Tuesday 2 October 2007

September 30th, 2007 Local History

Are you interested in our city's past? One of the strong points of the Reference section at the Brodie Library is our Local History Collection. We have file cabinets chock full of old newspaper clippings. Taken from the Thunder Bay newspapers and the Fort William newspaper, this is a gem waiting to be discovered. We also have select clippings from the Port Arthur newspaper. We have files on topics such as area businesses, biographies, buildings, street names etc. As well we have a great collection of books by local authors and books about our area. Here is just a sample of what you can find.

Restaurants

Do you remember Spud's Burger Major Drive-In on Arthur Street? I recall going there as a child with my sister and her family. My nephew was in one of those car seats, complete with a plastic steering wheel and horn. I can recall how exciting it was to go there. This popular burger joint opened in 1959. Teens in the 1960's spent weekends cruising Victoria Avenue and then meeting at Spud's for a burger. It was also a popular family restaurant. If you're looking for information on Spud's or other local restaurants, keep our local history collection in mind. A quick search in our Thunder Bay News Index, which you can locate in the Virtual Collection on our web page, lead me to this article. Source: Chronicle Journal August 12, 2004 page A2 "Taste bud flashback"

Stanley Hill Cemetery
The library has newspaper articles on various area cemeteries. We also carry a book on the history of a small rural cemetery located on Stanley Hill. You can read about it's early beginnings, changes over the years and the recollections of area seniors. It is complete with photos and a list of people interred there. When the author was doing research for this book, another staff member and I mentioned to him that we have property there. I can't think of a quieter, more scenic spot for my future home. Source: Stanley Hill Cemetery: 1901-2001 by David Nicholson

The Train At Chippewa Park
Do you remember the miniature train ride at Chippewa Park? In the summer of 1960 the Lakeshore Express made it's debut. The train was operated by Fritz Altmann. I can still recall the excitement of riding this train. According to a newspaper article the ride was only 3 ½ minutes. As a child it seemed a lot longer than that. If you're interested in a general history of Chippewa Park, you can find a report on the City of Thunder Bay's website
Source: LF TB Parks and Playgrounds - Chippewa

Murillo Fall Fair
This year this rural community celebrated the116th annual Murillo Fall Fair. It still follows the same recipe for success – you can enter a pie, a quilt or a vegetable in one of the competitions. There are chariot races, live entertainment and of course there's plenty to eat. When I was a child the biggest attraction for me was seeing the farm animals, especially the pigs and the chance to win a goldfish in a small bowl. I guess some things never change, after all these years I am still thrilled whenever I get a new goldfish.
Source: LF NWO Fairs - Murillo

Local Race Car Drivers
Do you remember local stock car driver Barry Kettering? His career began in the 1950s at age 17, on the CLE track. He moved to the States in 1960 where he became well known in racing circles. Unfortunately his life was cut short during a racing accident in 1976. For information on Barry or other well known local residents, check out our biography files.
Source: LF TB Biography – Kettering, Barry

Slate River Churches
Are you looking for the history of rural churches? In Slate River, worship services were first held in a poplar grove on a farm, which is now the Gammondale farm. These services began around 1890. The first church constructed there in 1896, was a log structure built by the Presbyterians. An Anglican church was built in 1915 and a Baptist church was built in 1909. Oddly enough the Baptist church was hit by lightning twice, as was my Grandmother.
Source: LF NWO Churches

Gateway To Northwestern Ontario History
If you enjoy looking at old photographs, take a peek at our digitization site, also located in the Virtual Collection. With over 1,100 photos, you can find everything from royal visits to photos of
area people. There are photographs of hotels, schools, hospitals and train stations. There are photos of industries such as mining and logging. We even have a photo taken at the opening of the Pigeon River Bridge. If you can't find what you're looking for in the Local History files, we also have old newspapers on microfilm. Staff can show you how to search through the newspapers. They're always interesting to look at and you'd be surprised at the things you can find, that you didn't even know you were looking for. So the next time you're trying to dig up a piece of the past, visit the Brodie Resource Library. We just might be able to help with your search.

Karen Craib, Library Technician

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