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Church is dead but memory still lives The Acton Free Press Wednesday Nov 29 1978 by Jennifer The Brick Church is and has been for nearly GO years but it lives on in the hearts of a few One of Ihem Orwell John remembers going to Sunday School in the little brick church properly called SlluQm Methodist He reminisces about travelling up the First Line from his family farm behind a trotting horse The Johnston family take Highway to reach the comer of Highway and Town boundary where the church was situated There were no paved high ways in 1909 he horse would travel his fam iliar route from First Line along a now long gone beside Harry Murray form to Town boundary and Second Line Many local families sup ported Church founded in recognizable names such as Allan Leslie Snyder Cleave McKeown Near Mann Lambert Johnston and Gamble Clarence Gamble another Acton rcsidtnl brought up in the brick church believes the founding fathers included grandfather of Gordon Leslie Snyder Robert Johnston and John Gamble his own grandfather According to Acton s Farly Days a town history published by the Acton Free Press in Snyder a local built the church It was known as the Brick Church being the only one for miles around made of brick When the church was in the early by J Mackenzie the brick was used to face one of the Johnson residences Orwell remembers John son father bought it The church was closed in 1919 when most of the congregation had dispersed many of them joining Trinity Church in Acton The land was later sold and now sports two bungalow houses The residence of Mr and Mrs Roger White now stands on the spot where once stood Church happy place By our standards very little money was raised by the or less families who supported the church averaging in contributions for the years 1898 to 1909 But at the turn of the century a dollar was quite amount of money The church was a happy plate it would seem with an enthusiastic Sunday School membership Mr Johnston remembers being taught by Mrs Albert mother of our present He loved the although they were very different from present day Sunday School Verses had to be mem the bible studied and each day text absorbed Competition for picture cards was keen Both Clarenct and Orwell enjoyed their Sunday School lavs although the maintain they were well behaved boys not getting into mischief When you went to church you stayed put you were seen and not heard remembers Mr Mr Johnson adds I had to behave I hid a strict father If I let a hjmn book fall he would take me out and lick I REAL ESTATE BROKER THE PRICE IS RIGHT ID ACRES HOME bedrooms storoy homo ground level lam room el Pond end stool bo LARGEST HOME lont i on lovof lam room I washrooms Callmolovow ft ACRE COUNTRY bod homo I replace am Vary good country Cat maw vow ACRES CONTEMPORARY HOME homo la no I stall hwso bam super or trued Open for your Possb of Odd hobby soot low cos ACRES bungalow ly room ate Trees large Melissa Johnston included Jennie Allan Allan Allan Lena Allan Myrtle Allan Hubert Allan Allan I- red and Myrtle Mann The worth 1caguc of Christian Endeavor was formed In 1694 was a people group but Mr Gamble refers to the meet ingb as a sparking place His father William Gamble was the leader of tins discussion and social group Built Snyder Apparently the Siloam Church originated from a revival meeting held in a beech and maple grove across from the Churchill bury i ground so Dills remembers in Acton Early Days A church society was formed and Mr Snyder started the building job on the corner of John Sharp farm completing the stone driving shed first He and his wife lived in a couple of temporary rooms in the shed while the rest of the building took place during the summer of Church members and friends helped hauling stone and materials having shingling bee for the roof Mrs John to the entire before the opening ceremonies but unfortunately a heavy cold doing it and died a few weeks later Her funeral was the first held in the ehurch Clarence Gamble tell of the through his At one point storm blew the roof off flattened the driving sheds Thi itlon clubbed together repaired the da within a few days but Orwell Johnston feels the si t go downhill from then on Siloam Chureh was part of the Georgetown Methodist I piseopal circuit in the s it vKHtmn became part of the circuit and finally was joined to Mills and Crewsons Corners Dissipation When the Union of Methodist churches took place in 1684 there was some discussion concerning closing the brick church only a mile from the larger Acton church However public pressure kept It open until 1919 when war had decimated he ranks of the clergy It became in hard to staff the church services were held only twice a month families moved and dissipated some Joining the enthusiastic Acton congregation Reluctantly the little Brick Church was closed to be torn down some years later But the church will live in the memory of people like Orwell Johnston and his wife Elsie who as a girl moved across the road from the church In the year of Its closing and married one of Its former members and In men like Clarence Gamble who has records of the church carefully preserved These people keep the story alive far your children and mine Metier to our Iuther As I watch you now dad struggling through your therapy and trying to will some life into the heavy leg my thoughts go back over the years to another time long long ago I was very young then and almost every Sunday we would board the streetcar and begin the familiar trip to our special place We headed right for the back of the streetcar so you could tell us your own and we could laugh is much as we wanted without arousing too much curiosity When streetcar reached the end of the line we d all pile out excitedly and wail outside he drugstore while you bought one bottle of pop for us to Cheap cheap we would taunt knowing well that those few of linger ale in a field of wild daisies would bring more pleasure than any champagne in a fairyland castle We can still smell the woods as we along in single file singing loudly or listening for unfamiliar sounds held many mysteries and you hinted that perhaps we meet a wildcat or even see Goldilocks if we were cry When our little legs were aching and we La oo lowly lot cm GO ran w il 12cnar repljce has 00 ft to pl located house