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did have a monument works (gravestones), as well as several chain grocery stores including a Dominion Store and a Red and White. With the advent of the automobile came service sta­ tions. One blacksmith shop became a garage (now a hair salon) and gasoline was sold at Baker's Garage on Mill Street (now a lawyer's office), and at an Im­ perial station (now Macs convenience store). Black­ smiths often evolved into garage owners; making repairs to early vehicles wasn't much different from working on farm machinery. Life in Stirling in the past was good even though some aspects of life were not far removed from the lifestyles of several generations of their forebears. THE UNSUNG HEROES OF MUNICIPAL POLITICS by Lewis Zandbergen The men and women who have steered the good ship of municipal government deserve to be rec­ ognized for their work. Municipal politicians often labour long and hard for the community and seldom, if ever, receive words of congratulation; more often than not their contact with the citizens of the munici­ pality comes only when there are problems. Politicians who dedicated themselves to civic du­ ties have served in three distinct periods: first when Rawdon comprised the township and the unincor­ porated village of Stirling (circa 1848 to 1858; next when the township and the village became separate entities (1858-1998) and after amalgamation when the two communities were again joined (1998 to the present). There are no known photographs for very early office holders. From 1848 until the incorporation of the village of Stirling, the following men held the position of reeve: 1848 - W. Chard (he was called a chairman), 1849 - James Rosebush, 1850 to 1853 - Edward Fidlar also Warden of Hastings County 1850, 1854 - William Baker, 1855 - John Fletcher, 1856 and 1857 - Robert Kerr. In 1858 Stirling was incorporated as a village. Rawdon Township reeves from 1858 on are: 1858 - James Cook, 1859 - Wm. R. Parker, 1860-1861 - James Cook, 1862-1863 -Wm. R. Parker, 1864 - Robert Linn, 1865 - Robert Kerr, 1866-1868 unknown, 1868-1870 - George Conley, 1871 - Alexander Glass, 1872-1874 - unknown, 1875-1878 - Thomas Walker, also Warden of Hastings County 1877, 1879 - James Cook, 1880-1884 - Thomas Walker, 1885-1887 - James Duncan, 1888-1894 - unknown, 1895 - James Montgomery, 1896-1897 - Byron O. Lott, 1898-1899 - T.J. Thompson, 1900-1903 -Wm. Rodgers, 1904 - Paul Kingston, 1907 - George Burkitt, 1908-1909 - Wm. Rodgers, also Warden of Hastings County 1909 1910-1911 - J. R. Cooke, 1912-1918 - Thomas Montgomery, also Warden of Hastings County 1918 1919-1923 - C. W. Thompson, 1924-1925 - W. W. Dracup, 1926-1929 - George Bailey, also Warden of Hastings County 1929 Reeves for whom we have photographs and dates of service follow. Gilbert Bedford 1940-1942 George Thompson 1933-1939 Hastings County Warden 1939 James Whitton 1905-1906 E. Brown 1930-1932 5 ■