Arlene Stafford-Wilson's Blog, page 41
September 12, 2021
Photos:”Lanark County Comfort” Book Launch
“Now close your eyes, and click your heels together and say,
“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”
Glinda, the good witch, ‘Wizard of Oz’, 1939
There’s No Place Like Home
Is there anything prettier than Lanark County on a warm September day? Maybe Dorothy’s greatest wish was to return to Kansas, but I can think of nothing better than spending the afternoon back on Gore Street in Perth. Oh the memories of this very building, 60 Gore St. East, once the home of Haggis Candy, and all of their mouth-watering treats! Many afternoons were spent in this very place, watching in wonder as Sophia Haggis stirred her mammoth cauldrons of maple fudge, and horehound candy. And the street in front of the store? I close my eyes and picture the sleek rumbling muscle cars in the 1970s, squealing their tires at the traffic lights, parading up and down Gore and Foster Streets showing off their shiny rims and sporty wide tires. Yes, it’s a place where memories come flooding back, like the tasty donuts at Oakes’ Bakery, or stopping for fries and gravy at The Tea Room, and the unforgettable rock and roll music at the legendary Pant Barn Dances.
It’s true, there’s nothing better than a trip back to the old stomping grounds, and the book launch for “Lanark County Comfort” was a special day indeed. One of the best things about it was seeing the new faces, mixed in with the faces from the past. It was a day for new friendships, and for reconnecting with high school friends, and ‘kids’ (older now) from the neighborhoods of Christie Lake and DeWitt’s Corners.
The day was incredibly busy, which didn’t always leave much chance for long conversations, but still, it was a wonderful day to chat about preserving the stories, of the people and places that might otherwise be forgotten. These people and places of our past, are so important to our history, and such a delight to record the memories and stories so that they will be captured for future generations.
Sat. Sept. 11th, 2021 at
The Book Nook & Other Treasures
photo: Arlene Stafford-Wilson with Leslie Wallack, owner of The Book Nook & Other Treasures
Arlene Stafford-Wilson at the book table
Calvin Church keyboardist Bev Miller Ferlatte with Arlene Stafford-Wilson at the book table
Former PDCI Classmate Paul Duffy with Arlene Stafford-Wilson
There were many members of the Oakes family in attendance at the book launch. The history of their well-loved business, Oakes Bakery, is included in the new book.
Some visitors came to purchase the new book as gifts for birthdays and for Christmas
Almost all books were inscribed with the reader’s name, and some with special messages
Iqbal Umar, contributor to story of Oakes Bakery (and PDCI alumni)
Terry Restoule (former PDCI classmate) with Andrea, and Arlene Stafford-Wilson
It was a special day to meet some new readers, and to catch up with former friends with lots of PDCI alumni in attendance. A special thanks to those who traveled long distances to be there, and to those faithful readers who come to every book launch.
A big thanks to the people who shared their memories and recollections
of the special people and places in the stories:
Oakes Bakery story:
Kristine Oakes, Tom Oakes, Shirley Oakes, Kurt Davis, Don McAdam, Iqbal Umar, and Gerry Huddleston.
Pant Barn Dances story:
Perry Weagle, Debi Cavanagh Sparks, and Eric Devlin.
Calvin United Church 125th Anniversary story:
Rev. Micheline Montreuil, Beverly Miller Ferlatte, Pastor George Closs, and Margery Conboy.
Flower Station story:
Julia Crosbie James, Dave Crosbie, and Marilyn Lalonde Manson
Arliedale Lodge Story:
Kathy Groom Stewart, Maria Groom McDonald, Alan Jordan, Les Peters, Brooke Briggs, Bob Burch, Betty Crandall, and Meg Crandall Ford.
Many thanks to Leslie Wallack and her staff at The Book Nook & Other Treasures, for hosting the event.
(and to my husband, Kevin Wilson for his help throughout a very busy day!)
(There are some signed copies still available at The Book Nook – 613-267-2350)
NEW RELEASE – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
and at The Bookworm, 76 Foster St., Perth, ON 613-264-7257
https://www.bookwormperth.com/
or at
Stafford House – Christie Lake Road – Third Line of Bathurst (Tay Valley Township) Lanark County – the author’s childhood home.
“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”
September 9, 2021
Pant Barn Dances
Rock and Roll and blue jeans were the iconic symbols of an unforgettable era, and of the youth of the 1970s. Loud rumbling muscle cars and long hair parted in the middle, set against a backdrop of pounding drum-beats and wailing guitars. Denim pants and blue-jean-jackets were the unofficial uniform at the Perth High School, and rock music – loud and heavy was the soundtrack of the times.
In a timely business decision, an enthusiastic 21-year-old kid from Smiths Falls, Perry Weagle, opened a blue-jean store called The Pant Barn, at 51 Foster St., in Perth, Ontario, in 1972. He also began to organize rock concerts. In the years that followed, he brought in some of the biggest rock and roll acts in Canada to play at the Farrell Hall, and later, the Community Center, in Perth.
His hugely popular store sold all of the latest styles in denim jeans, as well as the much-coveted tickets to his rock concerts, known as ‘Pant Barn Dances’.
The clothing store, and the concerts were enormously popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and teens were bused in from Almonte, Brockville, Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, to name a few.
Oct. 26, 1972, p. 6, “The Perth Courier”
Levis Blue Jeans ad – 1972
The Pant Barn, 51 Foster Street, Perth, Ontario
Lee Jeans ad, 1973
Aug. 24, 1972, “The Perth Courier”
Nov. 2, 1972, p. 4 “The Perth Courier”
Popular Teen Dances
Jan. 25, 1973, p. 8 “The Perth Courier”
Octavian – 1973
Apr. 5, 1973, p 9. “The Perth Courier”
Terry Dee & More Comes to Perth
July 26, 1973, p. 9 “The Perth Courier”
Octavian and Larkspur
Dec. 13, 1973, p. 20, “The Perth Courier”
Feb. 21, 1974, p. 6 “The Perth Courier”
May 9, 1974, p. 7 “The Perth Courier”
2,000 Teens attend April Wine Concert
May 9, 1974, p. 7, “The Perth Courier”
May 16, 1974, p. 6, “The Perth Courier”
“Youth Glad to Have Something to Do.”
July 18, 1974, p. 19, “The Perth Courier”
Original members: Skip Prokop: drums and vocals, Paul Hoffert: keyboards and vibraphone, Ralph Cole: guitar and vocals, Grant Fullerton: bass and vocals, Vic “Pinky” Dauvin: percussion and lead vocals, Ian Guenther: violin, Don Dinovo: violin and viola, Don Whitton: cello, Leslie Schneider: cello, Freddy Stone: trumpet and flugelhorn, Arnie Chycoski: trumpet and flugelhorn, Howard Shore: alto saxophone, Russ Little: trombone
Aug. 8, 1974, p. 10, “The Perth Courier”
Canada’s Most Popular Band
Lighthouse
Aug. 8, 1974, p. 12 “The Perth Courier”
Aug. 15, 1974, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
Oct. 3, 1974, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
Oct. 10, 1974, p. 6 “The Perth Courier”
The StampedersThe Stampeder’s First Hit Single – “Carry Me”
Oct. 10, 1974, p. 6, “The Perth Courier”
Nov. 7, 1974, p. 6, “The Perth Courier”
Nov. 21, 1974, p. 13, “The Perth Courier”
Mar. 27, 1975, p. 13, “The Perth Courier”
May 22, 1975, p. 16, “The Perth Courier”
Apr. 22, 1976, p. 17, “The Perth Courier”
May 27, 1976, p. 18, “The Perth Courier”
June 17, 1976, p. 7, “The Perth Courier”
‘A Foot in Coldwater’ – 50th Pant Barn Dance
‘A Foot in Coldwater’ – the Pant Barn’s 50th rock concert – July 15, 1976, p. 9 “The Perth Courier”
‘A Foot in Coldwater’, article from “The Perth Courier”
July 15, 1976, p. 9, “The Perth Courier”
Dec. 9 1976, p. 10, “The Perth Courier”
55 Dances in Two Years
Pant Barn June 30 1977 p 15 “The Perth Courier”
July 11, 1979, p. 16, “The Perth Courier”
April 16, 1980, p. 17, “The Perth Courier”
Apr. 23, 1980, p. 12, “The Perth Courier”
April 30, 1980, p. 13, “The Perth Courier”
promotional photo – 1979Max Webster: Kim Mitchell – guitars and lead vocals, Terry Watkinson – keyboards and vocals, Mike Tilka – bass and vocals, Paul Kersey – drums and percussion, Pye Dubois – lyrics
May 7, 1980, p. 31, “The Perth Courier”
Rowdy Crowd Gathers at Corner of Gore and Foster St.
