1951 - 1960
1951
Mr. John William Brown, of Eureka, died on February 25,
1951, aged 74 years. He had been born in
Halifax. He married Miss Aurellia Frost, to them were born 11 children, 7
daughters and 4 sons: Hilda, Estella, Dolly, Katherine,
Audrey, Margaret, Noreen, Seymour, Charles, Orman,
Lloyd.
1952
Hattie H. Reid, a long time resident of Eureka, died on January
14, 1952, aged 74 years. He moved to Eureka about 1893.
Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Robbins, one time residents of Eureka,
celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on September
10, 1952.
1953
Mrs.Raymond Bezanson, of Eureka, died on February 19, 1953.
Mr. John A. Fraser died on March 28, 1953. Mrs. Arthur
Fraser died on August 2, 1953. Mrs. Jeanetta Barclay
Muir died on October 14, 1953.
Zion Presbyterian Church celebrated its 60th
Anniversary.
1954
Mrs. Donald M. Grant, of Eureka, died in April, 1954. Mrs.
Jacob Swinamer, formerly of Eureka, died in Hopewell on
July 16, 1954.
In August, 1954, the Eureka Fire Department sponsored the
“Dutch Float” in the fireman’s parade, held at New
Glasgow. It was a very attractive float and received
much favorable commendation.
1955
On the 30th day of April, 1955, a Service, that
had been started in August, 1904, for the villages of
Eureka and Hopewell, was discontinued. The local trains
that had run, morning and evening, between Hopewell and
Trenton, and the Jitney, that had started running to
Sunny Brae, for the workmen, in the 1940’s, made their
last runs on April 30, 1955. Over the years the Railway
Service between Ferrona Junction and Sunny Brae had
gradually been curtailed. On Monday, May 2, 1955,
busses were substituted for the trains and their service
has proven very satisfactory. In many cases it made it
much more convenient for the passengers.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Eureka Legion received their
Charter on January 8, 1955.
1956
Mrs. Evan R. Fraser, a lifelong Church Worker of Eureka and
in the Community, died in July, 1956, aged 82 years.
She had been predeceased by her brother, Alfred
McMillan, just seven months before.
Mrs. Alexander F. Grant, of Riverton, a Member of Zion
Presbyterian Church, Eureka, a Life Member of the
Women’s Missionary Society, and a Charter Member of the
Woman’s Institute, died on September 15, 1956.
1957
Mrs. Melvin Falconer, of Eureka, died on February 3, 1957, in
her 84th year. Mr. and Mrs. Falconer
celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in
September 1955. Mrs. Falconer was a member of Wesley United Church, and , of the
Woman’s Missionary Society and of the Ladies Aid.
Mr.Donald M. Grant, retired general merchant and
postmaster, of Eureka, died in Victoria General
Hospital, on November 1, 197, aged 89 years. He was the
oldest resident of Eureka, having moved to the village
with his parents in 1883.
The Legion Branch, No. 75, Eureka, was organized in 1945,
and received their Charter on August 20, 1945. In 1948,
the Legion purchased Muir’s Hall, and they received
their Charter on January 8, 1955. The Ladies Auxiliary
was organized, and they received their Charter on
January 8, 1955. On August 12, 1957, following a
general business meeting, a ceremony of the Burning of
the Mortgage took place. Another project that was
consummated by the Legion at a later date, was the
erection of a War Memorial in the village of
Eureka.
1958
Dr. James A. Muir, prominent Truro Citizen and Physician,
died at the Victoria General Hospital, on August 27,
1958. He was born at Eureka, took an active part in
sports, and was a runner of note holding the record for
the mile at Dalhousie for a number of years. A graduate
of Pictou Academy and Dalhousie Medical
School., Received his B.SC. and M.D. C.M., won the
Malcolm Honor Award, served with the Army-Medical Corps,
1939-1946.
The Eureka Home and School Association was organized in
October, 1928, at the home of Mrs. E. H. Were, as the
Parent-Teacher Association. It was organized by Dr. L.
A. DeWolfe and Miss Dora Baker of Truro with 11
members. Mrs. R. H. Ward was the first President and
Mrs. Nettie MacKenzie the first Secretary. This
organization continued through the years and served a
very definite purpose. Money for the various projects
was raised by different methods but principally by
holding teas, strawberry festivals, fudge sales, etc. In 1957, the Home and School Association sponsored first
aid classes under the St. John Ambulance Course, with
Mr. Sid Hopton as instructor. The classes started away
with 20 members, but this number eventually dropped to
10, these were examined in December, 1957, by Dr. W. A.
MacLeod, and received First Aid Certificates. In 1958,
the classes were continued, and resulted in the 10
members being awarded the St. John Ambulance Medallion,
in December, 1958. Those from Eureka receiving the
Medallion were: Mrs. Clifford Evans, Mrs. Ben Black,
Mrs. Arthur MacKinnon, Mrs. John Sheflin, J.W.A. Dunbar
and George Wallace.
