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Pelham Historical Group

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Pelham Historical Group

Pelham Ontario is a town in Ontario Canada. Our town boasts an array of quaint fruit stands, rich farmlands and a small town spirit.

Pelham is comprised the following villages: Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville, Effingham and North Pelham
Photos coyright Pelham historical information including life, culture, people, photos and more. Coverage includes the villages of Fonthill, Fenwick, North Pelham,and Ridgeville

10/31/2026

🏫 SCHOOL DAYS IN EFFINGHAM — ABOUT 1930-1940 possibly

A wonderful glimpse into rural school life in Pelham over 100 years ago!

This photograph shows pupils and their teacher outside Law’s School (S.S. No. 1 Pelham), located at 2502 Effingham Street, near Roland Road.

The school’s history dates back to 1832, when Nicholas Oille donated land for a small log schoolhouse. The brick building pictured here was constructed around 1917.

For generations, children from surrounding farms attended this one-room schoolhouse, where a single teacher taught pupils of different ages.

Law’s School finally closed its doors in June 1965, but the building still stands today as a private residence.

🔎 Do you recognize any of these children or have family members who attended Law’s School? We’d love to hear your memories! (For reference Possibly Jean Patterson and John Daboll in Photo)

📚 References: 1985 Pelham Historical Calendar; Town of Pelham Municipal Heritage Inventory. Photograph: Historical collection, Law’s School, Effingham Road.
**Photo used by permission from the owner Marilyn Mozgiel

10/29/2026

🦌 A LITTLE FAWN AND A GLIMPSE OF PELHAM’S PAST!

Sometimes the most interesting historical photographs aren’t of grand occasions, important buildings or community celebrations. They’re simply little moments in everyday life that someone thought were worth remembering.

This snapshot, taken sometime during the 1950s or early 1960s, captures Lochlin Daboll (left) and his wife Leone (Jones) Daboll (right) with a young white-tailed deer. The woman in the centre remains unidentified.

Leone, wearing one of her favourite smocks, offers something to the spotted fawn while Lochlin gently steadies its head. Was this little visitor an orphan being cared for by the family, or had it simply become accustomed to human company? We may never know!

But there’s something else historically interesting about this photograph — how our relationship with wildlife has changed over the generations.

During the 1950s, it wasn’t unusual for rural families to take a hands-on approach when encountering wildlife, particularly an animal they believed needed help. Today, we understand much more about the importance of leaving wild animals undisturbed. A fawn found alone, for example, is not necessarily abandoned. Its mother may simply be feeding nearby and will return when it is safe.

Wildlife experts now discourage feeding or handling deer because human interference can unintentionally cause harm.

And perhaps that’s what makes this photograph so special.

We spend a great deal of time preserving Pelham’s history through its churches, schools, businesses and prominent citizens. Yet photographs like this remind us that our heritage is also found in ordinary moments — tending gardens, visiting neighbours, caring for animals and enjoying life around the family home.

The smocks, work clothes, flower beds and even that curious little fawn tell us something about life in rural Pelham that no census record ever could.

❤️ Do you remember seeing many deer around Pelham during the 1950s and 1960s? Were they as common as they are today? Did your family ever take in an injured or orphaned wild animal?

We would love to hear your memories!

📸 From a private collection of Pelham history.

References:
• Original Daboll family photograph and family history.
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources — White-tailed deer ecology and wildlife management.
• Ontario Parks — Hands Off Wildlife, guidance on respecting wildlife and leaving young animals undisturbed.

10/28/2026

“🌾 Still Farming. Still Family.

Has your family farmed in Pelham for generations—and continues to farm here today? We’d love to include your story in an upcoming post celebrating the families keeping our farming heritage alive as well as preserve it on our website.

A few family details, a favourite memory, or photos of your farm through the years will help preserve this history for future generations. Your story doesn’t need to be polished—just shared!

Send your stories and photos by private message or email [email protected].

Know a farming family who should be included? Please share this invitation with them!

