535-03 Page 86Fire
destroyed
Sweaburg
Cheese
Cheese production at the
Sweaburg Cheese Factory came
to a fiery end on March 12 19f5
when the factory wa urne to
the ground in the early morning
hours.
According to the diary of the
late James Pullin of Sweaburg,
Ed Gilbertson, who worked for
the Pullin family, awakened Mr.
Pullin at 2 a.m. that morning to
tell him that the cheese factory
was on fire.
The two men rushed to the
building and spent more than 90
minutes trying to save some of
the factory equipment from the
blaze, but to little avail.
The men were able to save only
a few small pieces of equipment.
The rest of the machinery was
lost in the fire.
In his dairy, Mr. Pullin later
recorded that he had learned that
a factory employee had been told
to light a fire in the factory boiler
room to prevent the cheese ani
milk in the building from
freezing.
However, the fire soon got out
of control and, within two hours,
the cheese factory was a mass of
burned -out rubble.
The site of the former cheese
factory is located just south of the
village of Sweaburg on property
now owned by Mr. and Mrs.
George Smuck, and Mr. and Mrs.
James Stephenson.
...............................
•rae Sweaburg Cheese Factory as it appeared before
ARLINGTON ROBINSON
Employees honoured
cJ � �1176
was completely destroyed by an
Henderson Hall in Ingersoll
was filled to capacity when the
ladies of West Oxford Church
catered for a banvuet in honor of
A.D. Robinson of Ingersoll and
Leslie Curry, Woodstock, both
life long residents of the township
of South West Oxford.
George Jakeman, mayor of the
township was chairman for the
evening. Mr. Wilson McBeath,
Ingersoll piped the guest to the
head table and Red. J. Robert
William, minister of Trinity
United Church, Ingersoll asked
grace.
buting cow tags which are now
a collector's item.
For his many duties rendered,
Cecil Wilson presented Mr.
Robinson with a chevue for a
snow blower and a watch.
In replying Mr. Robinson also
thanked. his wife and introduced
his family, Mrs. Mark Sauder
(Jean) working with computers
in Winnipeg, Don from Court -
land, Ohio, who is in the steel
business there and his wife Hazel,
and Wray, a policeman on the
London police force.
Frank Lohuis presented cheese
to Mr. Coles and Bill Fewster
)resented a similar gift to Mr.
Aaples in appreciation of their
time and work. Both wives of the
men honoured were presented
with a rose corsage before the
banvuet and an arrangement of
dried flowers when their hus-
bands were presented with their
gifts.
Former wardens and their
wives were introduced along with
other members of council. Tom
Pellow spoke briefly but highly of
the two men when he was on
council and warden of the county.
A time of visiting followed and
Wilson McBeath and Don Robin-
son in their colorful kilts
marched up and down the hall
playing the bag pipes much to
everyone's enjoyment.
CURRIEf
-1hrs. Helen Prouse read a
humorous poem about Mr. Curry
which she and Allen Forrester
composed speaking of the various
tasks he has done as clerk and tax
collector.
James Brown read an address
and Howard Cook presented Mr.
Curry with a coloured TV from
the township.
Mr. Curry is a member of
Sweaburg United Church, was
secretary of the steward board
and was treasurer of the church
for many years. He is a past
president of the Bond's Farm
Youth club, the Sweaburg
Couples Club and was also
secretary of the school board.
In replying and thanking the
gathering Mr. Curry thanked his
wife Hermina for the bell she has
given and introduced his family,
Grant and his wife Viola, who live
on the home farm south of
Woodstock; Sharon and her
husband, Ken Ross,, uodsfock,
Ross of Halifax and Fred and his
wife of Ingersoll.
County Clerk Gerald Staples
showed slides commenting on the
architectural and historical de-
tails of the County Court House.
Other pictures shown were of the
county jail, the library and
Children's Aid Society building.
Leonard Coles, farmer clerk of
the county, reviewed the mun-
icipal history of the county
comparing the differences be-
tween when Mr. Robinson was
warden in 1934 to the present
time.
Byron Jenvey then reminisced
of being clerk of West Oxford
from 1908-1917 receiving a salary
of $200 a year. When refused a $50
raise he quit.
Fred Curry took over the
position doing the work on the
'k Sweaburg Road until the time of
his death and his nephew Les
followed.
When Mr. Jenvey was clerk the
duties included issuing birth and
w, rtificates and distri-,