10 Years Ago
Wed., July 18, 1990
Died - Charles Benjamin BOWSER, 100, Pugwash, formerly of Tyndal Road, July 16, in East Cumberland Lodge, Pugwash.

20 Years Ago
Wed., July 16, 1980
Died as a result of a motor vehicle accident on July 12, Mrs. Beatrice Nora (MacNab) MACLEOD, 35, of Cold Lake, Alberta, formerly of Pugwash.
Died at the North Cumberland Memorial Hospital, Pugwash on July 15, Griffin Smith OUDERKIRK, 90, of Wallace Station.
Died at home in Birchwood on July 6, Donald Harry Arnold MACDONALD, aged two months.

30 Years Ago
Thurs., July 16, 1970
The ill-fated motor vessel Eastcliffe Hall, which has made several calls in Pugwash in the last few years, sunk near Cornwall, Ont., July 14.
The A. Murray MacKay Bridge was officially opened in Halifax on July 10. It is the fourth bridge to be built (only the second one standing) across Halifax Harbour.
Died - Mr. Frank MCNEIL, 76, of North Wallace on July 10.
Died - Edward E. WILKINSON, 69, on July 2 at Providence, R.I. and formerly of Pugwash.

40 Years Ago
Thurs., July 14, 1960
Oxford freight shed was destroyed in a spectacular fire on July 8. The shed was built about 1880 following the completion of the Short Line railway. It was enlarged in 1912 to handle freight from Oxford Woollen Mills, the Foundry and Woodworking factories.
The home and barns of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Matheson, River Philip Center, were destroyed by fire on July 8.

50 Years Ago
Thurs., July 20, 1950
Died at Oxford on July 17, Roland H. SMITH, 75, retired commercial traveller and resident of Oxford since 1943.
Died at Streets Ridge on July 9, Vinton DELANEY, 89, for many years a resident of Westchester.

60 Years Ago
Thurs., July 18, 1940
The home of August OLSEN, Linden, was destroyed by fire on July 15.
Died at Kolbec on July 15, Mrs. Lawrence SIMPSON.

70 Years Ago
Thurs., July 17, 1930
Died at Oxford on July 10, Mrs. Sarah SWAN, aged 88 years, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. W. H. Davis.

A Look Back ...
In 1791 Richard Thompson (1733-1821) and his wife Dorothy Patton with their three sons came to take possession of the 1500 acres, he had purchased from William Allan, this area being three five-hundred acre lots known as Lots No. 1,2 and 3 of the Allan Grant of 2000 acres, leaving Lot No. 4 in the Allan name.

Therefore, the first settlers of Oxford were Richard Thompson and his family, as that is the site of the present day, Town of Oxford. Land adjoining the Allan Grant, proceeding up river were the Yorkshire grants of River Philip, consisting of 25,500 acre lots, numbered one to 25 inclusive, being a total area of 12,500 acres. These lots were granted in 1785 to the following persons: Lot No. 1, John Johnston; 2, William Wells; 3, Michael Taylor; 4, George Taylor; 5, Matthew Johnson; 6, George Bulmer; 7, John Chapman; 8, Valentine Wood; 9, Robert Donkin; 10, William Donkin; 11, Thomas Black; 12, Richard Black; 13, Roger Robinson; 14, John Black; 15, Thomas Carter; 16, Henry Ripley; 17, Robert Ripley; 18, William Donkin Sr.; 19, George Oxley Sr.; 20, George Oxley Jr.; 21, William Morrell; 22, John Atkins; 23, Hance Baker; 24, John Black; 25, Thomas Atkins.

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