Anne McPherson family fonds, 1852-2011 [non-inclusive]

Frank C. (Case) McCordick (1873-1946) was the son of William Henry (1849-1930) and Emily D. Howell (1851-1927) McCordick. William H. McCordick was in the coal business. The McCordick family included Frank Case, Mabel Gertrude, Ethel Howell and Arthur Stanley. Frank C. McCordick was educated in St. Catharines, and worked with his father in the coal business and eventually opened up a leather tanning operation. McCordick was active in the Lincoln Regiment and in 1906 was promoted to captain and in command of Company A, 19th Regiment. He was promoted to major and at the outbreak of war he was sent overseas as a commander of the 35th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (CEF). Upon arrival in France he was made officer commanding the 15th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). After the war and his return to Canada he continued to play an active role in the local military units in the area as well as in Hamilton. After his retirement from the military in 1927 McCordick served as alderman and then mayor of St. Catharines from 1930 to 1931. He was a member of a large number of civic clubs, including St. Catharines Chamber of Commerce, Y.M.C.A., Lion’s Club, St. Catharines Golf Club, Detroit Boat Club, the St Catharines Club, as well as a member of several Masonic lodges. He continued to operate McCordick Tannery and other local investments. In 1903 Frank C. McCordick married May Beatrice Simson, daughter of Thomas E. Simson of Thorold. They had three children, E. (Edward) Frank McCordick, Bruce McCordick and (Margaret) Doris McCordick (m. Hubert Grigaut, d. 1977). The McCordick family resided at 82 Yates Street, near Adams Street. May Simson McCordick (b. 1873) was the daughter of Thomas Edward (1836-1908) and Julia Headlam (1844-1887) Simson of Thorold. Her siblings included: Edward, Frances, John, Augusta, Georgia and Gertrude. E. (Edward) Frank McCordick (1904-1980) was born in St. Catharines, Ont., attended Lake Lodge School in Grimsby, Ridley College in St. Catharines, Beechmont Preparatory School in England, Upper Canada College in Toronto and graduated from Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. in 1925. Upon graduation he was made a lieutenant in the 10th (St. Catharines) Field Battery. In 1929 he married Helen Stanley Smith, daughter of Stanley George and Mary Walker Smith of St. Catharines. Col. McCordick, now promoted to Major, played an active role in the 10th (St. Catharines) Field Battery, being officer commanding the battery. In late 1939 McCordick headed to England for artillery tactical training and on December 6, 1939 the battery began the long trek overseas. McCordick saw action in Italy and in Holland. Upon his return to Canada at the end of the war he was the Liberal candidate in the federal election for Lincoln County. He remained active in the local military serving as honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 56th Field Regiment (ARCA) and in 1976 as the honorary colonel of the regiment. Col. McCordick held the Efficiency Decoration, the Order of the British Empire, granted in 1945 and was made an officer in the Order of St. John in 1978. He continued to serve his community in various capacities, including the Unemployment Insurance Canada Board, Royal Trust Company and the St. John Ambulance Society. He remained an active member of the alumni of Royal Military College, editing and compiling a newsletter and organizing reunion weekends. He kept in close contact with many of his classmates. Helen Stanley Smith McCordick lived in St. Catharines, Ont., attended Robertson School, and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1926 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages. During the war years (1939-1945) Helen was active in the Transport division of the local branch of the Canadian Red Cross and the Women’s Auxiliary of the 10th Field Battery. In 1932 E. Frank and Helen McCordick welcomed their only child, (Catharine) Anne McCordick. Helen continued to play an active role in her community until her passing in 1997. Stanley George Smith (1865-1960) was born in St. Catharines, Ont., the only child of William Smith (d. June 16, 1876) a native of Edinburgh, Scotland and his wife Hannah Louisa Maria Bulkeley a native of Fairfield, Connecticut. Stanley George Smith married Mary Walker of Guelph, Ont.(d. 1956) Mary was the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (d. 1924) Walker. Her siblings included Margaret, Agnes, Jessie, Isabella, Lorne, Ada, Alice, Eva, Alexander and George. Hugh Walker was a prominent fruit and vegetable merchant in Guelph. On 1904 their only child, Helen Stanley Smith was born. He was a post office clerk, and the treasurer for the James D. Tait Co. Ltd., a clothing and dry goods retailer in St. Catharines. The family lived at 39 Church Street in St. Catharines, Ont.

James D. Tait Company Limited Fonds, 1890-1939 [non-inclusive]

James D. Tait (1836-1907) came to Canada in 1855 from Scotland. He worked in the dry goods business until he established the James D. Tait Company in 1864. The business was first located on Ontario street and specialized in furs. The business expanded to include dry goods and dress-making. After the building was destroyed by fire, Tait established and expanded the business into the Prendergast building on the corner of St. Paul and William Streets. James D. Tait died in 1907 while on vacation in Muskoka. In 1912 upon the resignation (or removal) of Benjamin Brick and Arthur Harbour, Stanley G. Smith joins the company as a director and secretary-treasurer. 1918/1919 vice-president E.J. Dignum dies. 1919 S.J. Inksater becomes a director of the company (His stock was purchased by the J.D. Tait Co.) By the 1930s the business, still in the same location, was under the leadership of Malcolm Stobie, President, Samuel J. Inksater, Vice-President and Stanley G. Smith, Secretary-Treasurer. The James D. Tait Company Limited ceased operations on 17 August 1933. The 1935 St. Catharines city directory records John Stobie, a former manager of the James D. Tait Company, operating a dry goods business at the same location, but with one-third the size of the original store space.

