Through the Years With Fenwick

By Marion J. Lampman

One of the affairs that stand out so vividly in the minds of the older folk of Pelham Township is the Fenwick Fall Fair!

People gathered from miles around to browse among the exhibits, look over the livestock, watch the harness and sulky racing—and just visit!

But most of all, it was the Tom Bishop Wild West Show that brought in the gate receipts.

The late Tom Bishop and his brother Bob who still lives with his eighty years of thrilling experiences, opposite Pelham Centre School—came to Canada from  Scotland during the last century at a time when the Canadian West was advertised as being the “Pot O’Gold at the end of the Rainbow”.

Like so many others, the boys headed in that direction to make their fortune. They settled near Oldes Alberta and worked on various ranches in the district.

When the owner would have to leave on business, the boys were left in charge. The ranches being many miles apart the young lads, during these periods would sometimes spend weeks without seeing another human being.

While experiencing one of these lonely sessions they saw in the distance, a man approaching the ranch. He was driving a horse to which was hitched a single wheel and a few sappling trees.

Eagerly climbing the fence to a wait his arrival, they called out greetings as soon as he was within hearing. They received no answer. They kept calling, still no answer.

When the traveller with whom the boys hoped to have an enjoyable visit, reached the ranch they realized he was completely oblivious to reality. A condition they assumed he’d attained from loneliness.

It was during their stay in the untamed West, while experiencing such incidents as this retold by Tom Jr. that the idea for the Wild West Rodeo Show was formed by his father.

The Show would open with a peaceful scene of a Trading Post with friendly Indians and white men mingling and visiting.

Suddenly the “Baddies” lead by Bob Bishop, were swooping down on the Post, with the warring Indians swooshing their tomahawks over the scalps of their victims and “burning” them at the stake with such realism that ladies in the grandstand would often swoon into the arms of their swain!

However, it wasn’t long before the “goodguys” would come rushing in with Tom, on his wonder horse Sandy, in the lead. Down the midway they’d speed to the rescue with dust flying and lariatsatwirl.

“Baddie” Bob would be captured and, after being securely tied, get himself dragged through the dust at the end of a rope before being hoisted to a tree limb and “shot”.

As usual though, the good guy didn’t  get off without some battle scars. Tom would get “shot” off his horse and presumed “dead”. The final scene was one of devastation.

Sandy never reconciled himself to his master’s demise. He’d return and put his head down to that of the “wounded” man and attempt to revive him.Then he’d lie down beside him and Tom, regained consciousness, would pull himself across the saddle, the faithful steed would struggle to his feet and carry his beloved pal home.

While the realistic Show never had any actual casualties, Bob recalls a time when, during rehearsal, the “good guys” tied him too securely and, being unable to give warning, he spent a few anxious moments without a full breath before he succeeded in getting their attention and was released.

Another act in which Sandy starred was introduced after the close of the first Word War

An effigy of Kaiser Bill was erected and Sandy was trained to mount a ramp without benefit of halter or lead of any sort—and with his foot, pull a board from which a string was connected to the trigger of a shot gun and—SANDY SHOT THE KAISER!

The Fair Grounds were originally at Riceville, just west of Fonthill. They were later moved to a twenty five acre site in Fenwick just south of the T.H. & B. railway tracks.

Entering the main gate at the east, the Exhibit Building was on the north. Here were displayed the usual run of Fall Fair exhibits—needlecraft, baked goods, preserves and garden and farm produce.

Directly opposite this building—to the south—were the cattle stalls. Further along the midway was a dining hall which was managed for some time by Burton Pattison and his wife Maggie Lampman Pattison.

Beyond this building was the grandstand and nearby, the bandstand, At the extreme west end of the midway were the horse barns.

The Fair was under the auspices of the Pelham Township Agricultural Society. The prize list of Tuesday 7^th October, 1856 announced awards would be given for Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Swine,Domestic (which included leather hides),Wagons (lumber wagons manufactured by the competitor in that year), and Grain.