10/27/2026

📚 A Saturday night in Fonthill, 1891: borrow a book—but absolutely no loud talking or smoking!
This little treasure is the January 1891 Catalogue of Books in the Fonthill Mechanics’ Institute Library. Priced at 10 cents, it offers a wonderful glimpse into village life 135 years ago.
The cover proudly announced “READING ROOM FREE TO ALL.” Located above M. J. Dalton & Co.’s music store, the reading room welcomed visitors on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings from 7 to 10. Borrowing books was a separate matter: Fonthill residents paid 50 cents a year to take out one book at a time, or an extra 25 cents to borrow two.
Books were due within two weeks, with an overdue fine of 10 cents per week. A little delay could certainly add up!
The advertisements are just as interesting as the rules. Dalton & Lounsbury offered pianos, organs and sewing machines at the corner of North Pelham and Canboro Streets. W. J. Dougherty advertised horseshoeing and general blacksmithing on Church Street, urging customers, “DON’T PASS ME BY.” Meanwhile, H. H. Rines promised boots and shoes at the “Lowest Possible Prices.”
The blacksmith shop advertisement adds another layer of context to this small community snapshot. W. J. Dougherty’s business was not simply a place where horses were shod. A village blacksmith was an essential local tradesman, serving farmers, teamsters and residents who depended on horses, wagons and farm equipment. Located on Church Street, the shop would have been part of the everyday movement and commerce of Fonthill—where people brought horses for shoeing, tools and hardware for repair, and equipment that needed the practical skills of a general blacksmith.
The advertisement’s direct appeal—“DON’T PASS ME BY”—also suggests the importance of attracting local customers in a competitive village business district. Along with the library, music store and boot and shoe shop, Dougherty’s blacksmith shop helps show how closely reading, shopping, transportation and skilled trades were connected in Fonthill in 1891.
With M. J. Dalton as president, Alfred Giles as vice-president and Fred Kinsman as secretary, familiar local names appear throughout this booklet. It preserves more than a reading list—it captures a community reading, shopping and doing business.
Do you recognize any of these names, businesses or locations? Share your family connections, memories or information about the blacksmith shop below! 📖
If you enjoy local history, please like this post and follow our page for more stories, photographs and discoveries from Pelham and the surrounding area.
Reference: Catalogue of Books in the Fonthill Mechanics’ Institute Library, revised January 1891; cover, Rules and Regulations, and advertisements on pages 20 and 32. Printed by Tribune Print, Welland, Ontario.

10/26/2026

🌾 A STORE WITH A FARMERS’ CONNECTION?

During the 1890s, Ontario farmers were organizing through a movement called the Patrons of Industry. These organizations promoted cooperative buying, helping farmers obtain supplies at more affordable prices.

Some affiliated stores purchased goods in bulk, allowing members to benefit from lower costs.

Murgatroyd’s store carried the Patron of Industry name at the very time this movement was spreading across Ontario. Was his business part of this growing farmers’ cooperative network? It’s certainly possible, although a formal connection has yet to be confirmed.

🐴 BUSINESS WAS BOOMING!

An old newspaper account mentions Mr. Murgatroyd arranging for additional hitching posts to accommodate his numerous customers! Imagine the horses and wagons lined up outside a busy Ridgeville general store.

📜 A LITTLE PIECE OF PELHAM HISTORY

This original advertisement, dated September 1, 1892, was printed inside the back cover of the Pelham Township Agricultural Society’s exhibition booklet.

It offers a fascinating glimpse into rural shopping more than 130 years ago.

🔎 NOW FOR THE MYSTERY!

Where exactly was Murgatroyd’s store?

We suspect it stood somewhere along Canboro Road in Ridgeville, but its precise location remains unknown.

Perhaps one of our longtime Ridgeville families remembers the Murgatroyd name or has an old photograph of the village’s general stores.

💬 Do you recognize the name Murgatroyd? Do you know where this store once stood?

We would love to hear from you! Every little memory helps preserve another piece of Pelham’s history.

