Milton Aerated Water Works, Milton Nova Scotia

Taken from the Liverpool Advance in 1889.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you open a bottle of Pepsi or other flavors of pop, have you ever thought about how long Soda Pop has been around? Well, at one time, Queens County had it's own pop producer. Milton Aerated Water Works was located on the West Side of Milton on the property owned today by Aubrey and Diane Coombs. It opened around 1889 by brothers Samuel T. Kempton (1848-1910) and Stephen H. Kempton (1855-1922) and remained in operation until 1926. They produced soda, tonic, mineral waters and other aerated and carbonated beverages. In 1891 they began making soda pop with flavors such as Orange, Lemonade, Coffee Cream Soda, Blood Strawberry, Birch Beer, WineO, and Crab Apple Tonic just to name a few. The most unusual thing about Milton Aerated Water Works was the bottles that the pop was in. It was called a Codd Stopper Bottle. It had a marble in it which was tight against the opening of the bottle, a small, round opener would "break the seal" and the marble would get pushed into the neck. The bad thing about this is that the kids would break the bottles to get the marbles to play with. Also you could return the bottles for a refund which was totally unheard of back in those times. The bottles were fairly expensive to produce so reusing them was very cost effective. My grandmother was one of those "kids" who smashed the bottles to get the marbles and I heard her stories about it many times. The building that housed Milton Aerated Water Works was demolished in 1931. Today the bottles are very collectible, the last I heard is a bottle was valued at about $200 each. I'm lucky to have collected a few of them and also purchased an opener on ebay a few years ago.

Advertisement from Milton Aerated Water Works

Labels from Milton Aerated Water Works showing many flavors

The only known invoice from Milton Aerated Water Works in 1922. I own the original.

Codd Stopper Bottle from Milton Aerated Water Works

One of my Milton Aerated Water Works Bottles with an opener

A 1945 Liverpool (east) Voters List

I've been collecting Queens County "Stuff" for years and recently when I moved I realized I collected and saved too damn much "stuff". For the past 6 months I've been going through box after box, bag after bag and container after container of photos, papers, documents, receipts and more. I've probably gone through 30-40 boxes/containers many full to their top. I've been shredding and tossing, organizing and keeping and in some cases sharing with all of you on my blog. Today I found a partial voters list from 1945 that I will share. It's always fun to try to locate our relatives on these old papers. Whoever had the original marked off names but luckily in most cases you can still read the names through the marks. Enjoy!

Telephone Service in Liverpool, Nova Scotia and a 1953 Liverpool Phone Book

The Telegraph & Telephone Office on the corner of Main and Carten Streets

Liverpool Advance - May 15,1955

For many years, communication to the people of Liverpool was provided through the Liverpool Telegraph Office. It was located behind the old Post Office on the corner of Main Street and Carten Street. This would be the way many families would learn the sad news that their loved ones were killed in action during the World Wars. There were no cell phones, no face book, no tweetering, things were different and communication slow back then. I don't know when telephone service first came to Queens County but it would be a great piece of history to know. In the early 1950's plans were started to demolish the beautiful Liverpool Post Office with it's steeple and town clock and replace it with a new building. Also being demolished was the telegraph office. The new Post Office would occupy the entire property that had previously housed both buildings. The new Maritime Telegraph & Telephone office was constructed just up the street on Court Street and is still there today. I'm not really sure what it's used for today, maybe someone can offer their knowledge on this building. I remember it being used for Maritime Tel & Tel back in the 1970s or so but I've never had to go inside. I don't know who worked there but would love to. Attached to this blog is a treasure I located several years ago. It's a 1953 Liverpool and area phone book. The days of switchboards and switchboard operators. It's fun to look for your grandparents or great grandparents phone numbers and in most cases it also gives their addresses. Hope you all enjoy looking at it as much as I did.

UFO Sighting in 1796 - Have you seen a UFO?

A UFO in the US...taken from the internet

Recently I wrote on my blog, about Simeon Perkins recording in his diaries about the sighting of a UFO in the Valley in 1796. It is the earliest known such recording in North America. A lot of readers have messaged me about it and it has stirred up a lot of interest. Here is the recording from his diary.

