Station Stories: Point Edward's Grand Trunk Railway

Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station

I recently presented a talk at the Central Forum (a lecture series held at the Central United Church in Sarnia) entitled, "Passage to Point Edward: Survival of a Railway Town." In this blog I will outline some of "Station Stories" associated with the Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station. If you are interested in a more detailed look at the rise and decline of the Grand Trunk Railway Station in Point Edward, you can access my research notes or download my PowerPoint slides from the Central Forum presentation.

Horses moving a home from Point
Edward to Sarnia; a common site
in the 1890s.

The Grand Trunk arrived in Point Edward in November 1859. A grand station-hotel was built to mark the Canadian Terminus of the rail line, the grandest Grand Trunk structure west of Toronto. An impressive three-storey white brick building, the station-hotel was 200 feet long and approximately 40 feet tall. Features included first and second class waiting rooms, dining facilities, apartments for the stationmaster and his family, and overnight accommodations. The station stood on the waterfront on land that is now partially beneath the Blue Water Bridge and the west balcony featured a beautiful view of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. The station was also complimented by its landscaping, including gardens, flower beds, and a fountain. Business boomed in Point Edward, spurred by the rail line and the connections it offered to the rest of North America. Unfortunately, the opening of the St. Clair Tunnel in 1891 marked the end of rail service in Point Edward. All rail focus shifted to Sarnia, leaving the grand Point Edward station deserted and forcing hundreds of local residents to follow their railway jobs to Sarnia (two thirds of the population left). Although it met a sad demise, the railway station had some interesting stories along the way.

Workers at Point Edward station

The station building was destroyed by fire in September 1871. The fire was discovered by stationmaster Mr. John McAvoy. The blaze started in a barrel of hot ashes in a shed at the north end of the building, and it was encouraged by a gusty wind off the lake; within half an hour, the whole hotel burned to the bare brick walls. The Sarnia Observer reported on September 15, 1871, "[Mr. McAvoy] lost all his personal belongings including $660 cash." Apparently the cash was stuffed in the pocket of a vest he was unable to retrieve from the fire. Although he lost his money, McAvoy did escape with his life and the life of his family, also rousing the half-suffocated bartender from his bed before he could succumb to the smoke. The red brick telegraph and ticket office at the south end of the building were spared when firefighters tore up a section of the wooden station platform and soaked the wood to prevent further flames spreading. Soon after on September 22, the Sarnia Observer reported that the Grand Trunk would rebuilt the station-hotel in the spring; in fact, construction began on December 1 of that year. Construction continued in earnest throughout the chilly Canadian winter. On April 19, 1872 the Sarnia Observer announced "Grand Trunk Ry. station, at Point Edward nearly re-built after the fire." The new station had many of the same features as the old, including a customs office, agent's office, waiting room, ticket office, ladies waiting room, bar dining room, kitchen and pantry, with the agent's private dining room on the second floor. The building had fifty apartments in total. It cost $20,000 for the reconstruction.

Edward VII

On September 14, 1860 the Point Edward railway station entertained perhaps its most famous guest. The Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (later Edward VII), was scheduled to stop in Point Edward and Sarnia after touring Toronto and London. There was some confusion in the week leading up to his visit regarding when and how the Prince would travel to Lambton County, and County Warden Archibald Young made sure that he personally traveled to Toronto himself to confirm the details. Early in the morning crowds from Sarnia and Point Edward as well as travelers from across the county (arriving on foot, horseback and cart) crowded into the gallery where the opening address would take place. A Reception Committee including local dignitaries greeted the Prince and there were a series of formal addresses.

A large contingent of Native Americans (estimated between three and four hundred) also came to the formal reception. Some came in traditional dress with feathered headdresses and painted faced, while others wore European-style clothing. Native American H.P. Chase was selected to speak on behalf of his people, as well as Ogishta, an Objibeway Chief who addressed the Prince in his native tongue, with the help of an interpreter.

The ceremony was also accompanied by an address from the Prince himself and the opening of new Grand Trunk freight sheds. The Prince dined at the Point Edward Railway station's hotel, and a great ball was also held in his honour. At dinner, the Prince proposed a toast to "the prosperity of the Grand Trunk."

Ulysses S. Grant

American general and president Ulysses S. Grant also stayed at the Point Edward station while traveling from Buffalo to Detroit. A thousand Sarnians hopped aboard the J.C. Spicer ferry to greet Grant when his train arrived. Apparently not given to speeches, Grant bowed several times from the depot balcony but did not address the crowd. One reporter later noted, "it seemed Grant would rather face an army of 50,000 Southerners than expose himself to the prying eyes of 1000 Canucks having for their object the gratification of mere curiosity."

