535-03 Page 92' Revieiv
Of Tillsonburg History
1902Tillsonburg Fire
Recalled As Disaster
Destroying Full Block
BY Roy A. Darrow
Summer brings vivid memorfe
to many Tillsonburg citizens. Th
town suffered Its greatest fire o
June 1st, 1902, when the entir
block surrounded by Broadway
Brock, Harvey and Ridout street
wax turned Into a heap of rubble
within a few hours in a disax
trous blaze that seriously threat-
ened the entire town.
A hot dry spell for many day
Previous had lowered the town'.
Water supply and flames spree
rapidly. The fire started in th
Buckberrough Blacksmith Shop
which occupied a part of the large
frame building once used as a
roller skating rink at the cor-
rear of Brock and Harvey streets.
It was In the horse and buggy
days and the blaze was discovered
at five minutes before noon by
the late John Darrow. He con-
ducted a foundry and machine
shop in the adjoining frame
building that once served as a
stage barn where horses were
changed on the stage coaches
that traveled on the old plank
road between Ingersoll and Port
Burwell.
There were few telephones In
Use those days and Mr. Darrow,
borrowed a customer's horse and
buggy to drive two blocks north
to the Town Hall to ring the
-fire bell. So rapid was the spread
of the flames that when he ar-
rived back the flames were corn-
litg out of the front of his own
shop.
Firemen arrived with their
"..srae drawn hose truck and when
the water was turned on the
pressure was so low the stream
would not reach across the side -
Walk. Then the boilers were
'fired at the pump house of the
Million Waterworks Company
1`.un Hyman street which served
I;4auailiary fire protection in case
of emergencies.
In the meantime telegrams
were sent to Simcoe. Aylmer
and Ingersoll. for help. Fire com-
panies arrived by special trains
e only to find that all home connec-
e tions were different and not in-
o terchangeable,
s The fire swept through the
, stores on the east aide of Broad-
s way. Heat wea so intense that
every Plate glass window on the
west aide was cracked.
Scores of farmers came Into
town and assisted local citizens
s in trying to arrest the flames.
s Many a man worked to the point
d of exhaustion. Women supplied
e coffee and sandwiches, whisky
was cheap and plentiful and
workers had their spirits revived
from kegs of whisky trenaported
on wheelbarrows by willing
workers.
A high east wind carried burn-
ing debris three block west to
Washington Grand Avenue where
four homes were entirely de-
stroyed,
Among the farmers assisting
be fighting the fire was Fred
Sanders who lived three miles
west of town on the llth Comes.
skin of Dereham Township. He
arrived home at night to find his
large dairy barn totally destroyed
by fire, that had started from
burning debrfs carried from the
fire in Tillsonburg.
Among business places de-
stroyed were the Buckberrough
Blacksmith Shop — Darrow
Foundry — Hobbs' Hardware —
Newell's Harness Shop — Clark'e
Clothing Store — Carpenter's Un-
dertaking establishme-^ Mc-
Farlane's Barber hop'�r Wes-
ton's Tin Shop — Dr. Sinclair's
office — E. J. House Livery
Stables — Dr. Brady's office —
Thomas Fero's Tin Shop — Mlp
Garnett's Novelty Shop — Par-
ker's Butcher Shop.
Several homes on Harvey street
were destroyed In the fire.
The business places on the
West aide of Broadway were
saved because of the town's 100.
OxfordaStarted Til
b
If Je x 1'. liall , ores cal ill the
early I ly. ,.I Ili 1 ncrl of I illson-
bWe, hid t brie, out his wi,4us, to-
day's tdv,n. watld not be Ilgoying
the 100 f of rn;I hca, of Broad-
way. the t lea, s mew business thor-
oughfare,carers Roy A. Darrow
m the London Fire Press.
Mr. Ball in 1936 declared the
width of streets, especially Broad-
I way, to he a cruel waste of land; but
George Tillsop, the towu's founder
and owner of the land. decided in
i his views on the. matter and citizens
of today have reason to feel pleased
at the foresight which could antici-
pate future needs
In 183(i the name .Jesse P. Ball
was familiar to those who. handled
deeds. He, assisted by George Till -
son and W. Fawcett, surveyed the
small. village at that time. The work
of surveying among the trees,
stumps,- and underbrush was no
easy matter. Added to the hazards
of the pioneers was the presence.in
abundance of wild gaine with bears
especially being very numerous.
George Tillson was a native of
Massachusetts, born about40 miles
el from Boston. He was a pattern
maker and moulder by trade. A
short time after his marriage in
Maiuv, he moved to New York
State, and in various towns. of the
.state acquired a reputation as a pat -
tent maker for hollowware.
1u liuffa!o he met Joseph Van
Norman who erected the furnace at
j which Mi. Tillson was employed.
.I Hearing glowing reports front an
English gentleman from Canada as
to rich deposits of iron ore to. be
I found in the Long Point district, in
f 1822 they set out to see for them -
I selves. They were disappointed on
arriving at their destination to find
d the then existing furnace a most
cIpriulitive affair. The bellows were
t i formed. from a hollow log, but they
-]purchased it :Ind vet to work, Lat-
r it ni Capron fuylill I L Iditim -
T it son, fr►enc o?
al capital and they formed a paII
nership .and in three years sold out
to Van Norman.
