Crowland Municipality : an act for regulating and governing auctioneers, and other persons putting up for sale, goods, wares, and merchandise to the highest or best bidder., 1854

On February 1st, 1854 an act was passed in order to regulate the sale of goods, wares and merchandise. Section I pertained to the fact that any merchant would first obtain a license. Section II deemed that no merchant should sell any wine or spirituous liquors, beer or ale within the municipality of Crowland in any less quantity than 5 gallons or less than 12 bottles in any place other than a House of Public Entertainment without having obtained a license. Section III was in regard to licensing any person who would use a billiard table which was set up for hire or gain. Section IV stated that all sums of money paid by the keepers of Houses of Public Entertainment plus the imperial duty of 2 pound would be payable to the Treasurer of the Municipality of Crowland. Section V was written regarding the continuance of the act to regulate inns, taverns, temperance houses and other Houses of Public Entertainment. Section VI specified that all recesses (not authorized to sell liquor) would pay the sum of 2 pounds. Section VII declared that Peter Benedict was appointed Revenue Inspector of the township and section VIII stated that recess-keepers who took out liquor licenses would be required to pay 6 pounds 5 shillings and for violating this they would pay a penalty. This document was written by Leonard M. Matthews, Township reeve and Alex Reid, clerk.

Sullivan Agent Confesses, [1948]

The National Seaman’s Association was a labour recruiter hiding behind a union-like name. It was run by H.N. McMaster who collected fees from companies and dues from workers. With McMaster in charge, shipping interests could claim that their seamen had a union, but ship-owners were free to push their vessels and their workers to the breaking point. In 1935, the members on the Great Lakes decided to strike. One year later, they created their own union and amalgamated with a Montreal-based independent body to create the Canadian Seamen’s Union headed by a ship’s cook who became a union leader, John Allan Patrick “Pat” Sullivan. By the late 1940s, almost all sailors on Canadian ships were CSU members. Right from its inception in 1936, Communists were prominent among the leaders of the union. Sullivan had been recruited to the Communist party that year and the union had a close rapport with the party. On June 8, 1940, Pat Sullivan was arrested because of his affiliation with the Communist party. He was incarcerated until March 20, 1942. No charges were laid, no bail was set and there was no trial. After his release, Sullivan was elected second vice-president of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada. In 1943, Percy Bengough was elected as president and Sullivan was elected as secretary treasurer of the TLC while maintaining his role as president of the CSU. On March 14, 1947 Sullivan made a shocking announcement that he was resigning from the CSU and the Labor-Progressive Party. He claimed that the CSU was under the full control of the Communists. Within a month of this announcement, he emerged as the president of the Canadian Lake Seamen’s Union. Ship-owners never really reconciled themselves to having their industry unionized, and in 1946 there was a seamen’s strike in which the union won the eight-hour day. In 1949, the shipping companies had a plan to get rid of the union and were negotiating behind their back with the Seafarers International Union (SIU). In a brutal confrontation, led by Hal Banks, an American ex-convict, the SIU was able to roust the CSU and take over the bargaining rights of Canadian seamen. On July 15, 1948, Robert Lindsay, who was Sullivan’s Welland business agent said that to the best of his knowledge, Sullivan’s outfit, the CLSU, was under the control of some of the Steamship Companies. Lindsay had heard that there was a movement to get rid of Bengough of the Trades and Labour Congress as well as elements of the CSU. He also had heard that the CLSU wanted to affiliate with the American Federation of Labor. Lindsay’s allegations raised the questions: Were the ship-owners powerful enough to oust Percy Bengough because he supported the seamen? Could the CLSU get an affiliation with the American Federation of Labor? and Would the American Federation of Labor actually affiliate with a union that was siding with employers against a locked-out union?

Dictionary of the Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America

A hardcover Dictionary of the Zeta Psi Fraternity, edited by Arthur H. Motley and Harry B. Carpenter. An excerpt from the forward reads: "Having the sincere purpose of placing in the hands of all Brothers of the Fraternity a Directory of the full membership of our order, with addresses as perfectly correct as time and equipment would permit, supplemented with such alphabetical and geographical indices as will make the volume a handy and accurate cross-reference to our membership...". Included with this book is a typewritten letter from Gordon Waldie, treasurer of the Toronto Chapter of the Zeta Psi Fraternity thanking Mrs. Percy Band for the gift of the original initiation certificate of the late Hamilton K. Woodruff. Mr. Woodruff was one of the Charter members of the Fraternity and he was the 7th man initiated into this, the first Canadian chapter of any fraternity. The letter is dated Nov. 21, 1949. The full text is available in the Brock University Special Collections and Archives.

