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Old Buildings in Newcastle art•f ur eri ag - MM -sol cour 1 tous WC BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3,1976 SECTION TWO Band Expresses Appreciation to Marathon Donors The members of the B.H.S. Band wish to express their appreciation to Hoopers tro- phies, Hoopers Jewellers, I.D.A. Drugstore, Jury and Lovell Drug Store, Franks Variety, Frederick's Pharm- acy, Rickaby's, Jeffery's Superette, Liberty General, Dominion, A & P, I.G.A., Lander Hardware, McGregor ir Not The photos on this page show three local buildings as they appeared in sketches drawn for the 1878 Northumberland and Durham Atlas. Along with each of the artist's drawings is a picture of the structure as it stands today. Though it was -. relatively easy task to track down information about the mill in Hampton, the history of the two residences remains something of a mystery. Shown above is the former Elliott Mill in Hampton which has been bought (and will be preserved) by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. The Elliott Mill as it appeared in 1 78. Jabez H. Elliott, a grandson of its founder, wrote and published a brief history of the mill in 1937. According to his account, the cost of labour to build the milI in 1851 was $50 per year per man. Though the artist may have taken some liberties when he drew his sketches for the atlas. back in 1878, the similarities are obvious. Some structural changes have been made to this home on Concession St. East since the time it was owned by George G. Mann a century ago. The present owner is Mr. Ken rtin. - By Liz Armstrong Ia a nation-wide campaign over the past few months, the Kinsmen of Canada worked diligently to promote Heritage Day as a statutor holiday for all Canadians. A federal bil to establish the annual February break managed to gain second reading in the House of Commons but more pressing government business edged ir aside. At the federal level we missed out this year. How- ever, the Bowmanville Kins- men succeeded in giving the idea some much needed publicity by ersuadin ayor Garnet Ricard to lend his support to the campaign. Late in January, he declared February 16th to be Heritage Day in the Town of Newcastle. That day has come and gone--and it was probably just another Monday to most people in the area. Though nearly three weeks have gone by since that official date, the Statesman decided that a brief look at part of our heritage was in order, not only for posterity, but to make certain that we get a head start on next year. (We don't want to risk missing that holiday again.) Actually, the photos that accompany this story were taken mlenty of time to be publishe in the Februa11th issue, but for the sake of addi ngsome background de- tail about the old mill in Hampton, a brief phone call was made to a knowledgeable local historian (Stu Canier by name). That led to an interest- ing fact-finding excursion to Hampton, suburban Black- stock and the Bowmanville library. Three weeks later, here we are. (Anyone who has ad- ditional information about the other two photos better wait till '77--the editor wants this story before spring.) THE ELLIOTT MILL It turns out that a brief history of the mill in Hampton was written by Jabez H. Elliott and one of the few remaining copies belonged to two obligîn Hampton ladies who loane us their inform- ation for awhile. According to that brief publication, the mill's founder Henry Elliott learned the trade in Buck's Mills, Devon- shire before he emigrated to Canada in 1831. Travelling via P.E.I Quebec and Kingston, Mr. Elliott eventually dis- embarked at Smith's Creek (now Port Ho pe) and began work at the John D. Smith Mills in that villa ge. In 1939 he moved to Darling- ton and worked for Bowman and Company under the man- agement of John Simpson. While still working as a miller there, Mr. Elliott moved the frame of the mill out to the west bank of the Hampton Creek. During 1841 the machinery was brought from Cobourg and the mill- stone from Port Hope. After a tub wheel had been installed for power, the mill began operation in 1841 with a capacity of 40-50 barrels a day. .During 1841 the mach- inery was brought from Co- bourg and the millstone from Port Hope. After a tub wheel had been installed for power, the mill began oper-ation in 1841 with a capacity of 40-50 barrels a day. Henry Elliott began with a grist miii, and then e added a saw mill to manufacture the necessary lumber for buildin the flour mill, his house and houses for workmen and their families. Hampton sounded like a busy place in those days. According to Jabez, the Hampton Creek supplied enough water power between 1840 and 1856 to support "One tannery, two saw mills, one grist mill, one mill for full cloth and one woollen mill. They were all in or within a mile of the village. Along the creek using water for indust- :ial purposes were also two cooper shops, two wagon shops and soon afterward a pump shop and a cheese actory.1 "This small mill served its purpose until 1851," Jabez continues. "At certain seasons it ran day and night. At