January 1st , 1885

The Strathroy Grammar school gains the title and rank of Strathroy Collegiate Institute. This is a large step for Strathroy, since nearly every town has a grammar school, but a collegiate institute means a greater number of students, a higher level of education and an increase in the town’s population due to the demand for the services this new school provides.

January 2nd, 1980

The New Year’s baby of this year in Strathroy is born. Her name is Nicole Marie Morphy, born to Wayn and Francis. She was born in the Strathroy Middlesex Hopsital at 7:06 P.M. weighing in at 5 pounds, 5 ounces. She is the sister of two year old Gregory.

January 3rd, 1955

Our Lady Immaculate school opens it’s doors to about 120 students. Constructed at a cost of $46,000, it consists of only three rooms. At this time, plans are already underway to expand it. The school was run by the nuns who were a part of the Roman Catholic convent in town.

January 4th, 1952

For the first week of January during this year, there was a bit of a Town Hall conundrum. At the end of the previous year, T. Paul Fred was voted as the next mayor of Strathroy. His inauguration date was set for the evening of January 7th. This meant that for the first to the seventh, Mr. Fred was not offically Mayor. The headline in the Age Dispatch read: “Who is Mayor of Strathroy?” The question was only half answered.

January 5th, 1911

The Age reports that the business transacted at the Strathroy Post Office during the year 1910 was a record breaker. It is recorded that the stamp sales alone amounted to $6,500, a sizeable amount at that time. More importantly, however, the Age states that there is no better way to judge the prosperity and growth of a community than the record of transactions at the post office. Although on a down-note, the volume of mail received did not exceed the previous year, meaning we sent more mail out to the world than the world sent us.

January 6th, 1972

The Age Dispatch announces that Strathroy’s Fin Temple placed 6th in one of the toughest diving championship trials ever held. The United States National Diving Championship is held annually at the Fort Lauderdale Hall Of Fame, in Florida. Competitors from all across Canada and the U.S. competed for nine days, combating winds of up to fifty miles an hour. Fin Temple dove from one, three, five, seven and ten metre towers in the fifteen to seventeen year age group and triumphed over the majority of the competition to place sixth. He was accompanied by his London coach, Keith Stewart.

January 7th, 1985

Strathroy celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Although it is common belief at this time that there were no Canadians committed to the battle, there was a Canadian regiment fighting with the British on the American left flank. This was the 1st Canadian Armored Carrier Regiment, more commonly known as the Kangaroo regiment. There were four men from the Strathroy area who were members of the Kangaroos. During the 40th anniversary, there was only one member left in town to reminisce about the battle. This was Syd Welch, who was a letter carrier for the post office for 16 years and was retired at the time of the anniversary. The other three men were Gordon Downham, who joined the airforce and then lived in London, Alex Pedden, who was at that time a bricklayer in New York, and Russel Gerry, who was killed on February 9th, 1945, in the Reichwald forest. The regiment survived the war, and had pushed all the way into Germany by the time they found out the war had been won. The regiment is known for converting old tanks into armoured carriers for ground troops.

January 8th, 1925

Strathroy Age Headline: STRATHROY PUPPY SENSATION OF SHOW – Richard Pincombe Jr’s eight month old Boston Terrier broke all records at the Boston Terrier Club of Canada, in Toronto. The puppy, named ‘Nation’s Dream Baby,’ won eight first place ribbons and six specials, reducing past champions to minor positions. The Age said that ‘she is one of the best puppies ever bred in Canada.’

January 9th, 1980

Printed in the Age Dispatch in the Poet’s Corner:

Some folks are hooked on booze
They crave their whiskey pure,
But I’m a garage sale junkie
And I can’t find a cure.

When I see a garage sale
I feel my pulses quicken,
My eyes light up like candles
And my speech begins to thicken.

I lose all sense of reason
And buy everything I see,
It may be other people’s junk
But it’s a treasure trove to me.

I’ve got wooden pepper mills
And a dandy gypsy flute,
Half a set of bowling balls
And some imitation fruit.

I’ve got little Chinese gods
And vases by the score,
I’ve even got a boot-jack;
They don’t make them anymore.

I’ve got ceramic dogs and cats
And some plastic unicorns,
Wooden shoes from Holland
And a set of reindeer horns.

