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Nor LT SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1948 THE DAILY TIMES- GAZETTE OS THROUGH By COL. FRANK CHAPPELL, VD On Looking About Us... MATURITY TO CIVIC DIGNITY An interesting group at the opening ceremonies, Lakeview Park, on the afiernoon of September 25th, 1920. Long since passed away, we recognize as they sat from left to right, James Branton (father of the late John Branton and grandfather of Mrs. Fred J. Bailes), J. W. Borsberry '(who then lived where now stands the Genosha Hotel), George Rose (one time carriage dealer), Robert McLaughlin (founder of the McLaughlin Car- riage Company), Thomas Morris (Town Clerk for around thirty years). \ o "si monumentum requiris . ..." In the heart of the Common- wealth, in old St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England, are many tmemor- ials to people of the past. Some, pos- sibly ostentatious creations, after the fashion of the period, bear flamboyant tributes to merit and action by the person concerned. In such 'surroundings, less important seems the tomb of that great Eliza- bethan architect, Christopher Wren. Above his burial place, a tatlet of. fers the freely translated inscrip- tion, "If you would see his monu- ment,--look about you." This eloquent simplicity, particularly as we recall names of early citizens, the fruit of seems Of public monuments, or markers as such, we have but two. Cur War Memorial is an unique piece of work, beautifully executed and singularly appropriate in its symbolism and setting. As a focal point of remem. prance, it is indeed well-named "The Garden of the Unforgotten." Diagonally across, Park, is a sturdily carved and let- tered stone, marking the site of earlier $t. George's Church. Less evigent to general notice are | -memorials to public men of other days which may be seen inside our churches. In Simcoe Sireet United Church is a marble tablet to T. N. Gibbs. In St. George's Church is a bronze tablet to W. F. Cowan. The | lovely set of bells in the tower of this church is a memorial to Ed- ward Carswell, lecturer, artist and for several years clerk to both Vil- lage and Town Council. Traditional windows of beautiful glass in St. George's, St. Andrew's and St. Greg- | worthy Village Councillor, and pio- | ory's shed glowing light on the names of the Cowan brothers, the Carswells, the Hylands, J. D. Storie, Patrick Wall and M. O'Regan, to name but a few., A School Well Named However, to casual observers, vis- ible indic-tion of links with the past are not always in view. Unlike many Old World municipalities, we are lacking in memorial monuments of ~presumed: 'artistic +beauty, but | and litterateur, the late Dr.'D. S. {and neer educationalist. modern in the light of previous re- | ference to things of the past. But Other schools are merely designa~- {since we may regard them 'as the ted by the face. Convenient street' on which they no doubt; use of other links whereby tradition could be worthily preserved. In such connection, one recalls that some years ago the Library Board | named one of its special rooms af- | ter that very dear citizen, physician | | fruit of earlier efforts, there seems but | careful thought might suggest the | | Undoubtedly the most bountiful good reason for comment in this chapter. | #8 well as beautiful of our Park as- sets, is that splendid stretch of lake frontage, designated Lakeview Park, Arising from a desire to provide further outlet for social amenities community recreation, this practical inutility. This is a differ- | Hoig, who was for so many years | splendid park was, through the per- though Time may bring changes as we remember that "Art thrives best, applicable to Oshawa | whose devoted civic | service we harvest and enjoy today. | in the South | West corner of this same Memorial | where Commerce hath enriched the | spaces as we now know them, | busy coast." But at the present mo- | ment we have no City Hall,--merely | leased Municipal Offices, and | therefore no central place, that| ! cculd be regarded as a Valhalla for | there was no practical other | til after the end of the century. such names, worthy record. On the other hand, we do have portraits or Trustees of the 1920's with apprecia- named that splendid new school in the South. East Ward, "Ritson | neer farmer before 1840, who in his master and reader, in days when children learned almost « much in | Sunday School as they did in the | one-room day school, which often So | did duty for both purposes. son Road ahd in close proximity to the old Ritson homestead, "Rit- son School" carries special mean- ing by recalling the name of a our schools and parks, though often | identified by merely urban signifi- | | | | | ent and somewhat material age, al- devoted to Board activities. The Park Lands Grow Parks, playgrounds and civic newer phases of enterprise. While the desirability of a public | | park was considered away back when the Village was quite small, outcome un- Starting as an athletic field, Osh~ | awa's first public park was that splendid piece of ground in ihe North end, now 'graced by trees, cance. We can at least credit School | shrubs, a steel grandstand, cinder- | | path and race track. Until 1902 it tion of early educational work in | the Village of Oshawa, when they. School." For John Ritson was a pio- | spare time was also teacher, choir | | quite apart from being on the Rit- | was merely part of farm pasturage. Developed 'by the Town four years | later, primarily as a new home for the South Ontario Agricultural ciety, then moving from Whitby, 8 regal touch was given by naming it after Queen Alexandra. As Alexand- | ra Park, (not "Alexander," as Is sometimes carelessly written), it has proved a great asset to the com- munity as sports field, playgrounds, { a