SPECIAL EDITION OCTOBER 2016
YESTERDAY News from the Tavistock and District Historical Society
www.tavistockhistory.ca • e-mail: [email protected]
1916startedbadly.WorldWar1,thewarpeoplebelievedwouldbeoverbyChristmasof1914,wasragingonwithnoendinsight.Newsfromthebattlefrontwasgrim.Oneineveryfivesoldierswasn'tcominghome.EnlistmentinthisruralcommunitywithitsstrongGermanheritageandlargeMennonitepopulationhadbeenslow. AttheendofJanuarythe168thOxfordBattalionopenedarecruitingofficeinTavistockintheKalbfleischBlock,knowninlateryearsastheOperaHall.Amongthenewrecruitsweretheyoungmeninthispicture...apicturethathasbecomeknownas“Oxford’sOwn”.Theywereaninterestinggroupandincludedabankclerk,atailor,amachinist,3farmers,asalesmanandaboxmaker. TheboxmakerworkedatZimmerman
Brothers,alocalfactorythathadbeengoingsince1868.WorldWar1createdanunprecedenteddemandforwoodenboxes,especiallyboxesinknock-downformcalledshooks.Fully75%ofZimmerrnan’swartimebusinesswasinshooks. Anotherlocalfirm,theTavistockwoollenmill,wasalsointowartimeproduction.Foroverayearthewoollenmillhadbeenrunninguntil9o’clockeverysinglenight
exceptSundaymakingyarnusedinknittingsocksandglovesforthesoldiers. Itwasn’tjusttheTavistockbusinessesthathelpedthewareffort.ThePatrioticSewingCircle,agroupoflocalwomenorganizedbytheTavistockWomen’sInstitute,morethandidtheirbit.InJanuaryof1916theymadeahealthycontributionofhand-crafteditemstotheRedCross...45pairsofsocks,87fracturepillows,168shirts,316bandages,1120faceclothsand5160mouthwipes. Localfamiliescontributed.Whenitwasannouncedthatthe71stBattalionwasscheduledtomarchthroughTavistockinFebruaryandthatthemenweretobebilletedovernightinprivatehomeseverysinglehousehold,savetwoorthree,offered
upatastysupper,awarmbedforthenightandahealthybreakfasttothemeninuniform. Whilewartimenewscapturedpeople’sattention,localnewsgotthemtalking.TheTavistockschoolboardapprovedanadditiontothepublicschool.ThenewroomswouldincludespacefortheContinuationSchool(grades9-12)whichhadbeenhousedatanotherlocation.In1916TavistockboastedthesecondlargestContinuationSchoolinallofOxfordCounty. JoeSteinman’sadforbilliardscausedalotofchatter.Whoeverheardofawomanplayingbilliards...especiallyinTavistock! Atoneinstitutionofhigherlearning,theUniversityofToronto,ayoungmannamedWilliamKaufmannfromCasselwaslistedas
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Tavistock: It was 1916
NEWSLETTER DESIGN / BILL GLADDING /TAVISTOCK GAZETTE
Tavistock: It was 1916
Tavistock & DistrictHistorical Society37 Maria Street, Box 280, Tavistock, Ontario, Canada N0B 2R0
Executive:Secretary – Mary NicklasTreasurer – Bob Rudy
Membership: $10/year
Directors:Paul BartlettBrian BennettHarry LawryBarb MatthiesDenise McLachlin
Ed Pellow
Volunteers:Bill GladdingSherrill CalderTim Mosher
MUSEUM HOURS:Now Open third Saturday of the month 1-4 p.m. Closed months of January & FebruaryOther times by appointment:call 519-655-2922 or 519-655-3342
(continued from front)asuccessfulstudentintheOntarioDentalCollegeexaminations.DocBillKaufmannwouldbeTavistock’sdentistforalmost50years. AndanewinstitutionwasintheworksforTavistock.TheCarnegieCorporationapprovedtheplanssubmittedforanewpubliclibrary.WorkwastocommenceatonceatthesiteonMariaStreet. Andthen,onceagain,thetalkturnedtowar...theBattleofVerdun,theBattleofJutlandandtheBattleoftheSomme.Thecostofwar,bothinhumanlivesanddollarsandcents,wasaddingupatanunprecedentedandstaggeringrate. Constantcallswereputoutin1916formoremen.FromthisareaGeorgeMcTavishsignedup.HediedinactioninFrancein1917.MiltonCaplingenlisted.HediedinactioninFlandersthefollowingyear.HerbertSpencerWestonansweredthecall.HewaskilledinactioninPasschendalein1917.RoyRennieenlistedin1916foractioninWorldWar1.HeenlistedagaininWorldWarII. Womenwerebeingdrawnintothewarinawidevarietyofways.Housewivesinthisareaandallacrossthenationwereaskedtochangetheirfamily’seatinghabitsandtoreduceconsumptionoverallasfoodwasneededforthesoldiersoverseas. Ifthingsaresoundingquitegloomy,it’sbecausetheywere.Eveninthedarkestoftimespeopleneedareleaseandneedtohavesomefun. TheJuly1DominionDaycelebrationsinTavistockdidjustthat.TheGazettereportedthatalmostatdaybreaktheautomobilesand
trainsandcartsstartingpouringinandby9amthevillagesquare(the5corners)resembledaveritableBroadway.Therewasaparade,ofcourse,withprizesforbestdecoratedcar.TheparadewentfromthefairgroundstoSebastopolandbackandallaroundthevillage. Patrioticdancesorganizedbylocalwomencalledthe“WillingWorkers”werehugesuccesses.Somanypeopleattendedthatgooddancingwasalmostimpossible. Whiletheoverallviewoftheworldwasgrim,hereinTavistockthingswerelightingup....literally.AfteryearsoftalkhydroelectricitycametoTavistock.Promptlyat6:15pmonOctober26,1916,ReeveAppelpressedthebuttonwhichlitupthevillage. TheGazettewasbusyprintingadsfornewgadgetslikeelectricironsandtoastersandlightbulbs.Itwasthestartofnewcareeropportunities.Afrontpagenoticeinboldprintread“WANTED-atonce,ayoungmandesirousoflearningelectricwiring”. Believeitornot,adogmadethenewsinthelocalpaper.In1916TavistockhadalaundryownedbyaChinamanastheywerecommonlycalledatthetime.Theowner’sdogwasrunoverbyacar.TheGazettenotedthatthepuphadbeenaverycomforting
companionandtheeditorwroteashortverseinmemoryofthepuppy. Thedaywasyoung Andthickwithfog Anautochuggedpast Andkilledthechink’sdog.Somuchforpoliticalcorrectness100yearsago. Thelastmajortopicofconversationoftheyear...anditwasamajortopic...wasthenewsthataninventoryofmenbetweenages16and65wastobedonethroughthePostOfficethelastweekinDecember.Everyoneknewwhatthismeant.Theall-volunteerarmywasnotsufficienttowinthewar.Conscriptionwascoming.Itwasjustamatteroftime. Andsoends1916.
Recruits line up outside the town hall Recruiting Depot on Woodstock Street North.