Before proceeding further, I will briefly review some of
the business enterprises that had been established in
the village; having to depend on memory, some of the
years mentioned will only be approximate. The general
store of Mr. D. M. Grant, was established in 1890, and
conducted by Mr. Grant until his retirement in the
1940’s, when the business was taken over my Mr. George
Wallace who operated it for a short period. Mr. Robert
Ellis took the business over from Mr. Wallace and now,
in 1967, is the only merchant in the village. Mr. James
H. Reid operated his store from 1913 until about 1926.
Mr. H. H. Reid conducted his general store until about
1940, when he closed it up. Following the 1939-1945
war, Mr. Murray Holley erected a small store opposite
his present home where he conducted a thriving business
until the late 1950’s. Mrs. Jemima Gillespie, following
the death of her husband, opened a store which she
conducted until 1958. During the 1930’s, Albert MacLeod
operated a grocery store in the Falconer building,
across the road from Mr. Raymond Bezanson’s home. Sometime in the 1920’s a clothing store had been run in
the same building for a short period by a Mr. Haddad. A
small candy store was opened in the Bungalow, across the
road from Mrs. Harlan MacLean’s home, for a short time
during the years 1912-1915. Mr. William Magee, also
operated a candy store in the house, to the West of the
Little home, for two or three years. Over the years,
Mrs. Gillespie had a small Ice Cream Parlor in her
store. About the early 1920’s the Muir brothers made
and sold ice cream in the shop under the Hall during the
summer months. Mrs. H. H. Reid opened a small Ice Cream
Parlor, on the Ferrona side about 1929, and ran it for a
summer of two. During the 1930’s, a pool room was run
by Mr. Chester Gillespie, in his home, east of the
bridge, also selling chocolate bars and cigarettes.
Through the years, Barbers in the village were: Mr.
Fraser MacKay, Mr. Perle Smith and Mr. Chester
Gillespie, their shops being located in their homes.
Another important service carried on by residents was
the meat business. When Mr. Kenneth MacMillan came to
the village during the Iron Works boom, he operated a
meat business for a number of years, making his
deliveries around the countryside. Later he became
Station Agent. Mr. A. F. Grant, from Hopewell, ran a
meat wagon in the village for a number of years prior to
1920. Later, Mr. Fred Fraser, from the Island, E. R.,
and Johnny Magee of Eureka, operated similar delivery
wagons. For a short period, Mr. Robert MacLeod and Jack
MacKay, had a meat shop in the front of the house, later
owned my Mr. Russell Pye. Mr. Alfred Reid opened a meat
shop in his grandfather’s shop, about 1930, and ran it
for a short time. A bake shop and refreshment parlor
was operated by Alver MacLean and Everett Holley, in the
Falconer building, for a short time about 1950. Other
delivery services, of groceries, meat and fish, were
conducted at different periods of short duration, by
residents and others living outside the village.
In
1958, John Higgins, head of the Millstream Woodworkers,
erected a Wood-Working building, across the railroad
from the Old Station-House, this he equipped with wood
working machinery, and provides dressed lumber,
fabricated and other supplies. This industry is kept
busy, and although it doesn’t employ much help, it
supplies a definite convenience, not only to the village
and immediate vicinity, but also throughout the County.
1959
In January, 1959, at the Annual Meeting of Wesley United
Church, Mr. Evan R. Fraser retired, in his 90th
year, after having served 64 years as Sunday School
Superintendent, first in Zion Presbyterian Church and
for the past 23 years in Wesley United Church. He was
honored by the congregation of the latter Church, on
January 22, 1959, at his home by being presented with an
address and a sum of money. Mr. Whitfield Gillespie
succeeded him as Superintendent of Wesley United Church
Sunday School.
On
May 22, 1959, the Post Office in Eureka caught fire and
was badly damaged. Some of the mail was saved, but much
was charred and the parcels were almost a total loss.
The one-storey building, situated to the west of Ellis’
store was owned by Postmaster J. W. A. Dunbar, and was
partly covered by insurance, it had been erected in
1946, and served solely as a Post Office.
In
June, 1959, Mrs. Margaret Myers, a former resident of
Eureka, who had lived in the Bungalow, died in her 71st
year. Her funeral was held from Wesley United Church.
The Eureka Home and School Association held a strawberry
festival in the Eureka School on July 22, 1959, which
also included a pantry table. The proceeds were to be
used to pay for the leveling of the School Playgrounds
by Simon Fraser, of Bridgeville, who was doing the job.
This project had been undertaken by the Home and School
Association.
1960
Mrs. Jemima Gillespie died on May 17, 1960. She was born in Londonderry
, N.S., in 1876, came to Eureka in 1900 and married William G. Gillespie, they had two
children, Ella and Whitfield. Following Mr. Gillespie’s
death, his widow opened a store which she operated until
1958. She was a member of Wesley United Church.
On June 26, 1960, Mr. Evan R. Fraser, a pioneer workman of
the Iron Works and resident of Ferrona, passed away in
the Aberdeen Hospital, in his 91st year. He
was born at Blanchard, Pictou County, on July 10, 1869, a son
of John and Christine Fraser. As a young man he went to
Western Canada for a short time where he worked in the
gold mines. Returning to Pictou County, he came to Eureka in
1891, where he spent the rest of his life. His whole
life from 1891 was involved with the work of Zion
Church, and later with Wesley United Church, an Elder of the
Church from 1892 until death, and a Sunday School
Superintendent for 64 years.
1961-1967
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