Exploring Schomberg's Main Street

Schomberg's annual spring fair is a longstanding community event that evolved from an agricultural fair first held in the mid-19th century.

The first steam train in Canada came through King Township on its way from Toronto to Aurora in 1853. After that, “railway mania” hit Canada and thousands of kilometres of track was laid across the country. For many small communities, a train coming through town was the difference between thriving and fading away.

One unavoidable cost of farming is animal feed and one way to reduce that cost is through the reuse of crop waste. Anderson Tegart sought to capitalize on the abundant waste found throughout King Township's lush farmland by transforming it into something that farmers could use and also make a tidy sum. Buying land in 1859, he constructed the feedmill in 1870.

When railways arrived in Upper Canada (Ontario) in the mid-19th century, a competition between small communities began; the railway was new and exciting, and all the villages wanted a station. Inclusion on a railway line could ensure the future existence of a village, while being left out almost guaranteed its demise.

In 1907, the Schomberg Market Association was formed and built the new location you see in the picture above. As times changed, and rail service was discontinued the market's popularity waned, and the hall was converted into a multi-use community hub, housing the Lions Club and the Women's Institute, acting as a true community hall. While community halls across the country have played a similar role, the Women's Institute and their documents are important to the history of Ontario. The Women's Institute preserved the history of its residents in the Tweedsmuir documents, an invaluable record of the comings and goings in Schomberg.

Preservation of the natural environment and built heritage is a top priority in King and that effort can be seen throughout the Township. In Schomberg, the distinctive charm of the village is provided in large part by the heritage buildings that still line Main Street; preserved not as time capsules but as living buildings that acquire more character with each passing decade.

The face of Main Street has changed over the last century, but its heritage still shines through. New residents arrived and established businesses and others moved away. On the east side of Main Street, just over the bridge the building at 220 Main Street, was home to Charlie’s Barber Shop. Next door at 214 Main Street, an Imperial sign marks the location of a former garage.

The Schomberg Pub & Patio is housed in this picturesque late-Victorian brick house, once the home and workplace of one of Schomberg’s renowned medical doctors. Morris Kinsey Dillane was born in 1874 near Tottenham, Ontario, and studied medicine at the University of Toronto. In January 1900, Dr. Dillane started his practice in Schomberg, and two years later, he married Annie Henderson. The couple received a driving horse as a wedding gift from Dr. Dillane’s older brother, and it was Old Dolly that ensured the doctor made it through all kinds of weather to his house calls.

The historic hotels of Schomberg held an important purpose for the town, not only providing a place for weary travellers to rest but also a place for stabling horses. By the late 19th century, Schomberg had two hotels frequented by locals and travellers alike: the St. George Hotel and the Queen’s Hotel.

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, farming implements changed significantly. Inventions in farming, including the tractor, made life easier for the farmers of Schomberg. More and more farm tools became mechanized, and steam engines in particular made significant changes to the farming landscape. Tractors could complete the same work as horses in hours rather than days. By the 1940s, the era of workhorses was coming to an end.

This photo shows the clean-up at Dixon’s Grocery at 208 Main Street, which is now home to Grackle Coffee, in October of 1954. Like many of the towns in the area, Schomberg faced significant repairs in the wake of Hurricane Hazel, an unprecedented storm that hit the area with a vengeance. What began as a small hurricane near Haiti hit the Carolina coast and moved across Pennsylvania and New York to stall over Southern Ontario. Hazel was responsible for at least 645 deaths across Haiti, the United States, and Canada.

Fires were a common concern throughout the history of North America. The Huron-Wendat built their longhouses in formations that would prevent wind from blowing through and spreading fires. In the 19th century, Toronto declared that all residences must have two two-gallon buckets and two ladders ready in case fire broke out.
Early wooden structures were certainly at the mercy of fires, but water was equally destructive. Schomberg saw its fair share of both; throughout its history, fires and floods have changed the shape of the town and the lives of its residents.¹

In an agricultural community, where the health of farm animals was key, the vet was a vital and respected member. Dr. Robert L. Graham (1858-1923) was one of Schomberg's beloved veterinarians; his small shop was located adjacent to the Street George Hotel on the west side of Main Street.

Echoes of the past can be seen in this early 20th century image, which looks north on Main Street. The street was gravelled, the sidewalks wooden and there were hitching posts for the horses. Today the streets are paved, the sidewalks cement and the hitching posts have been replaced by cars lining the street.
In the front left of this photo is Skinner’s Butcher Shop, now a private residence, with its delivery wagon parked out front. George Thomas Skinner started butchering at age 16 and ran a successful business for many years. Skinner's youngest son, Blake, followed in his father's footsteps and carried on the family business.
Mid-ground, partially hidden by a tree in this photo, is a typical board-and-batten commercial building at 239 Main Street. Today it's occupied by Horizon Realty. Originally built as 1 ½ storeys, a cheeky way to avoid higher taxes, buildings like this had false fronts to make them appear a more impressive two storeys. With a central front door and large windows to illuminate the interior and showcase the wares on offer, these stores often had living quarters upstairs for the family who ran the business. Over the years, this building housed many tenants. Today it is remembered fondly as Foran’s Barbershop & Billiards Hall.

While the first official commercial bank branch to open in Schomberg was the Traders Bank of Canada in 1902, the first actual bank in Schomberg was Garrett Brown's private bank. In 1865, Garrett Brown opened a private banking firm, largely a lending institution with high interest rates, in his own home at the corner of Main Street and Church Street.
Banking at the time was monitored by charters issued by the government of Upper Canada by royal assent. Businesses that received and held deposits for the public were considered banks, and legislation was developed to discourage private banking. However, rural communities often did not have the benefit of chartered bank branches, so prominent citizens would step in to fulfill this need.¹