Archive Record
Metadata
Accession # |
A2007.119 |
Title |
Correspondence re. Mount Forest Agricultural Society and Mill site, ca. 1854-1862. |
Date |
1854-1862 CIRCA |
Description |
Documents, 1854-1856 and ca. 1862; Mostly drafts of letters, written and kept by Richard Chaloner of Mount Forest, concerning the building of a mill in the Egremont portion of Mount Forest, and of the beginnings of the Mount Forest Agricultural Society (which covered Mount Forest, Arthur Township, and Minto Township in Wellington County, and Normanby and Egremont Townships in Grey County). Also referred to as the Union Agricultural Society or Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society, many of the documents listed below concern their first Exhibition held on Wednesday, 15 October 1856. All documents are hand-written in ink. Due to their fragility, all have been photocopied and these copies are filed with the documents. item 1: Draft of letter from Richard Chaloner to the Honorable A.N. Morin, dated Arthur, 21 January 1854. Re. an appeal made "about a year ago" to the then Commissioner of Crown lands, by the inhabitants of Arthur, Egremont, Normanby and Minto, re. the development of land, "situate chiefly in the township of Egremont on the Owen Sound or Garafraxa Road" which "should be surveyed and laid out in Town lots". On those properties he states that building had already begun, and argues that sale and development of the mill site would be useful and make neighbouring town and country lots more desirable. 1 page, double-sided. item 2: Draft of Public Notice "To the inhabitants of the townships of Arthur, Egremont, Minto and Normanby", dated Mount Forest, 05 December 1855. Re. upcoming meeting of the Union Agricultural Society, and a petition to the Crown Lands Department to compel "purchasers of the Mount Forest mill Site to erect mills thereon forthwith". Written on back is a draft of the petition urging the Crown to force the owners of the government mill site to immediately begin construction of a saw mill and flour mill, as their construction had formed part of the conditions of sale. It gives a description of the progress of building construction in Mount Forest to 1855. 2 pages, double-sided. item 3: Draft of a letter to the "Honorable of Cauchon, Chief commissioner of Crown Lands", dated Mount Forest, 20 December 1855. It is a draft of the petition to urge the construction of a mill or mills on the mill site in Mount Forest. Note at bottom reads, "Copy / Signed by upwards of 280 persons". 2 pages, double-sided. item 4: Minutes of the meeting of the directors of the "Mount Forest union Society of Egremont & Normanby", where it was resolved that the above name be used, and that notice of the group's formation be sent to the Secretary of the Agricultural Society of the County of Grey. Dated 15 March [1856]. Includes motions to give notice to the Mount Forest Agricultural Society to send in subscriptions, and for the treasurer to give a bond to the president of the society. On reverse is a recording of the organization's accounts, the name "Union Agricultural Society of the township of Egremont & Normanby in the County of Grey", and a list of board members. The board consisted of J. Pelcher (president), S. Wallace (vice president), W. Ross (treasurer), R. Chaloner (Secretary), Y.W. Stephens, Leo Chanler, J. Knight, J. Curley, R. Morison, T. Batey [crossed out], J. Graft, W. Lambert, and James Gardiner. 1 page, double-sided. item 5: Draft of a letter sent from Richard Chaloner to the Secretary of the Agricultural Society of the County of Grey, informing him of the formation of the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society, dated Mount Forest, 20 March 1856. 1 page. item 6: Copy of the subscription list [membership list] of the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society, dated March 1856. Includes by each name, the amount in pounds, shillings and pence of dues owed or paid to the Society. 2 pages, double-sided. item 7: Draft of a letter sent from Richard Chaloner, Secretary of the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society, to "Sir", asking him to act as a judge at the Sociey's upcoming [first] exhibition, dated Mount Forest, 12 September 1856. 