Smale Block
566 Turnberry Street, Brussels, Ont.
( Built: 1877 )
Samuel Smale, a native of Cornwall, England, came to Canada with his mother and sister, first to Toronto where he met his wife, and then to Brussels in 1860. For many years he followed his trade as a tailor. “The stone store, bank, dwelling, and Hall in the rear, erected by Mr. Smale on Turnberry Street were destroyed in the big fire which took place on Aug. 20th, 1876, when about half of Brussels was burned. He replaced them by the stores known as Smale’s block.” (Brussels Post Sept. 21, 1894)
Mr. Smale had purchased a part of Lot 14 in 1867 and part of Lot 13 in 1869. In May 1872, he built a 20x30 foot stone addition to his brick shop. In October 1872, it was reported that: “Mr James Mitchell, stone mason, of Grey, has just completed the stone work of Smale’s new shop, the building is 24x30 two stories high. This building when completed will be quite an addition to our village, and a credit to Mr Mitchell whose reputation as a stone mason is well known.” McCormick & Morries did the carpentry work. In an 1873 article on the “Progress of Brussels” it was said that Smale’s store had been completed and an additional story, 36x12 feet, added to his tailoring shop (Huron Expositor May 10, Oct. 25, 1872; Dec. 26, 1873) Smale called his tailoring business The Broadway House.
Advertisement Left: from the Brussels Post April 16, 1880. The Harrison Bank later moved to the Grant BLock in 1880. The only tenant in Mr. Smale’s new store mentioned in the Brussels Post newspaper was Nelson Moore. “New Grocery – Mr. Nelson Moore has opened a new grocery one door south of Smale’s clothing establishment. Mr. Moore is a thorough business man, and, no doubt, he will receive a liberal share of patronage.” (Huron Expositor June 4, 1875) The bank mentioned in Smale’s obituary was likely Harrison’s Bank. John Harrison, banker, suffered a loss of $200 in the 1876 fire. The Odd fellows’ hall is also listed as suffering a loss of $65, insured for $150.
Smale began rebuilding right after the fire and had a new building closed in by September of 1876. A year later it was reported that Smale’s neighbour, William H McCracken, had erected a two-story brick building. “S. Smale also commenced the erection of a similar building to that of Mr. McCracken’s and adjoining it on the north. When completed the two will make a fine appearance.” (Huron Expositor Aug. 3, 1877)
Samuel Smale, “Tailor, Clothier & General Outfitter,” had gone out of business in 1880. However, an advertisement of May 18, 1883 announced that: “S Smale, of the Old Broadway House, cannot be idle, so is busy erecting a commodious tailor shop on the corner of Catherine and Elizabeth streets, when he will again be prepared to see his old friends.”
Samuel Smale’s two-store building was deeded to two of his sons, Dickson A and Henry R Smale, in 1884. Smale Bros. had a merchant tailor shop at that time, probably since 1880. In August of 1884, their business was sold to Ross Bros.: “Change of Business – Ross Bros. have bought out the stock and trade of Smale Bros., merchants and tailors, and leased the same premises. What the Smale brothers are going to do is not known, but we trust they will not leave our village as they have been good citizens.” (Huron Expositor Aug. 22, 1884) Ross Bros. called their store the Broadway House. They were in business here until 1889 when they moved across the street to a store in the Leckie Block. (Brussels Post Apr. 15, 1887 and Apr. 26, 1889)
In May 1882, Smale built an addition to the north side of his store. (He had taken out a $2,400 mortgage on his property in 1881.) It was a one-story frame building. The new store was to be leased for use as a general store. (Huron Expositor May 12, 1882) No tenant was recorded in the newspaper.
Advertisement Below: from the Brussels Post 1884. Ross. Bros. also took over Smale's Broadway House in 1884 until 1889.
In 1885, one of the likely tenants of the one-story store to the north was Smale’s son, Samuel B, a druggist. Report of a robbery at SB Smale’s store on May 8th of that year noted his loss of “two silver watches, 3-ounce silver case, two cigar cases, one gold pen holder, two gold pencils, ladies’ gold chains, cuff buttons, etc.” In November, A Veal, a furniture dealer, occupied the store SB Smale had recently vacated. In August 1886, SB Smale left the village to take up a position at Johnston’s drug store in Amherstberg. (Brussels Post Aug. 20, 1886)
Joseph Laird opened a new barbershop, likely in the frame part of Smale’s Block, in November 1889. He and his family moved to Brussels from Hamilton.