Broken lamps and busted toasters
I hoard ‘em all with care,
Someday I’m going to fix them
When I get time to spare.

If possessions tell a story
It’s mighty plain to see
I’m a garage sale junkie
And I will never be set free.

-Paul Ray Miller, Strathroy ON

January 10th, 1952

The Favourite Recipe printed in the Women’s section of the Age Dispatch on this day was: Tomato-Curry Meat

1 tbsp. fat
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 ½ tbsps. lemon juice
1 cup cooked meat, cubed
1 tbsp. curry powder
cold water
½ cup milk
½ cup rice, boiled
3 bananas

Cook the onion in the fat in a heavy aluminum saucepan for five minutes; add the tomatoes, lemon juice and meat. Mix curry powder to paste with cold water; stir into the meat mixture until it tastes hot with curry powder. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt if necessary. Stir in ½ cup of cold milk just before serving. Heap a border of boiled rice on a platter or chop plate; fill with the curried meat. Serve with ripe, raw bananas, cut in half crosswise.

January 11th, 1815

Sir John A. Macdonald is born. As Prime Minister, he visited Strathroy in 1878. The account given in the Age at that time was not too forgiving of him, being a liberal paper. It states that a procession of about 50 horsement arrived from Watford at around 12 o’clock, and another from Delaware consisting of 15 horses along with 35 to 40 vehicles of various sorts. There were several hundred people at the platform waiting for the arrival of Sir. John A. and he was greeted with loud cheering. Though the Age did not reprint his speech, it quoted at large a story told by Sir John, of which the paper said: ‘The contrast between the manly, honest and statesmanlike utterances of the Reform Ministers, and the jerky, ranting and illogical oratory of Sir John, garnished with its vulgar stories and blasphemous expression, must have been humiliating to his supporters.” The Age also stated that the event was under a deluge of rain the entire time.

January 13th, 1916

Letters arrive in Strathroy after Christmas in the trenches of World War One. One says: ‘Our parcel has arrived and I am breaking the pad by writing on the first sheet. First, I want to thank you one and all for your great kindness. The gum, well the fellows are crazy over it. The cake, it takes the cake; it cannot be beaten. The maple cream, there was not enough. It was the best I ever ate and the fellows say so too. The handkerchiefs were a great idea and useful, well yes. The poor bar of chocolate, gone but not forgotten. All the fellows would like to have my pencil and other little personal things. It takes a pile of money to send the parcels across but words cannot tell you how much we appreciate them.’

January 14th, 1975

On this day, a world record held by two Strathroy youths was broken. Dave Butler and Bill Gassons held the longest chess marathon record with 109 hours. This was held for a year and they attained it after playing the game throughout the entire marathon in the SDCI library. Their record was broken by two fifteen year old boys, Ray Wood and Tony Deline from Peterborough, who played for 120 hours.

January 15th, 1875

Printed in the Age – “A Definition” – ‘ Take that lamp up’ said a mother to her daughter the other night, as the young lady set out for her bedchamber with no illumination but the light of her bright eyes – ‘Good gracious, mother!’ Was the laughing answer, ‘what kind of creature is a lamb pup?’ – ‘A lamb pup, my child, is the offspring of a sheep dog. Good night. Take the lamp.’

January 16th, 1860

By law nb. 1, put into action on this day, states that ‘no tavern be licensed to retail spirituous or fermented liquours within the said municipality except as shall have the following accomodation: At least 5 comfortable beds more than is necessary for the use of the family and servants, and comfortable stabling for 8 horses.’ In short, noone was allowed to sell alcoholic beverages unless they owned an inn.

January 17th, 1952

Michigan State College students foiled by Strathroy generosity in a Fraternity Initiation abduction. The Age Dispatch mentions on this date that a student was abducted from his college in Lansing, Michigan and taken across the border to a motel on the far side of London. He was stripped of all his identification and money and was not abel to leave the motel until he paid for the room. The abductees left twn dollars with the London Telegraph office to be delivered the next morning so the student could leave (it was believed the motel owner was party to the scheme). If the abducted student reached Lansing by midnight that night, the abductees would have to face the consequences of their Fraternity. The plan was foiled when the frat boys stopped in Strathroy for gas at 3 A.M. They appealed to the Chief of Police when they were unable to obtain gas themselves at that time. The chief, George Tanton, woke up Fred Griffiths to help them. The boys eagerly told Mr. Griffiths their story, who relayed the information back to Chief Tanton.

