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16 The Canadian Statesman, Bowman ville, January 31,1990 *Wene 'Pwotct fo 6c ^ocwiMWiMe^oo&tenb First School Located on Liberty Street The first school in Bow- manville is said by J.B. Fair- bairn in his "History and Reminiscences of Bowmanville" Bowmanville" to have been a log structure where the Registry Registry Office now stands, on Liberty St. North. This is also the site of Bowman- ville's Forestree Place Senior Senior Citizens apartments. Next was a frame building building raised on cedar blocks in the present downtown core, near Dykstra's Delicatessen. The land was given by Charles Bowman with the stipulation that the building should be used by an religious religious denomination wishing to hold meetings .there. Township meetings were also held there when Bow- manville was still under township jurisdiction. The seats in this old school were in tiers, three rows high, around three sides with the teacher's desk at the south end and floor space in the centre. Additional Additional benches were placed on the centre space. The wind howled under the building and snow sometimes sometimes came in through the cracks in the walls, but a big stove fed by plenty of wood kept the. pupils fairly warm. Equipment was very meagre and books scarce. In 1856, the old Union School was established on the site of the present Central Central Public School. It combined combined two public schools then in existence and a high (or Grammar) school which was in its infancy, having run spasmodically since 1851. The Union School of brick, was an enlargement of the then town hall, a wing being built on either side of the central portion. It was a good looking structure judging judging by pictures. The town jail used to be underneath. A new town hall was later built on the comers of Church and Temperance St. There were three rooms in the grammar or high school. Grammar schools were taken over by the government government in 1853 and later became public high schools. In a directory for 1857, five teachers are listed plus a music teacher, M. Los- combe, for the whole school. How many rooms were in the public school portion of the Union School is not known, but three outstanding outstanding teachers are mentioned by Bert Hutcheson of Port Perry, a pupil of this school in the 1880's. One was a strict disciplinarian who used his "pointer" oyer a pupil's pupil's shoulders when he thought necessary; Miss Hester Moorcraft, who taught for 40 years and was beloved by all; the Principal, Albert Barber, was also known as "Comet". He had a flowing red beard, was a good teacher and kept good order. The school burned down on September 12, 1887 and some people said the fire was not accidental, the complaints complaints having been strong regarding the condition of the building. It was prohibited by law for new schools to be a combination combination of high.and public schools by this time. In 1889 the Central arid South Ward public schools were erected and also a high school on Queen Street. Official opening opening of public and high iooIs was in .1890. Tne sc combined cost of Central and South Ward Schools, including including furniture was $25,095.00. R. D. Davidson was principal, John Lyle was chairman of the Board. Citizens opposed the expense expense of building a high school. They were asked to vote on a by-law aùthorizing it, and it was approved. NOTE - During the early days and during the 1850's and 1860's, ana continuing into the ,1870's there were many private schools Bowmanville. Yes! Yes! Yes! We are Bowmanville Boosters in Railway Station Erected In Bowmanville in 1856 We Are Proud To Be Bowmanville Boosters! BUY ONE GET ONE FREE SPAGHETTI OR LASAGNE SPECIALS Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Throughout FEBRUARY ONLY Vinnie's Pizzeria 242 King St. E., Bowmanville 623-8888 was by coal-oil lamps - on the three wheeled jigger used by trackmen. The jigger jigger was propelled by a "pump mechanism." On one of his inspection trips, Wiliam Wiliam forgot alx>ut the arrival of the "Chicago Flyer" - a 60 m.p.h. passage through Bowmanville. The jigger not being provided provided with a rear view-mirror, view-mirror, the presence of the Flyer Flyer was not detected until tne rear of the jigger was struck by the pilot of the thundering thundering locomotive. Jigger and' William went flying down the embankment, fortunately, fortunately, with little damage to ei- : ther. •"■ Following ! Billy Wood as Station Master was E. H. Brown who took over in In the days before inland transport laid its thin ribbons ribbons of continent-wide rails, steam was master, only, on the water-ways. Such steamers steamers as the Maple Leaf with its Captain R. Kerr calling at Whitby, Oshawa, Darlington, Darlington, Bond Head, Port Hope and Cobourg; and the Oge- mah and Captain Albro leaving Port Perry for Lindsay, Lindsay, calling at Ports Hoover and Caesarea on the arrival of stages from Whitby; these were the modès of travel and transport back in the days of the Crimea; back when municipal council was