meeting place for.thousands dur- ing the "Fair," as well as public as- semblies on other important oc- casions. Other parks have come into being since 1920. They are therefore" very open | are | sonal medium of Colonel R. S. and | the late G. W. McLaughlin, deeded to the Town in 1920 by General Mo- tors of Canada Limited. Each year since has seen this wonderful as- set of lake front, trees and grassy | sward, reach towards fuller matur- { ity under the capable direction of | the City's Park Board. Parks Well-Named The next piece of ground, almost in the centre of town, was bought by the city for somewhere around $50,000, from the Pedlar Metal Pro- ducts Company, when this industry made its move to the South end. Now named Memorial Park, for it | is the site of Oshawa's War Memor- ial, a great deal of work was done y the Parks Board to remove the debris of years and bring the | grounds to their present pleasing setting, A still more recent addi- | tion to this patk, is the magnificent Band Shell of almost perfect ac- coustical properties, completely equipped and presented to our City, by Colonel R.S. McLaughlin. One glance at the thousands who throng there weekly on concert nights is sufficient to recognize the welcome addition of so unique a gift. .Three other well-placed parks bear the names of generous donors. There is Cowan Park at Olive and Court Streets, an early gift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cowan; Storie Park, on College Hill, West of the creek, a more recent gift of Mr. A. G. Stor- ie and Rotary Pai': on Centre Street, a park with wading pool and acces- sories, the gift of Oshawa Rotary Club some 20 years ago. Two playgrounds, much used at all seasons, "Bathe" and "Harmon" are named respectively after two Above is shown a scene at Oshawa Fair which is held annually in Oshawa's beautiful Alexandra Park, one of the city's popular athletic parks. In the above picture taken in 1887 is shown the cinpyois of A. s. Whiting Company. Lean, D. Howard, J. McMillan, J. Greenaway, E. McMilljan, Alf. Gilby, C. Wilson, J. Beighton, M. Toole, Jerry Lebrick, H. Howard, J. Hallick, Bill ~ Greenaway, Ed. Whiting, A. Carey, Harry Pankhurst, Mr. Germond, Ed. Whiting Sr., J. Cunningham, W. Cliverdon, Sid Porter, J. Hearn, Pat English, Pat English Jr. J. Inch, Jas. Holland, Mike Kelly, Frank Cassidy, Ed. Amadon, Mike Lawless, Jack Churchill, Gus Veale, F. Kelly, Ed. Fletcher, Bill Driscoll, Wm. Power, Harry Robbins, J. Wiles, Pat Shearan, Wm. Janes, Austin McGrail, Mat. Kirkpatrick, Ed .Fletcher, Billy Marks, Hank Stevenson, Ed. Baker, Ben Howard, Sam Brown, Sam McFarlane, Bob Ellis, B. Ferris, Pat Riley, Mr. Marks, Gip Smith, Herb Luke, J. Currie, A. Gilby, L. Wilson, H. Hallick, Mr. Greensway, A. Carey, Photo Courtesy Ed Power. LS eres The following are in The Plants of A. S. Whiting Company An artist's conception of the A. S. Whiting Company plants, made before the turn of the colituiy. This tattory is now the Robson Leather Comme pany Limited. Photo Courtesy Ed. Power, this picture: Frank Smith, C. Mc= indefatigable workers in civic inter- est and aldermen of long standing, "Ted"Bathe and "Cliff" Harmon. Other of the sixteen parks and play- grounds with which the city is so happily blessed are merely named after appropriate surroundings. Streets and Hospital Our street names sometimes pro- vide useful information about the past. When these appear as the result of a real estate man's whim, one resorts to vague conjecture as at random we pick out McMillan Drive, renamed from Mechanic Street, after the late T. H. McMil- lan who was one of the leading banking and financial figures in Oshawa from the middle of last century until 1917. Alma 'Street, fac- ing the Hospital, was coined from the first names of Mrs. R. S. Mc- Laughlin and the late Mrs. Robert Williams, two women who may in all fairness be considered as found- ers of Oshawa General Hospital. William and Mary Streets, bear an air of antiquity since they were named in the long ago after mem. bers of the immediate family of John Kerr, already mentioned as the first settler within our bound- aries around the year 1820. Simcoe, Brock, Colborne, Richmond, Athol and Bagot Streets, about the oldest streets in town, were no doubt nam- ed after those historic figures so eminent in the development of to reason for such choice. However, Canada one hundred and fifty years ago. The Oshawa General Hospital contains many tributes to figures of the past. Whether one observes the comprehensive Maternity Wing, the elbaorate Surgical Wards, the mod.- ern Children's Building, or the well- planned, fully equipped Nurse's Residence, completed last year, one9 learns afresh the names of many who have not only figured in these stories' of our civic past, but have made posible an even prighter fu- ture for their thriving home town. Indeed, the whole building with its lovely rooms and utilitarian devices from so many citizens make it a shrine of mementos worthy of spec- ial reference elsewhere. As Posterity May See Us Thus, of many people and inci- dents and tributes to _the past, if you would see their' memorial,-- look about you. It was not intended that this closing chapter should be a cata- logue of names and things and places. In that respect it would be woefully incomplete. But since in some small degree it has assumed that form, it may serve as a re. minder to what extent we are a part of all that has gone before. It has been truly written elsewhere, that the significance of material progress on a broad scale is some- thing only perceived by writers in afteryears. Seldom is such progresS series of articles. viewpoints. Services Appreciated! This issue brings to a close the series of stories "Oshawa . . . Through Maturity to Civic Dignity" by Colonel Frank