News 10 Years Ago
Wednesday, March 13, 1991

Died on March 7, Annie Blanche BIRD, 84, High Crest Nursing Home, Springhill, formerly of East Mapleton and Amherst, born in Leicester.

Died on March 10, Constance Olivia CARTER, 88, East Cumberland Lodge, formerly of Collingwood in Highland View Regional Hospital.

Died on March 7 at home, Lee Jerome MACDONALD, 39, North Wallace.

News 20 Years Ago
Wednesday, March 4, 1981

Died - Aubrey Clay LANGILLE, 78, of Williamsdale on February 26 in East Cumberland Lodge.

Died in All Saints Hospital, Springhill, February 26, Mrs. Jennett
(Herrett) PALMER, 90, of Oxford Junction

News 30 Years Ago
Thursday, March 11, 1971

Rex WOOD of Halifax, formerly of Oxford, has purchased the Dingle Motel and Cabins Ltd., at Goshen, near Antigonish.

Died at Amherst on March 8, Mrs. Hiel Edgar ELDERKIN, 94 of Oxford.

Died at Pugwash on March 9, Claude R. KING, 69, of Port Philip.

Died at Pugwash on March 10, Cyrus ALLEN, 76, of Pugwash.

News 40 Years Ago
Thursday, March 9, 1961

The Maritime Spring Stock Show opens on March 14 in the former Oxford Woollen Mills building, which has recently been purchased by the Cumberland County Exhibition.

Joggins Coal Mine and its Joggins to Maccan railway will close on May 11. The Bayview mine employed 150 men and the railway 16.

Miss Percy WILSON has retired after 41 years faithful service at the Oxford Post Office.

Died at Pugwash on February 26, Mrs. Victor GOODWIN, 90, widow of Dr. W.V. Goodwin and a resident of Pugwash for over 52 years.

News 50 Years Ago
Thursday, March 15, 1951

The Oxford Flour Mills is busier this winter than it has been in years.

Died at Roslin on March 11, Edward M. RUSHTON, who was born on the same farm 99 years ago. He resided in Oxford for many years and was employed in Oxford Furniture Company plant.

Died at Wallace Bay on March 3, Daniel MCKIM, 78.

News 60 Years Ago
Thursday, March 13, 1941

Nova Scotia experienced one of its worst snow storms of the winter over the past weekend, and all roads in this district were blocked.

Died at South Oxford on March 5, Mrs. Harry E. ROSS, age 84. Her husband, the late Alex M. ROSS, was the first mayor of Oxford, taking office in 1904.

Died at River Philip on March 5, Mrs. Margaret MATHESON, age 88, mother of Mrs. R.M. BAXTER, River Philip.

News 70 Years Ago
Thursday, March 12, 1931

The McColl-Frontenac Service Station at Pugwash is nearing completion.

Arrangements are being made for Pugwash citizens to vote on the question of incorporation on March 31.

President S.A. MARCHANT presided at the annual supper of the Oxford Curling Club on March 10. Dr. F.F. BENT, winner of the Hingley Cup, was presented with the trophy.

Grace B. DAKIN, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.R. Dakin, Pugwash, has entered training in the V.G. Hospital, Halifax.

Died at Oxford on March 5, Mrs. Colin MCKENZIE, aged 48.

In Memoriam
DEACON, Ivor, passed away March 19, 1998.
FAHEY, John, passed away March 11, 1996.
FERDINAND, Patty, passed away March 10, 1989.
CARTER, In loving memory of our mother and father, who passed away in 1973. Daughters Eileen and Margaret. (No names given).
CARTER, M. Mable, passed away March 17, 1994.
SWEET, Roddie, passed away March 11, 1998.
HUDSON, Harold L., 1939 - March 10, 2000.

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A Look Back .....

On Dec. 16, 1987, a detailed article in The Journal about the building of the Springhill to Oxford railway. Probably many of our readers have never heard of this ill-fated rail line, which was built over 100 years ago to ship coal from the Springhill mines to Oxford and via the then-new Short Line Railway to Pugwash. From Pugwash, the coal was to be shipped by water up the Saint Lawrence River to Quebec province.

The Springhill company already had a railway to Parrsboro for shipment of coal to ports along the Bay of Fundy.
The building of the Springhill to Oxford railway was started in 1888 and was completed in 1889. However, the only trains to use the new railway were the work trains supplying material to build the railway. For many years, the 145 foot span across the River Philip at Oxford was a lasting memorial to the unused rail line. This bridge provided a river crossing for fishermen, also for workmen when the four storey American Furniture Co. was located at the corner of Duke and Waverly Streets.

The old iron bridge was demolished in 1942 and its steel was utilized in the Second World War effort.

The rail line proceeded downhill from Springhill mines to Salt Springs, where it crossed the Black River. The bridge over Black River was a wooden trestle. It has been said, the reason the new railway was not accepted by the coal company, was that they wanted a steel span over Black River, which was never built.

After the line was abandoned, portions fo the right of way became
sections of the Black River highway.

From Salt Springs, the railway followed the Black River valley to Oxford and provided a convenient path through the woods to Oxford. It crossed Main Street where the Dept. of Lands and Forests building is now located.

The right-of-way was graded with duff (fine) coal, which provided a black track all the way from Springhill to Oxford. When Ken GORDON and Guy LOCKHART started the first greenhouses in Oxford, they used some of this fine coal to heat their greenhouses. However, the coal company put a stop to this practice.

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From the Springhill and Parrsboro Record,
dated Wednesday, March 14, 2001

In Memoriam
ALLEN, Fred, passed away March 5, 1999.
DEACON, Ivor, passed away March 19, 1998.
HARROUN, Archie, passed away March 17, 1995.
HURLEY, Wesley, passed away March 16, 1984.
HENWOOD, Stanley, passed away March 29, 1970.
MCMANAMAN, Emmett, passed away March 30, 1996.
SKIDMORE, Audrey Irene, passed away March 19, 1996.
SMITH, Thelma, passed away March 15, 1994 and her husband
SMITH, Charlie, who passed away August 28, 1974.
SNAIR, Shane Patrick, passed away March 17, 1999.

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