Old Town Hall
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This is the former site of the old St. Thomas Town Hall. Alexander McKenzie gave a speech here in the run up to the 1872 Election, during which Mr. Arkell rang the fire (town) bell and the fire engine left from the town hall, scattering the crowd. This was deemed to be an "election trick" designed to draw the crowd away from McKenzie. The Town Hall was preceded by Joshua Brown's tannery, and succeeded by the traction car barns and St. Thomas Metal Signs.
Images
The traction car barn ca. 1916.
The St. Thomas Metal Signs building (in the traction barn) ca. 1920.
The traction car barns and St. Thomas Metal Signs ca. 1955.
Sources
Langley, D., Cosens, D., Atkin, J., Topping, C. & Martindale, S. (Eds.). (2000). Memories of St.Thomas and Elgin. Friends of the St. Thomas Library.
Sims, H.J. (1988). Sims' History of Elgin County Volume III. The Aylmer Express.