It was stated that any resident of the township could join the Society and compete for the awards by paying the Treasurer the sum of one dollar on or before Wednesday, October 1^st, after which time the sum of Two dollars would be charged as an Entrance fee.

An interesting fact was noted—the prizes were awarded in English Currency but the Entrance fees were to be paid in Canadian Dollars.

James E. Hutt was noted to be the Secretary for the Society that year, with John Scholfield as President, and the advertisement was printed by the Herald Press, Fonthill September 18, 1856.

Mrs Harry Lindsay, whose father Augustus Hyatt was Treasurer for the Society for many years, owns this original copy of the prize list. She remembers well of helping her father carry the heavy bag of gate receipts to their home.

We’re told that the late Joseph Garner played host to many visitors on Fair Day and would roast a pig over an open fire on his back lawn where the tables were set.

Some of the older residents of the township have handed down the statement that this spectacular October event was first established when the Merry-go-Round and the Ferris Wheel had to be operated by genuine live hose power.

Proving the determination of the Pelham folk, a story is told of one year, while working on the grounds preparing for the fair next day, the men laboured in their shirt sleeves beneath the warm fall sun. The next morning they awoke to discover the ground covered with snow. Sooner than cancel the event, and having it declared a “snow out”, an entrant for the sulky race hitched up and drove around the track. While we’re not told whether or not there was any award given to this plucky chap, it does seem his act gave the affair the prestige of a bona fide Fall Fair.

People from Niagara Falls who planned a day at this popular Fall function, came to Welland on the old Grand Trunk Line and changed to the T. H. &B.

No longer is there a Fenwick Fair. No longer do the excursion trains from Fort Erie, Hamilton and Toronto, line up on the railway siding while the passengers have a day of fun.

The site of this annual event was sold while Horace Kilman was reeve of the township. Even the railway station is gone.

Still another building has disappeared from that corner of Fenwick—the old Apple Evaporator Factory—which was located directly north of, and across the tracks from the station.

Mr. Jim Ebert remembers having worked in that factory which he believes to have been in operation approximately eight years. Co owners are remembered to be Frank Misener and a Mr. William Furness from Buffalo, New York,who would come over each year in apple season and board with the Trumm family in the home where Mrs Clayton Keenan, the former Louie Trumm, still lives.

Mrs Keenan worked in the factory packing the apples and her brother Ed who now resides in Welland, recalls his job was labeling the boxes which contained fifty pounds each.

The factory consisted of slat-floored rooms built over coke burning furnaces which gave a tremendous heat. This hot air premeated the rooms above where the apples were turned by means of a long wooden fork.

Most of the personnel were women who sorted and peeled. It took two to operate the gas powered peelers which were used; one peeling while the other cut out the bad spots. These “bad spots” and the peelings were shipped to France where they were used to make champagne.

Mr Ebert recalls that at one time there were 10,000 bushels of apples in just one pile. That must have filled a good many dainty slippers with the bubbly stuff!

Loss of market for the produce resulted in the factory shutting down, after which the somewhat decrepit buildings were used by a Mr. Jake Hoffman who conducted a coal business. Later the buildings were completely demolished.

Fenwick, which was originally known as Diffin’s Corners, had it’s name change to honor a British Nobleman and at one time boasted of two hotels.

The one was owned by John Chase who later sold it to a Mr Dan Althouse in 1916. He added to the original building and later sold it to the Eberts who still own it. They also added to and remodeled the building into its present state.

It is Dan Althouse who is said to have owned the first automobile in Fenwick.

Another hotel, and believed to be the oldest, was known as the Wood’s Hotel. Located on Welland Road at its junction with Canboro, it later became the property of the late John

Farr and his daughter Grace—Mrs William Brown—still lives there.

John Farr also owned and operated a butcher shop at the present site of Blaney’s Service Station. His brother Edward taught school in Fenwick for many years, at a time when the warmth from the pot-bellied stove vied for pre eminence with the three “Rs’ on those frosty zero days of winter. And the fishing rod and jumping pike took over in the balmy days of spring.

