Stories of the early days in Glen Huron can be found in Nottawasaga: The Outburst of the Iroquois, a local history book published in 1934. The following stories come from that publication. There is no indication of who wrote the stories but we are fortunate to have them.
“In speaking of that part, which is now called Glen Huron, we must not overlook the family named Nairden, a good old fashioned Irish name. Mr. Nairden was a good Roman Catholic, but one of his greatest delights was to walk with the Orangemen on the 12th of July. He was a quaint old fellow and a practical joker. Another man was Birkley, an eccentric man he was, and lived on Lot 16, Concession 7 in a shanty away in the woods. When I knew him he was over 80 years of age, having been among the first settlers in the locality. He had been educated for a priest, but never took orders. Every morning he rose early and bathed in the creek, winter and summer. When the thermometer stood at 25 below zero, he would make a hole in the ice and have his morning dip just the same.”
(Note by HB: Having skied on the ice, waded and trod the banks of the Mad River and creeks flowing into it I find it hard to believe that Mr. Birkley could find a deep hole that would go over his knees, winter or summer. But, then, it is a good story and fun to imagine him naked and jumping into the water through the hole in the ice.)
“Of several sons which he had, one was killed, I think near Creemore, whilst digging a well, a large stone falling on his head. Another became a peddler, and was the oddest fellow I ever met. He used to hump his pack from here to Toronto, sleeping just where he was a nightfall, in a wood, or by a fence, or anywhere at all.
“Sometime after the time I just mentioned, a number of new families entered the township. The principal of these was Mr. Hugh Frame from Glasgow, an uncle of the late Police Magistrate Frame. He was an original character and fond of music. He soon became Justice of the Peace, and was the principal legal adviser to nearly everybody around. He had a large conveyancing practice. He and the Misses Frame, his three nieces, the brothers Donald, William and Walter McDonald and myself formed ourselves into a sort of choral club, and the first concert given west of Barrie was by this club, in an upper room at Willing’s Hotel, in aid of a fund to start a circulating library. Not many dollars were netted, but a few books were purchased and they were either kept by Donald, or Malcolm Blair at Duntroon. Some years later the library was enlarged, 40 or 50 books added, some being presented by the late Rev. John Campbell who had settled in Duntroon. The date of the first library, I would place at 1855. When the Town Hall was erected in 1860, permission was given to keep the books in it, with W. J. Frame as first president, Donald Blair, as first librarian and myself as first secretary.”
(Another note by HB: I have a copy of the first Nottawasaga assessment, dated 1858, and find Hugh M. Frame, a clothier, age 45, living on lot 17, concession 8, and owner of 200 acres. This would be right in Glen Huron.)
And on another topic. Recently I had a conversation with Ed Stephens of Avening and learned something of his great great uncle. We also hunted through his family tree to see where Tally Ho Stephens fits in. Tally Ho Stephens was a noted hotel keeper and today you can see his beautiful stone house on the east side of highway 124 part way between Glen Huron and Duntroon. We didn’t conclude what the exact relationship was but some sort of a great great uncle. My great great uncle was Edward Webster of Creemore. Here is a story about these two taken from the same book as the above stories about Glen Huron.
“A noted election was when Tally Ho Stephens ran for Reeve and Webster of Creemore opposed him. At this time Creemore had grown to considerable importance owing to the mills put up by the Websters. An effort had been made by the latter faction to have the township elections held at Creemore, but since that place was at the corner of the area, and Bowmore [Duntroon] the centre, the latter place has always retained the honour.
“The rivalry between Webster and Stephens was often intense and much manipulating was done by the folks around both places to secure the return of their own men. Tally Ho Stephens, however, held the fort for several years.”
Both men left the area in a few years, Stephens going west and Webster to Toronto and California.
Helen Blackburn is a retired teacher, avid gardener and a long-time contributor to The Creemore Echo. She writes about local history.