View of the Original Trafalgar Township Hall and Ogden's Ice Cream Booth, pre-1949
Description
- Media Type
- Image
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- This photograph is taken on the south side of Dundas, looking east over Seventh Line (now known as Trafalgar Road). The photographer is standing in front of the store, gas station and ice cream booth (called Ogden's) owned by Bob Fairman in the 1950s.
The photographer is on the southwest corner of the intersection, in front of the two-storey central building which was the original Post's Inn. Post's Corners was one of the first hamlets in Trafalgar Township. It was located at the intersection of what is now Trafalgar Road (Seventh Line) and Dundas Street, Oakville, Ontario. The Post family owned the land on two corners of the intersection, purchased ca 1806 and 1816, resulting in the village name, "Post's Corners". As of 1858, the hamlet was known as Postville.
Thanks to the research of Michelle Knoll, we know that the Post family built the Post's Inn in 1818 (Lot 13 1 SDS). The stage coach started in the 1820's with 2 coaches running daily from Toronto to Dundas, the village just north of Hamilton. Mail was the primary business of the coaches, passengers as well. Postville being a changing station for the horses, there was also a large stable. A second stable was later added on the north side of Dundas to accommodate up to 50 horses. The Inn was first run by Ephraim Post.
It had 5 fireplaces. There was a shed behind the Inn which stored items of the local militia for military drills. Much local business was done at the Inn. There are records of ward elections taking place there until at least 1852.
For a short time during the temperance movement, the hotel was a temperance hotel. By 1833, coaches were using the Lakeshore road and steamships were running to Hamilton, thus reducing the need for the Dundas stage coaches. When the railway started in the 1840s, the Inn was less important. Son Hiram took over management in 1841. At this time, a two-storey addition was added across the front.
The 1857 Tremaine's map shows the property was owned by Benjamin Thompson. James Young was running the Inn in 1876 when George Baker took over and remained until his death. This complex was owned by Bob Fairman in the 1950s.
Jordan Munn first owned the land on the north-east corner of the intersection (Lot 12 Con 1 NDS) from 1813-1816. It then came to be owned by by the Post family, first Ephraim Post from 1816-1883. From 1883 to 1948, Thompson E.S. Post owned the land, and from 1948 to 1979, it was owned by Frederick J. Post. S.S.#3 was built on this corner in the 1820s (and later moved to Burnhamthorpe Road near Sniders Corners). The Post family home on the northeast corner was torn down in 1965.
This photograph was taken before 1949. Behind the Ogden's ice cream shack, the car and man, you can see the first Trafalgar Township Hall - the brick two-storey building. It faced north to Dundas, running lengthwise down along 7th Line. It was originally built as a store in 1847 when the Dundas Highway was heavily used as a travel route between Toronto and Dundas, Ontario.
When the new 1949 building was erected, it sat on an angle, facing to the intersection. A link to a photograph of the municipal councillors in the new building is provided in this record for your further information as well as a clearer photo of the old building, and another of the store/garage complex. The Hall site is still marked with a plaque describing the hall.
The original served as a community center for the rural population, and hosted dances or other events such as Don and Donna McAlpine's wedding reception in 1953, as well as being the centre of the municipal council.
The site is still marked with a plaque describing the hall. - Notes
- Historical information in this record has been provided by Town of Oakville Heritage Planner, Carolyn Van. Sligtenhorst and Trafalgar Township Historical Society founder, Michelle Knoll, in May 2016.
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Ogden. Ezekiel Post, 1771-1838. Ephraim Post, 1776-1851. Hiram Post, 1803-1860. Jordan Daniel Munn, 1809-1892. James Young. George Baker. Robert Fairman. Thompson E.S. Post, 1856-1889. Frederick J. Post, 1886-1978.
- Local identifier
- TTOIRMW0007
- Collection
- Trafalgar Township Historical Society
- Language of Item
- English
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.4849046171807 Longitude: -79.7204398730469
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- View of the Original Trafalgar Township Hall and Ogden's Ice Cream Booth, pre-1949
- Contact
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
