Letter to the Editor
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Dear Editor
I found the article of July 9, re: The Backus Heritage Conservation Area, most interesting, and I feel I have the following information that hopefully you will find of interest.
One version of how the barn was saved (I was told) was that hay bales were heaped all around so the barn was overlooked.
A few years ago, while being active in one of our town's clubs, I became acquainted with a member whose name was Bachus, and in conversation he became aware that I had a collection of wooden coat hangers.
In due time I was notified of being bequeathed of some wooden hangers, hand made years before by one of the older Backus persons. These are treasured items that I still retain as the wire used for hangers was fencing wire, twisted etc., inserted into holes probably burned through the pine base wood. A very interesting feature is that hangers made with rounded shoulders would keep items, with straps etc., from slipping off. How ingenious!
Still basic pine, having never been stained or printed upon, these are quite old. My guess is over 100 years.
As an aside from these hangers noted, as I have disposed of the collection, I also have three hangers with local business names of shops now long passed.
J.C. McCormack – Tillsonburg, "Maker of Men's Clothing," plus another saying Fashionable Tailor. Also, from a grand old Tillsonburg house being demolished, I have a slim hanger, painted grey, printed Northway 50th Anniversary. (Northway was a large department store chain, running opposition to Eaton's. It was perhaps the second tenant, I am told, of the current building on Broadway with Coffee Culture on the main floor.)
To finalize, when moving to town in 1990, a shoe store gave me a neck tie, red in colour having the words (Shop) Right in Tillsonburg. The shop owner told me that years ago all the town shops ran a sales program with staff all wearing these ties! Who does recall that program?
Cal G. Coulter,
Tillsonburg