Historical Walking Tour

Photo above: John McIntyre Block Traders Bank 1911(Photo c1942: Maude, the horse, on Main Street, Grand Valley. Roy Stuckey (seated); Wilbert Stuckey (standing.)

Travel west from Orangeville or east from Arthur on County Road 109.  Then turn north onto County Road 25 and make your way to the town of Grand Valley nestled beside the Grand River. In 1860, the community opened its first post office under the name of Luther Village.  In 1886, the name was changed to Grand Valley. Most of the commercial buildings on Main Street are called “blocks”, with one or more stores/businesses located on the main level, and apartments on the second floor.
The street scape of the business section has changed little over the years.

Recognition for written and photographic historical information goes to the late Standish Hunt of Grand Valley, the late Mary Stuckey Clayton, and the Museum of Dufferin.  Further info: https://www.facebook.com/East-Luther-Grand-Valley-Historical-Society-1464364877137808/

The Grand Valley Business Section, Main Street, East Side

After the fire of 1900, this became the town barber shop for many decades.  The first barber was George Arbuckle followed by Sam Gamble, Clarence Mills, Maurice Campbell and Carl Good with Carl Good being the last to work out of this shop. Grand Valley Veterinary Services operated out of this location in the early 80s

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#37 Main Street South - South Part

The fire of 1900 destroyed this block, as were the stores between #37 and #27 Main Street South. Owned by Dr. Hopkins at the time of the fire, he had the shops rebuilt.  It was a grocery store until 1905 when John G. Reith purchased it and opened a yard goods store, having ladies and men’s custom made clothing.  Reith stayed here until 1913, then he moved to a larger building at #31 Main Street.  This building was purchased by Sam Maxwell in 1913 and became the Post Office until 1941. 
This was the 4^th location of the Grand Valley Post Office. 

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#43 Main Street South-North Part

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#47 Main Street South

This is the oldest existing building in town, built by Hugh Galbraith built in 1870. Alex Richardson purchased the property in 1871 as a home. He later became Reeve of Grand Valley and owner of gristmills in town. Alex's son Austin sold the building to Wilbert Stuckey in 1936. Stuckey began to operate a dairy from this site and delivered milk door to door with a horse and wagon. He sold the business to John White in 1948, and he in turn to Irvine and Vada McCrone in 1956. In 1958 McCrone sold the dairy business to Arthur Dairy but he kept the building and operated it as a restaurant. The McCrones sold the restaurant in 1967 to John and Joanne Brown who operated the restaurant until 1987 when they sold it to Marie Townsend Jordan.
(Photo c 1961:MCrone's Dairy Bar.)

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#9 Mill Street East

The Post Office moved to this building in December of 1958 when it was newly built. Mr. Herb McDougall was Postmaster at that time. One year later Orv Hardy took over as Postmaster. ( Photo c1961 )

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#27 Main Street North - Grand Valley School 1892

The two-storey school had 2 classrooms on the ground floor and 2 classrooms on the upper floor. Two more classrooms were added to the rear of the building in 1912. The building was used as a school until 1983 and sat vacant for many years. In 2017, after extensive renovations, a restaurant/distillery was opened.
( Photo c1920 )

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#5 Main Street North -

Grand Valley Library and Municipal Offices 1988 

Built in 1883, the Davey Block was the site of a general livery stable. At one time it also held the offices of the Traders Bank and three photographers- G. Robins, Barefoot and McCulloch. It was taken down in 1912 to make room for the Carnegie Library and lower level meeting auditorium. Carnegie Hall opened on
May 1st 1913 with Mr. James McKinley as the librarian prior to the destruction of the building in the tornado of 1985. GV Council conducted all their business from the library building. The new Library/Municipal Offices officially opened on June 4,1988.

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Gordon Block
Parking Lot North East Corner of Amaranth and Main St.

In this 1961 photo ( On the left ) the Ontario Wind and Weather Insurance Office is seen inset. In 1900 it was the location of The Grand Valley Meat Market, operated by George F. Cassidy.



The Ivan Bruce Home ( On the Right ) is where the Grand Valley Telephone Company was located-built in 1875 by storekeeper William Dawson. Both buildings of the Gordon Block were destroyed in the tornado. The white building (On the left ) was the first school house erected in 1860, and was the first building in the community not made of logs.  It was used as a school until 1875.  The building burned in 1914.

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Bruce Hostrawser/Bert Young Block-Groceries- 2001 

The current grocery store was built by Bruce Hostrawser in 2001. The original building on this site was owned by T.H Hamilton who sold Ford cars in town, and eventually sold the dealership to his mechanic Wally Clark. Clark repaired Ford Cars out of this building until the early 60s. He later sold to Sutherland. The building was condemned and demolished in the late 60s and the lot was used as a public parking lot until 2001.

