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THE BLESSINGER FARM In 1881 Henry Blessinger purchased 40 acres of farmland, stretching north from Aldershot corner to the C. N. R. [CNR, C.N.R.] tracks, on the west side of the Waterdown Road. He was of German birth, coming to America at the age of 7 years from the village of Bensheim, and bearing the name Heinrich Bloesinger. As a young man he worked a rented farm on the Dundas road across from the Binkley property, all of which is now a part of West Hamilton. His oldest son was 16 years old, when he moved his family to Aldershot. Later, (1892) he bought land on Maple Ave. for his two older sons, Harry and Fred. This land now is owned by the Thorpe brothers, grandsons of Edwin Thorpe, an Englishman who also was an early Aldershot settler. Henry Blessinger's youngest son Roy lived at home and worked with his father. They raised fruits and vegetables and were the first in the district to grow tomatoes. In order to market a quantity, they made three trips each week to Guelph, driving a team and wagon. During the summer months a group of men and women came from the Indian Reserve at Brantford to live on the farm and help harvest the crops. In winter Henry and his son Roy operated a coal business from the C.N.R. station. In the fall of 1909 an epidemic of typhoid fever swept through Aldershot and Roy Blessinger was the first fatal case. The disease was traced to Toronto Exhibition water supply. Dr. McGregor of Waterdown and his son Ken, who had just graduated from Toronto Medical School, were in charge of these cases. Later Ken became the well-known surgeon J. K. McGregor at Hamilton General Hospital and organized the famous McGregor Clinic on Main Street East. In the spring of 1910 Henry Blessinger sold his farm to Ed. Taylor of Hamilton and retired to live in Burlington. A few years after that Alan Lemon bought the farm and built houses on the Plains Road frontage. His son Clifford lived in the big frame house. Howard Sand and Gravel Co. removed topsoil and buildings and are the present day owners. Aldershot School. At the two-room school which is now a garage at Plains Road and Howard Road, Mr. Wm. [William] Stuart was principal and teacher of the senior room for 40 years. Henry Blessinger's half-sister Caroline Fox taught the junior room in 1893 and 1894. She later became the third wife of G. W. S. Johnson, writer of "When You and I were Young Maggie." Mary Law, of Hamilton, followed her as teacher and in 1900 married Roy Blessinger. The Hendrie horses were a great source of interest to the school children. They loitered on their way to watch the training at the race track, on the South West corner of Unsworth and Plains roads. When the Hendrie family was in residence in the big white house just across the road, many house parties were held. The children were allowed to stand and watch the riders and phaeton pass the school. In 1930 Mary Blessinger, youngest daughter of Roy came to teach at Fairfield School, which takes the place of the old school. She is now on the Toronto Staff and is the only living grandchild to bear the Blessinger name. Methodist Churches The two Methodist churches West Plains and East Plains were located on the sites of the present United Churches. The Minister lived in the parsonage at Freeman, and