Innisfil Historical Society

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: Cookstown Lacrosse Team; Group photo of the Cookstown Lacrosse team in an unknown year. The players are wearing matching white striped turtleneck shirts with the letters C L C across the chests. The two reclined players in the front row are holding lacrosse sticks. Players included in the photo are Harry Leadlay (centre), the Hon. James S. Duff, and W.J. Findlay second from the left in the back row.

: Cookstown Ladies; Photo of a group of ladies in Cookstown posing in front of the home of Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Miller on 34 Queen Street. The photo was taken in September 1937. Pictured from left to right are: Mrs. Miller, Mrs. McCuish, Mrs. Tom King, with "sweet" Mary Miller standing on the verandah behind them. The women in the photo are all wearing long dresses with Mrs. McCuish in an eye-catching patterned dress. Tragically, Mary died shortly after in July 1928 at age 21. Her father, Dr. Miller, was the local dentist.

: Cookstown Main Street; Photo taken on Cookstown's Main Street looking east from the railway tracks on an unknown date. The image shows a dirt road running along the left side of the photo with a series of houses and trees along the right. There is a gas powered streetlight visible directly in the foreground, and a young boy in a hat stands on the porch of the first house, with white siding and dark trim.

: Cookstown Map - South East Quadrant; Hand-drawn map depicting streets and lots with the names of some lot owners in the south east quadrant of Cookstown. The map includes Church Street, William Street, Hamilton Street, Cook Street, and Albert Street, and identifies the section further south as West Gwillimbury.

: Cookstown Market - Mr. W. Manion, Proprietor; The Cookstown Market.

: Cookstown Medical Group Location; Photo of the exterior of a house, which would later become the location for the Cookstown Medical Group. The photo shows a large red brick two storey residence located on the south side of Queen Street with a man and woman standing on the walkway leading to the front porch and door. The home was owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. Fisher before it was sold and became doctors' residences and offices. Doctors based out of the build included Dr. V.S.B. Sheir, Dr. W.J. Scott, Dr. Symington, Dr. Charlie Carr, and Dr. D.W. McFarland. Dr. McFarland and family Joanne, Judy, Janet, Bill, and John resided here until 1972 when they purchased property and built a home on the 8th concession of Essa Township. The verandah of this house was eventually removed by Dr. C. Carr. The exterior was covered with white stucco and marked in a brick-like fashion by Dr. McFarland about 1965 and the maple trees in front of the house that lined the street were eventually removed. Roll No. 150-00; snapshot donated by Mrs. Lorne Magloughlen (née Marie Spindloe).

: Cookstown Methodist Church; Photo of the Cookstown Methodist Church taken before it was destroyed by fire in 1914. The photo shows the front and side of the building including the pointed-arch door and numerous pointed-arch windows as well as the buttresses along the side. The photo was taken in the winter and shows snow on the lawn and front steps as well as leafless trees. The church eventually became the Cookstown United Church.

: Cookstown Methodist Church; A view of the exterior of the Cookstown Methodist Church prior to the fire of 1914 that destroyed it. The view shows the front entrance facing Queen Street as well as the rear side entrance facing Dufferin Street. The building bears many features that were recreated once the building was reconstructed, including the Gothic style pointed arch windows. An oil lamp is also visible in the foreground. These lamps were lit each night by Jack Heaslip and Mrs. Mel McFadden. The Methodist Church eventually became the Cookstown United Church.

: Cookstown Mill; Photo of the front of the Cookstown Mill in an unknown year. It was originally built by J. Spindloe in 1863 and used as a flour mill until 1929, after which it operated as a feed mill. The mill changed ownership numerous times, and was owned by Frank H. Robinson when the photo was taken. Mr. Robinson purchased the property in 1916, and later from 1918-1919 built a home on 7 George Street that would become the home to several of the subsequent mill owners. Mr. Robinson sold both properties on an unknown date to George E. Ross, who then sold again to Frank Fidler and Sandford Sutherland in 1945. The mill and nearby grain elevator were sold once more to Ira Wilson in 1949. The mill itself closed in 1973. The photo shows a tall three-storey building with white window trims and a white picket fence. Not shown is the nearby grain elevator, or the adjacent coal yard where forty ton loads of Reading anthracite coal were shipped for use in Cookstown and area home heating.

: Cookstown Monument; Photo of the Cookstown cenotaph with bronze commemorative plaques located in Memorial Park, Cookstown. The plaques bear the names and death dates of soldiers from Cookstown and surrounding area who died in World War I and World War II. The monument is constructed mainly out of field stones, is conical in shape and has a cross at the top. A silver artillery gun is mounted directly in front of it. The photo was taken in autumn with a number of orange leaves on the ground.

: Cookstown Old Boys Reunion; Photo taken at the Cookstown Old Boys Reunion celebration in 1942. In it Walter Beatty (left) plays violin for Susan Harman (née Miller) and Mr. Tom King of Golden, BC who are dancing together. Both gentlemen are dressed in grey suits, and Mrs. Harman is wearing a short sleeved dress.

