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$300 Per Annum Was Salary Of First Town Clerk Oakville's first town clerk, ap pointed after the town's incorpora tion in 1857, was Robert Balmer. He held his position for 45 years, a record to date. His initial salary was $300 a year, which seems a mere pittance until one realizes that that sum went several times as far as a hundred years ago as it does today. The chief constable's salary was the same. The town's first treasurer, Justus Williams, re ceived $30 a year, and the assessor $50. Congratulations ANOTHER FIRST First temperance hall in the province was that built on Dundas St. in 1843 by a group headed by Justus Williams. Local tipplers were wont to refer to the Oakville Temperance Reformation Society as "that damned cold water society." OAKVILLE FAMILIAR SIGHT AT TURN OF CENTURY This was the busy yard of the Royal Exchange Hotel, as it ap peared about 1905, toward the end of the horse and buggy era. The Royal Exchange occupied the Col borne Street site where the public library and the Oster service sta tion now stand. It was torn down in 1932 to make way for these two structures. BACK IN THE '70s on your C. E. W R I G H T Frame Churches Here Over Nine Decades Ago " An incorporated town in the township of Trafalgar, picturesque ly situated on the Sixteen Mile Creek, at its confluence with Lake Ontario" is the description of Oak ville given by the County of Hal ton Directory for 1869-70, pub lished in Hamilton. " The harbor is good," says the article, " and a large amount of shipping is carried on at this port. Six vessels are owned and belong to thS town. The town is well laid out, the streets intersecting each other at right, angles; and contains some very good public buildings and private mansions." A Salute to OAKVILLE 100 YEARS FOR OAKVILLE. Down ON ITS 100th ANNIVERSARY Today we join in a birthday celebration-- through the years Oakville has shown aggressive, continued growth. Today Oak ville stands on the threshold of becoming Canada's mightiest industrial centre . . . C O N G R A TU LA TIO N S. Shown above, M r. C. E. W right, proprietor of his own stamping firm for 1 1 years, in specting one of the employees forming metal parts on a punch press. METAL STAMPING FOR PR0CRESS! CUSTOM WORK for MANUFACTURERS of * * * * * RADIO and TV PARTS FIRST AID EQUIPMENT BUILDING TRADES MOTOR GAR INDUSTRY ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT SERVICE * REASONABLE RATES was the town's first mayor, was Worshipful Master. There was also an Orange Lodge, of which the Worshipful Master was Edward Hillmer. The town, whose popu lation at that time was about 1500, has five taverns, the same number as today, when its population is about seven times as large. Oakville in 1870 had already be gun to develop along industrial lines, according to the book. " Among the manufacturing establish ments we notice the large steam engine works of Mr. John Doty; Mr. Woods' planing mills, door, sash and blind factory, also manu facturer, the patent leather tan nery carried on by Mr. R. B. Public Buildings There follows a description of Milbourne, Mr. Chisholm's flour the town's churches and what few mills and Mr. Townsend's brew public buildings of a secular na ery. Carriage Factories ture it boasted. " In the mechanical pursuits, the The Church of England which stood at the northwest corner of very extensive carriage factory of Colborne and Thomas Streets, was Mr. J. Hagaman; the Excelsior "a handsome frame with stone carriage works of Messrs. Harper basement, spire and vane rising and Helson, with several others claim attention." to the height of 150 feet." It had None of those firms mentioned a seating capacity of three hund red. The incumbent was Rev. John are now in existence. In the al Fletcher. The Canada Presbyterian phabetical list of professions and Church, " a neat plain building of trades, the first name is that of nearly similar capacity" , was lo W. S. Albertson, manufacturer of cated on the north side of William boots and shoes of every descrip Street, about midway between tion, all work warranted to give Dundas and Reynolds. The minis satisfaction, Union Arcade, Col ter at that time was Rev. Wm. borne St. Robert