January 19th, 1985

Submitted this week to the Age Dispatch, a poem about the Mayor of Strathroy concerning some of the issues which arose earlier this month.:

Come gather round me
Now my friends,
To talk about a certain man,
The Mayor of good Strathroy.

He’s Mayor of all the people,
So should our hearts rejoice?
Hats off to Dr. Wolder?
He was the people’s choice.

Will our park problems vanish,
And our troubles melt away?
Will the Chief and he walk arm in arm,
Along the new paved way?
He points with a scornful finger,
At some merchants passing by,
And says to our Chief Sinkovich,
That on them he should spy.

He tells the Chief with skillful hands,
Our bodies he can cure,
Our minds he cannot reach just yet,
As in Orwell’s ’84.

The Age Dispatch takes up the theme,
And fills the whole front page,
It’s new they say what our Mayor does,
So let the people rage.

But even with their columns wide,
They cannot cover all,
So they put his words in larger print,
Their readers to enthrall.

This poor prose flowing from my pen,
Is my attempt at humor,
Beware, oh Mr. Mayor we say,
Elections not a rumor.

Unite the people that you meet,
Encourage one and all,
That all may prosper in the town,
And return you in the fall.

And if we meet in Heaven above,
Where streets are paved with gold,
Strathroy will have a special place,
Where noone groweth old at all.

Perhaps there is a special place,
Where all the Mayors do go,
For the good Lord in his mercy,
Wouldn’t send them down below.

-Thomas A. Aiken, Strathroy

January 20th, 1916

Reviews are in for the Strathroy Amateurs production of ‘Mikado,’ which is said to be ‘a fine performance.’ The general verdict of the packed house was that the costumes were elegant and the staging perfect. This is the third time in twenty years that the play was produced in Strathroy. It was put on at the Lyceum theatre by about 50 young residents of Strathroy. Strangers to the town claimed it was performed in a professional manner that is not seen frequently elsewhere.

January 21st, 1915

The Strathroy Age gave notice of the death of Harry Butler, son of the prominent Strathroy resident, James Butler. Harry had travelled to Toledo to look after a store he owned when, while asleep one night, fumes from the gas stove suffocated him. James and his son, Duncan, traveled to Toledo immediately and returned after only two days to bury the remains in the Strathroy cemetery.

January 22nd, 1946

Jason Learn dies today from a tragic drumptruck accident. Tragic though this is, it was quite a coincidence that on the day of his funeral, his new widow gave birth to his daughter. It is noted at the and of the announcement that there was no inquest into the fatality.

January 23rd, 1947

A letter from Norway is received by Cameron Somerville. During the war, a package of clothing was sent to Norway by Cameron, along with many other packages to areas all over Europe. This package of clothing contained a coat, which apparently was a wise gift, since it was mentioned specifically in the letter as being worn by the sender’s 14 year old son. Along with this coat was Cameron’s name and address. The woman was quite enthusiastic about sending a thank you letter back to the generous Strathroy resident. The letter reads:

“Mr. Cameron Somerville: Heartfelt thanks for the gift you sent to Norway. The coat now warms my lad who 14 years. We have four children, Aud, 16 years, Aage, 15 years, Roald, 14 years, and Edny, 11 years. We lost our home and all we owned during the war. We are hoping for everlasting peace so that we can build up again. When we saw what was sent to us from America, we were deeply moved by your sympathy and I know that many extend their sincere thanks and greetings. I wish I could write English so that you could perhaps understand me better but I hope that you understand by my letter. You may write English to me as there are a number who read the language. My husband is 37 years old and I myself am 35 years. Christmas, 1946, the second peace Christmas draws near. We send you and yours our best wishes. A Merry Christmas! Please write to me.” Fru. Keara Kristiansson, Skjelsviksjouen, Helgeland, Norway.

