BEECHEY: ANHS explores Tillsonburg’s ‘story of incorporation’

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March was an important month in the Tillson family. Our founder George Tillson carved our fair town of Tillsonburg out of the bush in 1825 and 47 years later it was incorporated, not as a village but as a town.

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His youngest son, Edwin Delevan Tillson, at 47, became the first mayor by acclamation. That date, 150 years later, was celebrated by the town but not at the exact place, as the Sons of Temperance Hall is no longer with us. Nor is our town hall.

We did not get our own town hall until 26 years later in 1898. No one wanted their taxes to go up for meetings, so they rented a hall in the Sons Of Temperance building on the southeast corner of Baldwin and Bidwell. Evidently, it was sufficient to their needs. Of course, it helped that the Sons of Temperance offered their hall for the council meetings rent free for one year, so on March 22 the first of those meetings was held.

They had replaced their hall, built in 1863 and later destroyed by fire, with a new, big building – two stories high. This was where theatre, church services, major assemblies, touring and community entertainment ventures and other social events where held. It was like today’s Lion’s Auditorium – a large room with a raised platform at one end. It was also known as the Sons Music Hall.

It was here that the men debating, nay, arguing for or against incorporating as a village or town had been meeting. Incorporation was a very hot, contentious issue.

The fraternal society Sons of Temperance frowned upon the use of alcohol and was part of the temperance wave that was sweeping society. Alcohol, the same as today, led to the abuse of women and children, and other marginalized people destroying homes emotionally and financially. Unlike today, there were no agencies to house or assist the victims or the drunkard. So perhaps it was wise to place the operation of the town there, where presumable they would not drink until after the meetings.

In 1894 there was talk about a separate town hall, but no one wanted taxes to go up, so the proposal was voted down. It wasn’t until the town was forced, by the threat of rising insurance costs to update their firefighting equipment, that it was decided the municipal services and municipal offices, fire hall, police station, market and public auditorium would be combined under one roof. The vote was won by a very small margin.

In 1896, Mark Lightheart Buffy’s design was accepted and that same year the first load of building materials was delivered. It was eventually demolished in the late 1970s.

Today, of course, police and fire departments have their own buildings and once again we have no separate town hall building to rally in front of.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of incorporation, you are invited to visit Annandale National Historic Site (ANHS) where the museum will be opening the exhibit Tillsonburg 1872: The Story of Incorporation, in the Pratt Gallery on Tuesday, March 22, at 12 p.m. – the same date and time chosen for the very first town council meeting.

The exhibit highlights the journey from village to town incorporation, looking at the first council and featuring maps, original documents, and early photographs of the town.

If you want to learn more about this fascinating period in our town’s history and the movers and shakers within the municipality’s workforce, be sure to check out the Lunch and Learn series for the next four months. Patricia Phelps, our curator, does excellent presentations and, of course, there is the lunch part which is always super! Your choice of Thursdays or Fridays. Cost is $25 plus tax for a single ticket or $80 plus tax for a series pass.

Part I – Village or Town: The Path to Incorporation is March 24 or 25. Tillsonburg did not follow the normal path.

Part II – By Acclamation: The Story of Tillsonburg’s First Council, April 28 or 29. Who were they?

Part III – A Public to Serve, May 26 or 27. Featuring our first municipal workers.

Part IV – Our Town Clerks, June 23 or 24. It starts with John Secord.

Reserve your spot now by calling Kathleen at ANHS at 519-842-2294.

The museum will be open for the kids at March Break so check out the website or call for that information.