It’s for Ed Farr that the Memorial School is named. He lived in the home on the south side of Welland Road, directly opposite the laneway leading to the school where he taught for so long; his property abutting that of his brother’s on the west.

By many former pupils, Mr Farr is remembered to be stern, fair and humorous. By all who knew him he was considered to be an “A” quality teacher, having received high praise for passing so many excellent students into Secondary School.

Directly across the Canboro Road from the Wood’s Hotel still stands the pretentious home of the late Dr. S.E. Birdsall who, records show, practiced medicine in partnership with the late Dr. Haney.

The home later becamethe property of the late Dr. Dalrymple and we’re told that the barn still standing directly to the east of the house is where the doctor stabled his horses.

Many garden parties were enjoyed on the spacious lawns of this palatial home. Electricity

Not having come into its own at this time, the doctor had his lawns illuminated with cat-on-nine tails dipped in oil and set ablaze.

This property is now owned by Harry Upton Jr

The business now known as the Robbins Feed and Fuel  was originally a blacksmith shop operated by a Mr. McPherson and later by Clarence Page.

A Mr. Beam evidently bought the property in 1920 and changed it into a store with living accommodations above it. He later sold out to Mr. Jack Hague from whom the present owners acquired it.

Len Haist and J.Cambridge Sloat operated the Flour and Feed store on the west side of Maple Street near Canboro Road. Mr Haist later bought the business and operated it by himself.

For a time the Post Office was in the building on the northwest corner of Maple and Canboro and was operated by Mr Frank Tunnacliffe who also sold insurance. Previous to this the office had been operated in the Fry store on the opposite northeast corner.

Hugh Metler at one time operated a Hardware Store and Funeral Parlour in the building on the north side of Canboro  Road now sporting the sigh “Ebert’s Wreckage” His living quarters were above the store.

Another Funeral Parlour was operated by Beverly Holcomb, in part of the building known as the Green Lantern. Later Glenn Lampman took over this part of the business and continued there until he established his present Furniture Store and Funeral Chapel further east on Canboro Road in about 1935. The Lampmam business was first established in 1917 and has been carried on by father and son since that time operating from both Wellandport and Fenwick and is well known throughout the Niagara Peninsula.

In the 30s Mr. C.B. Reece, father of Mrs H.B. Beamer, operated a printing press in the village. At the turn of the century he’d operated a press and General Store at the site where Glenn Robbins is now building a Flour and Feed store in North Pelham.

The Newstead Hardware Store we’re told was built by a Mr. L.S. Haney who, when radios first became popular, won a plaque from the Westinghouse Company for selling the most sets in Welland county.

On the north side of the main street and boarded up stands the old Union Bank. Today there’s a modern new Bank and Post Office located on the south side of the same street.

In the early part of the century Hugh Swayze established a Bake Shop in the building where Mr Morningstar has his appliance shop.

Previous to the time of this bakery, Alan Rice who brought the mail from Welland to Fonthill also brought a supply of bread from the Bakery in Welland to the stores.

Arnold Page is said to have been “clipping the wig” of his clients for nigh onto forty years in the same shop where his father carried on the business before him. It’s believed that Milo Goss operated the business about the time of World War 1.

In the early part of the last century, Augustus Pattison came to Pelham from Kentucky—“Two jumps ahead of the sheriff for horse thievin” he’s quip to his friends and relatives when he felt they needed a shaking.

He seems to have been a young and energetic chap starting up a Tombstone Business which kept him traveling to Hamilton in the winter to buy the stones and setting them up for his clients in the summer.

After marrying Martha Crowe he went to work for William Fry who owned a General Store on the northeast corner of Maple and Canboro as has been mentioned. Later wishing to buy a partnership into the business and being refused by Mr. Fry, he went across the street and bought himself a store.

When Augustus died, his  son Burton took over the management of the store. He married Maggie, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Comfort Lampman who owned a farm on Cream Street.

