Newmarket had its first telephone subscriber just three years after Alexander Graham Bell first transmitted his first voice sound over wire in 1876. In 1879, S.A. Russell and Company rented a pair of telephones from Melville Bell, Alexander Graham Bell’s father, for use within their firm. They were linked to the Montreal Telegraph Company office on…
Tag: History
Newmarket Marks 1964 With Growth, Sporting Glory, And End Of Specialty Whistle
Let’s take a closer look at another year in Newmarket’s history. I received several requests to examine the town during the year 1964, so I have gone through the records and chosen some highlights. As 1964 begins, the world is still shook up following the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the…
Many Mentors Pave Path To Success
Exceptional mentorship has served to nurture my love of history, creating a relationship which, on the surface, may not be immediately apparent. By definition a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor.” While technically true, this fails to fully explain the true relationship between the mentor and mentee. In this article, I will attempt to…
Newmarket’s A Hockey Town At Its Heart
Newmarket has long been fascinated with the sport of hockey. There has been organized hockey in and around Newmarket since the mid 1880s, and before that, private games on ponds. We may not have produced any champions during this early period, but it is clear that the game was hotly contested and provided its supporters…
Newmarket Celebrates A Centennial, Ends Prohibition In 1957
This weekend, I return to a format that has proven successful to highlight an individual year from our history. I enjoy the process of picking a year and going back to chronicle what was happening in town, and in many cases, reliving cherished memories. I have chosen the year 1957 as our featured year so…
Newmarket’s Lacrosse, Softball Teams Brought Glory To The Town
Three sports have dominated the Newmarket sports scene over the years — softball, lawn bowling and lacrosse — enthralling our community over the last 180 years. In the early days of our community, cricket was one of the most popular sports dating back to around 1859. Football and quoits (something like horseshoes, as players toss rings…
Newmarket Has Long Answered The Call Of Duty
Given Wednesday’s observance of Remembrance Day, I want to dedicate this article to all those who selflessly have put their lives on hold in service of their community during times of trouble. My own father is one of those who answered the call to arms and who sacrificed everything as a result. Born into a…
Little Known Details About Newmarket’s Role In WWI
Armistice Day, Nov. 11, has arrived, and I wanted to do something related to the occasion for this weekend’s article. The two world wars changed everything locally and it deserves to be embedded in our history, deep within our hearts long after the sounding of the last post. When war was declared by England on…
Some Name Dropping Highlights Newmarket’s Early Movers And Shakers
There are many prominent family names in Newmarket that you’ll likely recognize. One of the true delights in researching our past is the spotlighting of all those flesh and blood men and women who have permanently etched their names into our story as a community. They served as a defining force in our growth and…
The History Of Halloween, From Celebrating Saints To A Night Of Mischief
I thought it would be interesting to look at our memories of Halloween past. This article will be part history lesson and part personal remembrances and I hope that it will rekindle all those warm Halloween memories from your childhood. Finally, I hope this article generates some discussions about your ‘Best Halloween Ever’. First a little…
