Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Located just south of the pavilion in Couchiching Beach Park, this limestone mounting block has been next to the park drive for over 115 years.
The raised inscription reads: “Presented to the Town of Orillia by the Longford Quarry Co. Longford Mills, Ont.”
Dating from around 1904, the block has a step at both ends and was used to assist ladies into and out of carriages and carts without a loss of modesty. It was fashionable for ladies and gents to dress in long gowns and suits while attending events at the park in that era.
The history of Longford Quarries dates back to the mid 1800s and by 1895 there were four companies mining limestone in the Longford area. Owners were listed as R. H. Hill, George Thomson, Allan McPherson and Andrew Tait, who also had a shingle mill at the foot of Colborne Street and built the Glenorma mansion at 59 Colborne St. E. for his family.
In 1898, Tait listed his 36-acre quarry for sale. It was located one mile north of Longford Station on the Grand Trunk Railway.
Shortly after, the four quarries merged into one quarry and became the Longford Quarry Co. The officers of the new company were J. B. Tudhope, President, George Thomson, Vice President, and Allan McPherson, Secretary Treasurer.
McPherson also had a lumber business at Longford. George Thomson was Orillia’s Postmaster and James B. Tudhope was Orillia's leading industrialist and politician who manufactured the Tudhope carriage and car. He was involved in almost every industry and community project in Orillia for over 50 years.
It is easy to speculate that Tudhope, who lived at 127 Peter St. N. , and the other officers of the Longford Quarry Co., would attend the numerous events at Couchiching Beach Park with family and friends and make good use of the limestone block they had generously crafted for the community.
The Longford Quarry Company changed officers several times before closing in the mid-1920s but like the many buildings around Orillia that were constructed with limestone from Longford, the mounting block remains as a reminder of our industrial history in Orillia’s favourite park.
It would be wonderful for our community to raise, restore and post the story of this historic stone. Perhaps make use of it during some of the events at the park.
A Tudhope Carriage giving rides around the Terry Fox Circle and using the mounting block would delight our citizens and visitors of all ages.