Chappell, V.D. The Publishers feel that a debt of gratitude is due Colonel Chappell for his tireless efforts in presenting such an educa- tional series to the readers of The Times-Gazette. Words of appreciation of this feature have reached us from far and wide and we are particularly glad to pay tribute to Colonel Chappell at this time. We are also grateful and would like to extend our appreciation to all those citizens who co-oper- ated both with information and pictures, which proved to be of real help in the production of this It is the 'hope of the Publishers to present an- other series commencing this Autumn by Colonel Chappell dealing with Oshawa institutions and activities both from historical and present day The Publishers. written, I have heen greatly en- appreciated at its worth by those actually engaged in the work. Evidence of our city's growth in material possessions, wealth and future prospects, is clear on every hand. For that reason there need be no apology for pausing during the varied moods of the present to review the oft-time strenuous la- bours of the past. Out of the spiriv then displayed, much has been ac- complished. As that same commun- ity spirit continues, though we may not always see the result, much more will be ¢ ne. Perhaps without presumption, thoughts' consequent upon such brief review can be summed up by paraphrasing and adapting to our city, words of that great Breton philosopher, Ernest Renan, when writing of bigger things in terms of nations: "What constitutes a City? . The common possession of a rich heritage of memories; the will to preserve worthily this in- heritance. To ave common glories in the past; a common will in the present. To realize that great things have been done together; to have the will to do the like again. These are essentials in the making of a City ..." 3 And Now in The First Person, Singular Dismounting from the subject af- ter cantering over fifteen or more chapters, up and down the some- times misty byways of the Past, opportunity is now provided for leaving the doubtful anonymity of "first person, plural" and resuming the normal state of "first person, singular." At least such a change makes these concluding paragraphs more personal. It is in this mood I want to express my thanks. Letters and pictures, both signed | and unsigned, have been received. To these where possible I have al- ready replied. To those more timid, who sent usable information in unsigned letters, this of course is my only medium of appreciation. A veritable host of pictures and clippings have been received at the | Times-Gazette offices. Whenever | possible, credit has been 'given in the captions when used for illus. tration. Whéther used or not, every effort will be made to ensure their safe return with due appreciation to the senders. As the different chapters were couraged by. the kindly interest shown by so many people. Tele- phone calls have been almost as numerous as conversations on the bus or in the street. Gratifyiug, too, has been the interest shown by young people and more recent resi- dents in our City. Certain it is, that if my bumbling progress faltered while writing, such interest was a spur and the groping made worth- while. The Work of Others Meanwhile, although I purposely confined these chapters to civic acs. - tivity, it is indeed pleasing to fee that other phases of our pasg'and present community life are; being brought forward. Newest to my mind is the excellent history of the Oshawa Curling Club, so well com. piled by Mr. J. H. Beaton and re- cently recorded'in the pages of this newspaper. There is room for more such searching in the archives of organizations long and well estabe lished within our local boundaries 'of space and time. Even where not practical to publish in public print, the material so collected becomes a never-failing fount of inspiration te those endeavouring to carry on. Let no one take this as a sugges~ tion that time should be wasted, nostalgically dreaming of the past. It is absurd, not to say stupid, to -| look backwards in despair for the "good old days." In reality they were often "hard old days," even "bad old days." What made them tolerable and thereby merits our reflection, was the spirit of a free! people; people who could think for themselves, work for themselves and adapt themselves, principally aided by simple faith, good courage and the use of common sense. With greater facilities now, and room for still wider application of those same sterling principles of community life, these things are written that even in our busyness "he who runs may read" and push on with fresh courage. Thanks To The Producers On the material side, I have greatly appreciated the magnetic enthusiasm of Mr. T. L. Wilson, Vice-President of the Times-Gaz- ette. With exceptional knowledge of the technique of production, his as- surance and advice were unfailingly sound and his direction, just what was needed. Cheerful and always available was the help of "Olive" and "Edith" of Mr. Wilson's staff, whether proof-reading, filing or producing data at the right time. And of course, clicking all the while behind the scenes, were those men who so capably handle the mysterious linotype and other coms- plicated mechanism and the en- gravers with their equally myster. lous processes. To all these, this is my opportunity and medium for ex- pressing grateful thanks, Each in his turn has helped in this little series of historic sketches of com- munity life and spirit, the sum and substance of which may be well de= fined in the words-pf W. D. Foulke, a poet of the last century, when. he recalled . where great men rise, whose names athwart the dusk of misty years, gleam like the sun. So may this City that we love be great : till every stone shall be articulate . . , » --_-- lo BR SS ae