A
Capron later 11ee%m1C one of the
I
fouudtr, of the 'sown of Paris and
'
Mi rillson came Its the rownship
of Middleton, attracted by report,,
of plultiit] deposes of bog iron ore.
The forest then stood in all its tin -
broken grandeur,
II, followed the Otter River tip
to the situ of the town in March
1825. M, 'I illson slept under a pine
t v, the lint night in town near
what is now the junction of High-
way No. 3 and 18 at the corner of
Vienna road and Simcoe street. At
this time there were only sixsellers
throughout the whole township of
Dereham. In 1831 the number had
increased to 12 and they held their
first township meeting slid appoint.
ed Mr. Tillson township Coriolis-
. sioner of roads and bridges. He
devoted his best energies to the
building of roads and to him the
Town of Tillsmillu g owes all the
'
diagonal roads leading to the town
'
today.
The first lot sold oil Broadway
1
was that now owned by Harry Os-
u
trander. The price pail{ was one
II
(
box (one dozen) of handmade axes
1
.produced in Tillsonburg and retail-
it
ed at $2.00 cash at that time. Across
the street another lot, now occupied
Iry the Royal Hotel, was sold at the
g
same time for $10. The first three
a
frame houses erected in the to
a.
were those of Messrs. Levitt, Dar-
�t
I'
now and Van Norman.
t.
C. D. Inglesby organized a school
in the winter season of 1835-36 for
=
the study of sacred music. Among
the pupils were George and Edwin
Tillson, William Darrow, Herrick P.
Crossett and A. Turner,
Today Tillsonburg is a town of
picturesque beauty, well laid out
i
with broad pavedstreets, most of
e
which rail at right angles with each
I
other, thanks to the foresight of its
Capron, 'Van
,ll an Norte
ng of Tillsonburg, i
For Present Width of T own's
By Boy A\ Darrow
II James P. Ball,\\a survey,
• early days of ape Tow
Isonburg, had carekd oil
,hex. today's citizens ' ulc
Before Foundi
r in
, of
hie
not
M enjoying the 100-fro read -
Powdered i,}ilk ~w on Broainems thoroughfare.
the t n'e
` 1 main business thoroughfare.
3+f• Powdered
d Ii cell
When powdered milk man . Mr. Ball in IA36 declared the
L Width of the streets, especially
factoring was introduced ii Broadway, to be a cruel waste
Canada, Oxford County blat. 1 of land, but George Tillson, the
the trail. town'e founder and owner of
The first powdered milk the land decided in his views
an the matter and citizens of
commercial purposes was made today have reason to feel
Brownsville in 1904, when a sma-.pleased at the foresight which
cheese factory was converted intocould anticipate future needs,
a roller -process plant. Benjamin
In
A. Gould imported machines from ,,, familiar
the name Jesse P.
ho
Scotland and. set up the Browns -handled deeds.He, assistedbyVille factory. At first he foundGeorge Tillson and W. Fawcett,
the going pretty tough due toi urvnyed the small village at
competition. that time. The work of survey -
In 1909, however, he negotiateding amongthe trees, stumpm,
with the Merill-Soule Co., of Sy -jogs and underbrush was no easy
racuse, N.Y., who had developedinatter. Added to the hazards of
a spray system which producedthe pioneers was the presence in
a superior grade of milk. As aabundance Of wild game with
result, the Canadian Milk Pro -bear, especially being very
ducts were incorporated and givennumerous.
the rights to use this new spray "
Process in Canada. George Tillson was a native of
New Plants were constructed atMassachuaetts, born about 40
Belmont, Hickson and Burford. 'jnilem from Boston. He was a
pattern maker and moulder by
trade. A short time after his
to the site
marriage In Maine, he moved to
1825. Mr.
New York State and in various
pine tree
towns of the state acquired a
near what
reputation am a pattern maker
of HjghwJ
for hollow ware.
corn of
• • •
eo street
In Buffalo he met Joseph Van
ere only
Orman who erected the f
out the cal
Nice at which Mr. Tillson/ JYmm
ham. In
em oyed. Hearing glowltg re-
increased
por from an English gentle-
their fleet
ads to rich de-
man fr\Aout
appointed
posits to be found
commlaeloi
in thent district, in
bridges. H
1922 th, to see for
energies tc
themsely were dfi-
and to hln
appointving at their
burg owes.
destination to f the th
leading to
en
axisj�ng turnace a m primitive
aftil r. The bellows we formed
,from a hollow log but th pur-
chased it and set to work. ter
Hiram Capron furnished a 1-
tionill capital and they formed
partnership and in three years
sold out to Van Norman.
• •
Capron later became one of
the founders of the Town of
Paris and Mr. Tillson came to
the Township of Middleton, at-
tracted by reports of plentiful
deposits of bog Iron ore. The
forest then stood in all Its un-
broken grandeur.
He followed the Otter River up
The first
wax that i
Ostrander.
one box
made axex
burg and rl
at time.
o er lot,
Ro Hot
Same lime
three ffare
the town i
Levitt, Dan