The Grand Trunk railway station in Point Edward also served as a stop on the journey of immigrants settling in Western Canada. In 1860 the Beatty Transportation Company began a steamship service from the Point Edward station to Duluth on the aptly named steamer Manitoba. West of the Grand Trunk station a shed was built for immigrants to take a break on their long journeys. Immigrants crammed into colonist cars on trains were in need of clean clothes and a bath before continuing the long journey. In front of the shed was an enclosed space on the river where train loads of immigrants (500 - 1000 people) could wash themselves and their clothes before loading onto steamboats for farther destinations.

J.C. McArthur, "Icelanders Leaving the Railway Station at
Point Edward for the steamer 'Ontario,' on their Way to the
shores of Lake Manitoba." Canadian Illustrated News,
November 13, 1875, vol. XII, no. 20, 309.

The sketch by J.C. MacArthur shows a large group of Icelandic settlers arriving in Point Edward on their way to settle on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, beyond the borders of Manitoba in the Northwest Territories, in October, 1875. 266 Icelandic immigrants were traveling together to the settlement. The eruptions of Mount Hecla had left hundreds homeless in Iceland, and the Canadian government sent agents there to provide government loans to families who would come and settle in Canada. Point Edward served as a point of call for these and other immigrant families settling across western Canada and the United States. 

Facility Name Change: Lambton Room to Lambton County Archives

Please take a minute to read this article from Archivist Heather Lavallee concerning the recent name change at our facility:

The Lambton Room has seen many changes since it was established in 1974. Starting as the local history room of the Lambton County Library, the collection and function have grown to create a vibrant archival repository as part of the Lambton County Museum network. In order to better reflect the function and services of the collection, the Lambton Room has undergone a formal name change to Lambton County Archives.

As a result, our contact information has changed. For assistance with genealogical and local history inquires please email us at archives@county-lambton.on.ca. We can also be reached by telephone at our new direct number 519-845-5426. For those telephoning long distance, please continue to use the toll free number 1-866-324-6912 to avoid charges.

To keep informed of updates, like us on Facebook!

At the Archives, we now have the ability to create digital scans of images from the microfilm machines. These images come out much clearer than the printed copies and are also a great way to "go green." Simply bring in a USB flash drive to save the files and save the environment! If you would like one-on-one instruction we would be happy to book a time to teach you this new technology.

Over the past few months we have been involved with various events and programs. Thank you for your encouragement and attendance at Doors Open Lambton County, the British Home Child presentation, and at the Ancestry workshops at the Petrolia Library. We have been really pleased with the support from the community!

Interesting Lambton Businesses: The Newton Hat Shop



The Newton Hat Shop interior photograph from the Sarnia location

 

Sarnia Canadian Observer
March 14, 1919

Throughout Lambton County's history some businesses have ignited the public imagination and left an interesting legacy. The Newton Hat Shop is one example, a local business first established in Sarnia and eventually moved to Petrolia, owned by Katherine N. Newton. The Lambton Room is fortunate to have some interesting documentation from Newton's business.

Newton was a milliner (maker or seller of hats) who opened her first shop in Petrolia in 1918 and continued in business for over thirty years. She created and decorated her own hats but also ordered the latest hat fashions from hotspots like Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Paris. Newton operated two different hat shops, one in Sarnia and one in Petrolia. A newspaper advertisement in the Sarnia Canadian Observer announced the arrival of a store on March 14, 1919 at 129 Front Street (see scan from paper). The stores have been referred to variably as "The Newton Hat Shop" and "Miss Newton's Hat Shop." By 1946 the Sarnia location had closed and the Petrolia location was changing locations again, as announced in the Petrolia Advertiser-Topic on December 12: "Another new business will be open to the public in Petrolia on Saturday next when Miss Kate Newton, of town, opens the Newton Hat Shop in the former Pearson block."



Blank company invoice

Newton owned and operated her hat shop at a time when few other women were in business for themselves. She was a pioneer for businesswomen and exercised creative talents crafting hats and managerial/economic talents running her own small business. Little has been recorded about Newton personally outside of her business life. She ultimately chose not to marry and lived at 4227 Henry Street in Petrolia with her older brother, Roy, her sister, Ethel, and her mother.



