf of the Trustees of the church Both were lifelong residents of Acton Albert Moore had gone to Georgetown College He was to rise to become the head of the United Church or Canada In 1880 the paper had the only fire in Its hundredyear history The upstairs section of the was ignited from an overheated stove pipe Through the energetic efforts of citizens and a bucket brigade the plant was saved But It took weeks to get the place back In order The new sanctum of the Free Press Is modern and minute in every detail wrote a visitor In The same person also praised the new the immense new buildings at the Tanneries and new Macadam Influence felt in all spheres Stately portly distinguished It Moore was likely the moil prominent and In man in town Ilia obituary the Free Press office was often the butt of Halloween pranksters and e results are shown after escapades in the Size doubled on facade handsome the Free Press moved for few months while p complete facelifting old building modern one The present facade Is the same and an historian re cently deemed it one of the few buildings in worth preserving Baptists had opened their new efeirch In and the Free Press moved Into their old church building on Elgin SI This building was later used focstorago In World War II but la now torn M December 1904 the paper announ Since the first of April the home of Ane popular local Journal has been In tkft hands of the builders Architects bricklayers carpenters plasterers rftfjtal workers tin smiths engineers fitters electricians and painters In turn been in charge of the premises the result is certainly complete trans formation The office has been practically and every vestige of the original building where the Free Press was housed for twentyfive years has been entirely ob literated constantly growing business of the Press necessitated accommodation the new office has more than doubled tbA capacity of the old building the pre- now being on two storeys The exterior now presents a very handsome The design which represents a massive cut stone front with pilaster columns between the three plate glass win dows In the main office and heavy cornices and pediment and rockfaced sides was prepared by Mr J A Ellis Architect Tor onto and worked out by the Metal Shingle and Siding Co of Preston Mr J MUcKenzie had the contract for the tWwork and roofing and the appearance of bVth exterior and interior reflect credit skill and workmanship The fittings for the editorial and business office which fitted In hardwood arc especially hand The painting was executed by Mr HiWatkcr and this also adds to general attractiveness The interior wills are covered with burlap and with he nMtty contrasting colors maroon and terra worked out by Mr Walker and with chair rails and mouldings the effect clean cosy and restful The stone cement and brickwork wen N Forbes the thoroughness of whose work is everywhere appreciated new boiler room and coal room are of safety and convenience During the progress of improvements Messrs Speight andBrayd Georgetown installed a six ftp steam boiler for heating and one of their splendid gasoline engines of good capacity for motive power The new premises are thoroughly modem in all ap pointments and the Free Press is now com fortably housed in one of the most attrac tive and complete printing offices for a Journal of Its class the province are now at home to our thousands of patrons and will welcome a call from any of them any time The waits of the original old tin shop can still be seen inside the larger old building longest and most poetic In the papers history is reprinted in this special issue and shows tho range of his spheres He was firm in his convictions and strong Methodist Ills warnings hang on The Free Press still doesnt accept liquor advertising remember he unhappy day he refused let them scamper up out of the Sunday School room to walch parade go Another person remembers the time Magistrate Moore happened to look at his speedometer was alarmed to notice he was going over speed limit likely IS miles an hour Moore meticulously fined himself paid fine promptly and recorded the Iran In the next weeks paper He was memorable all right Talcs about him abound And he was deeply respected too His lovely home on Church SI is now owned by Mr and Mrs J Kdwnrd J who often came back to town visit His home was In Washington C for years plant one of still In use There are no buyers for Ihcsc fine machines now vir tually obsolete A Dills became a pnrlner with Moore in and note owner in 1B27 two of them collaborated a column The Old Man of tho Dig Clock Tower The sketches begun In 1BI9 and ran off and on for years These delightful reminiscences full of gossip well as facts were put togclher In book In IBM Actons Early Day Is now a collectors Item the only hook of Acton history ever written Milton paper bought in In i despite all Hie problems the war years brought Mr Dills purUiased the Canadian Champion In Milton The work load was now even heavier son David htiriied home on leaven from the Navy to help work Daughter Frames was also In the Navy then and son Jim at school Mrs Dills was regular staffer filling In In many ways to maintain Hie flow of printing and weekly Issues II wan- Mrs Dills who presided In the office of The Cnnndlnn Champion Milton when It was taken over November her birthday When the was over Dave came back to Another veteran who returned was Dora Wood now ex WHCNS and a champion linotype operator She has retired after over years husband Don is a formir Free Press editor and In now manager of Free Press Georgetown Indtpendenl a newcomer publications of the present firm The boys took ovor David James Dills became partners with their father In 1054 Jim returning to the business in 1 after Journalism train lug at Institute Af A Dills death In January IJOO David pub lisher Jim lives In Mlllon Dave in Alton Editors following Mr Dills death were John Mack Don and Hartley Coles Mrs C A Dills who died In 1972 had helped In countless ways over the years Herald Included