Page 18, Whitby Free Press, Weckmsday, JuIy 5, 1995 Big crowdfor carnival FROM PAGE 1 clubs and community ýorganiza- tions which ran t e arous events, to local businesses and residents. "I think it was a resounding success. We can only build on it for next year.» For most of its 15-year period, the original County Town Carni- FROM PAGE 1 I fact, the Wihitby team was awaitmng word on whether it had aIea managed an unpreoedented accompliliment - the overal championship. An 'élite" race involving other canoe teams began 40 minutes after the charity race, and in past years the elite teams usually pass the charity entries along the route. But that wasn~t the case this year as the Whidtby paddlers7 cap val was virtually the only place to be ini Whitby. Rememberinj the fun people had at that time Mayor Tom Edwards earlier d1i*s year chai- lenged VWtby service clubs and cornmunity groups to organize a similar event. The response to Edwards' appeal was 50 overwhelming that a full three days of activities were held. were alone in front the entire distance. Siersma was the only member of the Whitby team with canme experince, but his expertise rub- bdofon his fellow firefighters ini practice sessions held twice wee7kly since May in Whitby har- bour. The Whitby team has se fan ra.ised $2,700 for raoes designa- ted charities, the Down Syn- drome Association of Metro Toronto and Community Centre 55, as well as for the Whitby association's chosen charities. Firefighters win race year-end, clean-outs CAIL NOK (905) 427-3605 (Derrick) ffÀcrffofL7BZrl WASTE SYSTEMS By Brian Winter Town of WhitlJy Archivist One hundred and forty years ago, Whitby was incorp ted as a town,made up of sal communities and a large amount of farm land. On Dec. 18, 1854, in response to a petition from the resident.s of Whitby Village, the Legislature of the Province of Canada passed an act to incorporate the combined communities as a town. The Act of Incorporation set out the boundaries of the town as Lake Ontario to the south, land west of Jeffr-ey Street to the west, Rossland Road (Third Concession) 't the north and land east of Anderson Street to the east -- an area larger than the combined areas of Ottawa or Kingston at that time, but the population of 2,000 was much lower. Farmers surrounding the village of Whitby wanted their land included in the new town so they could seil it at high prices for building lots. It was a boom time, with quarter-acre lots selling for $250 to $1,500 each. 'Every fariner thought himiself a miflionaire and drank whiskey accordingly," reported one of the local newspapers many years later. The first election was held to forin a town counicil in December 1855, with the council taking office on Jan. 1, 1855. Members of the first town council were Mayor James Rowe, reeve William Laing and councillors Carleton Lynde, John Ham Perry, Hutton Starr, James Wallace, William W. Caldwell, John S. Sproule and John Watson. At that early date, the council at large was elected by ratepayers, and then chose its own mayor and reeve. The first counicil meeting, in January 1855, was held in the court house, now the Whitby Centennial Building. Council meetings were held there until a brick town hall was erected at the corner of Trent and Brock streets at the north end of what is now Rotary Centennial Park, in 1857. The new town was divided into three wards: the south ward al the property from Burns Street to Lake Ontanio; centre ward between Dundas and Burns streets; north ward aIl land frorn Dundas Street to Rossland Road. The three hamiets that were incorporated into the new Town of Whitby were Windsor, Hlamer's Corners and Perry's Corners. Windsor was established about 1819 by John Scadding who named the community after pnoperty hie owned in Devonshire, England. It consisted of the village that is now Port Whitby. Windsor did not really begin te grow until the 1830s, but by 1853, twoyears before incorporated, the harbour was second only te Toronto in the amount of business it handled on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Hamers Corners was located at the intersection of Dundas Street with Hopkins and Anderson streets. It was established in the 1820s as a site for a number of hotels and businesses. The first post office in Whitby was opened there