535-03 Page 90Importance Now rflded
But Culloden Recalls
Better Times of Past
Dick Dillon Story
Representative Tale
Of Earlier Times
By Roy A. Darrow
Many tales are told of the "old-
en days" some of the most inter-
esting by residents now passed
away, who had enjoyed the life
of the pioneer settler. Well-
known pioneer was Richard
(Dick) Dillon, who arrived in
Canada from Ireland in 1853,
with his parents. He recalled the
family arriving at their destina-
tion with only, $5, but full of
expectation in the new land.
The late Mr. Dillon recalled
that when he was12years of age.
his father was killed by a falling
tree. Dick, with the assistance of
Jonah Allen, cut down a pine
tree and out of it fashioned a
coffin. Thdy then boiled soft
maple bark with which a stain
was made for the purpose of
varnishing the coffin, To carry
out the funeral arrangements
they were obliged to go several
miles to hire a team and lumber
wagon to convey the corpse to
the grave, five miles distant.
r
At 12 yearn of age Dtck Dillon
took upon himself the onus of
breadwinner for the family of
smaller children and his mother.
He cleared sufficient land and
grew enough produce to feed the
family for three years. Shortly
after. this Dick's mother bought
200 acres of land In Wellington
County, land being cheap in
that sector. Dick remained be.
hind, working at clearing land,
drawinggravel for new roads
and being generally useful and
at the same time helping his
mother to pay for the farm. Six
years later they were able to
accomplish this end.
There are other stories, just
am well known. Just as often
told. Each family suffered Its
hardships. Each had its mem.
orable experiences.
In those olden days Culloden
boasted an ashery, operated
by Fred Richards. He collected
ashes from the community and
#oaP was given in payment. The
lye, made nut of ashes, was sent
to Woodstock and Brantford, to
1116 Made Into soap.
.sir;tincr was founded by I-lenr
Ostrom t Ills fail carom iron Germany in 1(iflll.
fail
in Osii:uuk
brothers built (heir own ,boa
manned it and provisioned it, an c:"roe to America. `These brother
prospered. Pennsylvania the time(if Itht. rcere vay lutiou they trekked to Canaria as U
1'ld To the founder of Ostrander
and to his descendants fell the
tcamfug from Ingersoll of good snpplyiug all the• merchants front
there to Pori Burwell, William
O.sirandcr, who died in 1946 and who wns fur nnmY years postnles-
ter, was a son of Henry Ovtruuh.,
(Contimied Next We, 1,
On Victoria Day, May' 24, each
Year Culloden buret with excite-
. sent. Horse races were held on
the main street, and the meet#
always proved a most. popular
event.
The first cheese factory wan
built on the corner of the 7th
concession, now owned by Frank
Nicholson. It finally succumbed
to time and was torn down,
• P Y,
In 1887 the third church was
built in Culloden by the followers
of the Church of England In
Canada. At the.time of its erec-
tion, it was known as St. Al-
ban's, but afterwards, it was
changed to St. Stephens, the
name It still bears. The ground
for the church was donated by
Robert Pellow and the lumber
for the building by Mr. Price.
Theme were the days of toll
gates, and Culloden had one an
well as most other thriving com-
munities. The first one was
south of the present site of the
United Church, and was riper.
ated by Mrs. Waddell Dynes.
The last one wan on the went
aide of Gordon Smith's gate, and
wan operated by Mrs. Waite un-
til 1903, when she died. Toll gates
passed out in 1905.
Theme were, also days when a '
man could feel well off with a
dollar in his pocket. With his
single bill he could buy the pro-
visions for, a week and still
have some change left. An old
receipt shown 43% pounds of
meat purchased for the exorbi,
tant price of $10.o4; 50 rolls of
wallpaper, 12 rolls of border and
70 rolls of ceiling paper cost
$21.45, plus 70 cents shipping
charges from Tillsonburg.
Back some 50 yearn ago the
Methodist ladies' group was try-
Ing to decide If It should be re-
sponsible for the insurance on
the parsonage for the next three
Years amounting to $2.95.
Those were the days remem-
bered by many; the days of the p
.horse and buggy, the church and
community garden party, the
days of the pot-bellied stove, now
replaced by a new and fast -living
era. Culloden has faded in im-
portance, in the minds of many,
but it will live on as a quiet,
not. ton easily excited commu-
nity called home in the minds of
its many sons and Oaughtera
y
t,
d
s
—Dereham was nam'ea atteF�"the
ancient town of Dereham In Nor-
folkshire, England. ' 4 v .
Ervin ( z d
This early scene of Culloden's main street recalls the village in its infoncy. In its early i
days it showed promise of becoming one of the principal centres of Oxford County. i
And this was another scene of Culloden In times long gone by, on old store with the
rincipal means of transport, the ever -faithful horse, shown in front. Some present-day
readers will recall the sight.
t.
whm the pioneers, who thought the Cu
Salford was once known as \tau- nothing of a 10-Mile trek into socledi(
chest` er, nd it was around 1834 that
'
Tllleonbur P P
Mrs. Lydia Rennie,ill Sal- g a couple of times a Se tem
0k,
ford Tuuintade�ic fo,t rhvese in a week. frogs w
�
district that was to bcn,me• world The health of the communit day on
Y
\Lrw
famous for its produl i,. A massive l
Rennie cheese was s, rot to an cxbi- was ably cared for by two resi. Offic,
hitiou in Britain sponsored by dent doctors, Dr. S. McDonald were F
Prince Albert Salford was built up and Dr. S. Leeder, Condal,
rA rs. i after Will and around 1850,
farmNews of the week was recorded Wllllarr
Mrs. Charles Wilson bought a farm
theca, bringing with her seven cows in Culloden's own newspaper, Accor
and a knowledge of cheesemaking, The Lively Times, run In con- County'
acquirer) in England. In it few vears junction with a en p Dlreeto;
she was selling cheese in a London general store
market and soon built a small fee- owned by Hugh Mann, had a
Cory which operated until 1880 when •
• • Gaaette,
taken over by another firm.
Cwas
Andrew Smart and his family Culloder
Cheese was not the only product— y
early saw mills turned out ninny were among the early settlers Malory
million feet of oak and pine lumber in the community. They built a calved 1
annually. The first school was built log cabin in 1847 on property neada
in the 1830's and was followed by P P y now y
two others before the prescut one owned by Charles' Daniels. Mr. In 181
was built in 1877. Smart, a tax collector, is said to appoints
have driven oxen to Hamilton, years let
a two -week journey, to market death, 1
]Its farm produce. duties.