 

UFOs OVER CANADA

FIFTEEN SHIPS AND A MAN
Wednesday, October 12, 1796
Simeon Perkins

...
The earliest report of the sighting of an "unidentified flying object" in the sky over North America is likely the one that is found in the diary of a Maritime shipbuilder.

This report comes from the diary that was kept by Simeon Perkins (1735-1812), a Loyalist merchant, colonial judge, and prosperous resident of Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

His gracious home, Perkins House, is preserved as a museum, largely through the efforts of the Maritime author Thomas H. Raddall.

Perkin's diary is of great interest to social historians for the light it sheds on social conditions in the province in the 18th Century. The Diary of Simeon Perkins was issued by the Champlain Society of Toronto in three volumes between 1948 and 1961. The third volume, which was edited by C.B. Fergusson, includes the entry for for Wednesday, 12 Oct. 1796, which describes "Fifteen Ships and a Man."

The entry is reprinted here. New Minas is a community near Minas Basin on the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy.

As each age is inclined to depict "unidentified flying objects" or UFOs in the imagery of the day, it is not surprising that in the days of sail there should be a description of an aerial flotilla of fifteen ships following a navigator.

A strange Story is going that Fleet of Ships have been Seen in the Air in Some part of the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Darrow is lately from there by Land. I enquired of him.

He Says they were Said to be Seen in the New Minas, at one Mr. Ratchford's, by a Girl, about Sunrise, & that the Girl being frightened, Called out, & two men that were in the House went out and Saw the Same Sight, being 15 Ships and a Man forwards of them with his hand Stretched out.

The Ships made to the Eastward. They were So Near that the people Saw their Sides and ports.

The Story did not obtain universal Credit, but Some people believed it.

My Own Opinion is that it was only in Imagination, as the Cloud at Sunrise might Make Some Such appearance, which being Improved by Imagination, might be all they Saw.

Exceedingly pleasant day & Evening

One of my face book friends messaged me this morning and had a great idea. She thought it would be a good idea for people to share their sightings. Have you seen a UFO? If you have or know of a story to share please comment.

I personally have a story and here's how it goes. One day when I was still going to Milton School, my cousin and I were walking home and we were walking on Tupper Street, near the woods road we always called the "Fire Road" when we heard a loud noise almost like loud music. We didn't know where it was coming from when suddenly this silver ball came floating over us. If you clasped your hands together and make your arms in a circular shape that's about how big I remember it being. It wasn't going fast just taking it's time and it was where the noise was coming from. I think it had 3 legs on it too. This was in the late 1970s so I don't remember every detail but it just went along it's way and disappeared over the tree tops. For those of you skeptics, I just want you to know I wasn't a teenage alcoholic or a pot head so I can't blame what I saw on drinking or drugs. To this day I don't know what we saw and luckily we didn't get beamed on board but what it was I will never know.

Kentucky Fried Chicken / Seamans Store, Main Street, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

 Recently Liverpool lost another business adding it to a list of business closures in 2011. KFC closed it's doors to the shock and surprise of it's workers and customers. For almost 34 years KFC has been in Liverpool and at the same location. Back when it first opened Col. Sanders, the founder and familiar face of KFC was still living and every year when he celebrated a birthday, all KFC's would offer a 2 piece snack for the price of what his age was. I remember getting a snack for 89 cents. A quick look on google shows he died in 1980 at the age of 90. Harold MacKnight, Marsha Whynot, Eleanor Whynot were familiar faces way back when and for many years Fulton Schrader, Wanda Himmelman and Doug Whynot were employed here. Over the years the menu changed, new things added like popcorn chicken, big crunch, chicken burgers,etc but the original KFC chicken never left the menu. The delicious smell of KFC was a nice aroma on that end of town and it will be missed.