boasls 3 loom la Ivngroom inly rooi 22 and second wo si room plus is a wo and 10 a on go boomed to 21 g Call lor could walk no farther we sit down and eagerly eat the tasty sandwiches prepared by mom who was at home enjoying the emptiness of the house and the Book of the Month special Remember the day the sky suddenly darkened and rain began to fall with in creasing force We found an old barn and watched the lightning flash through the trees and listened to the rain beating upon the thatched roof Then the sun would creep through the clouds and we d run through the wet grass to the river The is polluted they say in Toronto but we recall the cool clear water rippling over our tired feet as we searched for polliwogs and rare water One you swam to the other side and waved us and we started if mid you wouldn come back Going home the trip took on new dimensions as two or three plump Utile louts hopped through the streetcar window to he horror of the other passengers Never mind you said we catch more next time We A arrive home- throoughly exhausted sunburned and totally content to be ted the delicious or beef slew pie MR AND MRS ORWELL Johnston look over one of the early financial statements of the Brick Church properly called Siloam Church This small Methodist church existed at the corners of Highway 25 and Town Boundary Line from 1862 to Dr Blair Shaw to chair Renaissance Commission to hi like How lucky we these ilow few are the children who drift to slcepon isummerevening wllhthesongof the blackbird suiting in their heart You whose childhood wis less than happy made ours a magic place Love Diane Paul and David 11ns letter his been specially requested shire with you shire with us others whit God his done fur at or writing Box Ontario Blur Shaw a widely known psychologist has been appointed chairman of Renaissance Commission on it was announced Tuesday by Rev Ken Camp bell president of sauce International sponsor The was made it i special reception at the Holiday Inn Shaw said the Commis is not limited to the philo sophic religious or of any special roup He and the sioners are said to represent i wide of views con geographic origins Hex Campbell said the aims of commission are to identify understand and in finding practical to the current pro blems toeing families in areas of the of children To this end he sud commission shall he holding hearings in all Canada Ever effort will be made to receive written oral prcsenta tuns in language pre ferred by individuals or groups appearing or writing will include telephone system which person mike infor comments and surest ions in his own in part of Through the pro cedures used by the sun person be he par or child shall lie iccorded dignity and their and urns shall be Blair Shaw respected he added Shaw said it is not a co incidence the si on s mandate extends through 1979 the Inter national Year of the Child as designated by the United Nations The basic agreement with the resolution to the ideals of the traditional family unit as the most social climate in which the child may flourish and mature Into creative adult hood Shaw has recently com a book entitled The Parent School Book which he said is a handbook for par on how to deal effectively and constructively with the public school system It is a stepby step guide on how to assure that public schooling Is responsive to parental priorities This Is subject about which both Shaw and Campbell have been interested for some time and led to the creation of 1S74 of the Renaissance movement founded by Campbell St Josephs sale sees many winners Services Winners of prizes at St Joseph s bazaar Saturday were Raggedy Ann and Andy with purse Mrs Shirley Snyder Holy Family Statue Mrs Cake draw Miss Jessie Cotes Tea table centre piece Mrs C Beaton Churchill Penny Sale Winners green cream and sugar Dawn Welch bath salts Connie Mc Crista II dish Roy Topelko basket Marzo nylons Mrs Mary Smith brown cream and sugar Diane Handy glasses and tea towels serviette holder with salt and pepper Jean Precious green powder and cologne DodieMcGllloway Tote bag Mary Pa pi lion gift jams M Elliott candle and holder Joan Tyers glasses and jug Mrs necklace Louise custard dishes Cavanagh knitted gloves Tim candle R Fountain Tea towels and pot holders Mrs Schroeder pillow slips Mary Dunn bridge set Verna glasses and mugs Sandra us tare cups Mark Jennings candy dish and Avon Mrs C Cristall printed table cloth Jean Reed white table cloth Mary Raggedy Anr doll M Watson candy dish M Watson Attract bod room brick end a urn 1 homo no lot north of located In of town to schools and si till roc room and f replaces Asking only Co Owner sonioi and odors COMPLETE TRAINING CENTRE bo ndoor tin pool st FULLY AUTOMATED DAIRY FARM NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST frontage South of Rd Eccl form land Go I and Country Club 190 S3 on acre it Good Don I For all your real estate needs you can be JUNE WARNER REAL ESTATE LIMITED MILTON Steeles Avenue Milton TORONTO CHURCHILL PRESBYTERIAN THECHURCHOF COMMUNITY ST ALBANTHE CHURCH MARTYR IN CANADA ThBRv J L KNOX CHURCH low Si and5t ARjfln A BO Rev Leonard Ewmfl and Mr MeFadden Factor A Rev AndowH McKsniw Box B A Mnater Mrs Frank Phono Mr A Hanson A floras and Choir Manor Sunday Doc 3 1978 Sunday Dec 3 ADVENT SUNDAY 11 m SorvcoofWoshn Sunday Doc 3 or 00 am Church School or Grades 30 Clinch School 11 00 am Worship Address by vols ran missionary Ida Wh to of ACTON BAPTIST EVANGEL PENTECOSTAL Sorvfco in a Lunch IStMtEsit lowshlp Hour follow no founded 1M2 Evoryono Most Pastor Das Sydney Dry Church phono Sunday Dec 3 1978 UNITED CHURCH CI st on on an Man in Worship OF CANADA TUESDAY TRINITY CHURCH ACTON TUESDAY 7 FarrtlyNnht WEDNESDAY Or GaorrjoEllott WEDNESDAY a Mom ng bio Study MA PhD m Lndos MAPLE AVENUE m Choir Sunday Doc 1978 BAPTIST CHURCH 177 Ave Sunday Dec 3 1978 Morn Worship Sunday School Michel Sunday Doc Sunday School On by and Cnro m Sunday MorrnnWorhip Bus Transportation 8382330 MomngWorshp Chlldrons Church The family that SALVATION ARMY Translation for Doaf m Evonlng prays together stays together Gospol Sorvlco 1 bo hold In Unitod Church Acton ovary Sun day through Nursery at alt cos boys rls- clubs Telephone or The of EvsnQsllcal Churches In Canada JULIE CONROY seems to be enjoying herself at the St Josephs Church bazaar Mrs helping sell some of the trinkets