08/13/2024
Five dusty corners, Stamford Village, the Halfway, and the Stamford Fire Brigade
The following is research from the memories of Henry Haigh, who, as a young boy, lived on a farm at Halfway in and around 1912.Back in those days, other than a paved surface from 5 corners (Collards Store) to "The Green", there were no paved roads in Stamford Village or Center., and with only a couple of automobiles locally, travel into town (Niagara Falls) was accomplished by horse and buggy or wagon in the summer. Sleighs provided for most transportation during the winter months., and although some of the walkways were kept clear, plowing the roads was unheard of. .
Traveling to out-of-town destinations was always an adventure on the N.S. and T. electric railway to Welland via Niagara Falls.. If one wanted to visit the big city, (Toronto), a streetcar ride to Port Dalhousie met the ferry boat and was very popular in both directions during the summer months. The evening trip back from Port was always a very crowded affair with several cars in service to the same homeward destinations, and a somewhat longer journey ensued when the streetcars (because of primitive electrical supply) could only climb the big hill at Merriton one at a time.From the Half-Way into downtown Niagara Falls, (although quite limited), one could ride to town on the single track Paddy Miles Express that ran from Niagara on the Lake to Bridgeburg, but more often than not it was quicker to just walk up the tracks. It was very popular (even back in those days) to spend Saturday night walking those tracks for a trip "Over the River," as the shopping was seemingly better, shows were better, and even some of the pubs were deemed better, not to mention that for young men, other entertainments were available, totally unheard of on this side of the border.
One thing that Henry always remembered was the lack of light in the dark of night, and even more so without a moon and a clear sky. So many morestars were visible than there are today, and the Milky Way was always a godlybeautiful sight. If you met someone walking on a moonless night, you might know them by the sound of their voice or their step, but you certainly could never see who they were until they were almost standing nose to nose with you.Henry couldn't remember exactly when the first bus ran from Stamford Village into the city, but he remembered the bus and its owner and driver. Jim White had a small fruit farm down on Portage Rd., and on that farm, he had a one-ton Model T truck. Whether he thought he could make more money or whether he just got tired of farming is unknown, but he got his hands on a small bus body and had it put on his truck. He then started running from the Half-Way through Stamford Village and Stamford Center to town once an hour when things were going all right, charging ten cents a ride. It was very uncomfortable, cold, and drafty in the winter months, but it was Stanford's first bus, and for many, it sure beat walking.
As a lad, Henry attended the Old Half Way School—not the one you and I remember but the single-room wooden one a little further down the road. At that time, there were about 60 students with one young woman to teach them all, and she was quite good at doing so. Boys sat on one side and girls on the other, and behind the school was a high board fence to separate the playgrounds. Heat for the building was supplied from a stove in one corner. Water was carried by pail from a neighboring farm well, and two boys would fill a couple of pails every morning. And if you wanted a drink, there was always a dipper by the pail. The lower grades used slates and slate pencils, and at the end of the lesson, a boy was chosen to go around with a can of water and a rag to wash them all off..
At that time, there were two general stores in and around Stamford, with each
having a post office. The one at Five Dusty Corners (as it was known then) was Collards, and the post office was called South End, The other store in the Village proper, just past Stamford Green, was owned by Calvin Johnson, and its post office was called Stamford. The most needed supplies were purchased from both businesses. and credit, if desired, was available. Interestingly. if one store started balking about your credit, you could always get a credit deal with the other.
With the age of progress just beginning, the community really began to take off with the opening of a branch of the Imperial Bank in Stamford. They bought the corner lot between Portage and Drummond and opened the bank in 1919. The manager of the bank was a man by the name of Carthew, who apparently was a real live wire. When his mail started arriving addressed to Stamford, it all went to Cal Johnson's Post Office and not to Collards, which was just across the street from the bank's location. They thought about changing the name of the post office to "South End," but that branch already existed on Main Street., so Carthew decided to organize what would be known as the Stamford Improvement Club.Interestingly, the response was overwhelming, and a good number of citizens joined up and started looking for ways and means to improve the village, like offering prizes for the best gardens and so forth, and began to really take care of the south end of the village, resulting in the area of 5 corners quickly became the hub of the local community.
It was the Stamford Improvement Club that was able to resolve the post office issue by coming up with the name "Stamford Center" and submitting a petition to the Township Council, and after some debate, the name was made official.In 1921, Mr. Carthew moved on, and the Improvement Club was quickly beginning to fade. With Hydro digging the great cut for the canal through the village, most people seemed to be no longer interested in the Improvement Club. While digging the canal cut, it seemingly drained many of the water wells in the area, and Hydro had to somehow provide water for the residents, so they paid most of the costs for the Township to put in water mains and provide Stamford Ctr. with hydrants, giving the Stamford Improvement Club one last task to perform before disbanding, and that was to organize a fire department.After several meetings at the Women's Institute, the very last official meeting of the Improvement Club was held at the home of one Alvy Smith, and here it was decided to make a call for volunteer firefighters and select a chief. They approached K. C. McLeod, a big man with a loud voice and a great ability to handle men, and be capable of taking the duty of chief. He accepted the challenge, and,the much needed Stamford Fire Brigade was formed,. At a later date the brigade would change its name to the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department.Although the Stamford Improvement Club quickly disbanded, with their last meeting back in 1921, they seemingly planted a seed when the SCVFA was established, and for the last 100 years, it has been quietly carrying the torch of its dedication to service and community within the city limits of Niagara Falls. January 16th, 2022, marked a milestone in its existence as the SCVFA celebrated its centennial. a great organization of dedicated men, and one that I am proud to be a member of!Interested in joining our Organization?. Always looking for good spirited and dedicated men to volunteer! Patrick Sirianni
