Stranica 353 [353]
HISTORY OF LEEDS AND GRENVILLE. . 193
of the house now occupied by Mr, George Glassford, | was through the influence of Brockville members
James Street. At one time a school was kept in the | that the Grand Lodge was organized. The several
building now known as the St. Lawrence Hall; it | lodges in Canada West were notified to meet at
was taught by the Dick Brothers. The building | Brockville on the 23rd of August, 1855, for the
nearly opposite the RECORDER Office, in which the | purpose of instituting a Grand Lodge, to be called
late Jesse Andrews kept an hotel, was also used as | “The Grand Lodge of Canada West,” when thirteen
a school-house. representatives were present, and took their seats in
The late Hon. Charles Jones deeded a lot fora | the new Grand Lodge: Brock Lodge being repre¬
school site. The present High School stands upon | sented by Hon. George Sherwood and William Fitz¬
the property. simmons. The lodge was duly organized, and Dr.
The School Law, which was in operation until | Reynolds was elected first Grand Master, and
1847, divided the town into three school wards, | William Fitzsimmons, Grand Treasurer, the latter
each of which selected its own Trustees, who acted | being re-elected for several years. W. H. Cole,
independently of the remaining wards. M. P. P., a member of old Brock, was subsequently
At the first meeting of the Board, under the new | elected Grand Patriarch of the Encampment. At
Act of 1849, Dr. Reynolds was elected Chairman, | the present time the lodge is ina flourishing state,
and Colonel Wylie, Secretary. Upon visiting the | John Wilson being the Noble Grand (March, 1879.)
schools, it became apparent that unless better accom¬
modations were provided, both pupils and teachers | CENTRAL BLOCK.
would suffer. The KECORDER brought the matter
before the public, and, through evil and good report,
maintained that a building, commensurate with the
wants of the town, should be erected. The result
was the Victoria School, built in 1855. Next came
the West Ward and East Ward Schools, both com- reflects the greatest credit upon the enterprise of
our citizens. The stores are the property of the
following gentlemen :—
. This elegant brick block, the finest in the town,
has a frontage of 220 feet, the stores averaging about
go feet in depth. The structure is one that would
do credit to any Canadian city, and its construction
modious structures.
ROCK. LODGE, 1. G: ©. >F.
BROC ODGE, 0. O No. 1 (commencing at the east)—M. McGlade, the
Brock Lodge was instituted on the 5th of March, | first fat being devoted to a billiard parlor—one of
1546, it being the ninth lodge of the Independent | the finest in Central Canada.
Order of Odd Fellows organized in Canada. The
following were the charter members: George Sher¬
wood, John Reynolds, George Morton, Thomas
Webster, and James Goodive. Nos. 3 and 4.—George Thompkins, owner; occu¬
The lodge first assembled in a building where the | pied by W. R. McRea & Co., and Wilson & Co.
store of Edward Lawless now stands. Among the
early members were Thomas Reynolds, M. D., John
Bacon, William Mathie, William Fitzsimmons, G.
W. Arnold, John Chaffey, Edward Lawless, George
McGibbon, William H. Wilson, Ormond Jones, John
G. Leavitt, Thomas Mair, James Crawford, Welling¬
. ton Landon, Allan Turner, John Crawford, Samuel
B. Clark, and John McElhinney. The original lodge
room was over the store of Christopher Fletcher,
from which place it was removed to Fitzsimmon’s No. 6.—Archibald McDougall, owner; occupied |
Block, and from thence to its present elegant by Charles G. Griffin, hatter, furrier, and taxidermist.
quarters in the Ross Block.
No. 2.—George Shields, owner; occupied by P.
Browne & Co., grocers and spirit merchants.
No. 5.—P. W. Strong, owner; occupied by Chas.
Best as a boot and shoe store, the establishment
being the largest of the kind in Brockville. A.
Stoddard Southworth occupies the second flat in
the store of P. W. Strong asa dental surgery. Dr.
Southworth is a graduate of the Pennsylvania
Dental College, and also of the Dental College for
Ontario.
Nos. 7 and 8.—Seaman Manhard, owner ; occupied
respectively by Beacock & Co, as a trunk factory, in
which the finest work is made; and Manhard & Booth,
dealers in flour and feed, also proprietors of a steam
saw mill, planing mill, sash and blind factory, and
lumber yard.
Of the nine lodges of the Order first instituted in
Canada, Brock Lodge alone remains, it having the
honor of being the parent of most of the lodges in
Eastern Ontario. From its portals have gone forth
many distinguished Odd Fellows, it having con¬
tributed two Grand Master, viz., Dr. Reynolds and
William Fitzsimmons, M.P. Eventhe Grand Lodge No. 9.—Archibald McDougall, owner; occupied
of Canada owes its existence to Brock Lodge, as it | by Ezra McDougall as a stove depot and tin shop, i
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