 I remember when I was a young fella going into that building to Dannie Seaman's store (it had previously been the store of his dad John Seaman). It had a lunch counter on the left as you walked in and on the far right of the store were many rolls of material for those talented people who could sew and make clothing,etc. They sold small household appliances and school supplies and probably a lot more that a kid my age really wasn't too interested in. Dannie Seaman died in the early 1970s and the store closed. I remember the name changing to MacDonalds but don't recall going in or who owned it. It wasn't opened too long when the building was sold and renovations began in September 1977. I remember walking by with my mom and seeing the entire front of the building on the ground floor being opened and you could look inside. Carpenters were inside preparing for a new business - Kentucky Fried Chicken was coming to Liverpool.

 The store front completely changed and instead of just one central door which had existed before, KFC had 2 doors, one on each end with a large central window. Tables with attached chairs were added and customers could order and eat in or take out. Also purchased by KFC was the building in back of the new KFC location and that building was demolished and a parking area created. That building I don't recall at all. Let's hope another business will open here and my history on this building and the businesses in it will continue.

Perkins House and Queens County Museum, Liverpool, N.S.

The Simeon Perkins House is one of the oldest houses in Liverpool. Built in 1766-67, it was the home of Simeon Perkins and family until his death in 1812. Perkins is well known for many reasons. He was an entrepreneur, Lieut Colonel in the Militia, Justice of the Peace, a Judge, and a Member of the Legislature but he is best known because of a diary that he kept from 1766 until his death. In the diary he recorded early life in the Liverpool Township and his diaries even contain the earliest record of a UFO sighting in North America. The Perkins house has been a museum for many years with lots of artifacts. Most recently, with today's technology, "ghosts" have been added to help keep interest for the younger generation. In 1980-81 the Queens County Museum was constructed and opened next door to the Perkins House, on the site where the armory was located. The Queens County Museum is a gem to Queens County. It boasts the largest collection of local history artifacts of any place in Queens County. If you are interested in shipbuilding, privateering, early days in Liverpool, old furniture and portraits from Liverpool families and more, then the Queens County Museum is a must see. Back in 1987 I started going to the museum to do genealogy on my own families. The research center was upstairs in a very small but useful area. Many Saturdays many of us would squeeze ourselves into that little space and find information on our families. After the death of well known author Thomas H. Raddall, the Raddall family generously donated money to build an addition to the rear of the building to be used as a research center as well as an accurate reconstruction of Mr. Raddall's study where he wrote many of his books. The Thomas H. Raddall Research Center officially opened in 1995 giving the Queens County Museum a research center to be proud of. Thanks to many hard working volunteers and staff, the research center is packed with microfilm, cemetery records, vital statistics, thousands of old Queens County photographs and much, much more. I was a regular to this place for many years and if you have never been, I strongly suggest a visit to see both the Perkins House and Queens County Museum - you won't be disappointed. Linda Rafuse and her staff are very knowledgeable in all aspects of Queens County history and would be happy to share their knowledge with visitors.

Perkins House & Queens County Museum

Simeon Perkins House

Queens County Museum

Official Opening of the Thomas Raddall Research Center

UFOs OVER CANADA
FIFTEEN SHIPS AND A MAN
Wednesday, October 12, 1796
Simeon Perkins
    The earliest report of the sighting of an "unidentified flying object" in the sky over North America is likely the one that is found in the diary of a Maritime shipbuilder. This report comes from the diary that was kept by Simeon Perkins (1735-1812), a Loyalist merchant, colonial judge, and prosperous resident of Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
His gracious home, Perkins House, is preserved as a museum, largely through the efforts of the Maritime author Thomas H. Raddall.
Perkin's diary is of great interest to social historians for the light it sheds on social conditions in the province in the 18th Century. The Diary of Simeon Perkins was issued by the Champlain Society of Toronto in three volumes between 1948 and 1961. The third volume, which was edited by C.B. Fergusson, includes the entry for for Wednesday, 12 Oct. 1796, which describes "Fifteen Ships and a Man."
The entry is reprinted here. New Minas is a community near Minas Basin on the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy.
As each age is inclined to depict "unidentified flying objects" or UFOs in the imagery of the day, it is not surprising that in the days of sail there should be a description of an aerial flotilla of fifteen ships following a navigator.

