Remembering Stevensville

Memories of the Village I Knew

Whenever I return to Stevensville – the small town where I grew up – I am struck by the changes. My memories of the town are of people and places as they were in the 1960s. I moved away after getting married in 1968 and left most of those memories behind.

Many places I remember are still there. Usually they have a new face or are occupied by different people. But many of the places that seemed to represent the soul of the town as I remember it are gone. They have been replaced, have moved, or are no longer important like they were back then. The ball park, the community hall, the old public school on Airline, the Grove, and maybe most of all, the creek.

In this piece I want to pull some of those memories together. I hope to reach out to old friends, family members, and other acquaintances for some of their memories. Perhaps I will find old photos of what it was like back then. And I hope to answer some questions about the changes that have taken place.

I expect this project to go on for some time, so if you have something to share, contact me and let me know. You can reach me by leaving a comment below. Or send me an email at rickjh@outlook.com. I’m really after two different types of information. First there’s your special memories of that time. And second, there’s actual information on things like:
– What happened to the Grove?
– When was the Conservation Area at the end of Main St. W. created?
– What actually happened to the Planing Mill and why?
– When did they move the ball diamond to Ott Rd.?
– What specific changes have taken place at the public school?
– Provide a short history of the developments that took place in the field at the end of Airline. When I was there it was a just a field.
– How have things changed at the railway station at the south tracks? Are the two railways in Stevensville still being used?
– Tell me the story of the Community Hall. The original one was still standing in ’68 (I think).
– What about “Safari Niagara” or whatever it’s called now?

Thanks,
Rick