FACES SCUGOGof A second collection of profiles of the men and women who helped shape the development of VolumePort Perry and Scugog TwoTownship. 1 Introduction The profiles on the following pages, of Scugog Township residents and business persons, are just a small number of the men and women who helped shape the community over the past 175 years There are many other individuals worthy of inclusion, but many of them are not included due to lack of adequate family information. As with all research, it is inevitable that there will be conflicting facts and information pertaining to dates, names and locations, due to the discrepancies in historical and personal documents. We have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible by researching newspaper stories, obituaries and obtaining personal information from families. If there are errors, we would be happy to hear about them and if the new information can be confirmed, corrections will be made if the publications is reprinted in the future. J. Peter Hvidsten Publisher FACES of SCUGOG Volume Two Researched and Published by J. Peter Hvidsten First Published January 2021 PLEASE NOTE All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. To contact publisher: 905-985-3089 Cell: 905-449-6690 email: [email protected] 2 FACES SCUGOGof A secondVolume collection of profiles Two of the men and women who helped shape the development of Port Perry and Scugog Township. By J. Peter Hvidsten 3 Index Section A ..................................................................................................... 5. Section B ...................................................................................................... 7. Section C .................................................................................................. 19. Section D .................................................................................................. 37. Section E . ................................................................................................... 47. Section F ..................................................................................................... 49. Section G. ................................................................................................... 5.4 Section H .................................................................................................... 5.9. Section I ...................................................................................................... 7.2 Section J ..................................................................................................... 7.4 Section K ..................................................................................................... 7.9. Section L ..................................................................................................... 83 Section M . ................................................................................................. 9.1 Section N ................................................................................................. 110. Section O ................................................................................................. 111 Section P ................................................................................................... 115. Section R .................................................................................................. 124 Section S. .................................................................................................. 134 Section T . ................................................................................................. 147. Section U .................................................................................................. 15.2 Section V ....................................................................................................15.2 Section W .................................................................................................15.5. 4 A Dr. Niven Agnew Physician One of the early physicians of Reach Township was Dr. Niven Agnew, who had an medical office and residence in Boynton Hotel, in Prince Albert. Niven Agnew was born on May 6, 1828, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He married Jane Sommerville Ross on January 14, 1863 and they had seven children in ten years. Niven’s wife Jane, 34, died in Toronto as a young mother on April 19, 1875, following a miscarriage. Two years later he married Jennie E. McEwen on July 19, 1877, in York (Toronto), Ontario. Dr. Agnew and his wife moved to Winnipeg in 1879, following his lawyer son John, who became a prominent politician in the western province. Dr. Niven Agnew spent the rest of his life in Manitoba, passing away on March 1, 1905, in Winnipeg, at 76 years of age. Robert V. Archer Automobile Dealer Robert Vernon Archer was born into the automobile business, his father being one of Port Perry’s leading citizens, and a long standing dealer with cars. Born in 1927 at Port Perry, he is the son of Harold and Amelia Archer. He attended elementary and high school in his hometown, and began working at his father’s car dealership as a young man. Bob met his future wife Audrey Anne (Harrison), while pumping gas at the family dealership. They later married and raised a family four four children - Dean, Steven, Sandra and Vernon. Bob entered the business in 1945, and when his father retired due to ill health, he took over ownership of the Pontiac-Buick dealership which was BOB ARCHER located on Queen St. In the middle of town. In 1956 Bob purchased the garage site of Irwin Tripp, on the northwest corner of Water and Mary St., and relocated the dealership to the new site overlooking Lake Scugog, and renamed it Bob Archer Motors. He operated the business from this site until April 1972 before retiring, after spending 45 years in the car business. In addition to operating a busy car dealership, Bob was also active in the community, and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, serving as president of Branch 419 in 1965. He also had an interest in politics, and served as secretary/treasurer of the local Liberal Association. Bob had 45 years in the car business, and after he retired, he turned to his favourite hobby of building bird houses, which soon became a small home-based business. Robert Vernon Arched died with his wife Audrey at his side, on December 31, 2018, in his hometown at the age of 91. Audrey passed away on Junaury 16, 2021. Bob Archer Motors Ltd., Water St., Port Perry. 5 Joel Aldred, Sr. Early Settler / Farmer Joel Alldred (Aldred) was born on May 2, 1812 in Nottinghamshire, England, one of four children for his parents William and Hannah Alldred. He married Elizabeth Selina Holmes on September 1, 1830, and not long after, the newly-wed couple immigrated to Canada, settling at Huntley, Carleton, Ontario just outside of Ottawa. It was here their first child was born in May 1832. Their other seven children were also born at Huntley, the last one about 1850. An article the book, Scugog and Its Environs, by Rev. F.G. Weir, tells of Joel Alldred arriving on Scugog Island about 1845 to locate a suitable piece of property to purchase for his family, but archival records show he didn’t arrive before 1850. About a year after that first visit, he returned to Ontario County with his family, arriving at a landing along the shore of Lake Scugog. From here he transported his family and personal baggage to the “Island”, by means of a raft, landing at a place then known as Smith’s Landing. From here one of the earliest settlers in the area, William Rodman, moved their belongings with a yoke of oxen, from the landing to their new homestead on Lot 4, Conc. 10. A year later, the Canada Census (1851), shows Joel Aldred and his family as residents of Scugog Island. Joel’s wife, Elizabeth Selina, was 73 when she died on January 25, 1884. He died on February 18, 1892, having lived a long life of 79 years, and was buried at Scovilles Cemetery, Scugog Island beside his wife. Chester Asling Store Keeper Chester Asling was a native of Greenbank, being born on January 10, 1859. He was one of three sons and four daughters for his father Walter, a carpenter, and mother Amanda. He attended elementar school at Epsom, and high school in Port Perry. His ambition was to be a school teacher, a goal he achieved and spent almost 40 years teaching youth in Epsom, Marsh Hill, Bethesda and Bowmanville. Chester was held in the highest esteem and affection by his pupils and his colleagues. He retired in 1923. Chester was 24 when he married Jane McGregor, of Bethesda, on July 26, 1883. They had four children during their marriage William, Allan, Mary and Kathrine. Chester purchased the Epsom store in 1887 and operated it until his death. He also was the postmaster from the time he bought the CHESTER ASLING store until 1913. He was an active Mason at Uxbridge and also a member of Zeredatha Lodge, No. 220. One day in July 1926, while helping his neighbour, Mr. Wilson, fix a windmill at his Epsom farm, Chester suffered a severe stroke. Mr. Wilson climbed the windmill and held him from falling until help arrived to rescue him from the tower. Chester Asling died less than a month later, on August 18, 1926, at his home in Epsom, at the age of 67. His funeral was one of largest held at the Epsom United Church. He was described as kind and dignified man,