This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
64 John St.
Although it’s not known for certain, it’s believed that John Street was named for John Ross, a lumber merchant, sawmill owner and landowner in the early 1850s.
John Street, midway between Barrie and Allandale, crosses Bradford Street at a once-busier intersection in the historic Brock Park neighbourhood. This area once saw shops, including the grocery store that is now the Midway Variety, the Barrie Carriage Company, a gas station and Jennett’s Funeral Home, which still exists today. Later, businesses close to John Street included Dean Myers car sales and Beaver Lumber, among others.
Heading west on John Street from Bradford Street, things became more residential, the street lined with various styles of homes, such as the modest but charming bungalow at 64 John St.
Records appear to indicate that former 1893 farmer-turned-real-estate-operator William Thompson acquired this property in 1906, transferring it to Charles Carruthers, a contractor, the following year. Charles and his wife, Edith, would eventually live next door at 60 John St., in a similarly designed one-and-a-half-storey home.
In the early 1920s, James Neill and his family would be living in the John Street home.
James was the youngest of John and Margaret Neill’s six children. He was born on Essa Road, in Holly, to the Innisfil farmers, and had lived in Barrie and Allandale his entire life, with the exception of three years spent keeping a store in Craighurst. James married Mary Elizabeth Robbins of Elmvale in 1912. When the Neills were living on John Street in 1921, James’s occupation was shown as "blacksmith," but by 1930, he was a municipal employee, working in the Electric Light Department.
Outside of work, James was a busy member of the First Baptist Church and the Oddfellows.
But his real passion was boxing. Neill was a trainer to boys in Barrie and travelled with them to boxing events. When James died at the shockingly young age of 46, he was greatly missed by many young boxers, the Baptist congregation and his numerous friends about town. Mr. Neill was living on Henry Street at the time of his death.
In the 1930s, along came another young family to 64 John St., by way of the Melsons. Lawrence Melson, who worked at the shoe factory, had grown up at 129 Burton Ave., in Allandale. He married Agnes Johnston of Innisfil Township in 1931, and in 1938, twin girls expanded the Melson headcount in the pretty little home.
Over the years, this small dwelling has had some modifications to the veranda, roof line and the hip roof dormer is now gone, but is still every bit a delightful home.
