1893

From The Story of Dartmouth, by John P. Martin:

In January of 1893 a hockey league was formed consisting of the Chebuctos, Mutuals and the Turtle Grove Recreation Club who arranged a series of games to be played at Dartmouth Rink.

Dartmouth teachers were then gathering samples of the best school work to be sent along with the Nova Scotia educational exhibit to the World’s Fair in Chicago. In the collection were photographs of the five Dartmouth schools taken by George Craig for a $10 fee. (These pictures are still on display at Dartmouth High School.) The Starr Factory sent a pyramidical display of their world famous skates, and the Ropeworks forwarded a whole carload of rope and twine of various sizes. Henry Moseley shipped a beautifully finished pleasure boat 17 feet long, and his uncle Ebenezer sent several carved models of ships. Henry’s exhibit won a medal.

In the Legislature that winter, a bill was passed providing for the naming of streets and the numbering of houses in Dartmouth. John E. Lawlor, the baker, suggested that Colored Meeting House Road be named Crichton Avenue, and Windmill Road be Howe Avenue. Peter Douglass moved his iron foundry from Halifax to Waddell’s wharf at the foot of Ochterloney Street. Richard L. Wambolt commenced the Halifax and Dartmouth Express which enterprise in later years was greatly expanded by the Moir family.

On April 1st, 1893, a four-paged newspaper called the “Atlantic Weekly” was commenced by Harris S. Congdon.

By the end of 1893, nearly 350 houses and shops were enjoying water service. In addition 31 new hydrants were set up making a total of 55. These were manufactured by the Burrell Johnson Iron Company of Yarmouth at a cost of about $50 each.

The first of the old-time pumps, with their elevated wooden platforms, to be filled-in were the Stone Jug, Dr. Cunningham’s pump and another slightly out in the street in front of the present 65 King Street. Others remained in use until the pipes were extended to their particular section of the Town.

Besides the locations of pumps and wells already mentioned, a further list of locations of sources of water supply is herewith recorded:

There was a public pump in front of the present 43 Wentworth Street, another fronting 70 Wentworth; one at the eastern end of reservoir on Park Avenue; on the west side of Dundas Street just north of Christ Church driveway; at 11 Pine Street about five feet out from the curb; in front of 24 Dahlia Street; on Maple Street at the northwest corner of Tulip; on the south side of Tulip Street 50 yards east of Beech St.; in front of 106 Thistle Street but on the northern side.

In the northend there was one on the northern side of Pelzant Street at the end of George St ; another on north side Dawson Street fronting the little church just east of George St.

In December of 1893 a book was published to which frequent reference has been made; this was the well-known History of the Townships of Dartmouth, Preston and Lawrencetown by the late Mrs. William Lawson. The story had won a prize awarded by King’s College a few years previously, and in 1893 was brought out in a volume edited and annotated by Harry Piers, then Curator of the Provincial Museum at Halifax, who added valuable explanatory notes. The book is a treasure-house of our tragic and romantic history, written with a fine literary flavor.

This is wooden Park School from the roadway near the top of Synott’s Hill [–corner of Wyse and Windmill Roads today] photographed by George Craig in 1893 for the Chicago World’s Fair. The room near the tree was that of Vice-Principal Miss Margaret Downey who taught Grades 5 and 6, which was equivalent to both parts of the Fourth Royal Reader. Next left was Grade One of Miss Stenhouse who had an enrollment of 86. On the northeast side of the building were the classrooms of Miss Scarfe and Miss Annie Wilson. All four rooms had beehive stoves, wooden coal-boxes and water-buckets with a common drinking-mug. A hand-bell was used to summon the pupils. At recess in summer, we used to wander all over the blueberry grounds to the eastward; and in winter, as far northward as the skating pond opposite Hare Street.