After she passed away May 24, 1968, a search through Newton's attic revealed an inventory of over 500 hats in storage. These were purchased by George L. Smith, a local historian who has often swooped in to collect and purchase local artifacts and documents that might otherwise have been lost to history (it was also Smith who rescued from a dumpster the original Sarnia Observer Negative collection, thousands of negatives published between the 1950s-1970s and now safely stored in the Lambton Room - see blog post Local History Gem! The Sarnia Observer Negative Collection.) Some of the hats Smith collected even had the original price tags! The collection was sold to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and featured in the Hold Onto Your Hats! exhibition, which noted that Miss Newton's collection "provides important information about the millinery trade in Ontario, as well as a visual and tactile impression of the kinds of hats that were popular in Ontario in the first half of this century."

For more information on Katherine Newton and her hat shop, visit Dave and Lyn Dennis's A Glance Back, Kate Newton article.

 

Women's Cloche from The Newton Hat Shop, late 1920s. Rayon.
From Canadian Museum of Civilization collection.

Front of card published by the Newton Hat Shop




Interior of card published by the Newton Hat Shop

Look at the Inwood Red Cross Society

I'm conducting research for the Lambton Heritage Museum's 2013 exhibit, Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton. I've been looking for good examples of women making positive change in their communities and beyond through formal organizations. In the Lambton Room's vault I found some really interesting material from the Inwood Red Cross Society, not an entirely female society but one with many female members. The Inwood Red Cross Society was established just after the outbreak of WWII to support Canadian soldiers. Here is a brief history of the Red Cross and the founding of the group in Inwood, and scans of some traces of the society we have in the Lambton Room collection.

The Red Cross was established by an act of Parliament in 1909. It can trace its roots back to Louis Riel's 1885 Northwest Rebellion, when Dr. George Ryerson designed a Red Cross flag to identify the wagon he used to transport wounded soldiers. Dr. Ryerson founded the British Red Cross overseas, which later became the Canadian Red Cross.

The Canadian Red Cross was involved overseas in humanitarian aid during WWI and WWII. Volunteers offered services including comfort and relief for troops and prisoners of war, medical aid, information services, and family reunification.



Receipt Feb 4, 1943 Inwood Red Cross Dutch Auction



On the home front, the Red Cross was a rally point for local residents eager for opportunities to support troops overseas. The Inwood Red Cross Society was established in 1940 as "S.S. #14." Shortly after the society was formed, on June 1 the group put out a call for "wool blankets so urgently needed." Not wasting any time, by June 3 members had shipped from Inwood "four pair new blankets and four slightly used blankets." (Information taken from Inwood Red Cross Society Minute Book, 1940-42, p. 3-5 in Lambton Room collection.) The Inwood Red Cross Society demonstrates how men and women worked together to provide for Canada's armed forces during WWII. Women held many important roles in the society including secretary, treasurer, sewing convenor, knitting convenor, quilting convenor, and social convenor. We have many interesting documents from their organization including minute books, receipts from purchases made for fundraisers and soldier care packages, and letters written by grateful soldiers.



Receipt Oct 15 1943, Inwood Red Cross for Soldiers Overseas

Keep tuned to the blog for more information on the involvement of women in Lambton County as my research continues!



Letter from Private N.A. Campbell, Jan. 26 1945 to Inwood Red Cross S.S. #14.

Peek Into The Doors Open Lambton County Weekend

Doors Open Lambton County has just closed its first year. I had the chance to visit lots of sites over the last two days (but not all of them, too many to see in one weekend!) Here's some of the highlights of my Doors Open weekend. I'd love to hear any comments about places that other people visited and what they saw!

 

Charlie Fairbank, fourth generation owner of Fairbank Oil Properties, takes the reins of the horse-drawn wagon tour of his oil property. Charlie took us through the oil fields and shared stories about the history of oil drilling in Lambton County.

 

Directly across the street from the developing Watford/Warwick Museum is the Watford Fire Hall. They held a mural unveiling on Saturday afternoon. The series of three murals were produced by local artist Francis Martin and celebrate the history of the Watford Fire Hall, local military contributions and the famous Maxmobile that came out of Watford.

 

 

Doors Open sites in Petrolia focused on Victorian architecture and stained glass. In Christ Church I had the opportunity to play the church bells! These bells are the only piece that survived a fire which destroyed the original church building. Each of the 11 bells has its own individual name.

This snapshot is from the back gardens of a charming home in Corunna. Homeowner Ida opened up her beautiful house for tours and held a variety of special events in the back gardens including music, refreshments delivered by costumed servers, and a Metis representative from Wallaceburg's Fiddle and Sash Association was on hand with artifacts and historical information.

