8 / HISTORY
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A trip through the pages of The Napanee Beaver 70 Years Ago December 30, 1942 n While the new year was usually a busy time for local municipal elections, the transition into 1943 was particularly quiet in Lennox and Addington. Only two municipalities in the county were scheduled to have elections — all other municipal posts were already secured by acclamation. The two exceptions were Bath, where there would be elections for councillor positions, and in Adolphustown, where all council positions were up for grabs. The elections were to take place on Jan. 6. n Boxing Day was no cause for celebration in Bath this year. The village sustained a significant blow when a serious fire destroyed an entire block. Many of the homes located there were 100 years old, or older. The fire also caused 14 families to be forced out into the cold when their homes went up in flames. The cause of the fire was not known, but was believed to have started in barber shop and billiard hall in the early morning hours. There were no injuries due to the fire, but some had to be treated for exposure due to the bitterly cold weather.
35 Years Ago December 28, 1977 n Some local municipalities were considering possible amalgamations as 1977 was coming to a close. The Township of Adolphustown was in talks with both South Fredericksburgh and North Fredericksburgh townships. An amalgamation possibility was to see the southern portion of Adolphustown joined with South Fredericksburgh, and the northern part of Adolphustown joined with North Adolphustown. n A group of Napanee residents was exploring the possibility of enhancing recreational opportunities for children in the town. The group, led by Sylvia Akey and Denise Perry, made a presentation to the town’s recreation committee, and provided for them survey results showing an interest among community members for recreation opportunities such as sleigh rides, arts and crafts and skating. The questionnaires had been distributed to Napanee elementary schools.
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New columnist explores Napanee’s links to the past Recently, a John Grange merchant crock, stamped ‘Front Street Napanee’, sold at a Tim Potter auction here for $ 2,200, amazing the crowd. That merchant’s drug store occupied space where the first local branch of the Bank of Montreal stood on Dundas Street in the mid 1840s. One John T. Grange sat on the first town council in 1864. Think back to when the first peoples called Napanee, Appanea because of the thundering waterfall at Springside Park. The birthplace of the original settlement was called Clarksville. Imagine years before Confederation when most of Greater Napanee was wilderness, the hub being a few farms and homesteads on the south side of the river above the falls. It was Allan Macpherson, the Laird of Napanee and the second owner of the large mill built in 1786, who decided that land was better suited to habitation on the northern side of the river. Wonder at the simplicity of the village site then, without the Grand Trunk Railway bridge yet, only a simple river crossing there from south to north. The laird built a fine Georgian-style frame homestead facing the mill and settlement that was
often visited by Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. Ponder that there was no serious development beyond this locale at the time. This did not mean that other things weren’t happening in the sprawling northern countryside that
Charles Beale Legacy
would become Lennox and Addington County. United Empire Loyalists, in particular, set their backs to the wheel of agriculture and commerce to transform one of the most interesting natural settings in the Napanee Valley. Most recently, this newspaper and Orland French published an overview of the county's historical geography that emphasizes its uniqueness, Lennox and Addington. The laird’s mill brought people together to grind grain while other mills planed their lumber. Very quickly, faith in its various forms followed, firstly in lowly dwellings before more permanent ones could be built.One of the first was the Church of England’s frame dwelling, near the Laird’s on Church Street.
The county town is well documented beginning with the registering of births and deaths in these churches. The L&A Gazetter proved a wide source of interest. In 1913,Walter S. Herrington published another historical sketch on Napanee's growth and in the run up to the centenary in 1964, the county historical society produced the now well worn Historical Glimpses of Lennox and Addington County, highlighting the importance of the county seat. Today, many of the first buildings that drove the economy of Napanee are gone, but many others remain. This column hopes to remind us of the rich heritage we possess here and the importance of preserving it. Ironically, it is now tourism,one of the new growth industries, that depends in large part on the preservation of our lasting legacy and as we can see from the price of the Grange merchant crock, well worth keeping. Charles Beale is a former educator, historian and author of Manly E. MacDonald - Interpreter of Old Ontario. Contact him at: w w w. i n f o @ c h a r l e s b e a l e . c a / charles.beale@sympatico.ca or call 613-354-8029.
OPP ‘ring’ in New Year with texting-and-driving blitz Thumb bands meant to remind motorists to refrain from using mobile communications devices while driving By Adam Prudhomme BEAVER STAFF WRITER Napanee’s OPP officers are urging teens to give a thumbs up to the idea of not texting while driving. As part of their Festive RIDE program, local police officers will be handing out blue elastic thumb bands to serve as reminders not to text while driving. The band is symbolic in that most people use their thumbs to type on cell phones. “It’s becoming more and more prevalent,” Napanee OPP Staff Sergeant Scott Semple said of texting while driving. “It’s almost surpassing impaired drivers because we’re running into incidents where people are being serious injured, or causing accidents or even dying because they’re texting.” Legislation banning texting while driving came
into effect in October 2009, who are engaging in texwhich Sgt. Semple says has ting while driving. “We go into all the high had its drawbacks. Officers now have the authority to schools, North Addington, charge drivers who do it, Ernestown and NDSS, with but it doesn’t mean they’ve the Drive for Life Campaign,” said stopped the Perry. “It’s dangerous focused on practice. impaired “ N o w driving, alcopeople hide hol and it because drugs. They they don’t have added want to get the texting to caught,” he it so we do a said. “Now presentation you’re not around texonly disand tracted by Scott Semple, ting driving.” the device, OPP Staff Sergeant To help now you’re stress her l o o k i n g point, Cst. Perry encourdown at the device.” “People are looking ages all young drivers to down and trying to hide it,” visit Youtube and search added Constable Jackie ‘The Last Text.’ The 10 Perry. “If somebody that’s minute video, put together impaired is coming towards by AT&T, presents chilling you, you’re not even going tales of teens who caused to have a chance to take fatal accidents while typing out messages like ‘Lol’ evasive action.” While everyone is at or ‘Yeah’. “It’s very to the point,” risk, more often it’s teens
‘It’s becoming more and more prevalent. It’s almost surpassing impaired drivers.’
Sgt. Semple said of the video. “The majority of fatalities for teenage drivers where its been linked to texting, the messages are insignificant. They’re something that could have waited, it was not an emergency.” If a text has to be read or sent, officers urge drivers to simply look for a safe spot to pull over and park. The long arm of the law is also continuing its crack down of drinking and driving this holiday season and drivers are warned that RIDE checks could show up anywhere. Drivers below the legal limit have nothing to worry about and could even receive a free bottle of water from Pure Country Bottled Water if they pass through a check point. Sgt. Semple says handing something out to drivers obeying the rules of the road makes for a more pleasant interaction between drivers and the officers.
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