A strange Story is going that Fleet of Ships have been Seen in the Air in Some part of the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Darrow is lately from there by Land. I enquired of him. He Says they were Said to be Seen in the New Minas, at one Mr. Ratchford's, by a Girl, about Sunrise, & that the Girl being frightened, Called out, & two men that were in the House went out and Saw the Same Sight, being 15 Ships and a Man forwards of them with his hand Stretched out.
The Ships made to the Eastward. They were So Near that the people Saw their Sides and ports.
The Story did not obtain universal Credit, but Some people believed it.
My Own Opinion is that it was only in Imagination, as the Cloud at Sunrise might Make Some Such appearance, which being Improved by Imagination, might be all they Saw.
Exceedingly pleasant day & Evening

Wentzell's Corner Store, Milton, Nova Scotia

Wentzell's Store

What is now known as the Milton Corner Store was called Wentzell's Store when I was young. Chester and Rosie Wentzell owned and operated the business. As I recall, Chester was a quiet man and Rosie was a sweet person with a lot of patience for us kids. They always kept the cost of their popsicles cheap so the kids could afford to buy them. There was a lady who worked there named Sue Whynot (wife of Sherman) and she was the sweetest person who always had a big smile on her face. I had curly hair back then and lots of it and she always called me Curly and would comment that she had to pay to get her 

haired curled. Sue died fairly young and I don't think that I ever go in that store that I don't think of her. The Wentzell's had a gas pump outside that even when I was young it looked like an antique. The Wentzell's lived almost next door to the store, so if someone was in desperate need of gas in the wee hours of the night, Chester would crawl out of bed to get his customers the gas they needed. Owners of this business included Bernard and Samantha Freeman, then Robert Ellis, Chester and Rosie Wentzell who had it for 15 years. They sold it to Charles and Greta Connolly who, in 1986, sold it to Kim Risser. I believe he still presently owns it.

Chester & Rosie Wentzell

Inside Wentzell's Store - Rosie with an employee

Step Rite Shoe Store and more, Main Street, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

Side View of Step Rite Shoe Store

Pirates Cove's original location - 1995

I remember when I was just a young kid, my grandmother taking me into Step Rite Shoe Store. I believe the store was closing for business and she wanted to get herself a few pairs of shoes because they were on sale. This older man, who was the owner (Charlie Butler) took my grandmother and I to this back room and there were loose shoes everywhere as I recall. That was the only memory I have of that place. It was probably the early to mid 1970s. I believe after Step Rite closed J.P.'s Sweet Shop opened there and it had more flavors of ice cream than I had ever seen in my life. They even had a double cone so you could get twice as much ice cream which all of us kids loved. A few of us kids from Milton would go to Sunday night public skating at the Arena and head to J.P.'s after for ice cream. I don't think J.P.'s was there too many years and I don't know who worked there or who owned it. After J.P.'s closed Radio Shack opened there and had the best selection of records and eventually cassettes that I had ever seen. Seems to me the manager's name was Glen, dark hair and beard but I dont know who he was. When Radio Shack closed it's doors I think it was then it became park of Reynold's Pharmacy which was next door and he opened Pirates Cove Jewelry Store. Mark Reynold's also purchased the building next door where Liverpool Ladies Wear was located and opened a ladies clothing shop but that didnt remain open for long and Pirates Cove moved there and is still there today. The original Pirates Cove location is now used for housewares and a link to go between Pharmachoice and Pirates Cove. If I've forgotten anything at this location feel free to let me know.

