The bar attracted many customers but even so the place frequently
changed hands. Then came local optionand for a time the hotelwas
closed At length boith Cook and Cox had a try at running it. and
there were many others. But nonewere successful. The barn-like
place was always cold sometimes the food was poor, sometimes it
was a bootlegging joint but always the commercial travellers avoided
it if possible So it wasn’t with any regret that the townsfolk saw it
torn down and rebuilt by the Pentecostals at Manhattan Beach. What
they did regret was the empty lot being such anceyesore This con-
dition was only remedied when the Legion bought the Overend Hall,
moved it onto the lot and converted it intothe fine hall the community
enjoys today.

Of course there was another place for thetravellers tostay. By
1900 the ROSS BOARDING HOUSE was here. Beforethe daysof au-
tomobiles the Commercial Travellersarrived by train and stayed all
night. A traveller would require a display roomwhere he could lay
out his samples for the storekeepers inspection The big square
house just across the street from the Hamiltons provided just such
accommodation, and allowed the Rosses and the Hamiltons to con-
tinue the friendship established when they were on their farms In
no time at all Sadie and Ettie Hughes were bosom friends as well.

THE BURNETTS moved to town in 1907. Their white frame
house away up in the bush on Grove Street a whole block from the
school seemed quite isolated. From here eachday Frances and Enid
Houghron emerged to attend school. Their very English accent sound-
ed indeed strange to the children of Ontario parents.

A second town picture portrays the village of 1907 as seen from
the west hill. By that time there were lots of irees. Just lefiof the
newly built Anglican Church and a bit beyond it, appearing most pro-
minently is the Overend Hall. Omne:.can distinguish two houses run-
ning west from the livery barn. One, the present Mac Woods house,
was the first J.G. Murray built in the village and the other, the
Chas. Stinton house, the one he built to live in when he sold the first
one. One seesthe school and the Bell house but there isno Davreux
house nor Presbyterian church. There is, however, the little Dea-
con place.

‘1908 ~ THE BIG BUILDING YEAR

When James Overend in 1908 moved his frame store one lot to
the south and replaced it with the fine red brick structure we are so
familiar with, main street took on a more imposing appearance.

That year WILLIAM COULTHARD erected his two storey red
brick store also but he did not live long to enjoy his new venture.

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74 Cett _;zfi.fig