May 7, 1980, p. 1 “The Perth Courier”
Charges Laid Following 13 Liquor Seizures
May 7, 1980, p. 2 “The Perth Courier”
Discover the unforgettable concerts, the rock and roll, and go behind-the-scenes with the bands, all the special memories – With stories and anecdotes from Perry Weagle, and former staff of The Pant Barn and the Perth Community Center. The story that captures the memories – “The Legendary Pant Barn Dances”, part of a collection of short stories in new book, “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”
To reserve a copy, or pre-order – 613-267-2350, or online:
NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
Other books by: Arlene Stafford-Wilson
September 8, 2021
Book Review – from “The Lanark Era”
Sept. 7, 2021, THE LANARK ERA, page 9Book Launch: Sat. Sept. 11, 1-3 p.m.
The Book Nook, 60 Gore St. E., Perth, ON,
For information: 613-267-2350
To order:
NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
September 7, 2021
Flower Station
“Famous Folks
of Flower Station“
One of a collection of stories in the book,
“Lanark County Comfort” –
Release date – Saturday, Sept. 11th, 1 – 3 p.m.
at The Book Nook, Perth, Ontario, Canada.
Call 613-267-2350 for information.
Discover the fascinating people, their unique qualities, and their achievements, in the story: “Famous Folks of Flower Station”. Meet the people who may have uncovered the secrets of the fountain of youth – like Jennie ‘Granny’ Majaury – who walked every day, smoked a pipe and lived to be 104. Another famous resident Irene Crosbie who gave birth to 18 children, worked in her family’s store, and lived to be 95. You’ll read about Joe Lalonde, known as the ‘husky young woodcutter from Flower Station’. Nothing could stop Joe from joining the army and serving his country. Winnie Closs, another famous resident, was a newspaper columnist for over 50 years, wrote her columns in long-hand, and lived to be 91.
“Famous Folks from Flower Station”, one of the short stories in “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”
The ‘Sunday Drive‘
to Flower Station
Long before the days of fast-paced living, our family had a weekly ritual, known as the Sunday drive. It always took place after church, following the noon-time meal. Families were large in those days, and Mother wanted to make sure that everyone had a hearty lunch before heading out into the country. Looking back, it seems like a curious thing to do, when you already live in the country, to drive to another part of the country, but it wasn’t uncommon in those days.
Home, the starting point for our drive, was the Third Concession of Bathurst Township, some called it the Third Line, or the Christie Lake Road. After we’d all climbed into the car, we often headed straight to Balderson, to pick up a bag of squeaky curd for the trip. We almost always visited Ferguson Falls, where Dad grew up, and Lanark was another familiar stop along the way. There was sometimes a debate in the car at this point about whether to travel up toward Calabogie. Mother often protested, saying that all those hills, twists, and turns on the back-roads made her stomach queasy. With a twinkle in his eye, and a promise to take it slow, more often than not, Dad headed up the road toward Clyde Forks and Flower Station.
The landscape around Flower Station was a spectacular sight to behold in the autumn, when the colourful maple leaves were at their peak. Gold, red, green, and orange, in every direction, as far as the eye could see; just like a postcard. Small in size, but big in heart, it was one of the tiny hamlets that sprung up in the late 1800s, during the heydays of the nearby mining operations; and the Kingston and Pembroke ‘K & P’ Railroad stopped daily, bringing mail, and supplies.
“The Montreal Gazette”, Dec. 19, 1882, p.1
Historical Lavant Township, Lanark CountyFamilies of Flower Station
Alberts, Alcorn, Arnott, Barker, Barr, Bingley, Bissett, Bradford, Brown, Browning, Caldwell, Cameron, Cardinal, Cassel, Clark, Cleland, Clements, Clifford, Closs, Cloutier, Coupland, Craig, Crawford, Crosbie, Cumming, Deachman, Deschamps, Desjardine, Dignon, Dunham, Dunlop, Dunn, Easton, Elliott, Ellis, Ferguson, Fisher, Gallagher, Gardiner, Grey, Giffen, Guthrie, Haskins, Horn, Jackson, Jamieson, Jabot, Johnston, Kelly, Knight, Lalonde, Laroque, Lee, Leahy, Love, Lyon, Machan, Mahan, Major, Majore, Majaury, Martin, McArthur, McCurdy, McDonald, McDougall, McFadden, McGonegal, McInnis, McIntosh, McIntyre, McKinnon, McLaren, McWilliams, Metcalfe, Miller, Milotte, Moffat, Morris, Moulton, Nicholson, North, O’Brien, O’Donnell, Ogilvie, Patterson, Paul, Pierce, Pearce, Percy, Peterson, Power, Purdon, Reed, Reid, Roach, Robertson, Rodgers, Rousseau, Rutherford, Sheridan, Simpson, Sly, Spencer, St. Pierre, Stedman, Stewart, Storie, Stratford, Thurlow, Turnbull, Umpherson, Wales, Wallis, Watt, White, Williams, Willis, Woods, and Wright.
K & P Railroad stops from Kingston to Renfrew
The village was named for Roswell Pettibone ‘R.P.’ Flower, Governor of New York, who financed this section of the railway. At the height of the mining operations in the late 1880s, there were three boarding houses, two general stores, a church, a school, and a railroad station. Postmaster, Gilbert White, operated the post office, and sold general merchandise, out of his residence.
Entering Flower Station
Flower Station
Thomas Miller’s General Store – 1905
“The Ottawa Journal”, May 22, 1905, p.9Emerald Cleland
“The Windsor Star”, Aug. 31, 1910, p.8Albert ‘Abbie’ McGonegal
“The Ottawa Journal”, April 21, 1934, p.14Mildred Desjardins
Tragic Loss Follows Dance
at Flower Station
“The Ottawa Citizen”, June 23, 1936, p. 7Mrs. Deachman
“The Ottawa Citizen”, July 22, 1939, p.21Effie Giffen
“The Ottawa Journal”, June 9, 1941, p.22Joseph Lalonde Walks 15 Miles
in 1942 to Recruiting Center
“The Ottawa Citizen”, Jan. 31, 1942, p.16‘Granny’ Jennie Crawford Majaury
“The Ottawa Journal”, June 30, 1950 p.5Jackson Siblings Die Within
Hours of Each Other
“The Ottawa Journal”, June 4, 1954, p. 43George Wales
“The Ottawa Citizen”, Dec. 8, 1955, p.20Maud Bradford Hart
“The Ottawa Journal”, Oct. 1, 1956, p.37Calvan McGonegal Wins
James Brothers Fishing Trophy
“The Ottawa Journal”, Feb 27, 1960 p. 13Cardinal, Lalonde, & Kells
Take Top Spots
“The Ottawa Citizen”, April 29, 1961, p.13Minnie McGonegal Ferguson
“The Perth Courier”, March 1 1962, p.6
Party for Wilfred Jackson
“The Perth Courier” Aug. 2, 1962 p.11Reeve Henry McGonigal
“The Perth Courier” Jan. 31, 1963, p.1John Coupland
Follows in his Father’s Footsteps
“The Perth Courier” Aug. 22, 1963, p.15Robert Closs
“The Perth Courier” Sept. 19, 1963, p.13Mrs. Eldon Majore
Peace of Mind in the Country
Mrs. Eldon Majore – “The Ottawa Citizen”, Jan 21, 1969, p. 41
Excerpt from “The Ottawa Citizen”, Jan. 21, 1969, p. 41Adam Fisher
“The Ottawa Citizen”, Dec. 14, 1994, p. 23Stranded by Floods
“The Ottawa Citizen, April 5, 1998, p. 18Irene (Gemmill) Crosbie
Irene (Gemmill) Crosbie – at Crosbie’s General Store, Flower Station in 1976Irene Crosbie’s
90th Birthday Party
“The Ottawa Citizen”, March 15, 1999 p.43
Article and photos on Irene Crosbie from “The Ottawa Citizen”, Mar. 15, 1999, p.44
Irene Crosbie working at the store
Crosbie’s storeDon and Marlene Love
Met at a Sugar Camp
Don & Marlene Love – “The Ottawa Citizen”, Nov. 16, 2003, p.33
“The Ottawa Citizen” Nov. 16, 2003, p.33
“The Ottawa Citizen”, Nov. 16, 2003 p. 34 an excerpt from a story by Ron Corbett with photos by Julie Oliver
Winnifred Closs – 1916-2008
Extraordinary Local Writer
“The Ottawa Citizen” Feb. 9, 2008, p.39
“The Ottawa Citizen” Feb. 9, 2008, p. 50
One of Winnie Closs’ columns, “The Perth Courier”, Mar. 28, 1963, p.5As the lumber business tapered off, and the mining operations slowed down, the K & P railway never saw the volumes of traffic they had anticipated in the beginning. By late in the 19th century, the railroad was experiencing financial difficulties, and by 1894, the company, operating at a loss, went into receivership.