1 page. item 8: Notes regarding premiums to be paid for various types of animals and articles in the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society's exhibition, undated [1856]. Signed twice by Richard Chaloner. 1 page, a quarter of which is missing at time of donation. item 9: List entitled, "Premiums awarded for Stock at the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Exhibition 15th Oct 1856 and paid by Mr. William Ross Treasurer", 1856. Includes brief description of animal (eg. "Yearling Heifer"), premium paid, and owner of each animal. Also includes list of premiums paid for "Grain and other produce". The other produce includes seeds, vegetables, dairy products, blankets and woolen socks. 2 pages double-sided. item 10: Draft of a speech presented [by Richard Chaloner?] to the Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society, undated [October 1856]. The speech talks of the very short history of Mount Forest, "where two years ago the Indian raised his wigwam and was wont to stay a few days or weeks" through it's rapid change into a "spot now occupied with the white mans spacious dwelling or richly furnished store". He states that, "every friend of civilization and improvement must have derived pleasure and gratification in witnessing the Spectacle produced on Wendesday the 15 Inst. When the First Exhibition of the Mount Foest Union Agricultural Society was held in this place." On the back is recorded a series of 21 toasts [likely made at a Society dinner], who proposed them, to whom they were made, and by whom they were acknowledged. The word "London" repeated a dozen times at the bottom of the page. Beside the recording of the toast to "The ladies of Mt. Forest & Vicinity" is scribbled, "Meet me by moon light alone R. Chaloner". 1 page, double-sided. item 11: Draft of a letter from Richard Chaloner, written in his capacity as Secretary, to "Sir", dated 12th Con[cession of] Arthur, 28 November 1856. Requesting a receipt relating to the Agricultural Show. Includes notes about a package's poor treatment in the postal system. 1 page double-sided. item 12: Draft of a letter sent to the Editor of the Mount Forest Examiner, undated [ca. 1862], refuting the opions of a Rev. Hay which had been published in The Examiner the week previous. The author [likely Richard Chaloner] expresses his opinion that British Canada should not follow the ways of "prussian despotism": the church should not have a role in the common school system, school attendance should not be made mandatory, and the the disgraceful, cruel and cowardly act of flogging little boys should be abandoned. 2 pages, double-sided. [paper fragile, edges badly damaged due to use of tape decades earlier]. |
Creator \ Maker |
Chaloner, Richard [Author] |
Item Name |
Correspondence Notice |
Person \ Organization |
Mount Forest Agricultural Society Mount Forest Union Agricultural Society Grey Count Agricultural Society Mount Forest Examiner Commissioner of Crown Lands Crown Land Office Barnhart, George Barnhart, Urban Batey, T. Beattie, J. Bentley, James Bishop Blakeley Bright, Robert Brogden, R. W. Bye, John Campbell Cauchon Caulfield, William Chaloner, Leonidas Chaloner, Llewellyn Chaloner, Richard Chanler, Leo Corley, James Corrigan, James Costello, Thomas Crane, John Curley, J. Dixon, J. Dowkes, Robert Ellis, S. Forster, John Gardiner, James Gibson, George Gidney Graffe, Thomas Graft, J. Hamilton, William Hay, (Rev.) Henry, J. Hewitt, Jacob Hewitt, James Hewitt, Robert Hewitt, William Horn, R. Isles, Daniel Knight, J. Lambert, William Lamont, Donald Lamont, James Lee, W. Long, Aaron Matthews, John McArthur, Neil McCarty McDonald McEachern, John McPhee, Malcolm McRae, A. McGowan, T. McInnes, Colin McIntyre, A. McIntyre, D. McIntyre, Nichol McIvor, John Morin, A. N. Morrison, Robert Muir, John Muir, R. Nightingale Orchard Pelcher, Joseph Reid, James Ritchie, William Rogers, Thomas Ross, J. Ross, William Ryan, G. L. Simpson, J. Stephens, Y. W. Stephenson, F. W. Stephenson, Marmaduke Stevenson, Horatio Stewart, Alex Stewart, John Walker, J. Walker, W. W. Wallace, James Wallace, George Wallace, Samuel Wallace, William Williams Williamson, John Wright, James |
Place |
Mount Forest Arthur Twp. Egremont Twp. Normanby Twp. Minto Twp. Grey County |
Subject |
Mill Agriculture Property Animals First Nations Post Office Religion Education Children |
Year Range from |
1854 |
Year Range to |
1862 |
Accession # |
A2007.119 |
Containers |
MU 659 |