coming In the plant lo III In when she was needed up the freshly made paste for sealing wrappers for out of town papers on mailing days and drying damp printing jobs in her oven or folding them on the dining room table She was always cheery despite the pressures and her husbands long illness Another newspaper was published by tho when The Georgetown dent born in October 1973 Hartley Coles who began at llic Free Press at the age of as a printing Jim Greer and Murray Scoyne prepare a page of type for printing on the Babcock press GA Dills started in 1909 II Moore improved The Free Press continually until selling his interest to his associate George Arlof Dills It was in at Ihe princely salary of JIM a week that Dills began to learn the printing trade with the traditional title of devil He signed a demanding agree ment of requirements that is reproduced in this issue for the privilege of learning the printing trade Before long he left his home town and broadened his knowledge of printing work In Toronto New York Slate Guelph and Kingstoa He returned to Acton in He not only brought knowledge with him but the determination that The Free Press should have a marvellous innovation a linotype It could set with amazing speed On it an operator could set a column of newspaper type in a single hour com pared with picking the individual letters from tiny boxes to hand set two or three columns after a whole days work and some of the letters upside down or sideways at that There arc still two Linotypes in the Braida and Kay Dills are shown reading proofs at the desk in the Mill St location Ev was responsible for the accounting proof reading and even at times some of the press feeding operations Kay Dills joined the staff in and is currently the papers editor lice assumed editorship of Ihe new paper well as the Aclon Free Press Most recently Kay Dills Davids wife is Free Press editor Thais not all of the family Jims wife Shirley works In he Milton office Steven Dills a Journalism dent spends holidays on staff and others who help when needed arc Kalhy Dills of Acton Mark and Paul Dills of Milton Catherine Dills in Milton has a Champion paper route Nephew Rod Prosser worked in the plant during summer holidays until university graduation this spring Growing pains bring changes In March another new section doub led the size of the newspaper building on MIHSt andgave much needed room for the automatic presses and two linotypes that were necessary as the business grew with the community It had been crowded one diffi culty being the fact the two linotype opera tors couldnt stand up at Ihe same time no room Another addition was built In 1957 to ac commodate the new Goss Cox press This completely built up the Mill St lot to which The Free Press had moved more than years before Stationery store next on site Again the whole plant became Jammed people Jostling with paper for elbow room Another men was made and the old loca tion became Dills Stationery store operated by Ft Elliott assisted by Mrs Jo Whit ham SimpsonsSears was another tenant The stationery store closed on Mr El liotts retirement and SimpsonsSears have moved next door this summer A new tenant Is due in soon It was in that the company bought the deserted and deteriorating Baxter Laboratories plant on Willow St by the school creek present building housing Dills Printing and Publishing and The Free Press offices was formerly the villages power plant Mason Knitting Company and Baxter Laboratories Deserted plant came with The Pur Press staff couldnt flit all that so Home rented lme were 1- 1 and Company who recently moved out former Mason Knitting plant strangely en Knitting was once in the pre sent Dills plant and Hellers followed Its mine The VHianl throe- storey building came complete with Its Jimmy Unix He In re for it while hut found I mi noisy and moved lo the hotel Hut strange creaks In the night are still cheerfully to friend Jimmy the two years The Free Press has managed lo fill he whole ptnnl Pari or llils Is due to the need for mure and mote rolls of newsprint whit li are slacked high In every available corner and Ihe changing technology which requires special mm modal Ion for temperamental com jmlirs Tills plot of laud also lis part of lo cal history From faotories to power plant I Irsl on the site was spinning mill which required a stream for Next tame the glove leather of councillor lien Ihe site was part of the properly of the Acton Plow Company When William Stephenson and fellow shareholders prepared to build ihcir big fllow factory Ihfcy tore down the old mill here discarded the race and flume which had carried the water from the ami dug a new tall race changing the course of stream feet or more The digging of the race proved difficult piece of work The bed of quicksand along llic course hard to overcome accord ingtoG A Dills In Actons the workmen would excavate all day and when they returned the next morn Ing they would find most of the earth and sand had run back into the ditch The work was finally completed the factory finished the machinery Installed the power turned on and the manufacture of the famed Stephenson plows began They sold well for a time and the hey day came the Centennial Exhibition In Philadelphia when the plow won first prize Hut not much more than a year Inter the company went into receivership owners And favored pow r I Ik Nile for the power was that win re the present Press is at lh corner of Willow and Itlvi r Sin els Thick walls still visible Mr A Storey the villages firm reeve owned the and negotiated council for their purchase fur the construe lion of the municipal power plant for nil time building construct was by HI fi I foot walls of alone IB In hen thick Stone beds were laid fir the en glut and dynamo These stone walls Mill form strong barriers in llic pnftenl Free Press plant Soon were in the Workmen trimming dees to make room for new wins the first of many such complaints over the years Ontario Hydro took over production of power for municipalities and the power