faced with an irate ratepayers' ratepayers' division over a proposed by-law to enable council to borrow one thousand pounds for the purpose of erecting a Market Building for the accommodation accommodation of the inhabitants inhabitants of Bowmanville. The mid-1800's was a day of romanticism; of hitching E osts and 11 taverns. It also rought the advent of the steam locomotive to Bowmanville. Bowmanville. In 1856, two years before the town's incorporation incorporation with its first Mayor James McFeeters, the Grand Trunk pushed its lines west and north and before before the year was finished had erected the first railway station at Bowmanville. One of the early station masters was William "Billy" Wood with 40 years of service, a colourful figure of those . . days. A native of the East- 'miles,from the home of the ern Townships of Quebec, he Bronte Sisters, may : have started with the G. T. R. as had something to do with it. a telegraph operator and As it was, his recitals of By- on tne retirement of Mor. ron s D°n Juan came near ng ille, G.T.R. in Brockvilie. Mr. Brown retired after 38 years. During 1 that time he had been a member of Jerusalem Jerusalem Lodge A.F. & A.M., Bowmanville, and as secretary secretary of the Lodge for 19 years. A Past President of the Rotarÿ : Club, he now lives at 43 Ontario Street. Serving for many years at the old station was Ogden Sriiith, freight clerk, ' who came to this country -from England after being with the railroads there. Like his chief, Wàôds.'he wrisjan avid reader..Thie fmst that he was stationed- : at Skipton Junction, Junction, Yorkshire, only a few upi Murphy, became Station Master at. Bowmanville. A S eat admirer of Charles ickens, .William would frequently frequently exclaim, "They say that Dickens exaggerates: Why I've seen every one of his characters right here in this station!" William, a man who believed believed in knowing all sides of a job, would frequently visit the semaphore and switch lights - illumination, then, We are proud to be BOWMANVILLE BOOSTERS i Mr. Ed Komar and staff of Bowmanville Mall BiWay Hours Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 243 King St. E., Bowmanville to being posted on the station station time table. Perhaps his greatest singular triumph came on the last night of tne, nineteenth centuiy At a "do" in the old Pelican Club, he recited William Goldsmith Brown's "A Hundred Years To Come." Robert Greenfield, father of Percy Greenfield, Carlise Ave., was another faithful employee at the G.T.R. freight - sheds for many years. Later he was employed employed .at the .Goodyear Plant in the shipping department. department. "Bob" Greenfield played in several of the local bands at various times, At least three of his sons were also bandsmen.-, The hotel at" the G.T.R. station is somewhat lost in the dim past. However, one of its proprietors was a Mrs. Totterdale who, in December, December, 1887, turned the business business over to Mr. Goodwin. Patrons of' 1 those days, shared their glass of ale in the company of two caged monkeys atop of the bar. Later, the hotel was taken over by Mrs. George and her son, Oliver, only to have a fire in the mia-1890's destroy destroy the original building. It was rebuilt and a Mr. Bontree became proprietor. He was followed by John Bower and the last hosteler before the night of the local Long History For Bowmanville Fire Brigade From Page 14 pnny hwnrdoB prr/cs of $5, $3 and $2 in a Fire Prcvon- for tion Week essay for students. students. The list of fire chiefs serving serving the town included Lucius Lucius (Ham) Hooper who was chief during the 1940's; Walter Walter Hackney, who became chief in 1958; Tom Lyle; and Jim Haymnri. Jim Hnyinnn became chief in 19G9, succeeding Chief Lyle. lie was the last of Bowmnnvillo's lire chiefs and ho became chief of the newly-formed Town of Newcastle Newcastle lire department in 1073. At that time, firefighting services of Bowmonvillo, Newcastle Village, and Ora- no, were combined opart full-time firefighters (Chief Hnyinnn and Firelighter Grnydon Brown) and approximately approximately GO volunteers, option descended was Vincent Vincent Clarke. In 1911 following the building of the G.T.R. spur line, the Freight Offices moved up to their present location location north of the Goodyear Plant. The Midland Railroad, Railroad, forking at Millbrook, •ran in a a single line south to Port Hope to link up with the G.T.R. With the building of the Goodyear plant, in 1910, taking over from the Durham Rubber Company, the freight yards and officers officers were a busy place. Coal elevators were in operation operation to handle supplies drawn by teams of horses for McClellan and Company., as well as grain elevators for lake shipping at the port of entiy where the Montreal steamers from Hamilton called. The elevator which originally originally stood just north of the old West Finger Shed was owned by Hogg and Little, an Oshawa concern. Court- Turn to Page 17 m MINI I Ida Andringa" Be €>li>c |)ealtl) idjoppe 116 King St. E. 623-6222 Bowmanville "Helping You Make Healthy Choices"