 

The Lambton Room Archives also participated in Doors Open. The archives brought out interesting material from their vault including rare photographs of interesting characters from Lambton County's history and a cookbook from the 1830s. Tips on genealogical research were provided and Lambton Room Historian Heather Lavallee was also on hand demonstrating conservation techniques.

Thanks to all the site owners who opened their homes and their businesses for this event, and to the volunteers who made the event possible. Thanks also to all the visitors who took part in the Doors Open weekend and helped make it a success!

Doors Open Lambton County 2012

The County of Lambton is proud to be celebrating its first county-wide Doors Open event this year on September 29 and 30! Doors Open events are celebrations of community heritage that take place every year all across Ontario, Canada and the world. These events provide residents and visitors with a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy the sometimes hidden and always interesting places and spaces in Ontario cities, towns, and villages - all free of charge!

Ninety-one sites from across the county have agreed to participate in Doors Open Lambton County. Municipalities that will be participating include Brooke-Alvinston, Lambton Shores, Oil Springs, Petrolia, Plympton-Wyoming, Sarnia, St. Clair Township and Warwick Township. No matter where you live in the county, a great Doors Open event should be nearby (and there's plenty of selection for out-of-county visitors!)

Nemo Hall in Petrolia, open to the public Sept. 29 & 30

Many sites will be open between 10am-4pm on both Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30. Some sites have modified hours, so consult our Doors Open Lambton County website to verify hours before arriving at sites. Also, some sites are offering special events or guided tours at specific times, so check the website for information about special events! You can also check out Lambton's Doors Open events on the Doors Open Ontario Provincial Website, and come like us on Facebook! Look for provincial guides to Doors Open events at your local library. We'll also be soon distributing site maps that will help you explore the county.

The Stewart House in Wyoming, open Sept. 29 & 30

Some of the great sites participating include: Nemo Hall in Petrolia (tour through a gorgeous 1870 Victorian mansion); Munro Honey and Meadery in Brooke-Alvinston (family owned and operated farm established in 1925); the Stewart House in Wyoming (built in 1896 for local Wyoming merchant John E. Anderson); Kiwanis Kineto Theatre in Forest (one of the oldest continuously operating movie theatres in Canada); Fairbank Oil Properties in Oil Springs (the world's longest running oil field and a National Historic Site of Canada); Sarnia Solar Project in Sarnia (explore behind the scenes of green energy); and Corunna United Church in St. Clair Township (browse inside and outside this great church.)

 

Explore the Sarnia Solar Project Sept. 29 & 30

Learn more about the great local businesses sponsoring our event and the sites that you'll be able to explore at our Doors Open Lambton County website.

Much To Learn About Maps!

Fire Insurance Plan of downtown Sarnia, May 1958. "Insurance Plan of the City of Sarnia, Ont. Including the Village of Point Edward."

The Lambton Room's collection is full of interesting primary sources (original material created in the past), and maps are one of our most interesting passports into history. Many maps include not only the names of streets and towns, but also details about the topography of an area that can provide valuable insight into natural history. Maps give not only a snapshot of the physical landscape, but also a gateway into the perspectives of people in the past. Next time you look at a map, consider what landmarks or special notations a map's creator chose to include; it can provide insight into his/her social perspective and his/her values!

The Lambton Room has a fascinating collection of maps from across the county. They are sorted by geographic location and date. Our map collection received an invigorating boost last year when our summer student reviewed all our maps and created an index for them. The index contains the map's full title, a description of its geographic breadth, details about the height and width, the name of the publisher/drafter, and special notations about any prominent features of the map. Using this index, the public can get an excellent idea about what maps we have for different areas of the county, and our staff can quickly and easily pull those maps from the vault.

Legend from Fire Insurance Plan of Sarnia

Fire Insurance Plans are one of our most interesting types of maps. They are exceptional because they show the outline of buildings instead of merely indicating street names. An elaborate legend uses colour coding and symbols to display information like type of building material or number of stories in a structure. The maps also provide the names of prominent buildings (post offices or city halls) and names of local businesses. We have Fire Insurance Plans for Oil City, Oil Springs, Petrolia and Sarnia.

If you want to see how towns in Lambton County have changed over time or you have a nagging local history question that maps could help solve, swing by the Lambton Room and take a peek at our map collection.

Fire Insurance Plan of downtown Petrolia, January 1925