Today’s #TakeMeBackMilton is a photo that appeared in the Milton Champion, with the caption:
“Hauling Rocks- to the jail, or stone for the local roads? Who can tell us what the horse-drawn teams and the large stones in this photo represent? Does anyone recognize any of the men? Photo courtesy Art Higgins.”
An accompanying article appeared a week later, and provided answers to these questions.
“The Road Crew photo of the men with the horse-drawn stone carts in The Champion last week has been identified. R. R. Ford of Omagh remembers the scene well, for he and his father John A. Ford were among the men driving the wagons. Mr. Ford says the picture was taken at a local stone quarry on the site of what is now Milton Quarries on the Base Line, where stone was quarried and crushed to be drawn out to the county roads.
“At the time the photo was taken, around 1910 to 1915, he thinks they were hauling rock for the Second Line (which was a county road in those days but has since been transformed into Highway 25.)
“The team on the left was probably one owned by Archie Galbraith and driven by Jim Tyrrell. Mr. Ford was second from the left, Bill Devlin was next, Jim Devlin next and John A. Ford on the right side. Thanks to Mr. Ford for the loan of these lovely old pictures. May they bring back many memories!”
(PS – Since the above was written, William Devlin has volunteered additional information:
“The photo was taken by Mr. Sherman, whose office was on Main St. in Milton. The crusher used at the quarry was belt-driven by a steam roller that had been taken off road work. They were hauling material to a section of the Second Line between the Boyne and the “S†bend and their two-yard gravel wagons would yield the men $450 per day if they made two round trips, which sometimes took 10 hours.
“Mr. Devlin says that was his first business endeavor. His identities of last week’s picture are the same as Mr. Ford’s, except he recognizes the man third from left as Howard Turner. Thanks also to Mr. Devlin.”)