INTERESTING NOTES AND COMMENT ON AN EARLY WELLAND COUNTY PAPER

INTERESTING NOTES AND COMMENT ON AN EARLY WELLAND COUNTY PAPER

THE “ACORN” PUBLISHED AT FONTHILL

[Welland Telegraph, 3 May 1910]

              The Telegraph was shown an interesting paper by C.W. Price on Friday. The paper, which was published in Fonthill, was called the “Acorn”. It is believed to be the first paper published in the County of Welland. The first issue appeared from the office of publication in Fonthill in 1855 on August 10th.

             There is a rival in the field, however, for first place, and that was the Fonthill Herald. Some say that the Herald was the first paper published.

             At that time there were no papers in Welland, which was at that time called Merrittsville. Fonthill was much larger than Merrittsville, and as a consequence it was the centre of the county, and that is why the Acorn was founded there.

             Its lease of life was very short, however, as it was only published six months. Mr. Price has every paper issued bound in a book.

             The Acorn’s sub-heading was very suggestive but unfortunately it did not live to carry its policy out. The sub-heading referred to is, “The Acorn-Big Oaks from Little Acorns Grow.” In politics it was Independent. Politics were very seldom referred to in its editorials.

             The Acorn was owned by and published by Hosmer L. Stone and D. Hobson. After three months in partnership Mr.Hobson sold his interests to Mr. Stone.

             The size of the paper was about eight by twelve inches. It comprised of two sheets each of three columns –there being twelve columns in all. The terms as printed on the first page were two pence currency per number. It was a very neatly printed paper and would put the papers of nowadays to shame in that regard. It contained correspondence from Port Colborne, Port Robinson and Merrittsville.

             The paper was printed in the office of the Herald. This was in a concert hall near the present block owned by Mrs. Stone and was burned down twenty years ago. The block was three storeys high and the village of Fonthill at that time was much larger than it is now is.

             Several items are taken from the quaint old paper by The Telegraph. They will be found below and are very interesting.

             Narrow Escape-A little girl about four years old, daughter of Dilly Coleman of Port Robinson, while playing in front of a well fell in. A colored man, standing near, immediately descended into the well and saved the child from drowning.

             A marriage notice reads as follows: Married-On August 10^th, 1855 at the residence of the bride’s father in the township of Pelham, by the Rev. J.R. Lavelle, Mr. J. H. Berston, tobacconist to Miss Lucilla D. Haines.

             The paper was published on Friday.

             Riceville, which is now Upper Fonthill, is also mentioned in the Acorn’s columns. The first Pelham post office was situated at Riceville. John S. Price was postmaster.

             A paragraph regarding Townsend, the noted murderer, who killed several people in this province, and who after a trial lasting four months at Welland, was allowed to go free, also appears.

             The St. Catharines Post is also referred to in an editorial.

             The following interesting note is also taken from its columns.

             Lecture-Wm. Lyon McKenzie is expected to deliver a lecture in the concert hall, October 4^th, 1855, on the subject of dissolution of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.

             Despatches of Old Country news from steamers arriving in New York appear regularly in its columns and a scare heading is featured once in a while. As a whole it was a very interesting little sheet.

             A notice of the first Pelham cattle show appears. It was held at Riceville. Prohibition was advocated in its columns.

             Other interesting items gleamed from its columns by our reporter are:

             Serious Accident at Merrittsville- On Wednesday at Merrittsville a platform at the side of Mr. Bald’s new house, upon which several carpenters were working, fell to the ground, injuring the men.

             Drowned- Near Hellemsport, a sailor fell overboard and was drowned in the canal.

             Fire- On Monday evening a barn belonging to Peter Price near the Chippawa creek was burned to the ground.

             Married- At St. Catharines, on 30^th November, by the Rev. A.L. Atkinson, Lorenzo D. Raymond to Mary Jane Cochrane.

             The Acorn was not without its troubles with subscribers, however. The following is a very crude letter received from Merrittsville.

             The Acorn replied to the above letter with great eloquence of nearby a column in length. The editor, even in this time of trouble, displayed a great deal of humor.

             That the Mechanics Institute of Fonthill is a very old institution is evidenced by the following from the Acorn:

             Mechanics Institute- According to notice, the annual meeting of the Institute was held on Monday, 3^rd December. The attendance was exceedingly good. Officers were elected as follows:

John Frazer, Esq., M.D., M.P.P. –Pres.

Isaac P. Willson-1st Vice-Pres.

John Gore- 2^nd Vice-Pres.

D.D’Everardo-Secretary

John B. Oxley-Treasurer

Gibson Gray-Librarian

J.S. Price, D. Kinsman, J.H. Burston, Henry Jiles and A Dinsmore were elected Associate Directors.

             Pelham Municipal Council for 1856-Dr. Frazer, J. Scholfield, Lewis Willson, Parmer Buchner, Peter Beckett.

             In February the editor made the announcement that he would have to suspend publication for some time. Later he announced he would again publish the paper on a much larger scale. We are informed that he did this and that until 1863 he published a very successful paper. In 1863 he again suspended publication.

             Mr. Price also showed The Telegraph several issues of the Welland People’s Press of 1862 and 1863, published by A. Dinsmore.