K & P Railroad – photo: Library and Archives CanadaThe Canadian Pacific Railway, ‘CPR’ began to buy up shares, and by 1901, owned 83% of the shares, and had replaced many of the top executives with their own. The C.P.R. officially gained control of the K & P Railroad in 1913.
By the 1930s, passenger service declined and they began to operate ‘mixed trains’ of passenger cars and some freight cars. By the late 1950s, only freight cars remained. The last ‘through’ train ran on December 29, 1961. As time passed, in the 1960s, the smaller, less profitable stations along the railway line were closed, including Flower Station.
K & P Trail
The original route of the K & P is being converted, in sections, to a recreational walking and biking path, known as the “K & P Trail”
K & P Trail Take a Sunday Drive
Visit Flower Station
The tradition of the Sunday drive at our house went on for as long as I can remember. Mother occasionally scolding Dad because he was over the speed limit, and he always countered with the same excuse – that he needed to burn the carbon build-up off of his sparkplugs.
There were often bags of squeaky curd, and sometimes a stop for ice cream cones, or a cold bottle of Pure Spring pop. Once in a while there was pushing and shoving in the back seat, met by a stern glance backwards from Mother.
No matter where those winding back roads in Lanark County led us, there was always beauty around every corner; with crystal-clear lakes and streams, quiet spots for a picnic, trails and paths beckoning us to come for a stroll.
Maybe one of these Sundays, you’ll venture out to Flower Station. Travel north on highway 511 past Hopetown to Brightside. Turn west on Waddell Creek Road to the French Line. Proceed north on the French Line Road to Joe’s Lake, then west on Flower Station Road to Flower Station.
Be sure to walk or hike the beautiful K&P Trail in the village of Flower Station. Head north past Flower Station, to Round Lake and Clyde Lake or, walk south, past Widow Lake to join Clyde Forks Road. Be prepared to enjoy the unspoiled forests, the sounds of nature, breathe in the pristine air, and spend a tranquil day in one of Lanark County’s special gems – Flower Station.
Scenic views near Flower Station
New Book, coming in the Fall of 2021
Discover the fascinating people, their unique qualities, and their achievements, in the story: “Famous Folks of Flower Station”. Meet the people who may have uncovered the secrets of the fountain of youth – like Jennie ‘Granny’ Majaury – who walked every day, smoked a pipe and lived to be 104. Another famous resident Irene Crosbie who gave birth to 18 children, worked in her family’s store, and lived to be 95. You’ll read about Joe Lalonde, known as the ‘husky young woodcutter from Flower Station’. Nothing could stop Joe from joining the army and serving his country. Winnie Closs, another famous resident, was a newspaper columnist for over 50 years, wrote her columns in long-hand, and lived to be 91.
“Famous Folks from Flower Station”, one of the short stories in “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”
Coming this fall – to be released September 11, 2021 at The Book Nook, 60 Gore St. E., Perth, Ontario, Canada. Pre-order online or call ahead to reserve your copy – 613-267-2350.
LINK to Article:
The Book Nook, in Perth, Ontario https://thebooknookperth.com/shop/
The Bookworm, in Perth, Ontario https://www.bookwormperth.com/
Mill Street Books, in Almonte, Ontario – https://millstreetbooks.com/
or at:
September 3, 2021
Arliedale Lodge, Christie Lake
Playground of the Rich
and Famous
Once known as ‘the playground of the rich and famous’, Arliedale Lodge was owned and operated by Tom Marks, and his wife Ella, and named for their only child, Arlie.
Arlie Marks with her dog, Buster
The famous Marks Brothers
Tom Marks, owner of Arliedale Lodge, made his fortune as a member of his family’s musical theater group, known as The Marks Brothers.
The Marks Brothers were one of the most remarkable theatrical families in Canadian history, performing comedy skits and melodramas . Incredibly popular on the vaudeville circuit, the seven brothers played across Canada and the U.S. throughout the latter part of the 19th century and into the 1920s.
Born and raised at Christie Lake, near Perth in Eastern Ontario, they played to packed venues until moving pictures ushered in the sad demise for touring repertory companies.
“As prosperity increased the brothers sprouted diamonds like lights going on in a building. The men and their wives as well; we all had them, on fingers, arms, watch-fobs —everywhere. Tom wore a triple-stone ring with a five-carat diamond in the middle and a four carat stone on each side of it. It was never off his finger, on stage or off. If playing a tramp, a farmer or a cop, no matter what—the ring illuminated every gesture on stage.”
Kitty Marks, June 21, 1958 in an interview with Macleans magazine
Famous ‘Marks Brothers’ theatrical group – Tom, Alex, Joe, and Bob
Arliedale Lodge
Grand Opening
June 14, 1922
“The most modern summer hotel in all of Lanark County.”
Grand Opening, Arliedale Inn, June 9, 1922 p. 4, “The Perth Courier”
Warm summer evenings were spent enjoying live music and dancing, chef-prepared cuisine, and the latest fashionable cocktails on the verandah.
In 1922, Tom and his wife, Ella Marks, opened ‘Arliedale Lodge’, and the who’s-who of Perth, and distinguished guests from far and wide flocked to the resort. Many of the guests were members of theater companies, musicians, dancers, performers and they returned to the lodge each summer for fun-in-the-sun water sports, fishing and boating. Warm summer evenings were spent enjoying live music and dancing, chef-prepared cuisine, and the latest fashionable cocktails on the verandah.
1920s Cocktails
Flappers from the entertainment industry sipped drinks on the verandah and mingled with the famous Marks family
Friends, popular musicians, performers, and distinguished guests from across Canada and the U.S. flocked to the lodge each year.
Advertised as “the most modern summer hotel in Lanark County, with the main line of the C.P.R. railway, just 100 yards from the door.”
Canoes and motor boats were available to guests at ArliedaleAn article from “The Perth Courier” captures the mood and magic of Arliedale Lodge in the 1920s and 1930s:
“They were all merrymakers, and here was the time and place for fun and fancy. On a slight elevation facing the main front porch of Arliedale, about 100 yards away the dancing platform had been placed, the waxed surface glistened in the bright Delco lamps and Burns’ Orchestra syncopated the latest hits of the dance world. When the show was over there were many pledges made to return again to the breezes and beauties of this attractive and inviting part of famous Christie Lake.”
Popular songs of the 1920s, in the heydays of Arliedale Lodge: “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby”, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “My Blue Heaven”, “Yes, We Have No Bananas”, “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Singin’ In the Rain”, “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover”, “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love”, “Ain’t We Got Fun”, “Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue”
Arliedale dance schedule – June 30, 1922, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
“Evenings were a time to socialize. After dinner, elegant ladies appeared in their fashionable flapper gowns, faces glowing, kissed by the sun; and well-bred gentlemen mingled on the verandah, enjoying drinks and cigars, and telling tales of the biggest fish caught, or the fastest boat ride across the lake.”
Many people were curious about the famous guests at Arliedale, and so Tom Marks began to submit a weekly list to the local newspaper, naming the guests, who were often from prominent families, and wealthy members of high society.
August 4, 1922, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
Death of Tom Marks
“Thomas H. Marks, noted trouper of a bygone generation, and one of the Marks Brothers of old-time vaudeville fame, has taken his last curtain call. He died at his home, Arliedale Inn, Christie Lake, on Saturday, aged 81 years, and those of his audiences who survive him will be hushed with regret at the disappearance of a figure once familiar on the boards across the entire continent.”