In December 1889, Mrs. DA Smale opened her corset factory in Smale’s Block: “Mrs. Smale desires to inform the ladies generally that she has commenced the manufacture of the ‘Improved Constitutional Corset’ recommended for health, comfort, style, fit, elegance and durability. Large size corsets a specialty. ‘Good work, combined with practical knowledge of the business,’ my motto. Factory – Smale’s Block – Entrance – Hall door. A call solicited. Mrs. D. Smale.” (Brussels Post Nov. 29 and Dec. 13, 1889)
Mrs. DA Smale and her husband had been in the corset-making business since 1885. A Brussels Post ad of Dec. 18, 1885 noted that: “He [Dickson A Smale] is going into the corset manufacture extensively and will be able to attend to the wants of the public in this respect. DA has also put in a neat and cheap stock of Fancy Goods that will be sold at prices that will astonish you. Mrs. Smale is fully up to the corset business and is sure to give satisfaction.”
According to the advertisements Smale’s ‘Constitutional Corset’ was widely sold. The Post reported in June 1887 that: “Miss Annie Lucas, who is travelling for the Constitutional Corset Works, of Brussels, sold over 230 pairs on a recent trip up in the Georgian Bay and Muskoka district. The ‘Constitutional’ takes wherever it is shown. The young gentleman who gets Miss Lucas will do well but there’s a person in Exeter towers above all others.” However, manufacture of the corset was stopped some time between 1887 and 1889 when Mrs. Smale resumed business. (Brussels Post Sept. 6, 1889)
Advertisement Right: appeared in the Brussels Post December 8, 1885. In 1890, AR Smith opened out in the Smale block “where he will keep a large and well assorted stock of ready-made clothing, tweeds, hats and caps, boots and shoes, gent’s furnishings, etc. Mr. Smith was a heavy loser by the fire [north starting at the American Hotel] but he has pluckily gone to work and is rushing off the small balance of goods saved from the fire and pushing the sale of the large new stock arriving.” (Brussels Post Dec. 12, 1890) He was here until September 1891.
Mrs. DA Smale moved her corset-making shop into the store vacated by William Blashill in February 1891. It was just a temporary move as she was back in the rooms above AR Smith’s store by June of that year. She took over the space formerly occupied by the Foresters’ Lodge.
Miss Hoare, a milliner, opened a store in the Smale Block in April 1891. The Post announced: “Millinery – Last week the new millinery rooms, lately opened by Miss Hoare in Smale’s block, were formally opened and a large number of ladies called and inspected the display of Spring and Summer millinery. The leading shapes exhibited are Golande, Barnhardt, Now Then, Lisette and the Rameau, while the new shades are Levande Kupper, Almond & Pearl Grey. Tinsel ribbon will evidently be largely worn. The show of flowers and feathers is also large, and of such a quantity as to command the attention of purchasers. There was also a display of millinery goods, lace, etc. The season is somewhat backward owing to the cold rainy weather but Miss Hoare has made a number of sales and booked orders so that the outlook is of a promising character.” Miss Hoare’s millinery shop was one of the stores featured in The Post’s 1893 article on local businesses.
Advertisements from the Brussels Post - Lower Left: August 4, 1895; and Lower Right: 1894.
Miss E Roddick, a milliner and dressmaker who had been in business in Brussels since 1880, purchased Miss Hoare’s millinery stock in October 1894 and continued in the same stand. In November, she formed a partnership with Miss Annie Smith, an experienced milliner. “They will continue business in the Smale block, two doors south of the Standard Bank, where they will be pleased to meet old and new customers.” (Brussels Post Nov. 9, 1894)
Miss Roddick moved her business into a store in the Graham Block in August 1898 after she was routed by a fire in the attic of the frame part of the Smale Block. John Davis, shoemaker, occupied the second store in the Smale Block at the time, adjoining Samuel Walker’s butcher shop. Miss Roddick returned to her store in October after Samuel B Smale had made the necessary repairs. (Brussels Post Aug. 3 and Oct. 7, 1898) She was still in the millinery business here in 1900.
In September 1891, the furniture and undertaking department of the firm of Smith, Malcolm & Gibson moved down town to Smale’s Block into the store vacated by AR Smith. D Hogg and GA Hood, both in the employ of the firm, would manage the store. In December, the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Malcolm took up the furniture part of the business, assuming charge of the store already established. David Hogg also continued to work in the store.