Pine Grove Take Out, Milton, Nova Scotia

Pine Grove Park is definitely a gem for the Liverpool area. Bowater has owned it for a number of years and have continued to invest in the park, making lots of walking trails and adding lots of rhododendrons and other beautiful plants and shrubs for all of us to enjoy. The park was once the location of a few houses, some occupied by Jollimore and Roy families. The Roy family (James and Elizabeth) were my great great great grandparents and their house was located down near the river's edge in a clearing known as Roy's Clearing which has many beautiful rhodis and is a great place to take photos. The houses were there many, many years ago. During the 1970s when I was a kid, you could drive your car down through the entire park and in what is now the large parking area, there was a take out on the left. The Pine Grove Take Out was operated by Henry Lee (originally from Hong Kong) and his wife Marion. The food was delicious and the smell from the take out I will never forget. It was a small building as I recall with a door on the left end of it and when you went inside there was a counter with Marion there to greet you and take your order. She was always a sweet lady,  always friendly to the customers, and as I remember she had a gold tooth in the front that you could see when she talked. There were chairs lined up along the wall and windows all along behind the chairs which looked out to the parking lot. There was a wall with a small window behind the counter looking into the kitchen where you could see Henry cooking up tasty meals of fish and chips, hamburgers, etc for his patrons and when the food was prepared it would be passed out through that window to Marion who put it in brown paper bags. Henry got sick with cancer I believe and he passed away in 1978- the take out never reopened. Marion passed away in 1992. The building was moved up in the woods behind where it had been, probably used for storage and the last I knew it was still there. I've never seen a picture of the old take out but would love to find one so if any readers out there has a photo please contact me.

Liquor Stores in Liverpool, Nova Scotia

327 Main Street

218 Main Street

 Most of us remember well that the Liquor Store was on Main Street where Value Plus was located most recently, but did you ever think where it was located before that? One of the earliest liquor stores in Liverpool was located at 218 Main Street known as the Bartling Building. Mr. S.M. Bartling had offices on the second floor for his Insurance and Coal businesses. This was probably in the 1940s. It moved up the street to 327 Main probably during the 1950s. In November 1962, Chestnut Hall (also called the Patch Property) was demolished and a new Liquor Store was constructed. Chestnut Hall was one of the finest properties on Main Street with many marble fireplaces and made of beautiful timber. It had a large chestnut tree in front and the rear of the building was beautiful, even had a widow's walk on top. The liquor store was here for many years until finally making it's present home beside the Liverpool Superstore probably around 2003 or 2004.

Front view of Chestnut Hall - below is the rear view

The liquor store after renovations in the 1990s

Liquor Store on the site where Chestnut Hall was located

Riverview School, Milton, Nova Scotia

Riverview School

The Riverview School was built in the 1950s and in December 1995 it was demolished. The school was used as an upgrading facility for many years and at one time a mobile building also sat on the property which was needed to accommodate the large numbers of people taking advantage of the programs that were available here. As enrollment declined the mobile building was removed and eventually the doors to the facility closed and the building became vacant. The Liverpool Food Bank used the building for a short time, providing food for less fortunate families in need. After the food bank left, the building was vacant once again and any attempts to put the building to some use failed so it was demolished. Daphne Ackerman was an instructor there for many years, She was also the owner/operator of the Ball & Skein in Liverpool for many years.

Peoples Department Store, Main Street, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

The Wigglesworth Building

Peoples Department Store

 In May 1969 a new building was being constructed on the corner of Main and Gorham Street, on the site previously occupied by the Wigglesworth building, owned by Charles and Mabel Wigglesworth. The Wigglesworth building housed such businesses as Garneau's Fine Foods (owned by the late Garneau Seaman) and New Systems Laundry and Dry Cleaning. The newly built store was called the Peoples Department Store and it remained in business for over 25 years closing for business in 1995. I always enjoyed going to the People's store because they had the best "Pet" section of any store in Liverpool and I enjoyed going to see what was there.  Cindy White, Carol Whynott, Elaine Whynott, and Colleen Conrad are some of the workers I can remember from there. The managers over the years included Jeff Strang, David Booth and the last manager there Ken Klassen. The owners of Liverpool Home Hardware purchased the building and in 1995 Home Hardware moved in occupying all of the downstairs and half of the upstairs. Liverpool Value Plus eventually moved into the other half of the upstairs until moving next door to the old Nova Scotia Liquor Store building. Don and Vi MacKenzie, owners of Liverpool Home Hardware opened up a Home Hardware Furniture Store where Value Plus was located. The building was never a really attractive building but more the style of a big cement box. To help beautify the building a large mural was painted on the rear of the building and has always been something of interest for tourists to the area.

Rear view of Home Hardware with the beautiful mural