This weekend, I return to a format that has proven successful to highlight an individual year from our history. I enjoy the process of picking a year and going back to chronicle what was happening in town, and in many cases, reliving cherished memories.
I have chosen the year 1957 as our featured year so jump into the time machine as we go back and have a walk around.
This year was the centennial of Newmarket becoming an incorporated village so there was a sense of celebration in the air. Our council was composed of mayor H.M. Gladman, reeve E. Wrightman and deputy reeve V.R. MacNaughton. Councillors were George Haskett, W.A. Kent (a future mayor), George Knapton, J.S. Choppin, Lorne Paynter and G. Ridler. The town treasurer was Wesley Brooks (after whom the Wesley Brooks Conservation area at Fairly Lake is named).
Over at the library, the chief Librarian was Kate Skinner and her two assistant librarians were Nellie Little and Eva Allen.
Our first permanent fire chief was John Gibson, named in May, having joined the force as a volunteer in 1928. Fred Curran was still running the post office.
Our Newmarket police department was made up of chief Byron Burbidge, James Leeder, William Hill, George Heppell and Robert Burbidge.
Our local doctors included Dr. William Campbell Arkinstall, Dr. Margaret Arkinstall, Dr. G. Case, Dr. Gordon Case, Dr. Gordon Cock, Dr. Charles Edwards, Dr. Patrick Greaves, Dr. William McClintock, Dr. Mervyn Peever, Dr. John Ritchie, Dr. Patrick Rowan, and Dr. C. Schofield. As you can see, we were in great hands.
Let us look at what was happening around town. It was in 1957 that the Quaker Burying Ground on Yonge Street East was fenced in with wrought iron supported by massive pillars. A tablet was placed at the entrance bearing the inscription ‘Friends Burying Ground 1807’.
In January, the annual Hashman Award, sponsored by George Haskett and Geoff Jones, dedicated to Newmarket’s Sportsman of the Year was given to the Newmarket Legion #426 for its contributions to sport within our community. Some of the people singled out for special recognition were Mickey Smith, Milt Wesley, Matt Walsh, Jack Duncan, Art Lauriault, Cliff Davidson, Jack Groves, Ivan Ruddock, Harold Eaton, Chick Rooney and Charlie Gordon.
The chamber of commerce, under president George McCullough, secretary Tom Surgeoner and vice-president Ted Robinson were hard at work preparing for Newmarket’s centennial celebrations in August.
It was in 1957 that a motion to increase the salaries of council was put forward at their first meeting by Gladston Ridler. The proposed salaries were councillor $500, and mayor $1,000.
An eight-room addition to the Prince Charles School was approved by council for $160,000, floating debentures to aid with the expenditure.
A.P.V. Equipment (Canada) opens a plant on Charles Street, employing 74 people, most of them having come from Toronto. The factory is over 47,000 square feet and has been purchased from the Hoffman Machinery Company.
The Children’s Aid Society of York County moves its headquarters to Newmarket, located at 153 Davis Dr. with Betty Graham placed in charge.
The York Curling Club was opened in February with Major A.A. Mackenzie throwing the first stone and C.A. (Tiny) Cathers as master of ceremonies.
The New Church of Nazarene is dedicated on March 10 on the northeast corner of Main and Queen streets, replacing an old frame church that had stood for years.
On April 10, Newmarket is honoured to receive Gov. Gen. Vincent Massey for an official visit.
Two longtime Newmarket merchants mark anniversaries, Bert Budd marks the 30th of his photo, camera and music shop and Milton Keffer the 25th of his Supertest Service Station at the southwest corner of Main and Davis Drive.
A huge fire destroys the Bluewater Shoe Plant in Holland Landing with damages estimated at $100,000. Firefighters from Newmarket, Aurora, and Bradford are called upon to help those from Holland Landing.
In April, the Junior Chamber of Commerce receives its charter at the Colonial Restaurant with music by Leon Nash and John Giovanelli.
A huge funeral is held at St. John’s Church for George Vale, a Newmarket resident since 1906 who had served on council pre-First World War and served as the town auditor for over 30 years.