“The Ottawa Journal”, May 11, 1936, p.9
Arliedale Lodge is Sold
Following the death of Arliedale Lodge owner, Tom Marks, the resort, including 33 acres of property was sold to local auctioneer, Clayton Hands, and his business partner, Richard Newson.
“The Perth Courier” September 5, 1963, p. 8 (25 years ago)
1938 Owners Clayton Hands
& Richard Newson
June 16, 1939, p. 5, “The Perth Courier”
July 7, 1939, p. 5, “The Perth Courier”
Richard Newson and Clayton Hands built a baseball diamond at Arliedale, and began to host softball games on summer weekends.
July 28, 1939, p.5, “The Perth Courier”
1957-Owners
Neil and Verla Stewart
In the spring of 1957, Neil and Verla Stewart purchased the resort and surrounding property, and changed the name from ‘Arliedale Inn’ to ‘Arliedale Lodge’.
Neil Stewart, who served as President of the Christie Lake Hunters and Anglers Association focused on a more sporting aspect to the lodge, focusing on sport-fishing, as well as pheasant-shooting.
“Pheasant shooting has never been too good in the wilds about Ottawa. But now, Neil Stewart, who operates Arliedale Lodge at Christie Lake, 12 miles west of Perth, has set up a pheasant shooting ranch. Here, for a fee, pheasant are almost a sure thing if you can hit them on the wing.”
Nov. 17, 1960, p. 19, “The Ottawa Citizen”
1969 Owners
Bill and Anna Groom
Anna and Bill Groom owners of Arliedale Lodge 1969-1971- photo courtesy of Kathy Groom Stewart
Bill and Anna Groom purchased Arliedale Lodge in July 1969.
“Arliedale Lodge had 1,000 feet of lake frontage, including a sandy beach. The weekly rate in the 1970s was $70.00, which included three meals daily. On the exterior there was a large wrap-around verandah with chairs and a lounge. Guests played horseshoes, darts, and croquet on the lawn.”
quote from: Kathy Groom Stewart – who worked at her parents’ lodge.
In December of 1971, Bill and Anna Groom sold Arliedale Lodge to local business man, Michael Schafer, and for many seasons the lodge stood vacant…
What happened next to the popular summer resort on beautiful Christie Lake?
Discover the history and the mysteries of this legendary resort, built on a peaceful lake in Eastern Ontario.
From the earliest days of the famous Marks family and their distinguished guests hosting the who’s-who of the entertainment industry, and the many owners throughout the years.
Read the shocking rumours, learn about a mysterious fire, and what became of this fashionable resort at Christie Lake.
“Arliedale Lodge: Playground of the Rich and Famous”, one of a collection of stories in the new book, “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”.
Release date: Saturday September 11, at The Book Nook, 60 Gore St. E, Perth, Ontario, Canada.
For information call -613-267-2350.
To pre-order and reserve your copy:
NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
September 2, 2021
Perth’s Millionaire Bachelor – Who Inherited His Fortune?
First to manufacture ‘the Mickey’ – liquor in a 12 ounce bottle, Perth native John McLaren made his fortune distilling alcohol.
A Mickey is actually one of a series of uniquely Canadian alcohol measurements. “Two four” (a case of 24 beers), “twenty-sixer” (a 750 ml bottle of liquor) and “forty-pounder” (a 1.14 liter bottle of liquor) are all virtually unknown outside of Canada.
The very first ‘Mickey‘ was John McLaren’s “Old Perth Malt Whiskey”, a bottle could be had for .80 cents, and was hailed as being “equal to the best ever brewed in Scotland”. Most whiskies in those days were aged very briefly, usually four days or less, and McLaren aged his for a full month before it was distributed to the local bars and liquor stores around Lanark County.
“McLaren’s Whiskey – Aged for a full month!”
Robert McLaren, an enterprising young man from Scotland, founded the McLaren Distillery in Perth, in 1841, on a section of land known today as Stewart Park. He died before his son John, came of age, and the business was placed in a trust with Robert’s wife, John’s step-mother. John took over the distillery around 1866 when he was in his mid-thirties.
Some say it was the combination of the clear waters of the Tay River and the secrets learned from the Scots that led John to become the local ‘Whiskey King’ or ‘Baron of Booze’.
A favourite among whiskey judges, Old Perth Malt Whiskey enjoyed a unique reputation and even some doctors of the time regarded it as “non-injurious”. It became a household staple, said to cure everything from flat feet to the common cold. The popularity of McLaren’s whiskey grew in leaps and bounds, and in its heyday was sold from coast to coast, all across Canada.
John laboured day and night, expanding his operations, and became the town’s wealthiest businessman. Some say he was secretive, reserved, and was not one to discuss his personal or business matters.
Photo above: J.A. McLaren Distillery – located behind the town hall in present-day Stewart Park.
He never married, had no children, and for the most part lived a quiet life and kept to himself. When John McLaren passed away at the turn of the century, many in the town of Perth began to speculate – who would be the heir or heirs to his fortune?
By 1902 the town of Perth was “never more absorbed in one topic of conversation” as they were during the trial held in the local courtroom to settle the case of John McLaren’s Will.
Frank Walker, long-time employee swore that John McLaren had confided in him about his childhood and they shared a special relationship.
Walker told the court that John promised he would be taken care of from the proceeds of John’s estate”
“If I die tonight, you are provided for.”
John A. Stewart, McLaren’s nephew, well-known Perth lawyer, and respected member of parliament, claimed that he drafted a will for Mr. McLaren in 1897, witnessed his signature on the document, and that his uncle had left everything to him.
Many people in Perth thought John McLaren left his millions to Minnie Hamilton. The lovely Minnie was known as his ‘favourite’. She was McLaren’s live-in ‘housekeeper’ in their hideaway home outside of Lanark:
“Everyone knew that Minnie was his special girl!”
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Many local businesses carried spirits manufactured by McLaren’s Distillery in 1903:Smiths Falls: 9 hotels and 1 store
Carleton Place: 8 hotels
Perth: 7 hotels and 2 stores
Franktown: 2 hotels
Ferguson’s Falls: 1 hotel
Innisville: 1 hotel
Maberly: 1 hotel
“The year 1896 was a good period for the hotel industry in Perth. Five recorded hotels flourished within the town boasting a grand total of 165 rooms, and five bars.
According to 19th century observers, Perth had a high caliber of service, and had an excellent reputation as a fine hotel town. One such observer was the old Perth Expositor which noted how strangers “always judge a town by its hotels” and then carried the impression of hospitality and service to the far reaches of the land.
The hotel business of 1898 was a vast improvement over the rude taverns and inns of early days. Several of the hotels survived the turn of the century and can be readily seen in today’s busy commercial trade. The only hotel still bearing the same name and remaining in the same location is the Revere House at Wilson and Foster.
The hotels of Perth began just prior to the Boer War, and were five: Barrie’s Hotel, Hicks House, Allen House, Revere House and Queen’s Hotel. They were all located in the business section of down town Perth and catered to a through trade from road, stage and traveling salesmen. Since 1900 the road trade has shifted west to Highway 7 where an assortment of motels enjoy a lucrative business from an almost entirely auto trade.
In 1896 the oldest hotel was Barrie’s operated by Thomas Barrie. It had thirty rooms and a well stocked bar. A resort of the surrounding farming community, the hotel enjoyed a heavy seasonal business. Mr. Barrie was hailed as a “jolly good natured fellow” with a “pleasant greeting” for all.
The Hicks House, now the Perth Hotel, was hailed as the “leading commercial hotel” in eastern Ontario, sporting a bar, billiard room, free bus rides and a variety of fare on the table. The proprietor was John Wilson, noted for his catering and disciplining of the “hotel attaches”.
The Queen’s occupied thirty rooms, a bar, a billiard room and stables across from what is now Girdwoods Store on Foster Street. Owned by Frank A. Lambert, father of Edward Lambert, present day proprietor of the Imperial Hotel on Wilson, the Queen’s closed its quarters in 1918 after purchasing Barrie’s from James P. Hogan who succeeded Mr. Barrie as operator. Queen’s and Barrie’s are thus the modern day Imperial Hotel operated by Ed Lambert who took over from his father in 1934.
In 1896 Revere House was a 25 room establishment run by W.J. Flett who is described as one of the best hotel men in the valley. He enjoyed a popular local trace.
