It’s Wayback Wednesday, sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty!
Main Street, Huntsville, Ontario, looking west. (1914-1916, publisher: Pugh Specialty Co. Ltd. Toronto)
Most of the vehicles are Model T Fords. Just out of sight, J.E. Mosley’s Garage (Ford Dealership) was located two buildings down from the Forester building at 72 Main Street East on the north side of the street. Entry to the garage, which was on the lower level at the back of the building, was by a lane to the east.
J.H. Mosley, and his son Myrll, held the Ford dealership from Severn Bridge to Powassan. An advertisement in the Huntsville Forester on March 27, 1913, read: “Ford, the Universal Car – there are only 2 kinds of cars – the Fords and can’t affords!” In 1914, Model T Fords sold for $650 F.O.B. The Model T was released in 1908. Henry Ford wanted the Model T to be affordable, simple to operate, and durable. The vehicle was one of the first mass-produced vehicles, allowing Ford to achieve his aim of manufacturing the universal car.
Mosley also had a hardware store on the south side of Main Street on the corner of Brunel and Main Streets. Granolithic (cement and fine aggregate) sidewalks were installed in Huntsville in 1908 and appear in the photo. The road was not paved until 1922, from the swing bridge to the railway station. It was gravel topped in 1921.
The first cars in Huntsville were owned by Dr. Hart (1910) and R.J. Hutcheson (1911).
See more Wayback Wednesday photos here.
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Model T Ford surely was the most memorable especially in Ontario in early car history
The picture shown is probably the annual fall fair school parade held every year as was back in my day on the Friday afternoon leaving Huntsville Public School walking centre to main, main to Brunel road Brunel to the original fair grounds used to be where the Summit centre is now located. It was a fun and exciting day School children from all the outlying areas would carry their school name banners and march/walk the parade route. The picture shows walking on the sidewalk, in my day of course we marched on the paved main roadway. Public Schools from all of Chaffey( PineGlen including the Stone school, SpruceGlen) Stephenson/Port Sydney VK Greer , Dwight Irwin Memorial, Brunel Riverside, Stisted Union School .Many parents, grandparents would line both sides of mainstreet proudly watching all us youngsters tread their way all the way to the annual fall fair grounds. Those were happy fun social days!
Mr. Mosely’s Ford Business and Hardware Business is another remarkable time for Huntsville for sure. The Dealership and Garage located located on the north side of the main st later became the home of Mr. Lou Dennis ‘s Muskoka Auto Parts, the door entry of main street was just a few feet from the entry to Mr.Bull’s barbershop. Lou operated for many years from that location, many a trip I made in and out of his jammed packed sales area, it had the creaky sounding floors just like walking on the floors in Wardells . Muskoka Auto Parts of course has much expanded to many stores From where they are now at the old Raback Motors Building to points located across central Ontario and operated now by Lou’s sons Paul & David. While on Huntsville’s Main street they did open a second store in Parry Sound and Mr. Greenspoon came from Parry Sound and opened his G & G automotive store in Huntsville. These 2 stores were the main in town auto and machine parts stores back in my day. Out of town Automotive parts & sales came from Barrie from the F L Crowe Company which offered weekly delivery service and an on the road weekly salesman. At my Fathers shop we always looked forward every Monday to their salesman Fraylie , He had a standing booked room for each and every Monday night all year long at Mr Dyment Sunrise Motel.
Across the Main St the Hardware store that Mosley’s had later in my day was named Huntsville Hardware. It was operated by a few different owners over the Years, Mr. Bill Cousins I believe may have been the last Tenant/operator. Its hard to imagine back in the 1950’s and 1960’s of my time that there were three hardware stores on Huntsville’s main street. Along with Huntsville Hardware there was Hern Hardware and the largest of all Eccelstone Hardware. Eccelstones main store was in Bracebridge , they were not only a retailer , but also were a wholesaler on some items. Eccelstones were located on the north side of Main across from Mcaffery’s Pool hall now the location of the newest multi-tenant building on Main st.
Also I would like to mention that when I was a Youngster around this time of the year in the days leading up to Christmas one of the most visited retail establishments on Main St was the T> Eaton Company department store, it was not only a retail store, but also a very busy catalogue ordering and receiving department. The store seemed very large to myself back then and had 3 floors filled with almost everthing you could imagine for the home including furniture and appliances. Not many left now that used to be employed there, one that comes to mind is Mr. Howard Carr, maybe someone could add more names. So at the days leading up to Christmas besides Santa coming to the store to meet and greet us little people and any older folks that were in the spirit there was a fairly large red mail box located in the tiny lobby as you would enter the store. This was Santa Claus’s direct personal mailbox from the North Pole. All that wished and believed in the magic of Christmas would deposit their letter with their wishes including their address affixed into this large red mailbox. And would eagerly await a returned letter from Santa a few days or a week later. Such exciting and happy times . I wished now I would have saved some of those letters from Santa, maybe someone out there still has theirs.
Merry Christmas to Everyone, Hope Y ‘all have enjoyed reading as I have enjoyed writing this. God Bless Everyone
John Earl