Letter - J.M. Crysler to H.K. Woodruff

Letter to H.K. Woodruff from J.M. Crysler, secretary treasurer of the St. David’s cemetery committee. He received Mr. Woodruff’s cheque to put the lots in proper condition and spoke to Rigg Brothers of Niagara Falls regarding markers for the graves of Ezekiel and Sally Woodruff. This letter is accompanied by an envelope, Mar. 13, 1922.

Letter - President's Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to Welland D. Woodruff

Letter from the President’s Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. The letter is addressed to Welland D. Woodruff in response to his request regarding his ancestry. It is confirmed that the family descended through Matthew Woodruff who was the original proprietor of Farmingham Connecticut. The writer says that he has had interviews with several Woodruffs from Chicago and other places. The letter is signed by Wilford Woodruff [4th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints from 1889-1898], Dec. 7, 1887.

Letter - Herbert Mills of Jarvis-Conklin Mortgage Trust Company to S.D. Woodruff

Letter (1 page, typed) to S.D. Woodruff which accompanied the Rothrock account papers. Signed by Herbert Mills, assistant treasurer of Jarvis-Conklin Mortgage Trust Company, Oct. 27, 1890.

Letter to S.D. Woodruff from Mr. Johnson

Letter to S.D. Woodruff from Mr. Johnson at the Office of Alpena County Treasurer, Michigan. He asks about the price of berth 192, Sept. 29, 1880.

Long Point Company explanatory memorandum for shareholders

Long Point Company explanatory memorandum for shareholders. This is a 2 page printed flyer put out by J.I. Mackenzie, secretary-treasurer, March 21, 1878.

Amendment to the Act of Incorporation, chapter 122 of the Long Point Company

Amendment to the Act of Incorporation, chapter 122 of the Long Point Company. This is put out by John I. Mackenzie, secretary, treasurer (2 printed pages), Feb. 18, 1885.

Long Point Company annual meeting

Long Point Company annual meeting (1 page, printed). John I. Mackenzie, secretary-treasurer is listed on the bottom of the page, June 7, 1881.

Extract from the minutes of the board of directors of the Long Point Company

Extract from the minutes of the board of directors of the Long Point Company (3 pages, printed). This includes private instructions for Alfred March, steward at Long Point. This has the names J.I. Mackenzie, secretary-treasurer and Joseph A. Woodruff, president on the bottom of the page, Feb. 25, 1882.

Annual meeting of the Long Point Company attached to a copy of the May 31, 1882 balance sheet

Annual meeting of the Long Point Company (1 page, printed) attached to a copy of the May 31, 1882 balance sheet (1 page, printed). The meeting has the name J.I. Mackenzie, assistant secretary-treasurer on the bottom and the balance sheet has the names J.I. Mackenzie, secretary treasurer and Geo. H. Gillespie, auditor on the bottom of the page, June 6, 1882.

Letter to S.D. Woodruff which was enclosed with 12 shares in the Long Point Company

Letter to S.D. Woodruff which was enclosed with 12 shares in the Long Point Company. This is signed by George H. Gillespie, secretary-treasurer, June 28, 1864.

Letter and memorandum by J.I. Mackenzie

Letter and memorandum (2 pages, printed) by J.I. Mackenzie, assistant secretary-treasurer of an agreement with Captain D. Foster for service of the steamer E.M. Foster for the shooting season at Long Point. The salutation is “Dear Sir”, Sept. 13, 1882.

The Prince's Visit to St. Catharines Broadside, 1860

In 1860, the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, Queen Victoria’s eldest son visited St. Catharines. He was 18 years old at the time. C.P. Camp, secretary who was the clerk and treasurer of the city council urged the citizens to show their affection for the Prince of Wales this was reflected in the broadside which he put out in which he noted that The Saint Catharines Volunteer Artillery Company would fire a royal salute and British Cheers would be given by the assembled throng.