In May, the town votes to lift its 45-year ban on the purchase of alcohol with a vote of 2,094 to 1,269, thus officially ending prohibition in Newmarket.
Slessor Motors opens its doors on Eagle Street and the official opening ceremonies are carried on an Orillia radio station.
A local string quartet from Newmarket High is all the rage, playing to sold-out crowds and appearing on area radio stations. The quartet consists of Anna Morton, Mary Stephens, Marilyn Bone and Hellen McCabe, with Mr. Nash accompanying them on the piano.
Faye Russell of Newmarket is named Miss Optimist in preparation for the centennial beauty contest to take place in August.
The Peter Gorman pool has its official opening July 16 with a huge throng of adults and children queuing up for entrance.
Of interest to local history buffs, Ethel Trewhella delivers the final draft of her History of Newmarket for which she is paid $1,500. The publishing of the book by the town will take another 10 years though.
Loblaws extends its building to the east with an addition over the creek in August.
The celebration that the town had been waiting for 100 years finally opens on Aug. 8 with a parade of antique cars and citizens visiting our neighbouring communities welcoming back former residents to the festivities that would begin the next week.
On Aug. 15, the world returned to Newmarket for the four-day event celebrating the 100th anniversary of our incorporation as a village. The 15th featured a flower show, a huge parade with floats followed by the opening ceremonies, a baseball game, a street dance featuring the Bob Scott Orchestra and a beauty contest. The 16th featured a local bus tour, a mutt show, silver dollar bingo, lady’s softball, the Betty Gordon Dancers, old movies, and a leather show put on by the Davis Tannery.
On the 17th we had a lawn bowling demonstration, sports day at the Fairgrounds and Pickering College, A community tea party at the Bosworth home at Main and Davis Drive, a soapbox derby, a beard contest a huge street dance and, of the course, the primary parade featuring 60 antique cars, 10 bands, floats, and the mounted police.
The celebration was wrapped up on Sunday, the 18th, with special church services all over town, a demonstration by the 180th squadron and the closing ceremonies. I got a centennial wooden nickel, my memento from the celebration.
At the end of August, if you can believe it, a new yacht club is formed, centred on Fairy Lake. Its priority is the cleaning up of the pond according to its press release. Initial members included Gord Clelland, Bill McHale, Bob Groves, Ivan Ruddock, and about six more locals. In September, floodlights are announced for the area near the dam at Water Street.
Tenders are called for the new Brewers Retail to be constructed on the west side of Charles Street.
Council decides that it is necessary to expand the town bus system and talks begin with Larry Needler from the Newmarket Bus Lines.
House-to-house delivery of mail in Newmarket begins on Oct. 31 with Ross Hughes, Cecil Taylor, John Gable, Locksley Stuffles and Harry Diamond the first to be hired.
In December, the new County of York Administration building is nearly complete on the former Davis property on Bayview, just north of Davis Drive.
The decision for local stores to close on Mondays in Newmarket is made in June by council.
Two probationary police officers are promoted to the rank of third-class constables, James O’Halloran and Russell Smith.
Several new businesses opened, including the Bank of Commerce at the old Newmarket Shopping Plaza on Davis Drive and Beaver Lumber also on Davis Drive.
April 1957 saw the retirement of Annie Tunney from the Bell Exchange on Millard Avenue after 38 years as the town exchange’s night telephone operator. In a rapidly growing community, the telephone operator felt like a friend and she was vital to the town’s smooth operation. She immediately started work on York County Hospital’s switchboard.
While I realize that I may have missed an event or two that occurred during 1957, I hope that I brought back a few memories for many of you. We will continue to look back at certain years in our history over the coming months hopefully.
I will cover the Newmarket Centennial more fully in a separate article that is in the works as we speak.
Sources: The Newmarket Era, Memorable Merchants and Trades 1950 – 1980 by Eugene McCaffrey, Newmarket Centennial 1857 – 1957 by Jack Luck, The Official Program For the Celebrations
**********************Newmarket resident Richard MacLeod — the History Hound — has been a local historian for more than 40 years. He writes a weekly feature about our town's history in partnership with Newmarket Today, conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, and leads local oral history interviews.