: Cookstown Parsonage; Photo of the exterior of the Cookstown Parsonage or manse, which was a clergy house inhabited by the local minister of the Methodist (later United) church, located next door. The building itself boasts distinctive architecture with a rounded front right side of the house capped with a unique rounded roof while the rest of the building has a regular open gable roof and surrounding verandah with white window trims and eaves. As of 2014 the building remains largely unchanged.

: Cookstown Parsonage; Photo of the exterior of the Cookstown Parsonage (or Manse), which was a clergy house inhabited by the local minister of the Methodist (later United) church, located next door. The building itself boasts distinctive architecture with a rounded front right side of the house capped with a unique rounded roof while the rest of the building has a regular open gable roof and surrounding verandah with white window trims and eaves. As of 2014 the building remains largely unchanged.

: Cookstown Parsonage and United Church; Photo of the exterior of the Cookstown Parsonage or manse, a clergy house inhabited by the local minister of the Methodist (later United) church located next door, which can be seen to the right of the house in the photo.. The building itself boasts distinctive architecture with a rounded front right side of the house capped with a unique rounded roof while the rest of the building has a regular open gable roof and surrounding verandah with white window trims and eaves. As of 2014 the building remains largely unchanged. The United Church boasts a square tower and pointed arch windows.

: Cookstown Post Master; Photograph of Mr. Henry Albert "Bert" Coleman, a former Post Master in Cookstown, and his wife Evelyn. Mr. Coleman served as Post Master from 1942 until his retirement in 1976, and was the third generation of the Coleman to serve in the position. He was preceded by Frank Coleman, who served from February 1912 until July of 1942, and Henry Coleman, who served from September 1873 until February of 1912. As a result, the Cookstown Post Office was one of two in Canada to have been continuously served by the same family for over a century, according to a historical plaque erected by the Simcoe County Historical Association in 1974. The photo shows Mr. and Mrs. Coleman standing behind the post office counter.

: Cookstown Post Office; Photo of the Cookstown Post Office sometime after its construction in 1960. It is a small brick building faced with several large windows and a Canadian flag hanging above the name "Cookstown Post Office." A small amount of snow is piled in front of and beside the building. Cookstown's first post office was opened in 1847, and mail was carried on foot twice weekly from Holland Landing. When the Northern Railway was constructed from Toronto to Allandal in 1854, the mail was brought to Lefroy by train and the postmaster would travel on horseback to pick it up. Daily mail service began when the North-Western Railway was built through Cookstown in 1877.

: Cookstown Post Office; Image of the Cookstown Post Office submitted to the Innisfil Historical Society by Jim Saunders. Bob Saunders [born 1932, died 2018] purchased the old post office from Bert Coleman in 1964 and renovated it for use as a business and family residence. He had also built a 100 foot TV tower in the backyard before cable TV was available, and owned the town's first colour TV. Bob Saunders was the husband of the late Isobel Rowe, proprietor of Cookstown TV, partner in McLean Saunders Real Estate, member of the Cookstown Curling Club, and former Village of Cookstown Councillor.

: Cookstown Presbyterian Church; Photo of the Cookstown Presbyterian Church showing the steps and walkway leading to the front entrance, pointed arch door and windows, as well as two circular windows in the white stuccoed building. The church was first opened in 1872 and the Sunday School started in 1874. The first hymns were introduced to the church in 1891 after having been voted down six years earlier. The church was eventually renovated and the brick exterior was stuccoed white in 1965.

: Cookstown Presbyterian Church; Photo showing the front and east side of the Cookstown Presbyterian Church. The church, located on the south side of Church Street, was opened in 1872 and the Sunday School was started in 1874. The building was renovated and the original brick exterior was stuccoed white in 1965. The snow and leafless trees indicate that the photo was taken in the winter.

: Cookstown Presbyterian Church; Photo of the exterior of the Cookstown Presbyterian Church showing the east side. The photo features some of the architectural elements of the building including three pointed-arch Gothic style windows and buttresses. The church was first opened in 1872 and the Sunday School started in 1874. The first hymns were introduced to the church in 1891 after having been voted down six years earlier. The church was eventually renovated and the brick exterior was stuccoed white in 1965.

: Cookstown Public School; Photo of Cookstown Public School at an unknown date. The image shows one side of the building, partially obscured by trees. It is two storeys tall with rounded arch windows in the first storey, rectangular windows in the second storey, and the bell tower is just visible on the hipped roof. The building eventually was converted into apartments known as Cookstown Towers. The first school in Cookstown was a small log cabin built in 1852 but by 1864 was too small to accommodate the growing number of students. A quarter acre of land was purchased on Lot 2 Concession 11 for $80 where a frame building was constructed. It later moved to Lot 1 Concession 11. In 1888 a new school was built on the corner of Wellington and George Streets, and remodelled in 1913 for use as both a public school and continuation school. The three rooms on the main floor were used for grades one to eight and two rooms on the second floor for grades nine to twelve. The continuation school closed in 1951 and students were bused to Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, although elementary students continued to use the building until 1959.

