125 YEARS AGO Thursday, June 11, 1885

• Following are excerpts from “A Sabbath in Horning’s Mills” published by the Shelburne ECONOMIST:

Being tired of city life, we wished to try the realities of a Sabbath in the country, and accordingly set out for that romantic place called Horning’s Mills, a village six miles north of Shelburne. The drive from the latter place is over a level track of country, studded here and there with some very neat farms, the residences showing marked taste. As we neared the village, we came in full view of that small but picturesque lake situated at the head of Pine River, surrounded on all sides by high banks and fringed with evergreens. The village itself lies in a small ravine abounded with numerous springs. The ambitious little place also shows marked taste both in the mechanical and decorative sense. The residences, lawns and gardens, with the rich blossoms on the trees, and the lofty poplar towering high amidst them all, gave it an attractive appearance, seldom to be seen in a new country. . . . We drove out to the limits of the village where we came to a church owned by the Methodists. The manse is convenient to the church and is a neat residence with an acre of ground attached. The church itself is a frame one and its size we should judge is about 26x40. On looking around the edifice, it reminded us of old times, as it had a worn-out appearance. About three minutes to 10 a.m., the pastor made his appearance and walked up the aisle. By this time the church was pretty well filled and the service soon commenced. We observed an organ on the left of the pulpit with about eight or 10 singers elevated above the congregation. After the service we were invited to dinner, which invitation we accepted. Dinner being over, the different Sabbath schools assembled at 2 p.m., when we took occasion to visit that of the Presbyterian church. The attendance was good with about seven teachers. Service was conducted immediately after the Sabbath School, at 3 p.m. We noticed a chapel organ with an efficient staff of singers, whose melody added much to the service. This congregation was large. The building was a frame one and not quite as large as the Methodist one.

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, June 9, 1910

• Reports the Orangeville POST: Last week, three local constables visited the 9th concession of East Garafraxa for the purpose of taking into custody as a lunatic, Mr. Samuel Wilson, as that gentleman had been acting strangely of late. The man was located, but with him was a shotgun which he threatened to use on the visitors, without regard to size or colour, and it was decided, on consultation, to allow his remaining where he was. In the meantime, a brother has agreed to look after the welfare of the unfortunate man.

• On Sunday afternoon, while Jack Stevenson and some friends were out for a stroll up the river north of Grand Valley, they noticed some bright looking stuff in the rocks near the 7th Line bridge. The stuff proved to be mica, about 1 1/2 inches thick, four inches wide and three inches long. No person has organized a mining syndicate yet.

• No. 7 Company, 36th Regiment, under Captain George Gabriel, and the regimental band, 22 strong, under bandmaster T. F. E. Claridge, left for the annual training camp at Niagara on the Lake on Tuesday morning by special train. The band turned out Monday evening to give a street concert and also played before going to the station and at the station Tuesday morning.

• A southbound CPR freight was badly wrecked at Crombie Station, south of Shelburne, Tuesday evening. A broken wheel caused 10 freight cars to leave the tracks and the roadbed was badly torn up. Wrecking crews were sent from Owen Sound and West Toronto as quickly as possible and worked all night, getting the road cleared for traffic by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, June 13, 1935

• About 100 enthusiastic supporters were present in the council chambers of Shelburne town hall last Friday evening for the formation of a branch of the Young Conservative Association for the district. Arthur H. White was elected president, Morris Jelly first vice-president, Ray Newton second vice-president, Walter Braiden 3rd vice-president and Graham McCutcheon 4th vicepresident.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, June 8, 1960

• Wayne Fleck, from Shelburne Public School, won Dufferin County’s Oratorical Contest, held last Wednesday night in Princess Elizabeth School, Orangeville. His subject was “Growing Up.”

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, June 12, 1985

• Multiple fundraising campaigns are under way to assist the victims of the May 31st tornado.

• The strike against Orangeville Hydro is in its 26th day with no negotiations currently scheduled.