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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 11, 2016 | 18 History buff recants history of Village of Merton for TTHS by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Area residents got a glimpse of their community's past during a presentation about the Village of Merton, hosted by the Trafalgar Township Historical Society (TTHS) Wednesday evening. The event was held at the Old Palermo Schoolhouse and featured research by Milton history buff Dave Hobden, who spoke about what life would have been like when the small village of Merton was founded in Oakville in 1810. Station Road and Lower Middle Road Merton's boundaries were from present day Burloak Drive to Third Line and from the railway tracks north to Upper Middle Road. The intersection of Bronte Road (originally called Station Road) and the QEW (formerly Lower Middle Road) was the centre of Merton. According to the TTHS, the community didn't actually take on the name Merton until its post office opened in 1852. The name is believed to commemorate the English hometown of British Navel Hero Lord Horatio Nelson, but no one knows for sure. "By 1852, Dundas Street would have been passable by horse-drawn carriage," said Hobdon. "Carriages would have been mainly responsible for transporting people, but they also carried the mail. Back then, nobody had electricity so the post office was the only source of communication, the only way other than a face-to-face meeting, to say something to someone." ADDITIONS: Design, Permits, Construction EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS: Windows, Wood Siding, Stucco, Stone, Roofing INTERIOR RENOVATIONS: Interior Design, Kitchens, Basements, Flooring, Painting History buff Dave Hobden spoke about the history of the Village of Merton at a meeting hosted by the Trafalgar Township Historical Society (TTHS) Wednesday at the Old Palermo Schoolhouse. | photo by David Lea ­ Oakville Beaver COMPLETE RENOVATIONS Hobden said postage was very expensive and getting a letter across the ocean in 1812 would have cost the equivalent of $250. Tree canopy so thick, ground was muddy The TTHS said the roads in Merton were nothing more than narrow dirt tracks and the tree canopy back then was so thick, the ground saw little sunlight and remained muddy. In its heyday, there were about 50 buildings in Merton including a school, a blacksmith shop, post office, sawmill, gristmill (a mill for grinding grain), coal merchant, hotel and stagecoach stop, railway station, cemetery and church. The area was also home to orchards and farms. Several schools were built The school was originally constructed with logs, but in 1857, a brick building was erected. This structure was demolished to make way for the highway and another school opened in 1923. It closed in 1968. The TTHS said Sir Thomas White, Canada's finance minister during the First World War, attended the Merton school. see Devil's Pool on p.22 · LICENSED · CERTIFIED · PROFESSIONAL & RELIABLE 905.334.0445 www.eastviewhomes.ca SAVE Vehicle Maintenance CONCRETE BIG Sp ecial * $ I ncludes: 69. 95 * Plus taxes. A p p l i e s to m o s t cars & light trucks. ExposEd aggrEgatE (pebble) · Complete Vehicle Inspection ­ brakes, steering, suspension, lights, belts, uids and more, plus a Digital Vehicle Repor t Card · Oil and lter change ­ **up to 5L of oil (synthetics, gaskets, environmental fee a re e x t r a ) · Batter y & alternator test for cold season · Top up all uids *These ser vice items retail for over $276.75 if purchased separately Book your a p p o i nt m e nt today · DRIVEWAYS · FRENCH CURBS · PATIOS · STEPS · WALKWAYS · GARAGE FLOORS uality At Its Best! Call Fernando FREE ESTIMATES (289) 203-0752 Eastside Auto Service 573 Char twell Rd. Oakville eastsideautoser vice.ca (289) 201-3562 Fourth Line Auto Service 559 Speers Rd. Oakville 4thlineauto.com 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 www.concretetrimmings.com www