first, most of the corn and wheat for gristing was brought in by ox team and it served farmers not only from Darlington but from Cartwright and Manvers as well, some of those more 'distant requiring two days and a night for a trip of 15 or 20 miles." When the time came to construct a larger mill to re lace the original structure, Mr. Elliott chose a new site on the east side of the creek. Little did he know that the new mill "with four or five run of stone" would still be standing on the same spot 125 years later. The year was 1851. In 1860, a new waterwheel was installed and along with it a new flume and head race were constructed. That decade there were also other chan es and additions, includ- ing t e buildin& of the north entrance on Miii Street and the installation of a new hopper scale just to the left of the entrance. Henry Elliott's son Thomas succeeded his father in the mill and he carried on the family business until the year 1910. This wooden house in Enniskillen now belongs to the Richard Howe family, and has remained much the same as it was when it belonged to Richard Sylvester back in 1878. According to the atlas, Mr. Sylvester owned the Agricultural Works in Enniskillen back then and was a manufacturer of "broad cast seeders, straw cutters, fanning mills, sulky horse rakes, stump machines, plows and gang plows." That year he sold the mill to Charles Horn who had been his head- milersince 1880- Together, Charles and bis son Edgar operated the mill for another 25 years. Between 1936 and 1956 the mill changed hands four times. George Farncombe, who bought the mill in June, 1936 later sold it to Herbert Metcalf. In 1948 Cecil Lock- wood became the proprietor and it passed into the hands of its last private owner, John, Burrows, in 1956. These days Mr. Burrows can be found working on a new project--finishing the con- struction of a new retirement home south of Blackstock. Two weeks ago, he took a few minutes away from his carpentry shop in the base- ment to talk about his ex-- periences at the Hampton Mill. Back n 1956 when Mr. Burrows purchased the miii, he knew nothing of the trade. He had worked at General Motors in Oshawa for 19 years and when hie saw an advertise- ment in the paper offering the mill for sale, he decided it was time he tried his hand at something different. With a twinkle in his eye, Mr. Burrows recalled that his years as a miller were "fun while they lasted" but his description of some of the work at the mill sounded like a great deal of hard effort. When he took over the Hampton business it was in need of several alterations, and his first task was to jack u the structure and replace t e sagging footings with cement. In the process, he accidentally buried a water- wheel and the old stone grist wheels under the three inches of cement. Trying to keep up pro- duction of the miii wbile repairs were underway was a real challenge for Mr. Bur- rows. At one point he convert- ed the mill to deisel turbines for a three week period while the waterwheel was changed. In 1964, there were enough demands from local farmers to support a seed plant which is a process of sorting various kinds of rain to produce an even grae. His biggest run in the seed plant wouid start on March 12th and continue until the 24th of May. Mr. Burrows also spent a .ot of time experimentîng with the feed mixes he produced for local farmers. Like Colonel Sanders and his Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe, the Hampton miller developed a "special, secret blend of ingredients" for horse feed and the formula was appar- ently so successful that it was also served up to calves, ducks dairy cattle and sheep. (The pig population found it a little too coarse to please their palates.) There were mishaps too. In April, 1969 while Mr. Burrows was unloading a transport trailer, a hand truck with 500 pounds of feed on it slipped and came down on top of him. His leg was broken ~in three places and for several months after that he ran theseed plant on crutches. Future is Assured Though many other familiar. landmarks in the area have disappeared over the past few years, the future of the mill in Hampton seems assured. In August, 1974, Mr. Burrows sold the property to the Central Lake Ontario Conser- vation Authority. Though the ageney's budget has been cut this year, some funds have been allotted to u grade the exterior of the structure. The sidings on the south and west of the mill will be replaced with wood that is identcal to the original mater- ial. Later on, when more money becomes available, the Con- servation Authority will com- plete the exterior repairs and un rove the interior of the m in anticipation of running it as an educational centre. Accordin to Bob Allen of the C.L.O.C.A., one feasible alternative is to operate the main floor of the building as a floor mill for one or two days a week in the summertime and convert the other floors for use as a museum. He emphasized that the mill pond wil1 not be drained. After 125 years theIWmpton- mill lives on. With the tremendous changes that have been forecast for the Town of Newcastle