Articles from the Almonte Gazette;
Clayton Community Hall Officially Opened Saturday
It was a time for celebration at Clayton on Saturday heralded by the official opening of the new Clayton Community Hall and residents from all over the district numbering about 300 kicked up their heels at the Grand Opening Dance on Saturday evening.
The honour of cutting the ribbon to open the 5000 square foot building went jointly to Lanark M.L.A. Doug Wiseman and Ramsay Township Reeve, Ronald Robinson.
The building was dedicated by Rev. Roger Young, rector of St. George’s Anglican Church, Clayton, and Master of Ceremonies Clarence Gemmill, filling in for Max Keeping of CJOH who was unable to be present, introduced the platform guests which included Mr. Wiseman, Reeve Robinson, M.P. Paul Dick, Mr. Dave Powell, consultant with the Ministry of Culture and Recreation, Rev. Roger Young and Mr. Charles Rath, who, along with Mr. Gemmill, carried much of the load in bringing the construction project to reality.
Construction began about five months ago at an estimated cost of $100,000.
Although several problems had to be overcome by the building committee and the contractors, Mervin Munro and Joe Ladouceur, it appears the estimate will be exceeded by only $12,000, according to Mr. Rath.
A big factor in keeping construction costs to a minimum was the amount of time, material and cash donated by area residents, keen to see the project realized. Nearly $30,000 was donated in labour, material, equipment and cash.
Features of the insulated, concrete block building include a large, well-lighted stage at one end, flanked by twin dressing or equipment rooms, and a large well-equipped kitchen at the rear of the hall complete with refrigerators, stoves, sinks and plenty of counter and cupboard space.
Washrooms and a furnace room are also at the rear of the hall. It is insulated on the outside of the blocks and sheathed in enameled steel sheeting.
Paul Dick commented on the vast change since he was present for the sod turning last May. He congratulated the people of the Clayton area for doing an excellent job.
Mr. Wiseman expressed the same sentiments. He congratulated the residents and the Recreation Committee members for forging ahead with such a big undertaking. The many volunteers,
(To be continued)
Clayton Post Office
The Clayton Post Office was opened under the name of Bellamy’s Mills, then Clifton, and finally Clayton. It has been said that Clayton was named after Colonel Clayton, an early settler of the district. We don’t know when the first settlers arrived but records show that Edward Bellamy built a grist mill there in 1824. He came from Vermont. The village was surveyed by Mr. J. H. Whyte and another man in about 1855 making it into streets, lots, etc. By the Directory account of Clayton in 1866 there were more than thirty business establishments which included carpenters, masons, etc. It was a prosperous community in those long ago days.
The first mail contractor we have record of was a Mr. James Coulter. He had the mail contract to take the mail from Bellamy’s Mills (Clayton) to Perth twice a week, travelling by horseback with the locked mail bags. He also had the contract to take the mail twice a week between Bellamy’s Mills (Clayton) and the Ramsay Post Office (Almonte). We might mention that the latter was opened on April 1, 1837 and went under that name until it was changed to Almonte Post Office in 1859.
On the 1855 map of Clayton it shows where a Mr. Coulter had a store and Post Office on a lot between Queen and Sherbrooke Streets. He undoubtedly was the first postmaster as well as the first mail carrier. Queen Street is the main street and Sherbrooke Street is the one that goes up the hill toward the Darling Road. A blacksmith shop stood on that corner for many years, across the corner from the store and post office where Mr. Gemmill now is in business. Edward Blair had the mail contract between Clayton and Almonte (Clayton being the starting point) from 1883 until he retired in 1903. Following this, Robert Whelan was the mail courier for some four years. Next John Proctor got the contract and made his first trip on October 1, 1907. We don’t know how long Mr. Proctor had that contract but later John A. Erskine had the Almonte R.R. 1 mail route until about 1923 when Mr. Eddie Munro took over as mail courier. John Proctor got the contract between Clayton and Tatlock when rural mail started in 1912. This route was R.R. 2 Clayton.
In the fall of 1913 the route was changed somewhat and Mr. Proctor first called at the Halls Mills’ Post Office then proceeded some three or four miles further to a cross road at the 8th concession of Darling and the Lanark township boundary line know to many as Alex Barr’s corner, near where a cheese factory operated for many years. The mail courier from the Tatlock Post Office came there and exchanged mail with the Clayton courier. The Tatlock courier was John Guthrie and other times his assistant John Sweeney came. From there, the Clayton R.R. 2 mail proceeded in the direction of Middleville and through the Galbraith district, crossing the Floating Bridge and on to the Second Line and into Clayton.
The Galbraith Post Office closed when rural mail began in the district. The R.R. 2 was some 25 miles long and in about 1940 or later when the Floating Bridge was condemned and closed, the mail then came back by Lane’s Corner, on the road between Clayton and Halls Mills and back to the Clayton Post Office.