Advertisement Below: from the Brussels Post 1891. Also of interest, David Hogg was a manager for the Smith Malcolm & Gibson Furniture making business in 1891.
Later Mr. Smale would move to that town to run the business there. SB Smale is listed in the Tax Assessment Records as a druggist in business here until 1925.Hogg purchased the furniture part of the business from Malcolm in 1892. He leased a store in the McCaughey block and then moved premises in 1894. His store in the Smale Block was taken over by Lorne Hunter of Fordwich, who had a hardware and tin ware business. In April 1894, A Hingston took over management of the established tinsmith department.. (Brussels Post Feb. 23, Mar. 9, Apr. 27, 1894)
A year later, Joseph Ballantyne opened a tinshop over Hunter’s store. In December, the Hunter stock was sold to Gerry Bros. and AM McKay & Co., other hardware businesses in town. The Post stated that: “Mr Hunter did a fairly good business since starting but three hardware stores in Brussels were too many, and the above arrangement will count one out. Mr Hunter’s time is fully occupied in his office so he was unable to attend personally to the store. It was in charge of his son Lorne.” (Brussels Post Apr. 6 and Dec. 20, 1895) In April 1896, Samuel Walker opened a butcher shop in the store vacated by Hunter, next door to WH McCracken’s grocery. He was in business here until May 1899 when he closed up his shop “owing to the difficulty of working the farm and looking after the shop” at the same time.
It appears that Samuel B Smale at some point returned to Brussels and resumed his drug store business in the frame part of the Smale Block. A report in the March 15, 1900 issue of The Post stated that the drug stock under Smale’s management was sold to a Listowel man and Mr. Smale would move to that town to run the business there. SB Smale is listed in the Tax Assessment Records as a druggist in business here until 1925.
After Samuel Walker had his butcher shop in the brick part of the Smale Block, JG Jones had a poultry business here for one year. The block was put up for sale in 1900: “The Smale block of stores, Turnberry street, Brussels, and the brick residence on Elizabeth street, will be offered for sale on Wednesday, April 11th, at the American Hotel in this place. See advt in this issue. A Hunter will be the auctioneer.” (Brussels Post Mar. 22, 1900) There is no report of the block having been sold at this time.
Fred McCracken had wallpaper and decorating store in the Smale Block from 1905 to 1915 (see ad at right). Miss Howe of Howe & Co., who sold fabrics, had vacated the store in 1905. Dickson and Henry Smale still owned the property, Part Lots 13 and 14, until 1927 when it was sold to Alexander Anderson. No other store tenants are mentioned in the newspaper for the period 1900 to 1927. Samuel B Smale, the druggist, is listed in Tax Assessment records as an owner, and perhaps a store occupant, from 1918 to 1925. The north half of the Smale Block, as well as McCracken’s Block and Farrow’s former Post Office Block, were destroyed by fire at some point (see the photograph of Cities Service gas station in the story about Beattie’s Livery). All that remained is the south section of Smale’s Block.
Anderson had a Dodge car dealership next to William J McCracken’s grocery which occupied the south store of the Smale Block. He was in business until 1951. The property was then sold to Orville Elliott. Ellioot sold to Thomas Garniss in 1974. Garniss had a repair shop here until the late 1980s.
Bevan Elliott took over McCracken’s grocery in 1944. He purchased the property in 1945. Elliott’s Economy Store was in business here until 1966.
In 1967, Elliott sold his business to Evelyn Jarvis. Jarvis continued to operate a grocery at this location until 1976. The property was then sold to the law firm of Crawford Mill & Davies.
As noted, John Davis had his shoe shop next to Samuel Walker’s butcher shop in 1898. William Oakley, also a shoemaker, had a business in the Smale Block from 1918-1919. The space was then used as a Pool Room, first by Robert Fraser in 1921 and then by EG Plum in the late 1920s to early 1930s.
After Joseph Laird had his barbershop in the one-story part of the Smale Block, Samuel B Smale may have occupied it again for use as a drug store. A Dr. Gibson had an office here in 1893. There are no other tenants mentioned except for Thang Lee who briefly operated a Chinese Laundry at this location in 1927.
Brussels Post Advertisements - Above: April 29, 1915; and also Below Left: November 13, 1940; Below Right: January 17, 1940.
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