Let’s go back in time to learn the story of Newmarket’s first bus transit system and the two men who made it happen. Many of us have memories of riding the town bus as a youth before we had wheels. The story begins with two Larry Needler and Earlby Ruthven, who were the owners of…
Tag: Main Street
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…
Time And Time Again, Newmarket Was Devastated By Fire
Fire profoundly shaped the development of Newmarket. In this first of two parts, we shall look at the period from the mid-1800s to 1900. You may wish to read my previous articles on the fire department, the Stickwood Brick Factory, my history of Main Street and the waterworks for additional information. Fire has proven to be a major hazard for…
Butchers, Bakers, Barbers All Thrived On Newmarket’s Late 1800s Main Street
This is the second of a two-part series weekend on Newmarket in the late 1800s from an economic or commercial point of view. About 1903 or 1904, Samuel Bondi (Rusto) arrived from Italy and opened a fruit store on the Main Street hill, near the present-day Roadhouse & Rose funeral parlour, eventually moving to the…
Fashion Models Once Strolled Main Street With Hats Of Velvet, Flowers, Feathers
In this first of a two-part series, we’ll look at the period from just after Confederation to the early 1900s from the perspective of local commerce, industry, and the economy. During the last decades of the 19th century, there was a steady growth in the prosperity of our area. The farmer was finally receiving a…
Newmarket Citizens Once Paid For Their Own Coveted Streetlamps
In today’s world, we tend to forget that life was very different if not downright harsh for our ancestors and the absence of electrical power and public lighting services was one of the realities that our ancestors had to endure. When the first buildings began to appear in Newmarket, only the sun, moon and stars…
Tales of Newmarket’s Taverns, Hotels Include Murder, Circuses, Morse’s Telegraph
At one time, Newmarket had more taverns and hotels per capita than any other place in Canada of its size! One need only to read my article on Prohibition locally to appreciate fully how much we loved our drink locally. The first tavern in the area appeared in Armitage, a small hamlet at the corner…
Tales Of Newmarket’s Taverns, Hotels Include Murder, Circuses, Morse’s Telegraph
At one time, Newmarket had more taverns and hotels per capita than any other place in Canada of its size! One need only to read my article on Prohibition locally to appreciate fully how much we loved our drink locally. The first tavern in the area appeared in Armitage, a small hamlet at the corner…
Newmarket’s ‘Chicken Blood Election’ One For The Storybooks
One of the most peculiar stories from our history books is the chicken blood election. Local politics can often present us with some funny and even weird stories, and this is certainly one of them. Through the annals of municipal contests in Newmarket, occasional bits of humour flash across the pages and this is a…
Newmarket’s Boer War Soldiers Honored With Pomp And Ceremony
The story behind Newmarket’s connection with the Boer War isn’t well known. In 1899, Great Britain declared war on the Boers in South Africa. At once, Lt. Col. T.H. Lloyd of Newmarket, commanding the 12th Battalion, York Rangers, offered their services and a cablegram of acceptance was received from the Imperial War Office shortly afterward. At…