The boxholders on the other side of the Floating Bridge were served by the courier on R.R. 5 Almonte.
When the Tatlock Post Office closed in 1934, Mr. John Lee of Clayton R.R. 1 met the Clayton R.R. 2 courier and exchanged mail three times a week at the corners mentioned where the boundary line crossed the 8th concession near Alex Barr’s corner. The mail couriers have met and exchanged mails at the same corner for 64 years.
After the Tatlock office closed and rural mail started in Darling there was one section not served – the 8th concession of Darling. Mr. David Raycroft lived some seven or more miles up this road near the White Lake road so he was appointed courier on Clayton R.R. 3. Twice a week he made contact with the courier from Clayton and exchanged mail and served the boxholders on the 8th concession. This system continued for eight or ten years or perhaps more with Mrs. Raycroft often taking the mail when Dave was busy on the farm. After a number of years some boxholders moved away and Dave Raycroft bought another farm so that mail route was terminated.
The couriers on Clayton R.R. 2 were the Proctors, 1912–1919; Eddie Munro, 1919-1931; James Shane, 1931–1945; Alex Virgin, 1945-1964; and Ernie Moulton who began in 1964 and who is still the mail courier on Clayton R.R. 2. The Lee family has had the Clayton R.R. 1 contract for over forty years.
Now a word about at least some of the Clayton Postmaster of other years. Mr. James Coulter, who had the first mail contract and post office no doubt was the first Postmaster. Then around 1866, Ozias Banning who also had a general store, was the next Postmaster until perhaps the early nineties.
The next Postmaster was John F. Drummond who continued in office until 1912, when John A. Erskine who operated a general stores became the Postmaster. The office remained in the Erskine name for thirty-five years or more. The Postmasters also the locations, have changed a number of times over the last thirty years or more, but at the present time it is located in the former Erskine store which is owned and operated by Mr. Gemmill, who is also the Postmaster. Some seventy-five or eighty years ago a Mrs. Dickson owned and operated a store on this same site and perhaps in the same building.
The Clayton Post Office was originally established under the name of Bellamy’s Mills. The mail was a twice-a-week service between Clayton and Perth, also twice-a-week service between Clayton and Almonte. In some districts they had a tri-weekly service between Post Offices. However in some twenty-five or more years they had a daily mail service between Clayton and Almonte, according to a news item in the "100 Years Ago" news in The Almonte Gazette recently, which read as follows: "Royal Mail Stage, Clayton to Almonte – A daily stage now runs between Clayton and Almonte, leaving Gemmill’s Hotel, Clayton, every morning 8:45 and leaving Almonte every day for Clayton on arrival of the mail train from the south. The Stage goes and comes by Hunterville on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and by Bennie’s Corners, the other days of the week." So we see that Clayton was getting an up-to-date mail service, even over one hundred years ago.
In closing, I might add that the writer was assistant courier from Mr. Eddy Munro for some four years, 1920 to 1924 on Clayton R.R. 2. The mail left Clayton about 2.30 pm after the arrival of the mail from Almonte. The route was about twenty-five miles long, which took about five or more hours to travel, depending on road conditions. In the short days, about one-third of the trip was made after dark and we used a flashlight to sort out the mail. Roads were tracked out, but very few ploughed as they didn’t have the equipment fifty years ago like they have at the present time. A few shoveled mail boxes out after storms.
Nevertheless, the Royal Mail went through! No mail strikes or walk-outs! 1948 was the first year the mail roads were kept open for cars all the winter through, so mail couriers have it much easier now than half a century ago.
By Earl Munro
Old Clayton
The village was first called Bellamy’s Mills, then Clifton and finally Clayton. It consisted of one long street and a number of shorter ones. The following is a directory compiled by the writer with the assistance of others. It takes in Clayton of between fifty and sixty years ago.
Raglan Street was never opened up but it ran east and west in the extreme north end of the village beyond the little brook. Queen Street ran about north and south and was the main street of the village. Starting at Raglan Street on the west side of Queen and at the north end the first place was McIntyre’s. William McIntyre died in 1907. His widow and children lived there for some years later before moving to Carleton Place. Chas. Belton lived there previously.
The next place belonged to H. Savage and was rented to different ones. It is now owned by Clifford Stanley. Further on was the school and then Wm. Kull’s. Dr. Sadler had his office here for a number of years. This property was once the Methodist parsonage.
Next came David Fender’s Hotel, Erskine’s Store and then going west on Sherbrooke Street were Thos. Munro’s, Jack Johnson’s (then Shane’s until 1913 and then Alf Smith’s), then "Auntie Bell Khull’s and the last place was the Khull farm where R. B. Cameron now lives.
