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THE COLBORNE CHRONICLE, Thursday, June 11th, 1959 A Hundred Reasons To Celebrate Colborne Centennial Welcomes You BIRTHDAY PARTY OF THE CENTURY Twelve hundred and fifty voices will join in a giant chorus of Happy Birthday" here Ju"ne 27th -- the Centennial of the incorporation of this eastern Ontario village. Flags will snap, bands will play and Earl Thompson, who usually runs the cold storage plant, will be waving at the spectators from the dizzy heights of his old-fashioned high wheel bicycle. The Centennial planning committee has been so thorough it has even left room for a few mistakes. This may not be correct, a footnote in the Centennial booklet reads, so if you find an error send it in to the committee and it will be corrected perhaps 100 years from now in the next Centennial book. The first day of the June 27-July 1 week-end will feature a parade with floats and bands, the official opening of Centennial week-end and serenades from barber shop quartettes in a giant tent behind the high school. There'll be speeches from Agricultural Minister William Goodfellow; B. C. Thompson, the town's Federal Member of Parliament, and whoever wins the local seat in the provincial election. For Reeve Frank Harding it'll be a day of glory. Although he's only been reeve for three years the people of Colborne have a lot respect for Frank Harding. It's evident in the way they look up to him when they speak. All through the weekend the town will look like a Christmas tree stretched on its side. Miles of bunting and dozens of flags will be erected shortly before the celebrations begin. A Canadian Legion drum- This is Colborne's i artery looking east. head service will be the main event on Sunday and a band concert will be held in the ning. Monday, it will be off to the races, a full afternoon of harness racing by the local driving association. Firemen from several nearby communities will compete in various firefighting skills. The evening program will feature a carnival and dancing. Tuesday is devoted to the school children. Many of the town's former school teachers and ex-pupils will have a chance to remember the days of dunking pigtails in inkwells by going through the high school and public school. A bus tour of the town and surrounding district has been organized for former Colborne residents with sports activities rounding out he evening and the week-end celebrations. Although the town has been incorporated for 100 years, it's actually a lot older than that. It was settled by Joseph Keeler in 1797. It was incorporated as a village in 1859. The roads were little more than bridle paths and were generally impassable during the rainy season. And salaries were peanuts compared to present day standards. The village clerk received the magnificent sum of $40 a year, the treasurer $20, the assessor $10 and the bell ringer $6. The old town Boasted a pottery, tannery, lace factory, three brickyards, three carriage factories, a stone grist mill, furniture factory, grain elevator, coal yard, sash and door factory, plaster mill, flour mill, sawmill, distillery, shipyard, woolen mill and two soap factories. It's main industry now is the St. Lawrence Cement Company, which occupies several hundred acres along the Lake Ontario waterfront as a quarry. The area is also famous for its apples, berries, tomatoes, beans, carrots, peas, corn and pumpkins. Colborne has always been sports conscious. Cricket, hunt- . ing, horses, baseball and hockey have always been favourite pastimes while the baton corps has gone beyond local fame to gain international attention. It also has long been famous as a tourist resort area with cabins and swimming at Victoria Beach and Loughbreeze. Even before its incorporation, Colborne had a newspaper. The Transcript was he first, starting on January 19, 1856. It was followed by the Northumberland Pilot, the Colborne Independent, Colborne Express and The Enterprise of East Northumberland. At one time most of the candies adults and children in Eastern Ontario ate came from the Adam King candy factory which operated in the town until about 1885. Colborne is still famous for its apples, now processed by "controlled atmosphere" or as the townfolk like to call them, "gas house" apples. While the village has a bit of industry the citizens are certainly looking for more. As Reeve Harding says "We're looking for anything we cati get but we'd prefer small industries. We have several good sites to offer and all are serviced with water." Ridge Road Caroline Whaley, the symbol of plans with a big noise. The town all that is gay and lively in Col- is not ashamed of its Ige -- 100 borne joins in the Centennial |---it will shout it from the roof- Mrs. J. W. Evely called on Mi-, and Mrs. A. Dillman on Wednes-I day afternoon. Mr/ and Mrs. A. Tyler entertained company from Trenton on Tuesday evening. Glad to report Mrs. Claude Rose is slowly improving. Miss Mary Stickle spent the week-end with Miss Linda Sheppard. Mrs. John McCracken was guest of her son, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Mutton over the week-end. Mrs. J. W. Evely called on ;Mrs. A. Tyler on Friday morning. | Mr. and Mrs. Walter Marois and family of Smithfield were Sunday afternoon visitors of Mr. and Mrs. George Samis. Mr. Ray Mutton attended decoration at Lakeport on Sunday, i Glad to report Mrs. Chas. Conley has returned home from Belleville Hospital much improved. Lila and Helen Ellerton of Dundonald spent the week-end with Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Papst. • Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Samls called on Mr. and Mrs. George Samis on Sunday evening, j Mr. Bruce and Miss Claribell i Joice of Eddystone called on Mr. | and Mrs. W. W. Rose on Sunday. na even from the heights | bicycle. Caroline plays cymbals Sorry to report Mrs. Howard old-fashioned high wheel in the high school band Samis is in Trenton Hospital under observation.