in the next few decades, it's reassuring to know that this small part of our heritage can stake its claim alongside any future development that may occur in the years to come. It may not be long before Bowmanville Jaycees will be easily recognized at com- munity functions. The unit agreed Feb. 18 to proceed with having vests and crests designed, available optionally to members., duns Neeq Why the town is in need of three building inspectors is a question renewed by Coun. Ken Lyall Monday during the finance committee meeting. Coun. Lyall, chairman of the committee, suggested during 1976 budget discussions that the town is not in need of three inspectors and it is time someone told the third to start looking for another job. Replying to Coun. Lyall's expressed opinion, Mayor Garnet Rickard questioned if he wished the situation to return to what it was prior to the formation of the town where many buildings were not inspected or at least not properly. Coun. Lyall suggested that for the past two years such employees have been having an easy time of it but that now, with attempts to cut budgets or at least keep them within the eight per cent guidelines, "everybody is going to work harder." Coun. Lyall also suggested that on the basis of the number of new homes completed in Bowmanville but not occu- pied, he is somewhat doubtful of the expected development taking place and therefore claims three building in- spectors would rî.t be re- quired. He asked Coun. Ivan Hobbs how many inspectors Bow- manville had previously and was advised there were two. He was further advised, however, that Darlingtonand Clarke also- had one each, making a, total of four in- spectors c vering the same area now done by three. Coun. Hobbs could not support Coun. Lyall's concern indicating that he could only see that a review of the cost of building permits might be necessary to make the depart- ment pay for itself more so than at present. Coun. Kirk Entwisle sug- gested that the two industrial structures presently going up in the southeast industrial park of Bowmanville could easily occupy the time of one inspector alone without the inspection of housing devlop- ments that are also taking place. Mayor Rickard insisted that the department provided an important protection service to present residents by insur- ing that new structures meet the town's standards. Hardware, Carters Bakery, Glen Rae Dairy and The Canadian Statesman for their donations to the band's dance marathon. Approximately 60 people started and 30 of them danced for the whole 24 hours. Proceeds of an estimated $600. will go towards the Band's trip to Florida in March. pector ded-Lya Il There was a suggestion that permit charges for housing should be increased to cover the department's cost of inspection but that for in- dustrial development they should not be too heavily weighted as it is the income source of the residents and should therefore be somewhat subsidized by the taxpayers. Coun. Lyall insisted further that if the department is to pay for itself then expenses should be kept as low as possible so the revenue will produce a surplus that can be used elsewhere. He indicated that the in- dustries are the ones with the money to pay higher charges for building permits. The matter was left in the hands of Clerk Joe McIlroy, Treasurer Joe Descent and the building inspector to come up with a proposal for changes in the permit charges. Sing-ers Win Two Events The Oshawa Festival Sing- ers won two events in the Toronto Kiwanis Musical Festival. The Festival Singers competed in two categories, girls' choirs 20 years of age and under, three part, the pieces being "Sing of a Maiden" by Norman Gilbert, for which the choir was awarded the verv rare mark of 90, and "Sing a Song of Sixpence," which earned a mark of 88. The total of 178 was the highest mark of the day. In the afternoon, the choir again performed in the class for 10 years of age and under, two part, singing "The Moon" by William Pearson, and "The Seagulls" by Eric Thiman. The first received a mark of 86, and the second 89. Peter Stevenson, the ad- judicator, who is here from England, said that this was a choir of musical distinction, with a beautifully liquid tone, and excellent pitch. In the Thiman number he said he could feel every move of the flight of the seagulls. He especially complimented the contralto section and also the soloist in the Norman Gilbert piece, Monica Cotton. Win Trophies in Legion Public Speaking Contest First, second and third place trophies were presented here Feb. 22 to the winners of the annual Legion Public Speaking Contest. Back row, from the left, are Les Bell of Courtice Secondary, Susan Hart of CSS, and Andrew Sproatt of Bowmanville Senior Public. Centre are Carol Judd of Hobbs Senior, Pat Edwards of Hobbs Senior, Gail Heard of CSS, Starr Ferrill of BHS and Susan Pleasance of CSS, and Nancy Rietmuller of BHS. In front are Denise Pedwell of Lockhart's Public and Janine Gossman of Courti South. Absent, Tim Preston. The winners were selected ii four categories from a total of 38 speakers. -Photo by Doug Taylo