Balmer is listed as postmaster, town clerk, division Meickle. court clerk, and fire and life in The Roman Catholic Church, the insurance agent. R. K. Chisholm only one of Oakville's religious edi was Collector of Customs, and is fices of 1870 that still survives, suer of marriage licenses. A. Ma was "a handsome frame building, thews is listed as `practical watch with spire and vane 150 feet in maker, jeweller, &c, attends punc height". It had a capacity of three tually to all orders entrusted to hundred, and the name of the his care, Colborne Street. priest was Rev. J. Ryan. Nautical Types Sixteen mariners are listed be Frame Churches "The Wesleyans and the Episco sides eleven captains, and three pal Methodists have also good shipbuilders. The town had three frame churches in the town, and blacksmiths, thirteen shoemakers, large congregations" continued the three saddlers, one barber ane article. " The former is in the tailor and one printer. Ele/en are charge of the Rev. James McCul amJ9fiSali*n'6. variety unspe" *SR. Afere were six doctors, E. lough and Rev. T. C. Brown is the C officiating minister of the latter. J- viden, Dr. Shepherd, T. J. " The united Grammar and Com- Sutherland, J. S. Williams, D. D. rrion school is a go(tl substantial Wright and Charles H. Lusk. Only two-storey brick gilding in which one lawyer is listed, R. S. Appleby. there are four teachers." That building is still doing duty, as Central Public school. The Separ ate school of the period was also a two-storey structure, and had an average attendance of between 80 and 90 pupils. Other public buildings mention ed were the town hall and market house, that stood on the west side of Navy Street north of the bowl ing green, and the Temperance Hall, which now serves as the Sal vation Army Citadel. The town hall, a brick building, was burned in 1913. 100 BIRTHDAY J. A. Wnltierspnnn and Son Ltd. / Manufacturers of · · · · · Soil Pipe Fittings Syphons Septic Tank Fittings Miscellaneous Castings Strong Lodge " The Masonic order has a strong lodge here, known as the White Oak Lodge, No. 198," the directory stated. George K. Chisholm, who Town Declined Manufacturers of dies, tools, wire and metal parts! ' In Years After Incorporation In 1857, the year of its incorpor ation as a town, Oakville had a population of more than 2,000. Al though everything seemed to point to a bright and prosperous future in the years immediately ahead, the fact was that the new town had reached the climax of its growth for the nineteenth century, and was on the brink of a swift decline. In the succeeding four years the population dropped to 1,450, and-ten years later, in 1871, it was only a little over the 1 ,0 0 0 -mark, less than half of the high peak of 1857. It remained more or less sta tionary until the first decade of the twentieth century, when it be gan to climb. The reason for the slump in Oak ville's population and prosperity was the opening of the railway. As shipping of commodities by rail increased, the business of Oak ville's port declined steadily, and the economic importance of the town dwindled. The local branch of the Bank of Toronto was closed in 1860, many merchants went out of business, and a number of fam ilies njoved away to seek a liveli hood elsewhere. Although a town officially, Oak ville for the fifty years after 1860 was in 'reality hardly more than a country village, and a summer re sort. Its development as a residen tial town for commuters brought it a new lease of life, and by 1911 its population was well over the 2,000 mark. Several years later it passed 3,000, and continued to climb slowly but steadily. Canadian Engineering & Tool Co, L I M I T E D SA L U T E S OAKVILLE ON ITS 100th ANNIVERSARY DESIGNERS OF -¥ QUALITY * FREE ESTIMATES GIVEN BUILDERS GAUGES 118 Cross Ave. (METAL STAMPING) M em ber of the Manufacturers* Association and the Chamber C.E TOOLS DIES - JIGS - FIXTURES SPECIAL MACHINERY VI 5-2461 of Commerce FIRST WRECK v In 1857, year of Oakville's found ing, Ontario's first major railway wreck occurred near Hamilton, when the trestle over the Desjar dins Canal collapsed, and 60 pas sengers were killed. Canadian Engineering and Tool Co. Limited Plant 1 WINDSOR Plant 2 - OAKVILLE