Largest hotel in Perth, now closed to business, was a fifty room spread called the Allan House, situated to the west of the town hall in a block now occupied by Chaplin and Code and the Coin Wash. Andrew Robinson the proprietor, was famous for his “uniform courtesy and kindness” and the free bus rides to the train and stages. Mr. Robinson purchased the Allan House from I.C. Grant after ten years as an employee of the Hicks House.
Needless to say, the hotels of Perth had close connections with Crystal Sprine Brewery and McLaren’s Distillery, two enterprises which made Perth famous from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.”
(article published in “The Perth Courier” 1964)
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Did one of these Business Owners in Perth inherit McLaren’s money?Someone in Perth got McLaren’s millions!
September 1, 2021
Memories of the Perth Fair
It wasn’t just our Mother who loved the Perth Fair. Yes, she spent months preparing for those brief few hours each Labour Day weekend, at the fairgrounds, along Rogers Road, but the rest of the family also felt a sense of excitement, rivalled only by Christmas morning!
The day had arrived! The day that we would drive into Perth, park at our Aunt Pat and Uncle Peter Stafford’s house on Halton Street, walk up the road, and enter the gates. By the time we got to the entrance, and Mother showed her Exhibitor’s Pass, we were bursting with anticipation. I knew that Mother would be heading straight for the Homecraft Building to check on her entries, but instead, I chose to slow down, look around, and take it all in.
She glanced back, waved, and then rushed down the well worn path, through the midway, and up to the buildings. I stood with my back against the side of the Lion’s Hall, and glanced around. There was so much to see that I didn’t know where to look first. Being a kid, my eyes naturally gravitated toward the rides.
They were all spinning and whirring, and the bright sun was bouncing off of all of the shiny metal. There was a Ferris wheel, a Scrambler, a Tilt-a-Whirl, and the Bullet. The Swings took up a lot of room, and so they were set up to the right of the buildings. I could see four kiddy rides: a Merry-Go-Round, Baby Airplanes going round in a circle, Ladybugs, and a Little Red Caboose making its way along a tiny round track.
Once my eyes had taken in the rides, my senses turned to all of the sweet aromas of the Fair. Right across from where I was standing was the Lion’s Club ladies’ booth, and I could smell their fresh, homemade hamburgers, and the savory scent of fried sweet onions. Straight ahead of me, just past the entrance was a vendor swirling a paper funnel around and around, in a circle, pink cotton candy swelling out from the stick, as he twirled it inside the machine.
Next to the cotton candy stand, was a man selling corn on the cob, and several people were waiting in line. Folks were holding their cobs by a short wooden stick that had been plunged right into the big end of the cob, and there were two or three separate unwrapped pounds of butter set on the edge of the counter of the vending cart. The butter had already taken on a curved shape as people spun their cobs, and then salted them.
Next to the corn vendor was the hot dog cart. A tall, lanky man was grilling hot dogs on one side, and the finished dogs were spinning slowly around glistening on the grill. On the other side of the wagon, a younger lad was piercing hot dogs with long slender sticks, dipping them in batter, and placing them into a big deep fryer. The cart had a low shelf with mustard, ketchup and relish and some diced onions for people to dress their hot dogs.
There were two more food carts, so I strolled a bit farther down the midway toward the buildings. The first cart held a popcorn machine, even bigger than the one that I’d seen at the Soper Theatre in Smiths Falls. It was a large, metal machine, painted red, and the popcorn was spilling out of the top into a big glass case. The vendor was lifting it out with a bright, silver scoop, and placing it into small white paper bags that were decorated with red stripes and a clown’s face.
The last food vendor in front of the Commerce building, was making snow cones. There was a square, metal and glass machine and an old man in a dirty apron was pouring ice cubes into a big funnel on the top. There were white cone-shaped paper cups stacked in a tall dispenser attached to the side of the machine and when he cranked the handle on the opposite side snow came out of an opening at the front. There were clear plastic squeeze bottles lined up on a shelf, at the front of the machine, and each was labeled with a different flavour: cherry, orange, lemon-lime, grape and blueberry.
I’m not sure if I was really hungry or if it was just from seeing and smelling all of the different kinds of food, and I thought that I might buy either a small bag of popcorn, or a blueberry snow cone. I dug deep into my pocket, and pulled out my money. I had exactly twelve dollars, and my money had to last for the whole weekend, and this was just the first day. I needed to save some, because my friends Susan and Jane Munro, Patti Jordan, and Debbie Majaury, would be coming into town later, and I’d want to go on the rides with them. Because the rides were $1.25 each I had to be careful not to spend money on food, so I stuffed the bills and change back in my pocket, and kept walking, taking in all the sights along the way.
I heard a man’s voice yelling at me, and it startled me so much that I jumped. I looked toward the man timidly, and he was in a game booth, right behind a food cart, and he had a table set up with some wooden milk bottles, stacked in a pyramid. He had a baseball in his hand, and called to me to come and knock over the milk bottles. It scared me so much that I just walked away. I wasn’t used to strangers. We knew everyone out on the Third Line, and lots of the folks in Perth as well. None of the people we knew ever yelled at us like that, right out of the blue, and certainly not a stranger. I walked quickly away, not looking back.
The people that operated the games made me nervous. They had a lot of tattoos, which was something we never saw in those days. Many of them were a bit too aggressive. I’d played some of those games before, and although I won, I didn’t get the big stuffed bears and dogs that were hanging along the top and sides of their booth.
I’ll never forget the first time I played a game. The back wall of the booth had four or five rows of balloons blown up, and they were stuck to the wall. I thought I’d have no problem hitting one of the balloons, so when the man yelled at me to come and play, I thought it would be a sure thing.
He said it was $1.00 for three darts so I handed him my money, and he handed me three darts. Sure enough, the balloons weren’t that far away, and I hit and burst all three of them.
He reached down under the table, into a big cardboard box, and handed me a mangy looking stuffed snake. It was about six inches long, and had an orange felt tongue, badly stitched onto its mouth, and two black felt eyes, that weren’t even lined up.
I looked up at the big stuffed bears and asked him why I hadn’t won one of those. He said that my prize was a ‘small’ and if I wanted a ‘large’ prize I’d have to play and win, trading up to a ‘medium’ then win a certain number of ‘mediums’ and then I’d finally get one of the big bears. Holy cow! Talk about disappointed! What kind of scam was that? Folks from Bathurst Township were used to other people dealing with them fairly. This game seemed like out and out trickery, and I wasn’t very impressed. Still, I didn’t want to tell Mother that I’d just wasted my money, so I kept it to myself. I didn’t even want to tell my friends that I’d been fooled like that. I just felt stupid.
I walked by all of the other game booths, and watched people play. Some folks walking around the fairgrounds were actually carrying one of the great big stuffed animals. I wondered to myself how many of those mangy stuffed snakes they’d had to trade up in order to finally claim the big prize.
I walked past the last game in the midway, and there was a rough-looking older woman, holding a bunch of short, wooden fishing rods, with small black metal squares on the ends. There was a round aluminum tub of water on the ground, and floating along the surface of the water were dozens of little yellow plastic ducks, and they each had ‘S’, ‘M’ or ‘L’, marked on their heads in black marker – small, medium and large I guessed. I must have been staring too long at the tub of ducks because she called out at me to come and play. She said everyone is a winner. Not to be tricked again, I asked her what the prizes were, and she showed me. She didn’t have huge stuffed animals, but it was only fifty cents to play, and you could fish in the tub until you caught a duck.
I dug into my pocket, and pulled out two quarters, gave them to her, and she handed me a fishing rod. By this time, after watching other folks play for a few minutes, I had figured out that the heavy black square on the end of the rod was a magnet, and that each of the yellow plastic ducks must have a magnet inside so they would stick to the line. I looked down into the tub, and I could see that there were about forty or fifty ducks marked with an ‘S’, maybe ten marked with a ‘M’ and there were only three that I could see marked with an ‘L’. I took my time, and positioned my rod right over one of the ‘L’ ducks and plunged it into the water. Wouldn’t you know it, just my luck, the magnet had stuck to a duck with an ‘S’, the lady pulled it out of the tub, and handed me a prize. It was a 45 rpm record in a paper sleeve. I thanked her, and looked at the label. It was the Shirelles’ song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” Hmmm. Well, the record was a few years old, but we had a record player at home, and some plastic adapters to play 45s, so this didn’t seem like such a bad prize after all. Not bad for fifty cents!