plant wan sold becoming Mason Knitting Company lis owner Amos Mason was Ihe first mayor when Acton became a town The Mason family drained Corporation Pond behind the plant allowing for more slon to the back Homes hud also been plan for wife but mains vacant land Mason Knitting Company moved on and I took over and he building The company moved to Alllston about lti years ago Staff grew over decades Inl9 at Free Press was A Dills editor J Robert MneArthur who had already been the for us general foreman In charge of newspaper production David Dills was In charge of commercial printing Job presses ami other mechanical work and also Free Press photography Hartley Coles in operating and care of linotypes Wilfred Duval linotype operator and compositor Roy Kirkness hand compositor and press feeder Lawrence apprentice Mrs Ryder linotype operator Miss in charge of Ihe business office A Dills who assisted In the bindery operations ami office work James Dills who wis attending the Jour Makeup area was different when all metal type was used Today paper has taken over This photograph shows Hartley Coles and George Ware The blacksmith for the plow company Anthony Stephenson continued a black smith business until his retirement by the creek near Willow and Main St The plow factory was completely burned in a terrible fire There Shall Be Light So said the people at the ballot boxes reported the paper November 10 There were 135 votes cast on the subject of electric power for the village over a dozen cast by lady course at Ryerson Institute of Tech nology was on the staff in holiday and every weekend In addition to their regular duties near ly all members of the staff assume repor torial duties such as sports and other writ- news gathering Mr Dills wrote in 1930 Many people have been employed by the Acton Free over the years and Bob MocArthur has seen a lot of them come and Cenlennlal Section Aclon Free July 1975 Bob started at 15 On January 1927 lt year old Bob was first hired to bo a printers devil He floors washed the press etc Now years later he Is llnnlypo operator press operator compositor He has experience In handset hot type more recent cold type system of printing In Hob left the Free Press for Lllllo On his way to this neck of the woods he slopped over In Georgetown for two years where ho was a linotype opera lor In 1801 he returned ami has been with paper ever since linrlcs Matthews of Toronto recalls often old 1rouly press would be loo much for gas engine two of Ihe staff or four would flex their muscles by pulling and pushing on rocker arms lo product less than an hour He and Dills often teamed up for Ihls chore and hi also worked with Hill Coleman Johnnie Moore Cliff Percy Griffith Philip Holmes who re at Ihe Prenn during his seven year Mint One side of paper was printed on Saturday and other aide on Wodm working long Into the and no overtime Of nurse the total payroll for four only loll a week of r hours or HO hours for four of It works an average of slightly under six ills r man hour We never fell ourselves an we w leurnlng a trade and for one have Mr MnlOu wc on to liecome pari In successful Sampson Matthews printing firm In loronto Hey I remember all but Mike Many staff manners have been here a long lime iwintylive Year have- been presented it Muff parlies to Dave Dills Mrs A Dills Duval Dora Ryder and Hartley files girl of all trades In for faille a few years left to raise a family of six hut elled In lOfll at of Richard Harris the reigning dean of correspondents from Rock wood often bicycling Actun his weekly news rr port of activities In Gwendolyn I Clark wrote of Ginger Farm from her home Just of Milton for many years Employees over the century have In eluded Norm lllnlon Matthews Cm Or Kenney Victor Coleman John Moore who killed in World War Hob Stewart Michael Vincent Lloyd Forbes Campbell Cur rlo Jim McGeachlo Alex Wright Roy John and Charles Moore Clara Moore Arthur Moore Harvey Don Van Fleet Laura Dennis Violet Crossmnn Anne Mow Kny Pfaff Lawrence Al John Wright Dave Elliott Taylor Murray Scoyne Doris Art Cooper Richard son Dorothy Richard John John Black Derek Allan I In Glen Mil Whit bed Jim Greer John Mosaics Art Audrey Jim George Cook Pink Fisher Dorothy It Elliott Jo Whilham Henry and Dora Ryder Who was that fellow called Mike He was Irish Well he only worked here a week anyway And Squirt What was his real name Who we missed orgive us You know reporters We started this whole thing far too late and that minute deadline rush is here al ready People here are more than friends ibey re relatives Combinations include three people Hartley and Coles and son TimaswellasuncleCollnMacCollandcou sin Bill Sluckey and Laura and daughter Thornhlll Wilf and JoAnn Duval with daughter sister Pat South and niece Janet Marshall Bob and Lil Marshall who also claim Janet as their daughter Inlaw and his sister Charlotte Holmes couples Don and Dora Ryder until she retired last Christmas Don and Lynda McDonald and their cousins brothers Don and Cal Mclntyrc sisters Oral Norton and Audrey Gnschow Junejansen and Pat Kentner ViHcndcrs John Cunningham mother in law and Madeleine Lee The I ma Jordan and Dolores Jordan and daughter Dolores Carriers start summer of The Acton Free Press has seen many changes oer the years One of these changes which reflected the growth of the whole town was the introduction of the carrier These young and girls were first lin ed just last September to deliver the Free Press to subscribing homes in town Acton had Just been introduced lo the mail carrier system The town was split up into different routes with one carrier per route As the months have past new carriers have been hired and some have quit making the list everchanging Right now the carriers are Linda Shad- bolt Jill Moms Jackson Tom Feenstra Ellis Merle McNabb Mike Waites Debbie Thornhill Janice Bill McKeniie Brent Holmes Paul Gorjup Debbie Ricky Karen Coats Simon Bill and Robert Charlie Payne and Peter Turfcosi delivered their last paper last week Karen Coats started July 1