by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
I’m sure that many of you can remember The Westport Inn, which had once been called the Alhambra. Standing on the outside curve of George Street, The Westport Inn was a local landmark for many years, even after its doors closed to overnight guests. ...
by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
Because of the railway, the proximity to the Rideau, and the number of roads passing through it, Westport was once a hub of activity for reasons other than our current bustling tourism trade. Farmers stopping in the village to trade their livestock, cheese...
by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
Cruises were a big deal in the late 1800’s and into the early parts of the 1900’s. Ships like “The Haggart” of Perth would ply their way along The Rideau bringing tourists, sports teams and spectators to Westport on a regular basis. For a few...
by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
With our first real blast of wintery weather coming up this weekend, it might be a good time to look back at what winters were like in Westport’s earlier days. Back in the days of the B & W Railway, the speediest route between two stops wasn’t always...
by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
Westport, 1871 ~ from the Archives of The Rideau District Museum Above is one of the earliest-known photographs of Westport, circa 1871. With open fields in the distance and Fredenburgh’s Furniture Factory in the foreground, many...
by | Jun 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
For some reason, the obituaries were full of drowning deaths in the early days. Whether it was caused by the clothing that was worn (nobody dared leave their home without that three-piece suit or bulky day dress with bustle and hat), a lack of lighting along the...