Burton bought the farm from Samuel’s widow and hired her son Leroy to manage it for him. Thus he was able to raise a great deal of the produce he offered for sale in his store. He later sold both farm and store and bought the Welland Dairy.

When the farm was sold Leroy and his wife, Mabel Saylor Lampman. Together with their four children moved to Welland.

Mr Armbrust who bought the Pattison store traded a home in Ridgeville as part payment and Burton moved from the house his father owned and went to live there. Ralph Yager presently owns the Augustus Pattison home.

Burton’s sons Gregory and Frank spent their boyhood in the Ridgeville home and the former who is presently residing in Welland and is a Chartered Accountant claims fond memories of the place.

Mr Armbrust operated the store for some time before selling it to Mr. Benelic who later sold it to it’s present owner Mr. Macklem.

William Fry was the first to build a cement block house in the district. People for miles around came to view the wonder and predict it’s early collapse. This was many many moons ago and the building on Canboro Road presently owned by Mr. Alsop still looks hail and hearty.

When Will Fry died, his son Harlem took over the business under the direction of the Superior Chainstores. The building has since burned down.

Another general store was operated in the village at the turn of the century by a Mr. A.O. Stringer, according to a statement of account made in 1907. This statement list stockings at 13 cents a pair and shoes at 80 cents a pair which would make one wish for the good old days until they stopped to reflect that  perhaps that amounted to maybe a full day’s wages.

Sarah Comfort Lampman, having sold her farm to her son-in-law, built the large frame house opposite the Pelham Continuation School. It was from the third floor windows of this home that the burning of the Port Colborne Maple Leaf Mill was witnessed  in 1915.

Among the beautiful homes built by the early settlers of Fenwick and area, the one of the late Joseph Garner seems to recall the most memories. He was the grandson of George Garner who came from England and pioneered Stamford Township. He was prominent for many years in civic affairs.

Tradition has it  that Joseph cut the first tree on his 150 acre tract of land on Welland Road and cleared the wilderness to build his home. One of his later accomplishments was the building of a large fish pond in his back yard which he kept well stocked.

A board stretched out over this pond from where Mr. Garner and any of his guests who cared to participate, could call the fish and they’d rise to the surface for the proffered food.

His son Elmer who lived at the intersection of Garner and Welland Road on what was known as the “Garner Survey”, was the official weather prophet for the small fry of the district.

It seems he enjoyed going barefoot and as soon as the spring sunshine has warmed he ground sufficiently off came his shoes and socks. If he ever wondered about the keen interest shown his feet by the younger set each spring, he could have been well assured it wasn’t just to glimpse his shoe shine. It was to see if he had his shoes and socks on..When you see Elmer Garner in his bare feet then you too can take off your shoes and stockings—not before. Was the motherly admonition meted out to at least one family of barefoot lovers.

Today the Police Village of Fenwick has a well equipped Volunteer Fire Department, is well policed, has a neat, efficient little library to keep the literary minded folk happy, and is the business centre of the township.

There is a United Church, a Church of Christ and more recent Polish church built in 1955—St Ann’s Roman Catholic.

The morning services in this church are still preached in Polish to aid the visitors of that nationality but all other services are spoken in English.

The Lodges and Women’s Institute have contributed much to the growth of this community in the heart of Pelham.

Many dances and social functions have made the very rafters of the Oddfellows Hall above the Green Lantern quiver from the shouts of laughter and gaiety. Only this year  the Lions Club were instrumental in having the Centennial Park officially opened and contributed much to the success of the Fenwick Centennial Parade.

The Women’s Institute have, among their many accomplishments been instrumental in having the Township Hall remodeled to it’s present comfort. They are also responsible for much historical data being preserved and made available to the public. The Tweedsmuir Historical booklet is a good example of this.

Many of the oldtime settlers have had descendants sitting on township council and the present group is no exception. There’s reeve Leo Haist,Deputy Reeve McGlashan and councilors Ernest Brown, and Douglas Beamer all of whose names have been prominent in the early settlement of Pelham. Councilor George Pihach the other member of council will contribute his descendants to the next Centennial story.