The late August sun was working its way up into the sky, and I thought it must be close to noon. I was starting to feel hot, and decided to head up to the buildings, and cool off inside. The exhibit halls at the Perth Fair were grey metal arched buildings, with straight walls, and rounded roofs. One of the buildings was known as the Commerce building, and it had lots of different vendors selling their products and services. The other building was the Homemaking building, and this is where you could find exhibits of sewing and fancy work, vegetables, flowers, canned goods, maple products, and of course home baking. It’s also where you could find our Mother!
As I walked closer to the building, there were two tables set up, right outside of the entrance. One person was raffling off a quilt made by Mrs. Bert Frizzell, and the other was selling tickets for the annual draw to win a baby beef. Sure enough, as I approached the main door, I spotted Mother, standing along one of the baking counters, talking to Evelyn Bothwell, and Margaret Campbell. Mrs. Willard Shaw and Mrs. Archie Ferguson were working at the next counter, arranging some of the craft displays. The ladies all nodded and smiled at me, knowing that I was one of Mother’s ‘helpers’, responsible for carrying her baking in to the building each year, the evening before the judging took place. I usually had a meringue pie on my lap, in the car, on the way into Perth, and there were countless trays of muffins, loaves, cakes, pies, cookies, bread, rolls and biscuits to carry, carefully, into the building each year. Along with all of those tasty treats, she would also enter photography, flowers, vegetables and sewing, but it was the home baking competition where her talents shone.
Mother spotted me, smiled excitedly, and waved me over to the counter. “Your Mother won the most points in the baking category again!” Mrs. Bothwell exclaimed, and the ladies pointed out all of the red ribbons and tags, behind the glass counter. Mother beamed, and said that Mrs. Bell from Balderson had come very close to beating her, and that she’d have to stay sharp for next year!
There were also many other folks who won prizes at the Fair that year as well. There was a gate prize each year, and the ticket number would be drawn, called out, and the winner received ten pounds of Balderson Cheese. Now who wouldn’t want that! They estimated that the crowd that year was around 15,000 and I’m not sure who won the gate prize, but someone went home that night with a big slab of the best cheese in the county.
One of the most popular events was the harness racing, and the winner was Eddie Norris of Perth. There was also a Tractor Rodeo – contestants had to drive tractors through an obstacle course pulling wagons and manure spreaders. In the 14-18 yrs. division some of our local lads had a good showing. Bill Poole came 1st, Allan Lowry was 2nd, and Brian Miller of Drummond Centre came 3rd. In the 19 yrs. and over division Mervin Conboy of Maberly took first place, with Jack James from Middleville taking 2nd, and our neighbour from the Third Line, Wayne Conboy taking 3rd.
Donald Hossie, another neighbour, was the top winner in the seed and grain competition, and Mrs. Robert Moodie won the Sewing and Fancy work class with no less than 23 firsts! Mrs. John Auchterlonie, also from the Third Line, took top honours for her vegetables and fruits, and Mrs. Isobel Kent came first in the Flower competition.
Ray Poole was the winner of the best bale of first cut hay, and our neighbour, John Miller of Glen Tay, won for the best dairy cattle. John’s sister Ruth Miller, won for the best senior calf. Other winners from the Third Line included Paul, Dale and Jane Brady, winners for their 4H dairy cattle entries. In some of the other 4H competitions local lads Alfred Bowes and Brian Miller, John Miller, and Linda Bell of Balderson were winners.
Everyone enjoyed the light and heavy Horse Shows and the livestock competitions. That was the first year that Charolais cattle were introduced into the mix, and so it was quite special to see them in the arena.
My good friends came to the fairgrounds that Saturday afternoon, and we had a wonderful time, riding the Scrambler, and the Tilt-a-Whirl, screaming, laughing, and then feeling dizzy on our walk back down the ramp, at the end of the ride. We were all a little nervous about riding The Bullet, because while one of the two cars was right side-up, the opposite car was up-side-down. We stood there quite a while watching other people riding, and screaming, and laughing, before we got up enough nerve to try it out ourselves. I didn’t really like being upside-down, and some of my change fell out of my pocket, onto the ground below. Luckily, one of our neighbours Linda Brady saw it fall, and she stood there and waited, until the ride was finished, and hung onto my change for me.
As always, the Grandstand shows at the Perth Fair were great entertainment for people of all ages! Beautiful late summer evenings, clear skies, all the rides lit up, the scents of delicious food in the air, and wonderful live music, made those nights magical!
Everyone always came out to see the famous Trans Canada Hell Drivers!
Along with the Grandstand entertainment, one of the highlights of the Fair that year, was the Old Time Fiddlers competition on Sunday, and the musically-gifted Dawson Girdwood walked away with the top prize. Barb Closs from Lanark came second in the step-dancing competition, although we thought she should have come first, she was such a talented performer. Watching the fiddling and step-dancing was a memorable finish to the Labour Day weekend.
The last night of the Fair, as always, was bittersweet. We knew that it was almost over for another year. I walked through the midway one more time, all the way to the Lion’s Hall. The ladies in the Lioness Booth were packing up their big jars of mustard and relish, and some of the nearby vendors were starting to clean their food carts, and take them apart.
Some diehard fans of the Fair were still playing games; taking a last spin at the Crown and Anchor wheel, or throwing one last pitch at Skeet ball, not wanting the fun to end. Although it was getting late, there were still a handful of people on the rides laughing and screaming. The good-natured folks running the rides didn’t seem to mind and they gave these last few stragglers extra long rides.
As I walked back up through the midway, I took one last look behind me, as if I wanted to freeze the moment in my memory, then I reluctantly climbed into the car. Dad started up the engine, and drove through the side entrance, onto Cockburn Street.
It was a wonderful fair! I sat in the back seat of the car, tired from the busy weekend, as Mother chatted excitedly to Dad, already planning her exhibits for next year’s fair.
School would be starting soon, and the days would grow cooler, and the sun wouldn’t feel quite as strong as it did for the Fair. In the weeks to come we’d bring our jackets down from the attic, and spend our evenings doing homework, instead of riding our bikes up and down the Third Line. As the daylight hours dwindled down we’d begin to see the onset of nature’s paintbrush, and its random strokes of yellow and orange, dotted across the maple trees in our yard. This would be our last taste of summer for a long while, and what could possibly be a more fitting way to finish off the season, than a glorious sunny weekend spent at the Perth Fair!
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This story is an excerpt from:
To order:
https://thebooknookperth.com/product/lanark-county-calendar-arlene-stafford-wilson/http://www.staffordwilson.comAugust 31, 2021
Book Review -“Lanark County Comfort”
Lanark County author Arlene Stafford-Wilson, now in Ottawa, has penned her ninth book commemorating local history. Lanark County Comfort: Tales to Warm Your Heart, is a collection of short stories portraying some of the area’s most colourful people, places, and notable lore.
Stafford-Wilson will be at The Book Nook, 60 Gore St. E. in Perth, on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 1-3 p.m. for the launch.
The delivery of this book has the same familiarity as with others by this author. The reader learns, or remembers, six legendary stories with flare, and lots of mentions of family names making it a quick reference book for the historian.
A genealogist herself, Stafford-Wilson has an easy way of turning a history lesson into a memorable story, these latest run the gamut: from doughnuts to millionaires, a church anniversary to bell bottom jeans, and a summer lodge made famous, to the memorable folks of Flower Station.
CHAPTERS
OAKES BAKERY
Oakes Bakery — Tasty Treats in the Town of Perth — a place filled with triumph and tragedies, including family members who died from tuberculous.
It’s hard not to make the COVID connection in the first story.
Stafford-Wilson writes: “During Bill’s stay at the sanatorium (in 1954) he was among the first to receive a new drug in the treatment of tuberculosis, called streptomycin. It was the very early stages of using this drug and Bill was given an unusually high dosage, which according to his grandson, Kurt, was ‘enough to kill a horse.’ Despite the unusual quantity administered, Bill’s health began to improve and within a short time after that, he was able to return home to Perth.”
This was Bill and Stella Oakes, who opened the bakery in Perth at 60 Foster St. on May 1, 1926.
A memorable part in this vignette spoke of the police officer who saved the bakery from a fire in 1946.
PANT BARN DANCES
The Legendary Pant Barn Dances will take you back to the bell-bottom era of the 1960s and ‘70s when jeans were cool, and the Stampeders, Kim Mitchell, and April Wine were among the Juno Award winners on stage in Perth. Perry Weagle, owner of the Pant Barn, knew how to put on a party for the teens, who came in busloads from Brockville to Carleton Place.