in 1824. Originally called Crawford's Corners, it was named H.amers Corners in the 1830s after an English settier, John Hamer. Perry's Corners at Brock and Dundas streets, now downtown WVhitby, was established in 1836 by Port Perry, who opened a store where the Bank of Commerce is now. Perry is considered the founder of Whtby.inse a The name 'Wnsr wa officially chanaged te Whitby at a public meeting on July 10, 1847 because there was confusion in the post office with the other Windsor, on the Canada-U.S. border, opposite Detroit. The Town of Whitby, established in 1855, reached a peak population of 3,500 in 1857, but an event that year changed its destiny for a century. A severe economic depression hit the Province of Canada that year, halting Whitby's growth 'and plans te link the tewn by railway with, Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. There was no further significant growth in Whiùtby until the post-war boom years of the 195Ds& When the depression arrived and farmers were paying high taxes for land that neyer would be developed, they petitioned council *te separate from the tewn and have their land go back te the surrounding Township of WhÃtby. Every time there was a depression, in the 18609, 1890s and 1930s, the farmers threatened te secede from the Town of Whitby, but their efforts failed. The Town of Whitby celebrated its centennial of incorporation in 1955 with a week of festivities centred on the July 1 weekend. The last major change came in 1968 when the old Town of VWtby and the Township of Whitby anialgamated te form a new Town of Whiitby, which stretches from the Oshawa border on the east te the Ajax border on the west and Myrtle Station on the north. The County Town Carnival, held over the weekend, and Heritage Day, Sept. 9, chos as their theme the l4Oth arrniversary of the original incorporation in 1855. 0OBITUARIES 0W HORACE (SHORTY) HAWES A well-known business man in downtewn Whitby for more than 50 years, Horace (Shorty) Hawes died at his residence in Whitby on June 25, 1995. He was 75. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Horace Hawes, he was born at Meaford, Ont., on Jan. 13,1920., Mr. Hawes came te, Whitby fromn Meaford in 1941 and operated a lunch counter for three years. He later had the Grey Coach bus agency in Whitby. For many years until 1962, he operated -Shorty's Cigar Store on Dundas Street East, at the back of the Bank of Commerce building. In 1962 he moved the store te 121 -Bnock St. N. The store closed in 1993. For more than 15 years in the 19709 and 1980s, Mn. Hawes also operated Shorty and Son Billards on Dundas St. W. Mr. IHawes is survived by wife Elsie, son Horace Hawes Jr. and daughters Cindy Hawes and Heather Andrews (and her husband Dave). Hie is also survived by grand-daughter Kaitlyn Andrews.' A private funeral service was held at the Armstrong Funeral Home, Oshawa, on June 27, 1995, followed by cremation and interment at Mount Lawn Memorial Gardens, Whitby. If desired, contributions to the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. 6 Generations of Service, Quality & Trust " Family Monuments " Granite or Bronze Markers " Cemetery Lettering " Sandblasting Stafford Monuments I318 Dundas St. E. Whitby 668-3552 After Hours 668-4460 or 721-9882 Home appointments gladly arranged THIS PHOTO, one of the oldest of clowntown Whftby, was taken in 1B63. The view is Iooking north on Brook Street from Dundas Street, with a wagon of grain in the foreground. The Royal Hotel shown in the photo burneci cown in 1B72 and was replaced with the presenit Royal Hotel a year lcater. htyAciepoo Incorporation 140 years ao I a ~BrW Works We brew for you - no extra charge INC (you j ust add the yeast) Brew beer for as Iow as $1 1.50 per casé of 24 reg. botties.J C Brew your lOth batch & yourl11th isFR EE! $2.75 per 750m1 bottie. 4~ Introducing ... wine coolers and sparkling wines '. Make them now in time for the warmer weather! ALSO TRY OURNrEW WHE.AT BEER RECIPE 18 Brewlng DUNDAS ST. HWY 2 Ai ~ l I mon.-FrI. BURNS z AL.L666mBRE 11-9 CL 01 (Sat. 10-5 a ý'c'S 1390 Hopkins St. NOW OPEN CONSUMERS Unit #6 Whitby Su.1- Off any regubatdiý of beer or wie4 Exp. JuIV 31M9. one, coupon pau viait. ~ Not vld with amy othr spectal off«~ or discount. I------------------------------------