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.
John and his wife Sarah Keays had been born in Ireland and lived in Smith’s Falls before moving to the Barrie area about 1877.
The Smiths were a large Irish family. By 1891, John and Sarah had 11 children: Charlotte (19), William (17), George (15), Sarah (13), Minnie (12), John (11), Robert (10), Maggie (9), Isaac (8), Lizzie (7) and Albert (6).
The Smiths attended Trinity Anglican Church on Sundays and John himself was active in his community, serving on town council and as a member of the fire brigade at the fire hall a couple doors down from his store. Smith was well known as a Conservative and prohibitionist. He also was considered an Orangeman’s Orangeman, holding the rank of past county master within the order.
John worked at his Collier Street store (69 Collier St. today, just east of the old Barrie Milling Company building), selling stoves, furniture and other household goods until he suffered a stroke in 1917, passing away at his Kempenfeldt home two weeks later.
Smith’s son, Albert, took over the business when his father died, opening a new store at 20 Mulcaster St., in 1921… just a few steps from the jitney stop at Dunlop and Mulcaster streets. The new location was modern, up-to-date and continued to offer both new and used furniture. In fact, folks were encouraged to exchange pieces of furniture they were tired of for something ‘new to them’ at A.E. Smith’s store.
By 1928, Smith was on the move again, relocating to larger premises at 129-131 Dunlop St. At his main street store, Smith advertised a complete line of home furnishings, as well as carpets, congoleums, linoleums and stoves. Records show, in addition to A.E. Smith’s furniture store on Dunlop Street, there was also a listing for an A.E. Smith hardware dealer on 20 Mulcaster St. Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Smith were living at 18 Mulcaster in the 1920s.
Finally, in 1951, A.E. Smith moved his business across the street to a modern new store at 114 Dunlop St. E., on a parcel of land where the Queen’s Hotel once stood. But this doesn’t appear to be his only location or endeavour: besides this new furniture store at 114 Dunlop St., Smith is shown as having a trade-in depot at 147 Dunlop and storage at 123 Dunlop.
By the 1950s, Albert and Lillian Smith were now living at 13 Charlotte St. (Collier Street), their home was just to the east of the stately Caldwell house.
In 1961, records show an R.E. Smith Furniture at 137 Dunlop St. E. and by the mid-1960s, Smith and Rutter Furniture at the same address.