: Cookstown Public School; Photo of Cookstown Public School's exterior. The front of the building is bordered by a picket fence and two trees, and the building itself features a belfry. The first school in Cookstown was a small log cabin built in 1852 but by 1864 was too small to accommodate the growing number of students. A quarter acre of land was purchased on Lot 2 Concession 11 for $80 where a frame building was constructed. It later moved to Lot 1 Concession 11. In 1888 a new school was built on the corner of Wellington and George Streets, and remodelled in 1913 for use as both a public school and continuation school. The three rooms on the main floor were used for grades one to eight and two rooms on the second floor for grades nine to twelve. The continuation school closed in 1951 and students were bused to Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, although elementary students continued to use the building until 1959.

: Cookstown Public School; Photo taken of the Cookstown Public School some time before the addition of the High School was built. The photo shows three pupils standing on a small staircase to a doorway at the front of the building with the school teacher standing at the foot of the stairs. Three other students are leaning out of the windows on the right side of the building. The school itself is a large brick structure with an open gable roof.

: Cookstown Public School; Photo of the exterior of the Cookstown Public School building and front lawn, taken around the time of its opening in 1960. The original school was a log cabin built in 1852 on what is now the Cookstown United Church cemetery, and later replaced by a building on the corner of George and Wellington Streets in 1888 to accommodate the growing population.

: Cookstown Public School; Class photo of Cookstown Public School's Second Room. The students are standing in rows on the front steps of the school dressed in coats and dresses, and their teacher was Irene Grose. Pictured from left to right, back row: Norman Reed, Donnell Banting, Arthur Cooper, Roger Fisher, Russell Byers, Gowan Rainey, Duff Thompson, Roger Fisher, George Reed, Herman Corrigan, and Wilfred McMahon. Third row: Colwell Prince, Clifford Spindloe, Archie Riley, Jim Rainey, George Kidd, Norman Baker, and Stanley Ross. Second row: Grace Banting, Mary McMillan, Emily Gollop, Helen Glass, Kathleen Houghton, Nellie Smart, Reta Rainey, Wilma Stoddart, and Dorothy Pugsley. Front row: Belinda Rainey, Maxine Marling, Clara Jebb, Edna Moore, Grace Robinson, Emily Draper, Laura Jebb, Isabel Hayes, Lula Hayes, Hazel Carr, and Mary Ingham.

: Cookstown Public School - 1895; Group studio photo labelled Cookstown Public School - 1895. The photo is atypical as it was taken in a studio instead of in front of the school building or inside the classroom, and those featured are all wearing formal attire with elaborate hairstyles. The photo also seems to feature some teachers. Pictured from left to right, back row: Bessie Ferguson, Gertie Cook, Eva King, unknown, and Maude Stewart. Second row: Etta Wilcox, Miss Addie Heaslip, unnamed music teacher, and Maud Cook. Third row: Maggie Couse, Lulu Phillips, Bert Eby, Maggie Thompson, and Jean Duff. The photo was submitted in 1967 by Mr. Tom King of Golden, British Columbia for the Tweedsmuir History Book of Cookstown.

: Cookstown Public School - 1945; Class photo from 1945 of Cookstown Public School students. The students are standing, kneeling, or seated in three rows. Pictured in the back row from left to right are: class teacher, John Arnved, seven unknown, and John Dermott. Middle row: seven unknown, Jean Carter, two unknown, Jean Warren, and unknown. Front row: three unknown, Glyn Evans, and four unknown.

: Cookstown Public School - 1947; Group photo of the students of Cookstown Public School for the 1946-1947 school year. The students are seated, kneeling, or standing in three rows alongside the school building and just below the rounded-arch windows. Small numbered circles have been affixed to some students as a method of identification but the list of names has since been lost.

: Cookstown Public School - 1949; Class photo taken in 1949 of the grade 8 students of Cookstown Public School. The seven girls are standing in the back row while the five boys are seated in the front row. The boy in the middle is holding a sign that says "Cookstown Public School - 1949 Grade 8." Pictured in the back row are Shirley Riley (second from left), Mary Lou Baker (second from right), and Jean Carter (far right).

: Cookstown Public School - Gr. 7and8; Back Row (l to r) - Jean ____, Margaret McMillan, Mary Coleman, Helen Baker, Florence Harris, Versie Couzins, Hazel Ley, Torry Pollock, Corleen Marling, Jean Greenlaw. Centre Row - Velma Bateman, Violet Graham, Irene Fisher, Tencie Hayes, Ruth Cunningham, Jean Arnold, Eleanor Carefoot, Marion Robinson, Doris Dunning. Front Row - Marcus Ross, Frank Baker, Sinclair Watters, Harford Fisher, George Houghton, Allan Nixon, Jack Parks, Bert Coleman, Roy Houghton. Teacher - Ray Flynn

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