FLOWER STATION
Famous Folks of Flower Station intrigued Stafford-Wilson in her writings of several prominent residents of that area, to where her family travelled from Tay Valley on Sunday drives.
One such legend was Jennie Crawford “Granny” Marjaury who “walked everywhere, smoked a pipe and lived to be 104 had nine children, 59 grandchildren, 150 great-grandchildren and 26 great-great-grandchildren.
PERTH’S MILLIONAIRE BACHELOR
Perth’s Millionaire Bachelor — Who Inherited His Fortune? This was an intriguing tale of a bachelor who earned some $3 million by today’s standards, in the whiskey business. Upon his death, was there a will … or was there not? The author takes you on a ride through the court system, as you will read testimony of several people. What is intriguing is where his money went, and how it is still enjoyed in Perth today.
CALVIN UNITED CHURCH – 125TH ANNIVERSARY
Calvin United Church — 125th Anniversary (1896-2021): Located in Tay Valley, this church is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Stafford-Wilson shares history of strawberry socials, and the secrets behind what keeps this church so active, even now.
ARLIEDALE LODGE: CHRISTIE LAKE
Arliedale Lodge: Playground of the Rich and Famous: The Marks Brothers of Perth were “The Canadian Kings of Repertoir,” one of the most successful Canadian theatre companies. They spent their summers at Christie Lake and eventually built Arliedale Inn (renamed later to the Lodge), named after Arlie — the only child of Tom Marks and Helen (Ella) Brockenshire. After several ownerships, the lodge was razed by a mysterious fire in 1979. You can read all about the reasons behind the suspicion in this new collection of Lanark County shorts.
To Order:
NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
Link to article “Inside Ottawa Valley”
August 30, 2021
Calvin United Church 125th Anniversary 1896-2021
NEW BOOK!
This year marks a milestone in the long rich history of this very special place. To commemorate this 125th anniversary, the history of Calvin United Church is one of a collection of short stories in the book, “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”.
“If her walls could talk they might recount the stories of generations of local families, of two World Wars, of prayers she has heard, of joys she has shared, and somber times of sorrow, grief, and loss.”
an excerpt from “Lanark County Comfort”
The story of the church begins from the earliest days before the present church was constructed, and takes the reader through the unsettled times of the first and second world wars, the changing ways of the 1950s through the 1980s, and into the present days with the challenges of the world pandemic.
Recollections from former and current members, thoughts and insights from current minister, Rev. Micheline Montreuil, as well as stories and memories of many of the members throughout the history of the church.
Discover the social clubs and ladies’ auxiliaries, learn about the lively debating clubs, the romantic box socials, the infamous car races, the plays, the strawberry socials, and some of the church’s most distinguished members.
“Calvin United Church – 125th Anniversary”, is part of a collection of short stories in “Lanark County Comfort”, available Saturday, September 11th, at the book launch, 1-3 p.m. at The Book Nook, 60 Gore St., Perth, Ontario, Canada. For information – 613-267-2350.
Calvin United Church was built on the west half of Lot 11, Concession 3, on property purchased for the sum of thirty dollars, from John Cameron, and his wife, Janet. Construction of the church began in earnest, and was completed in the fall of 1896, at a cost of $1,450.00. The church was dedicated for worship, and opened on September 13th of that same year. The first elected officers in the church were Andrew Gamble, William Scott, Andrew Palmer, George Miller, Andrew B. Miller, Andrew W. Miller, W.J. Palmer, John Jordan, Nichol Stewart, Alex Palmer and Sydney Miller.
“We give thee but thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be,
For all we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.”
There is a Roll of Honour for the brave veterans of Calvin United Church who served their country so faithfully, during times of war: Lloyd Henry Cameron, Helen Muriel Jordan, Hugh Boyd McLellan, John Grey Palmer, Harold Earl Radford, James Stewart Scott, Earl Alexander Tysick, Edwin Cecil Popplewell, John Ernest Miller, Donald Edwin Jordan, George Bertram Fyfe, Kenneth Arthur Kirkham, George Elwood Palmer, Howard William Radford, John Adam Scott, Andrew William Stewart, Raymond McIntosh Blackburn, Andrew Gordon Miller, William Arthur Stewart.
40th ANNIVERSARY“Both services were largely attended by visiting congregations and the church was beautifully decorated with plants and flowers.”
In September 1936 Calvin United Church celebrated their 40th Anniversary:
CAMERON HALL – BUILT IN 1947
CALVINETTES – YOUNG LADIES’ AUXILIARYCalvinettes held an election of officers January 1964:Elected Officers: Betty Miller, Wilma Munro, Ona Closs, Frances Dixon, Maxine Jordan, Doris Popplewell, Wilma Scott, Audry Stafford, Mrs. Clyde Korry, Carmel Jordan, Jean Jordan, Agnes Stiller.
In 1979 Calvin Jordan was presented with an award for serving the church for over half a century. The award was presented by Charlie Patton and Alan Jordan for his outstanding service.
Although because of the times, men held the offices in the church, women have also played an important role as early as 1894, with the ‘Ladies’ Aid’.
Later, there was a ‘Women’s Mission Society’, and even later the U.C.W., or United Church Women. In 1962 the younger women formed the Calvinettes.
Some of the dedicated women of the ladies’ auxiliaries over the years were:
Lillian Cameron, Ethel Scott, Ethel Korry, Jean Korry, Mae Miller, Bertha Stewart, Edith Miller, Mary Miller and Mabel Palmer, Marge Cook, Wilma (Scott) Peckett, Eleanor Conboy, Jean Jordan, Audry Stafford, Ona Closs, Maxine Jordan, Mabel Palmer, Isobel Cameron, Frances Dixon, Betty Johnston, Wilma Munro, Mary Jordan, Betty Miller, Margery Conboy, Kathy Patton, Marion Majaury, Doris Popplewell, Agnes Stiller, and Carmel Jordan to name a few.
MINISTERS
Many ministers have served at Calvin United Church over the years, offering spiritual guidance, sharing in the joys of baptisms, officiating at weddings, and offering comfort at the funerals of loved ones.
Calvin United Church has a rich history, and has been a steadfast presence in the community for over a century. It’s a short drive from Perth on the Christie Lake Road to DeWitt’s Corners, turn right onto the Cameron Side Road, and a quick drive up this picturesque country road.
If you are visiting the area, stop by, and feel the sense of history, and of the generations who have passed before you, in this pretty church on the hill.
Chapter 1: Oakes Bakery: Tasty Treats in the Town of Perth
Chapter 2 – Legendary Pant Barn Dances
Chapter 3 – Famous Folks of Flower Station
Chapter 4 – Perth’s Millionaire Bachelor
Chapter 5 – Calvin United Church 125th Anniversary
Chapter 6 – Arliedale Lodge, Christie Lake
Discover the story of this historic place in Tay Valley Township, marking its 125th year in 2021. From the earliest days in the 1870s, through World War I and World War II, the people who served and contributed their time and talents, in this lovely rural church, set in a backdrop of a close-knit farming community in Eastern Ontario.
$22.99
photos: from the “Calvin United Church 90th Anniversary”commemorative publication, & “Calvin United Church Bathurst 100th Anniversary 1896-1996” commemorative publication, and Stafford family collection – taken Aug. 3, 2021, by Arlene Stafford-Wilson and her son, Alex Duhaney.NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
August 27, 2021
Oakes Bakery
Win Oakes, at Oakes Bakery, 37 Foster Street, Perth, ON, photo: courtesy of Kristine Oakes
Oakes Bakery
Long John or Honey-Dipped Donut? Which was the best?
That was the long-standing debate, at the Perth and District Collegiate Institute, for as long as I can remember. Some liked the soft split donut with the rich whipped cream down the center, and then there were others who couldn’t get enough of its main rival – the doughy, firm-glazed, honey-dipped delights.
The 2 favourites, at the center of the great debate at P.D.C.I. – Which was best?
Whichever of the two you preferred, they could both be found at Perth, Ontario’s much-loved bakery, Oakes Bakery, a respected, popular business, serving the town and surrounding area for over 55 years.
Oakes Bakery:
A Little Bit of History
Thomas Edward Oakes 1867-1933
In 1893, Thomas Oakes, a stone-cutter by trade, made the decision to move to Perth from Almonte. He heard through the grapevine that a thriving stone-crafting industry was booming in the busy town, and soon after, he secured a position with the Campbell Monument Works, crafting, polishing and engraving marble and granite tombstones.