On the south side of Sherbrooke Street were John Hudson’s, Justice Bolger, the Cheese Factory, Chas. McNeil’s house and the Tannery. On the corner lot was a blacksmith shop which had been rented by Archie McNeil, Alf Smith and others at various times. Continuing south on Queen was a sawmill, Mick Hogan’s shop and house, a small house that Mary Barr once used as a Millinery shop, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church, Matthew McMunn’s (now owned by the Stewarts) then Jack Khull’s, Richard Evan’s (Otto Shane and others lived there later).
Across from the Methodist Cemetery on the east side of the street was a house built by James Jackson. Cochrane’s, Drynan’s and others lived there and it is now owned by Adam Stewart. On this street, leading back into the village, the first place was Robert Whelan’s. Next was the rectory, built about 1916 or 1918, then the Anglican Church, built in 1901. When the former church became inadequate it was sold to George McMunn who took it down and built it into a fine residence in the Hall’s Mills district. It is now the property of Jack Cameron.
Next on this street were Bellamy’s, Drummond’s, the I.O.O.F. hall (formerly the Presbyterian Church), Nolan’s, Banning’s Store and house, James Johnson’s then Levi Blair’s (Cochrane’s lived there until 1915 when Thomas Barr bought the property). A blacksmith shop was next where Alf Smith worked following World War 1. Nearby was a house where James Hogan had a tailor shop. Following this is a Mr. Thompson, a retired school teacher resided there and later the property was purchased by Thos. Jackson. It was burned down in 1934 and was occupied by Lawrence Wark at the time of the fire.
The next place was Proctor’s store. John and son Nelson were mail carriers while Mrs. Proctor and daughter Mildred cared for the store. Mrs. Proctor was also a dress maker. Previous to this time Wm. Banning operated a store in the same place. The next places were Scobie’s, Daniel Munro’s, and then Dr. Brown’s. The Dr. practiced there for some thirty years. This house was built by a man named Ed. Letteau many years ago. John Barr bought the property about 1903 or 1904 and their daughter Mrs. Mabel Kellough, still owns it.
Just in passing, I might mention that Mrs. Kellough was organist in the Presbyterian (later United) Church for some thirty-eight years and, in addition to this, taught Sunday-school classes for thirty-five years. We wonder how many have surpassed or even equaled this achievement. The last house on this street was the former rectory which was struck by lightning and burnt down a number of years ago.
And now a word about the streets. Cambridge Street ran north and south, parallel to Queen from the back of the old hotel shed to Raglan. Sherbrooke Street ran east and west, now know as the Darling Road. Napier started at the 2nd concession and ran to Cambridge Street. Argyle Street was a short street connecting Cambridge and Queen near the school. Albert Street started back near the 2nd concession and ran east. It crossed Cambridge then Queen between the old rectory and Mrs. Kellough’s. Louis was a short street running from Albert to Raglan, down near the river. It seems that in later years Albert Street was nicknamed Skunk Street.
Now to go back to about 1862 and across Queen Street from James Shane now lives, was Barney’s Grocery Store and Hotel. The Dickson Store was where Mueiller’s Store now is. Across on the corner, where a blacksmith shop stood for many years, was a store and post office operated by, it is believed, a Mr. Coulter On the opposite side of the river, perhaps near where Arthur Munro now lives, was the "Clayton House" operated by H. H. Bellamy. Across Queen Street in by the river was Garth’s Sawmill.
For many years a picnic was held in Drummond’s field. Games of baseball were played and a platform was erected for public speaker could talk on the topics of the day. A long table was set up under the trees where dinner was served by the ladies. Perhaps best of all, for the children at least, was the booth where soft drinks, oranges, bananas, candies, etc. were sold. Money was scarce indeed, but inflation was unknown so even a quarter has considerable buying power in those days.
The lake, now known as Clayton Lake was originally "Lake Harmony". According to an article by Abraham Evans, written over thirty years ago, the early settlers had to take their grain to Perth, some twenty-five miles distance, to get it ground. The Bellamys wanted to build a dam to raise the water in the lake some twelve feet for water power in order to have a grist mill in Clayton. When those whose land bordered the lake were in agreement, or "harmony" with the idea, the work went ahead on the dam and mill, hence the name "Lake Harmony". Mr. Evans also said that Clayton got its name from Colonel Clayton an earlier settler in the district.
The Watchorns, grand-parents of the writer, lived some three miles some of Clayton on a farm beside the aforementioned lake. The farm is now owned by Adam Stewart. Robert Watchorn took an active part in the affairs of the cheese factory, school and church and the village for many years.
Now in closing I would like to thank all those who supplied me with data and helped in other ways to make it possible for me to write this, also my previous article on the story of "Old Clayton".
By Earl Munro – Almonte, Ontario – March 1969.