📚 References:
• Original Midgley Murgatroyd advertisement, September 1, 1892, Pelham Agricultural Society Exhibition Booklet.
• Marshville Heritage Society — History of the Patrons of Industry.
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography — Patrons of Industry movement.
• Welland History — Historical newspaper accounts of Ridgeville.

10/24/2026

Before you could leave a text, you could leave… your card! 🌸

These little pieces of Pelham history come from a collection associated with Mary Hansler or Mary Jane Hansler. Probably dating mainly from the 1880s–1890s, they preserve names including James E. Metler, William C. Brown, Emma A. Jones and Mary M. Hansler.

A “call” meant a visit. Leaving a calling card let someone know you had stopped by, especially if they were out. Cards also helped people make introductions and maintain friendships. Some decorative examples doubled as keepsakes, carrying messages such as “Forget me not” and “With love and fond wishes.”

Did having your own card mean you were rich? Not necessarily! By the later nineteenth century, printed cards were available to middle-class households as well as wealthy families. Their owners’ names alone cannot tell us their financial circumstances.

And appearances mattered! A card helped create a first impression. Some people favoured a simple name on cream cardstock; others chose colourful flowers, shells, clasped hands and elaborate lettering.

Look closely: James E. Metler and William C. Brown selected the same shell-and-flower design—a lovely clue that printers offered designs that could be personalized.

These cards leave us with something wonderfully human: the wish to visit, belong and be remembered. 💌

Which would you choose—the elegant plain card or the colourful Victorian version? Do you recognize any of these Pelham names?

Follow along for more stories tucked away in Pelham’s old photographs, papers and everyday treasures.

References: American Antiquarian Society, “Calling and Sentiment Cards”; McClung Museum, “Calling Card Case”; Kent–Delord House Museum, “Artifact Corner: Calling Cards.” Dates remain approximate.

10/23/2026

Teacher EW. Farr poses (back, right) with the Class of 1922 at S.S. #9 Fenwick.
Left to right are:
Front row: Fred Nunn, George Garner;
Second row: Cleve Austin (standing), Albert Rice, Laverne Thomas, Gerald Neal, Donald Armbrust, Hardd Leppert, Aubrey Stirtzinger, Bill Hookey, Addison Neal and Theron Fisher (standing).
Third row (standing): Vera Barwell, Beulah Fry, Eileen Keenan, Jeanette Crosby, Beatrice Ayers, Caroline Morgan, Eva Hodgson.
Fourth row: Belva Green, Helen Stirtzinger, Dorothy Wetherald, Louisa Moisley, Helda Hodgson.
Laura MacDonald, Marion Armbrust.
Back row: Herbert Hodgson, Nellie Barwell, Agnes Holmes, Winnie Hookey, May Carhart, Olive Traver, unidentified girl, Helen Keenan, Leland Reece.
Photo ref. Intertwined through Time by Margaret Comfort , photo provided by D Rungeling

10/22/2026

📖 Take a look at this wonderful discovery!

This original 1913 wallpaper sample book from the T. Eaton Co. of Toronto offers a fascinating glimpse into how Canadians decorated their homes more than 110 years ago.

By the early 1900s, wallpaper had become an affordable decorating choice for many Canadian families. Improvements in manufacturing meant that even modest households could enjoy fashionable patterns once associated with wealthier homes.

🌸 So what might you have found in a Pelham home?

Dining rooms and parlours could feature elaborate floral designs, decorative borders and rich colours. Bedrooms might have softer patterns, while kitchens often called for simpler, more practical finishes.

And those beautiful greens, reds and golds in this booklet? They reflect the popular decorating tastes of the Edwardian era.

For Pelham families, mail-order catalogues offered something exciting: access to fashionable household goods from Toronto without having to travel to the city.

Imagine sitting around the kitchen table, turning these pages and deciding which pattern would look best in your parlour!

Or do you remember your grandparents’ home having wallpaper like these examples?

