Mono Road post office closes up shop after 98 years in business
Thursday September 2 2010
By Bill Whitbread, Days of Yore-more from this author
FIFTY YEARS AGO
Seven area Grade 13 students are planning careers in post secondary education. Carol Allan and Vivian Ewart, Bolton, Linda Nattress, Nobleton, and Donna Palmer, Albion, are entering Lakeshore Teachers College in Toronto. Jean Porter, Albion, will attend medical college. Garnet Julian, Castlemore, plans to enter dental college while Keith Flinders, Nobleton, will study electronics at Ryerson School of Technology in Toronto.
Warren Wilkes, Toronto, has sold the Norton Brickyard property at the foot of David Street in Bolton to C. W. Hartwick. It had been previously owned by Alberta Haines, a daughter of the late Alsey Norton.
Frank Cook, 11, Mill Street, Bolton, is minus his big toe. He had it severed by a rotary power mower that he was attempting to turn off. Doctors at Peel Memorial Hospital in Brampton attempted to save the toe but it is not known whether the operation was a success.
Allan Maynard, nine, of R.R.1, Schomberg, was killed on Saturday afternoon, August 27, when he was knocked from his bicycle by a car driven by King Township Reeve, William Hodgson. He was riding his bike on the Aurora Sideroad east of Highway 27. He turned out from behind a truck into the path of Hodgson’s car. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Maynard.
The Bolton bandstand which for years sat on Queen Street near Sterne Street in the village’s downtown is on the move again. It left its original site for a home in Jane Street Park. It now will be located in the Bolton Fair Grounds. The Rotary Club of Bolton has donated two gallons of paint and shingles to spruce up the wooden structure. Bolton Citizens Band in days of yore gave Saturday night concerts much to the delight of shoppers. The stores were open until 11 p.m. and the Bolton Casino was also a hive of activity for weekly dances. Oh for those fond memories.
The Village of Bolton have sworn in Roy McCall and Edward Ewart as part time constables. They will be paid $100 a year and $1 an hour when on duty.
There is a new item to grace any table in this hot summer weather. Houston’s General Store is featuring Burn’s whole canned cooked chicken, 3 lb. 4 oz. size for $1.19.
FORTY YEARS AGO
Seven of 12 senior citizen apartments on Jane Street, Bolton, were occupied on September 1. The resident caretaker is George Hutson. Other tenants are Mable Ingle, Sarah Elliott, Stella Ruddick, Bertha Downey, Mable Searle and Hilma Kearney.
Richard ‘Red’ Dwyer, a well known aircraft worker, car salesman and farmer who lived in the Palgrave area, was killed instantly when struck by lightning at Toronto International Airport. He was 49.
Donald Smith, 51, King Street West, Bolton, was killed instantly on September 1 when he was struck by a truck when he was walking along Shorncliffe Road in Etobicoke. Smith was quite involved with the Bolton Community Entertainers and the Bolton Play Society. His wife, Jean, is an employee with The Bolton Enterprise.
The Mono Road post office is no more. It closed its doors for the last time on Saturday, August 29. It opened in 1872 with John Judge as the first postmaster. The post office had been in the same family for 98 years as the present postmaster James Nelson is a great nephew of the original stamp seller. At the time of closing there were 318 rural boxes being served and 64 called at the office for their mail. The customers will now be served out of rural routes in Caledon East.
Three Nobleton youngsters are starring in the Peewee lacrosse league. The team tied for first with the Brampton Excelsiors. They are Paul Vanderkraan, Mike Hilliard and Kenny Brown. Dennis ‘Dink’ Brown is playing lacrosse for the Chinguacousy Midgets and his older brother, Wayne, is shining with the Brampton Juveniles.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
Pro Hardware, under the new ownership of Ray and Stella Todd, is being given a new coat of paint. The store had been in the Egan family since 1913.
Residents of Albert Street in Bolton said bon voyage to Dan and Melanie Partland with a gala party. They are moving east to Montreal where Dan has secured a new position. His powerful bat and slick glove will be missed on the Bolton softball scene. He is also becoming quite a skilled golfer
Joe Landolfi was firing bullets for the Bolton South Hill Selects as they tamed the Caledon East Combines in the North Peel Men’s Softball League action. The loss went to Dave McCaffrey.
The Bolton Haft Shaft soccer team lost a 1-0 nailbiter to Georgetown recently. Some of the stars of the game were Alisa Hammill, Tania Zelezinsky, Lisa Bifolchi, Tracy Thomson, Kim Drinkwater, Lori O’Brien, Lisa Bogner, Christine Bible and keeper Natalie Patterson.