( Photo c1961 Wally Clark's Garage)

 

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John Robinson Block General Store 1886

John Landsborough began publishing the Star & Vidette newspaper here in 1925. When he passed away in 1951 his son "Bud" took over the paper. Upon Bud's death  in 1995 his son Glyndon took over the printing business. In December 2015 the original Star and Vidette building was sold.

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#17 Main Street South

Originally it was the site of John Robinson Hardware & Grocery.  It was purchased by Robert Miller who operated a grocery store.  Later his daughter Velda Miller started a 5 cent to $1 store. Mrs. Charles Greenley purchased the store and later sold to Oran and Audrey Grundy in 1945. In the mid 60s it was sold to Mr. Lloyd and later purchased by Cudney and then McDougall.  It was purchased in 1974 by Landsborough Printing to expand their printing shop.  In 2009 it was sold and operated as a coffee shop.

#19 Main Street South

David Brawley operated a grocery store when this building was new. It was once the site of Hasitlow's shoe store after the First World War. Charlie Hodson later owned and operated the tinsmith shop at the site. Later it became the office of Wick Montgomery Insurance, For many years it sat empty and is now a hairdressing salon.
( Photo c 1978:Wick Montgomery Insurance)

John McPherson Block –Hardware -1896
#21 Main Street South

This was always a hardware store first owned by McCulloch, Nichol and Duke.  In 1919 Jas. Duke took over full ownership.  In 1921, he sold to Laird who in turn sold to Harry Donaghy in 1923.  He sold to Joe McGowan in 1956.  McGowan sold in the late 60s and the hardware era for this store ended.  It was a second-hand store for a while, a shoe store owned by Willa Benham, and a video rental shop.  Jimmy Rowe who had a grocery business on the south side, purchased the building, broke through the wall and expanded the size of his grocery store.  The block was later returned to two stores.

#23 Main Street South
(Photo c1961 Clayburn Montgomery's Grocery Store)
Harry Stack was here from 1896 to 1905 when he sold to Archie Ramsay who had a dry goods business.  He sold out in 1916.  In 1915 Ramsay was the Canadian Single Men’s Lawn Bowling Champion. Graham Bros. had a creamery here in 1923 and it became a grocery store owned by Bill Hall, later purchased by Clayburn Montgomery. He sold to Wayne Maycock who then sold to Jimmy Rowe. He sold to the current owners.

R.E. Hamilton Block –Bank/Real Estate -1896

Began as a bank owned by R.E Hamilton, it was a site of Stcukey's Restaurant
from 1948 to 1988 when it was purchased by Sally Franco Real Estate.( Photo c1961 Stuckey's Restaurant )

#27 Main Street South

This was a real estate office, site of the Trader’s Bank 1905 to 1911 prior to moving.  It was used as a pool room in the 50s, 60s and 70s.  It was then purchased by Frank Wilson where he operated his electrical business.
(Photo 1961 Right Bill Gilk’s pool room)

R.F. Taylor Block –Post Office/General Store-1901
#29 Main Street South
For the first 75 years after its construction this was the bakeshop. A brick bee-hive oven was located on the back wall. Under the names of Mutrue McMaster Haastilow this was where most of the baked goods were produced in the community. Ivadell and Laverne Crane purchased the shop in 1950s from Reg Hastilow and sold to Richard Zapelka in 1976. For a short time it housed a video rental store.

#31 Main Street South- North Part

This store was owned by R.F Taylor and wa the first location used exclusively for the Post Office from 1901 to 1913. Prior to 1900 the psot office was always combined with other businesses. It was also the first site of the town library which opened in 1905 in the rear part of this building. The librarian, Amy Appleyard was paid $100 per year to keep it open Monday through Saturday. She also worked part-time in the post office.

( Photo c1955 Reith Store #31 left Right Bogg's Drug Store #33 )

#31 Main Street South -South part

This building was owned by Robert Francis Taylor in 1900 where he rented out the south part of this block to Joe Graydon who operated a dry goods store from this location.  In 1913 Taylor sold this south part to John Graham Reith.  John G. Reith operated the store until he retired, leaving it to his son John Irwin Reith to operate.  In 1947, John I. Reith switched his business from dry goods to groceries, where he put in self-serve shelving (the first in the town).  Prior to that all orders were handed to the clerks and they gathered the merchandise for the customers. In 1957 Reith sold to Ed Windus who continued to sell groceries. In 1969 Bill Young purchased the business and upon his death in 1986, the business was run by his son Bert.  On Bert’s retirement, the business was taken over and run for a short while by one of Young’s employees.

The Grand Valley Business Sector, Main Street, West Side

(Photo c1896: Main Street looking north from Mill Street)

Ed Chatfield Block –Confectionery-1884
#30 Main Street South

When this block was first built Mr.Chatfield operated a confectionery store. In the early 1900s Mr.Simpson sold musical instruments, sewing machines, bicycles, fire and life insurance in the Chatfield Block. There was also a butcher business owned by Archie Campbell and later a harness shop and a jewellery store.