👇 Tell us what you remember! Better yet, share a photograph of an old wallpaper pattern you’ve uncovered. We’d love to see what was decorating Pelham’s homes generations ago!

❤️ Follow Pelham Historical Group for more forgotten treasures, local stories and glimpses into everyday life in old Pelham.

📚 References:
• T. Eaton Co. Limited, Samples Wall Paper, 1913. Original booklet pictured.
• Library and Archives Canada — Canadian Mail Order Catalogues: History.
• Robert M. Kelly, Toward a History of Canadian Wallpaper Use: Mechanization 1860–1935, Material Culture Review (2015).
• Robert M. Kelly, Japanese Wallpaper in Canada, 1880s–1930s, Material Culture Review.

10/20/2026

🎻 A FIDDLE, A MYSTERY HOUSE & NEARLY 100 PEOPLE — WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OLD PELHAM?

Can you imagine the lively sounds of “Money Musk” drifting through the air on a warm afternoon in Pelham?

This traditional Scottish fiddle tune dates back to the 1700s and eventually found its way into Ontario’s musical heritage. And why mention it? Look closely at the foreground of this remarkable photograph. There’s a fiddle! Could music have been part of this special gathering?

📸 Believed to date from around 1885–1895, this rare photograph captures nearly 100 people, from babies to grandparents, gathered outside a rather impressive wooden building.

👒 And just look at the fashions! The ladies wear long Victorian dresses with high collars and neatly pinned hairstyles. The gentlemen sport waistcoats, jackets, hats and some magnificent moustaches! Even the youngest children appear dressed for a special occasion.

Among those identified are John Daboll (1844–1918) and Oscar Hansler, with possibly Ed Miller among the crowd.

🏡 Now for the real mystery! Look at that unusual sweeping gingerbread trim along the porch. Where was this building? Could it have been an old Miller family homestead?

Was this a family reunion, a church social or simply a wonderful afternoon spent with friends and neighbours?

🎶 Want to hear what “Money Musk” sounds like? Listen to this traditional fiddle tune here:

🎻 https://youtu.be/VGlwAKt_DaY?si=-6cAPaEwR5mVw4ww

🔎 HELP SOLVE THIS PELHAM MYSTERY! Do you recognize the building, any of the faces or the occasion? Perhaps an old family album holds the answer!

References:

* Historical group photograph and handwritten family identifications.
* Maud Karpeles Manuscript Collection, MK/1/3/5123 — Money Musk, performed by Michael D. Sullivan, Douro, Ontario, July 25, 1929.
* Traditional Scottish fiddle music history, Monymusk/Money Musk. The tune is offered as a period possibility, not an identification of music played at this gathering.

10/17/2026

🍂🕯️ WHEN THE PAST CAME ALIVE AT FONTHILL CEMETERY! 🕯️🍂

Who says history has to stay buried? Certainly not in Pelham!

Last evening, Friday, October 16th, the Fonthill Cemetery was transformed into a place where history stepped out from behind the gravestones and came to life! This event was hosted by The Town of Pelham- well done!

The Fonthill Cemetery Historical Guided Tours offered visitors a wonderful opportunity to step back in time and discover some of the people and stories that helped shape our community.

As autumn leaves covered the cemetery grounds and lanterns lit the way, costumed interpreters brought a little of Pelham’s past into the present. From Victorian ladies in their beautiful period clothing to gentlemen dressed for another century, the atmosphere was absolutely wonderful!

And what better place to learn about our history? After all, our cemeteries are more than resting places. They are outdoor history books, filled with the names of families, pioneers, community leaders and everyday people whose lives helped build the Pelham we know today.

👏 A big thank-you to everyone involved in organizing this special evening, especially the wonderful volunteers and historical interpreters who helped bring these stories to life. Your time, enthusiasm and dedication to preserving local history are greatly appreciated!

📸 Here is a few photographs from the evening. What a lovely way to celebrate Pelham’s heritage!

❤️ Did you attend the tour? We’d love to hear which stories you enjoyed most! And if you recognize anyone in these photographs, give them a shout-out!

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