While Thomas’ days were busy working as a stone-cutter, he was also widely known as a sociable fellow. He began to date a charming beauty, born in Bathurst Township, and like Thomas, a member of St. James Anglican Church, in Perth. On a chilly January afternoon, in 1896, after many months of courtship, Thomas, age 28, married Mary Elizabeth Morris, age 21, daughter of William Morris and Catherine Sly. Thomas and Mary had a large family of six children: Florence, William, Dorothy, Delbert, Elsie, and Laura.
William Oakes –
Founder of the Bakery
1898-1963
Bill Oakes, Thomas’ eldest son, at age 20, married Stella Fleming in 1919:
Marriage of Bill Oakes to Stella Fleming – from: Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1938Apprenticeship at Woodcock Bakery
Bill and Stella moved to Carleton Place, where he was employed with Woodcock Bakery, at 152 Bridge Street. The Woodcock family were pleased to have such an eager and hard-working trainee, and Bill, in turn, was learning everything he could about operating a bakery.
Oakes Bakery
Opens for Business 1926
On May 1, 1926 – Bill and Stella Oakes opened their bakery at 60 Foster Street. Bill ran the bakery, and his brother, Delbert ‘Deb’ delivered the goods by horse and buggy. In 1948 the business moved to 37 Foster Street.
Dec. 15, 1949, p.3, “The Perth Courier”
In the 1950s, Oakes Bakery began to offer deli selections,
as well as their popular baked goods.
“The Perth Courier”, July 12, 1956, p 10
“The Perth Courier”, March 26, 1959, p.9
“The Perth Courier”, Dec. 17, 1959, p. 13
Dec. 17, 1959, p 13 “The Perth Courier”
Dec. 21, 1961, p. 12, “The Perth Courier”
The Bakers:
Donald ‘Donny’ Oakes, Roy Van Iderstine, Richard ‘Rick’ Oakes, Steven Cordick, Paul Carter, Harold Matheson, Terry Truelove, Michael Jordan, Kevin Beamish, Iqbal Umar, Gerry Huddleston.
Win Oakes, icing a cake, at Oakes Bakery, 37 Foster Street, Perth, ON, photo courtesy of Kristine Oakes
Bakery Founder Bill Oakes,
passes away – 1963
(missing from the obituary are son, Donald, son William ‘Bill’, and daughter, June – thanks to Janie Kerr for pointing out the omission)
Along with sponsoring many local events over the years, like the Festival of the Maples, the Mutt Show at the Perth Fair, and countless other charities, Oakes Bakery also sponsored a talk show on CJET Radio, with host, Don Crawford, called “Legion Line”
March 18, 1965, p. 10, “The Perth Courier”
Oakes 40th Anniversary – Apr. 21, 1966, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
The first driver for Oakes Bakery was Delbert ‘Deb’ Oakes, brother of the owner, William Oakes. Deb delivered baked goods throughout the town of Perth, on a horse and cart, beginning in 1926. In the years that followed, modern trucks were added to the fleet, and deliveries expanded beyond the town of Perth.
Oakes Bakery – trucks, photo courtesy of Tom Oakes
Don McAdam, Eldred Beamish,
Ernie Moore, and Walter Bentley
In the 1960s, Eldred Beamish, delivered to customers in Ompah and along Snow Road, Ernie Moore, delivered to Burritt’s Rapids, and Walter Bentley, whose route included most of the Drummond Centre area. Don McAdam delivered in Perth, as well as the Christie Lake route.
Oakes Bakery trucks – 1960, photo: courtesy of Shirley Oakes
1970s and 1980s – Drivers
Edred Beamish, Robert Roussel,
Michael Lefebvre
June 23, 1966, p. 3, “The Perth Courier”
Nov. 24, 1966, p. 9 “The Perth Courier”
Dec. 15, 1966, p. 4, “The Perth Courier”
Apr. 3, 1969, p. 7 “The Perth Courier”
Traditional Hot Cross buns, served in the weeks leading up to Easter, were a popular treat at Oakes Bakery.
Aug. 28, 1969, p. 10, “The Perth Courier”
Oakes Bakery –
Christening and Baptism Cakes
Oakes Bakery generously donated a beautiful Christening Cake each New Year to the parents of the first baby born at the Perth Hospital. Traditional christening and baptism cakes were always white, some were round, tiered, and resembled a wedding cakes. Rectangular sheet-style cakes were also popular, and were usually white, some decorated with a cross. More modern cakes were decorated using pastel colours, like pink or blue, but the majority of cakes produced were all white.
Dec. 27, 1973 p. 10, “The Perth Courier”
(Above: Christening and Baptism cakes – white sheet cakes, iced in white were popular)
Oakes Storefront Staff
– Assisted customers, took orders for wedding cakes, and specialty cakes, boxed and packaged orders, handles payments and in-store sales:
Winnifred ‘Win’ Oakes, Shirley Oakes, Betty Oakes, Diane Bowes, Vena Shanks, Wanda Shanks, Wendy Kehoe, Christine Schauber, Connie Burns, Lisa Anderson, Shannon Matheson, Doug Young, Doug McDonald
At the Smiths Falls store:
Working at their Main Street store in Smiths Falls: Mary Horricks, Webb and Helen Young, and at the County Fair Mall location: Joan Beamish, Kathy Beamish, Charmaine Gill, Kelly O’Neill, Marie Stoddard, and Wendy Thomas. Office staff at that time: Norma Adams and Linda Dowdall.
Dec. 12, 1974, p. 4 “The Perth Courier”
In 1976, Oakes Bakery celebrated it’s 50th year in business.
Oct. 21, 1976. p 10 “The Perth Courier”
Sept. 22, 1977, p. 13 “The Perth Courier”
Mar. 1, 1978, p. 8, “The Perth Courier”
Mar. 19, 1980, p. 15 “The Perth Courier”
Nov. 19, 1980, p. 26, “The Perth Courier”
Feb. 4, 1981, p. 26, “The Perth Courier”
Wedding Cakes
Oakes Bakery was well-known for their beautiful wedding cakes, and traditional toppers. Most of their wedding cakes were fruit cakes decorated in white icing, and created in several layers of increasing sizes. It was popular to bake a separate fruit cake, iced in white, cut in small pieces and wrapped and given to wedding guests at the table, beside their place setting. Wedding bells were popular cake toppers, or small figures depicting the bride and groom.
Above: 1940s Cake Topper
Wedding cakes on display at Oakes Bakery in the 1960s – photo courtesy of Shirley Oakes
Shirley Oakes’ wedding cake, traditional fruit cake, iced by Shirley and Win Oakes, in 1963, photo: courtesy of Shirley Oakes
Mar. 11, 1981, p. 51, “The Perth Courier”
A classic style wedding cake with topper, like many that were made by the talented staff at Oakes Bakery
Traditional fruit cake, cut in small pieces, with white marzipan icing, and wrapped in plastic wrap, were popular wedding favours for guests,at each place setting at a wedding supper.
Slices of wedding cake were often wrapped in plastic, then wrapped in a doily, with a ribbon tied around the middle, and given as a ‘favour’ to wedding guests.
July 1, 1981, p. 34, “The Perth Courier”
In 1981, Oakes Bakery celebrated their 55th year in business.
Oakes 55th Anniversary announcement – courtesy of Kristine Oakes
Dec. 23, 1981, p. 43, “The Perth Courier”
Jan. 13, 1982, p. 1 “The Perth Courier”
Read the Story of Oakes Bakery
New Book – Sat. Sept. 11th, 1 – 3 p.m.
The Book Nook, Perth, ON
Coming this fall, the story of Oakes Bakery, one of a collection of short stories in “Lanark County Comfort: Homespun Tales to Warm Your Heart”.
Discover the tragedies and the triumphs of this well-loved Perth business. What was it like to work there? Stories and anecdotes from members of the Oakes family and from former staff-members. Re-live the glory days, follow the drivers on their delivery routes, and visit behind the scenes with the talented bakers. Read about that fateful night in 1947 when a local police officer discovered a fire at the bakery that could have ended it all……
For information, or to reserve your copy:
NEW RELEASE (preorder) – Lanark County Comfort; Home spun tails to warm your heart – Arlene Stafford-Wilson
