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Westville Streets Back in 1899
Westville – Residents attending recent council meeting complained about the conditions of the streets. Following the report of the meeting a citizen in the town forwarded a copy of the “Free Lance” and “Westville News” published in May 1899, carrying an editorial concerning the conditions of the streets during that era.
Daniel McQuaid, publisher and proprietor of the paper, said in his editorial, “Westville could boast of the worst streets in Pictou County. Yes, perhaps in the province for that matter.”
“Ever since Westville received its name streets have been a burden to the taxpayers, as in the case in all towns situated as Westville is,” the editorial stated.
It was said that some people have a standard remedy to cure all ailments. “Westville’s standard remedy,” Mr. McQuaid said, “has always been furnace ashes, until now the streets are covered in some places to a depth of several feet.
This street does not look
passable with the railway and tram car tracks under layers
of mud. On the right is Jim Grant's tailor shop; the
railway gatehouse run by John David Simpson, and Eureka
House, the two-storey structure. The block on the left
includes S.T. Murdock's Drugstore, D.W. MacLeod's store,
MacDonald's shoe-store, and Geo. E. Munro's dry goods and
general store - all destroyed by fire in January 1942.
Of late years the editorial said some attempts were made to make permanent improvements, with the application of field stone to about 1,000 feet of street. About four to eight inches of field stone was laid and then covered with furnace ashes.
The writer did not agree with this formula, pointing out the field stone might have been the answer if it had been placed on a clay base instead of ashes. Before any lasting improvement can be made, Mr. McQuaid said methods entirely different from what had been employed will have to be adopted.
1971 Work
In 1971 when the town’s Main Street was being prepared for paving the construction company was continually running into layers and layers of ashes, wooden planks and at one spot near the junction of South Main Street and Church Street, it was necessary to excavate to a depth of beyond 10 feet to reach a solid base. At this point there was evidence of tons of slack or fine coal from the mines being dumped there. Senior citizens recalled the day when the streets were impassable for man or beast and detours were made to avoid traveling the main thoroughfare. Anything that could be used and readily available was dumped along the street.
The publisher recommended in 1899 the problem could only be solved by proper drainage, rounding the center of the streets so that the water would be carried away into the drains which should be properly cleaned.
During the intervening years, there have been continuous attempts to remedy the situation by grading and gravelling the streets but in most instances the citizens had to contend with the mud, potholes and then the dust.
-The Evening
News
June 5, 1972
Two ladies enjoy a stroll on
the boardwalk