Fairview school photograph, ca. 1940

Fairview School was built in 1919 in Louth Township, Lincoln County, Ont. The school remained in operation until 1979 when it was purchased for a church, the Fairview-Louth Community church, which later became Southridge Community church. Currently, the building is occupied by the Niagara Korean Presbyterian Church.

Merritton Municipal Records collection

In 1874, Merritton, Ont. was incorporated a village with W.W. Waite as the first reeve. On July 1, 1918, the village was incorporated a town. The first mayor was Thomas F. Hastings. In 1961, Merritton, Grantham and Port Dalhousie amalgamated with St. Catharines, despite the opposition of the town councils and citizens.

The Garden of Canada: Niagara, St. Catharines, and Toronto Railway (1909)

Descriptions and photos of places to visit in Niagara, St. Catharines, and Toronto, including the railway services that connect them.

St. Catharines beautiful, 1911 : souvenir

Presented by the City of St. Catharines to the Visiting Delegates to Masonic Grand Lodge, July Nineteen Hundred and Eleven.

Patriotic souvenir - Dominion Day, St. Catharines, Canada, 1915

Issued in aid of war relief and charity.

Photograph of St. Catharines Collegiate Institute students, October 20, 1925

The origins of the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute can be traced back to the formation of the Grantham Academy on Church St. in 1829. In 1845, the name was changed to the St. Catharines District Grammar School and in 1890 the Grammar School was renamed the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute. The current site of the school on Catherine Street was built in 1923 to accommodate the increasing demand for technical education, and became known as the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School. The school was enlarged with additions in 1945, 1965 and 1969. In 2006, the school underwent major renovations, which were completed in 2008. It is currently a secondary school administered by the District School Board of Niagara.

Collection of Canadian periodical clippings and Peninsular Game Club of St. Catharines broadside, 1874, [1910-1950]

Items include: 13 small poems clipped from newspapers. None of the poems list authors. Most of the poems are based on life lessons. Clippings of short stories which appear to have come from a St. Catharines newspaper. The stories include anecdotes, humour and medical advice. There is no author listed on any of the stories. 2 coloured sewing machine advertisements each measuring 9 cm. x 13 cm. and 9 cm. x 14 cm. 1 broadside measuring 27 cm. x 37 cm. and posted by the Peninsular Game Club of St. Catharines. The broadside is a copy of the game laws of 1874 with a warning that breach of these laws will bring rigorous prosecution.

St. Catharines St. Paul Street - Postcards

Board of six postcards of St. Catharines. First postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Ont., Canada. Second postcard, St. Paul Street, looking west from N. St. C. and T. Depot, St. Catharines, Ont. Third postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Ont. Fourth postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Canada. Fifth postcard, St. Paul Street Square, St. Catharines, Ont. Sixth postcard, Shipman's Gore, St. Catharines, Ont.

Photographs of secretarial staff at Lightning Fastener, ca. 1935

Lightning Fastener Co. Ltd. was a zipper manufacturer located on Niagara Street in St. Catharines. It was founded by Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the modern fastener. Sundback was born in Sweden, but settled in the United States in 1905. It was here that he designed and patented a “separable fastener” in 1913. Although he lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, he decided to establish a manufacturing facility for his invention in Canada, choosing St. Catharines over other locations such as Fort Erie and Hamilton. At the height of its success, the company employed more than 500 people and produced more than 50 million zippers annually. Over time, the company had difficulty remaining competitive and was forced to close in 1981.

Toward Peace - Spring Concert St. Catharines Public Schools Programme, 1945

A spring concert programme by the St. Catharines Public Schools on May 4, 1945. The concert is titled "Toward Peace" and features the students of the following schools: Alexandra, Cavell, Central, Connaught, Memorial, Robertson, Victoria, Court St., Prince of Wales, St. Andrew's Ward, Glen Ridge, St. Paul's Ward, Queen Elizabeth.

St. Catharines Collegiate Institute Entrance Examination Letter

A letter from the principal of St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, A. E. Coombs, notifying the mother of Helen Smith of her examination results. Helen received honours for her entrance examination mark and the letter reads as follows: "Dear Helen, I am glad to be able to inform you that Helen Smith of 39 Church St. obtained Honours at the entrance examination with a total of 517 marks out of 650. The less fortunate H. Smith was Howard Smith of 122 Queenston St, whose name appears in the pass list. Yours truly A.E. Coombs"

St. Catharines Collegiate Institute - Literary Meeting and Presentation of Prizes

A pamphlet detailing the programme events for the Literary Meeting and Presentation of Prizes for Thursday December 22, 1921. The pamphlet includes examination results, scholarship recipients, prizes for public speaking and the annual field day results.