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Osier Estate District Showplace In 1914 OAKVILLE \ » A Good Place To Live .. .To Work .. .ToGrow In 1953, we opened our shop in Oakville with an idea. We knew that friendly dependable service could be the cornerstone of a successful future. That our idea was good, our products desirable and our business methods sound is proven by our growth. We take this opportunity to salute Oak ville on its 100th birthday because our town lives by a wonderful slogan . . . "Oakville is a good place to live, to work, to grow." W e know! CUSTOM DIE MAKING Mainline TOOL AND DIE AT THE BACK OF 582 EIGHTH LINE NORTH When Major E. F. Osier built 'become the most controversial secthis $80,000 mansion for his fam- tor in Trafalgar history. The Osier ily, away back in 1913, he couldn't Estate was right in the middle of have any way of knowing that he the long argued Shell Oil holdings, was moving onto a site that would At harvest time, many itinerant hands were on deck for long days of toil, as attested by this vener able barnyard scene. When the big barn burned in 1945, the conflag ration could be seen as far as Mil ton. These photos reflect the " days of gracious living" that older resi dents now recall with nostalgia. EARLY TOWN WAS NO SAHARA Pioneer Hotels Were Plentiful hide decorated the hotel's sitting- east of George, on ground now part of the seventies William room for many years after. occupied by the Public Library Walsh was the proprietor. About One traveller who stopped at the and a service station. Many citi 1886 William Wynns remodelled Oakville House in 1831 described it zens will remember it as a long, the building, removing the veran as being " two-stories high" , and sagging badly dilapidated rough dah and changing the name to the very commodious, being provided cast structure, almost empty. It Queen's Hotel The hotel was dis with most of the comforts and was built by William Uptegrave continued about the turn of the many of the luxuries of the pres in 1831, and for many years served century, and later the building was ent day; to which is attached a as the place for changing horses rebuilt as a butcher shop. The only temperance hotel in most excellent garden of an acre for thfl stage-coaches that ran from and a half." A bed at the hotel at Toronto to Hamilton along the Oakville was Forman's Hotel, at that time cost 7 pence, breakfast 9 Lakeshore Road. the south-west corner of George The hotel was bought in the six and Randall Street". It was open pence, and dinner and supper a total of one shilling and two pence. ties by Joseph Boon, a bricklayer ed by John Forman, a farmer Ah, Wilderness! Whisky was sold at 3% pence a and contractor who enlarged it to on the Lakeshore Road East, in An incident that occurred while gill. almost twice its original size by 1833. The men who worked on the the building was being put up building an addition to the west. construction of Temperance Hall Added Gallery serves to show that Oakville was William Johnson Sumner, who Its next owner was Duncan Olli- in 1843 used to have dinner there. very much in the wilderness at succeeded William Young as pro phant, a farmer, who purchased it Temperance House that time. While men were raising prietor after the latter's death in in 1870. In 1888 James Arno took Forman's Hotel was taken over the frame someone came running 1831 bought the hotel in 1834 and over the Royal Exchange as lessee in 1850 by Charles Davis, a shoe to the spot with the news that a made alterations to the building, and almost completely refitted it. maker, and re-named the Oakville bear had been treed by dogs a including the addition of a " large, He installed a new bar with a big Temperance House It was taken short distance away. Everyone commodious gallery." According to mirror surrounded by birds and over in 1859 by Jacub Barnes, a stopped work and rushed to the an announcement by Mr. Sumner animals, including a fox in blacksmith, who ran it under li spot, killing the animal with their it was possible from this gallery crouching position. cense with the new name of Hal axes and other tools. The bear's to see right across the lake to the Short Frontier ton County Hotel. It ceased busi A hotel that lasted for only a ness after the death of the pro town of Niagara, Brock's monu ment, the spray from Niagara short time was the Frontier House, prietor in 1868, and the building Falls, and some of the villages on established in a house at the south was moved to rhe sduth-west east corner of Navy and King corner of Colborne and George the borders of Ontario. John Williams, who took over Streets in 1853. Its first proprietor Streets. the Oakville House about 1852, was Jesse Belyea of Bronte. An added another storey to it in 1869. announcement he published stated The hotel in those days was a fav " His hotel is the largest and his orite spot for farmers bringing accommodations the best in Oak their grain into town to sell. They