The second floor was called Chatfield Hall where many social gatherings and town meetings were held, unitl Carneigie Hall was constructed in 1913.

( Photo c1961 South part- Stuckey's Tot shoppe)

North Part- Irvine's Plumbing and Heating operated by Hector Irvine.)

Commercial Hotel-Hal Loree-Proprietor-1875

#32, #34 and #36 Main Street South

Built in 1875 by Hal Loree it was operated as a hotel until 1941. Richard Thomas Forgrave owned the hotel from 1904 until 1912. The south part of the bottom floor was the fifth location of the Post Office from 1941 to 1958 with Herb McDougall as
Post Master.

( Photo c1961 bottom right appliance store run by Orville Hardy bottom left Post Office )

John Brown-Auto Repairs-1934 Earl Butler-Auto Repairs-2009
#38 Main Street South
Built by John Brown in 1934 it has always been used as an auto repair shop later occupied by his nephew

Clifford Gillespie for several years.( Photo c1960 Right Cliff Gillespie Left Howard Hillborn's Garage)

#40 Main Street South

Site of the original Hilborn Garage built in 1927 as a showroom and repair garage for his Chevrolet cars.   Hilborn was the first GM auto dealer in Canada, signing a contract in August of 1915.  He sold cars here until the mid 60s.  His mechanic Bill Baily took over fixing vehicles and later sold to Paul Calloway who did auto body repairs until his death.  The building was purchased by Earl Butler who owned the adjacent garage.  It was rented out and used as a hair salon.  In 2009 Butler removed this building and constructed a new building to expand his business.

#10 Mill St. West
Commercial Hotel Livery Stable-1892

This was once Richard Thomas Forgrave’s Livery Stable, and was used as the livery stable for the Commercial Hotel until approximately 1940, accommodating 40 horses.

F.J. Marshall-Furniture and Undertaking -1891

Sime’s Funeral Home-1956
Built by Marshall with partner G.E. Simpson it was operated as a furniture and undertaking business. In 1900 Simpson left the partnership and Marshall carried on alone until 1906 when he sold it to W.F Stoddard. In 1909 Stoddard sold to W.A Britton. In 1909 Stoddart sold to FW Wood would sold to W.A Britton in 1913.Mr. Frank Sargeant bought it in 1919 and later sold to Thomas SIme in 1940. Thomas's son Bill took over after his father passed in 1957.Bill's son Jack joined the business in the early 70s and they worked together till 2002.Jack ran the business until 2006 where he sold the business to the present owner. It retains the Sime name. In 1956 the funeral home was added to the South side of the building.
( Photo c1961 Left Funeral Home Right Furniture Store)

 Grand Valley Cenotaph - 1920
This was the original site of the Dominion Hotel in 1870 owned by Sam Stuckey.
Later know as the Forgrave Hotel when it was owned and operated by Spenser Forgrave.

#5 Amaranth Street West

James Densmore Block Farm 1896

 #2 Main Street South
Alex Richardson Block-Bank-1888

#8 Main Street South
Carl Churly Block Hardware 1896

Churly Block (cont’d)

#8 Main Street South   Carl Churly eventually tore down the building (originally called the Dillon Block) in 1975. Home Hardware opened in 1976 with Alex Brown as manager.  Mr. Brown died in the fall of 1980 and Dick Spruyt took over the business.  The store remained in the Spruyt family until it was sold in 2016 and the Ace Hardware chain took over the building.The Masonic Lodge has used the upper floor of this building since 1976.

Bailey Block 1889
( Photo c1938 Bob Lang's Creamery) Now Vacant Lot

Robert Miller started the creamery in 1917 and sold the business in 1929 to Wellington Produce who in turn sold to Canada Packers.In 1935 Bob Lang purchased the creamery, grocery store and egg grading station from Miller. IN 1943 Lang passed away and The Marshall Company bought the business with Chag Bratt managing. One of the comapny owners Floyd D. Holbert bought the creamery in 1947 but died in 1951 and his brother in law E.J Frey took over. After that Rae Ritchie became the owner and continued to perate the creammery until the mid 70s. The building was taken down in 1981.

the creamery in 1947 but died in 1951 and his son-in-law E. J. Frey took over.  After that Rae Ritchie became the owner in the late 50s and continued operating the creamery along with the egg grading and butter making business.  The creamery closed in the mid 70s and the building was taken down in 1981

#16 and #18 Main Street South
Central Hotel-George Swain-1893

Built by George Swain in 1893 an open alleyway to the south side of the building allowed for hotel guests to access their horses, housed in the livery stable behind the hotel. In 1929 the building was constructed inside to allow his customers to go from the creamery to the grocery store without having to go outside. The creamery operated until the building was torn down.

#22 Main Street South
Robert Miller Flour Feed and Seed 1895

#24 Main Street South
James McGregor –Harness Maker-1892

#28 Main Street South
William R. Scott Block-Hardware-1884