January 24th, 1925

On this day there was a total eclipse of the sun. At eleven minutes past nine in the morning, there was total darkness everywhere in the Northeast. This is something that has never before occurred in the lives of those living in Strathroy, nor would it happen again, so says the Strathroy Age. They say the previous eclipse occurred in 1806, and the next will be in 2024.

An excerpt from the Age describes it as: ‘A great black disc slowly blotting out the sun. The rush of a gigantic shadow across the earth abruptly turning day into night. The sudden flashing of a streaming, pearly halo around the sun. Outbursts of blood red light from the circumference of the sun. Stars shining in the daytime. A sudden chill in the air.’

January 25th, 1973

Bomb threat at SDCI! The Age Dispatch reports that one of the custodians of the Strathroy District Collegiate Institute received a phone call earlier this week which stated that a bomb had been placed in the school and was set to go off at 2:30 the next day. Classes were shortened the following day and the students were allowed to leave before the bomb was supposed to explode. It did not, though the report did not say if there actually was a bomb. However, the same article admits that there had been a break-in the previous weekend, but also states that the two events had no apparent connection. It also mentions that, to the newspaper’s knowledge, the school is still standing.

January 26th, 1933

The Age reports that Strathroy is weathering the Great Depression extremely well. This is due to a remarkable relief organization and the extreme generosity shown by the women volunteers. Because of this high level of management and dedication, the town put out a relatively low amount of money towards the relief effort. In fact, during the previous December, the relief organization did not use a single penny of the town’s money and was able to enter this month with a fifteen dollar surplus.

January 27th, 1961

After many months of attempting to decide if the town should build a new hospital, tenders were finally accepted this month for plans of a new building. One was chosen of an eighty two bed hospital, and construction would begin four months later. Only one year after the sod turning, the hospital was complete. The opening was a gala event, drawing much excitement from the population. Full page advertisements appeared in the Age Dispatch and the event was attended by most of the town. The Minister of National Health and Welfare was given the honour of cutting the ribbon, and then tours were given afterwards to over six thousand people.

January 28th, 1918

Strathroy District Collegiate Institute hosts the competition to win the T.C. Robinson prize. This prize is given for outstanding public speaking, and during this particular competition there were four contestants involved in a debate. These men were Messrs. Walter Nichol, Blake Rapley, George Bycroft ad Leslie Nelson. The topic of the debate was one of large ideological issues. More specifically the subject was: “Resolved that, after the present war [WWI], there should be a world parliament to have power to decide all matters of common interest to the states and also all differences between them.” Quite a mouthful, but it was apparently one of the best debates held in this competition’s history. In the end, the judges decided that Walter Nichol was the best orator of the night. It was stated in the report that any student who wins this prize is assured success in the future. The school was applauded for the admirable work it is doing with events like this competition.

January 29th, 1944

The first Red Cross blood donor clinic is held today in Strathroy. Before now, Strathroy residents had to travel to London to donate, but because of the increased strain on resources due to the war, the reward of the trip was not worth the price of worn out tires and rationed gasoline. The Red Cross felt that Strathroy was a large enough souce of donations to set up a new clinic. It is mentioned that the Age Dispatch would print the names of all Strathroy residents who had given blood each month. The clinic was held in the Strathroy Armouries, where the library is located now.

January 30th, 1941

The Age reports that there is an average of fifteen volunteer workers attending the Red Cross workrooms at town hall everyday. These are all Strathroy women who knit sweaters, socks and pajamas for the soldiers in the war. They also make hospital supplies and donate quilts, blankets and clothing for refugees. In addition to these volunteers, there is an estimated four hundred women in the Strathroy area who knit and donate the same items independently. The Red Cross programs such as this were extremely important, as the Red Cross was the only organization allowed to send supplies to the German prisoner of war camps.

January 31st, 1958

The effects of the Cold War between the US and Russi did not pass by our little town. This entire month, there was a series of lectures at the Strathroy Hospital on this topic. The Lectures were given by F.A. Reynolds, who was the chief of staff of the Civil Defense Headquarters in this district. Topics of the lectures included setting up a disaster plan for Strathroy which was of particular interest to the nurses and doctors of the town. It was asked that all nurses, both current and retired, should attend. Other incidents involving the Cold War include an earlier report by the Age Dispatch that R.C.M.P officers were in town investigating reports that tobacco workers were practicing activities related to communism.