ville. He has spared no expense in would often entrust their money to fitting up his house for their re Williams when they retired, and ception, Coaches always in atten During the first ten years of he had a number of secret caches dance to convey passengers to and existence, Oakiille suffered a se around the building in which to from boats." After 1860 the build vere setback when Asiatic cholera hide it for safe-keeping. When the ing became a private house once swept the town and surrounding 20th Halton Battalion gathered in more. It is still in use. countryside. Oakville in the spring of 1868 for On the site of Knox Presbyterian Brought to this country by immi eight days' training, the hotel Church at Colborne and Dunn grants crowded into filthy, jam- served as officers' mess. Streets stood William O'Reilly's tavern. It was later known as Favourite Resort packed quarters of ocean vessels, Another one of Oakville's old Thomas Lloyd's Hotel. The proprie the disease spread rapidly. When it reached Upper Canada, Gover hostelries still in operation is the tor used to keep a black bear nor Colborne ordered boards of New Murray Hotel on Navy Street, chained to a pole in the yard. health established at every port, formerly the Murray House. This Sometimes the bear was fed live and with a grant of 500 pounds, large brick building, originally pigs, which it consumed to the such a board was set up for the known as the Canadian Hotel, was accompaniment of horrible noises Gore District. The local board for erected by John Williams, owner while a crowd of loafers looked the Oakville area comprised Mer of the Oakville House, and was on. Raccoons and other animals rick Thomas, William O'Reilly, opened on December 15, 1857. It were also kept on the premises. Opens With Ball William Butts, William Chisholm became a favorite resort for sum mer tourists who began to frequent This hotel was bought by George and William Uptegrave. But, in spite of all precautions Oakville from about 1870. The Baker, Oakville's first constable, which included appointment of hotel fell into disrepute in 1881 who remodelled it in 1870 and re Dr. Daniel Black as health inspect when it was operated by two wo named it the White Oak Hotel. It or for all vessels touching here, men and was the scene of drunken was re-opened with a ball on brawls. It was closed for some scores died. Dr. Black himself suc time under the Scott Act, which March 1, 1870. Baker conducted hotel until 1876. It was re cumbed to the disease, which gra was repealed in 1888. Later it be the moved when Knox Church was dually subsided only after bitter came the International Hotel. It built, about 1887. winter cold set in. Another fairly early hostelry had many different proprietors A second epidemic a year later until 1896 when Murray Williams, was the Victoria House, establish REEVE DON BATH claimed the lives of another score nephew of the original owner, ed by John Wray in 1860, in a Trafalgar residents will share of local residents, as such unique bought it and changed its name house on the north-west corner of the celebrations of next week with remedies as charcoal in a glass of to the Murray House. Mr. Williams Colborne and Dunn Streets. One their Oakville neighbours, and water failed to have beneficial ef operated the hotel for 40 years. Sunday afternoon Protestant sail Reeve Don Bath and his fellow fect. This epidemic brought about Central Site ors and Roman Catholics engaged councillors voted a financial contri the establishment of the first hos A hotel which vanished from in a bitter fight outside the Vic bution to the Centennial cause. pital here, which was in charge the scene many years ago was the toria House with axe-handies as " It's a community project that of a young Scot named John Royal Exchange, that stood on the the principal weapons, and many makes for fun and good fellow Urquhart. south side of Colborne Street iust were injured. During the greate*- ship," says Mr. Bath. It will probably come as a sur prise to many that Oakville's first hotel is still a going concern, after more than a century and a quarter. The Oakville Hotel, at the north east corner of Colborne and Navy Streets is as old as the community itself. It was built in the winter of 1827-8 by William Young, its first proprietor, under an arrangement with the owner of the property, Col. William Chisholm. Oakville's founder. TO OAKVILLE on your Cholera Epidemic Was Early Blow To Town Growth 100th BIRTHDAY For Halton Good Neighbours Play Their Parts Halton Paving and Contracting pay their tribute to a great Canadian Town . . . OAKVILLE. Paving and Contracting and Oakville have come down through the years maintaining the highest standards and traditions for which there are no substitutes. In paying tribute to Oakville at this significant time of their 100th anniversary we are proud to have located in this fine town. Municipal Contractors PAVING and CONTRACTING Co. Ltd. EI GHTH LI NE NORTH HALTON