Newspapers from over 100 years ago found at Palgrave United Church

Papers found underneath riser during renovations

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A relic of the past was recently uncovered at a local church.

This summer, as the Palgrave United Church was undergoing repairs, copies of The Globe newspaper were found underneath a riser that is being replaced. The papers were from October of 1922. 

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, The Globe — which is one of the predecessors to The Globe and Mail — was founded in Toronto in 1844 by a man named George Brown and a group of Reform Liberals. 

The newspaper was first a party journal then expanded to feature news, features, and editorials. By 1900, The Globe had a combined circulation of nearly 70,000. 

The Globe and Mail was founded in 1936 when a man named George McCullagh purchased The Globe and another newspaper, The Mail and Empire, and merged them. 

One of The Globe editions found at the Palgrave United Church was dated October 9, 1922. It features headlines such as “British Cabinet approves agreement reached on situation in near east by allied representatives in Paris”, “Fear reprisals over liquor ban”, and “Heavy rain in Quebec quenches forest fires”.

Another paper found at Palgrave United Church was dated October 7, 1922. Headlines that day include “Hydro to make factory zones of lake cities”, “Heroes with motors cheat bush inferno of scores of lives”, and “Artistic nation sends visitors”.

A third Globe newspaper found at Palgrave United Church bears the date of October 6, 1922. On that day, some of The Globe's headlines were “Harbor Commission turns down request for shelter house”, “Millionaires to be fewer!”, and “Methodists propose Christian congress to better humanity”.

Barb Imrie, a Palgrave resident and volunteer at the Palgrave United Community Kitchen, said it was very interesting to find the old newspapers underneath the riser. 

She shared plans to place a copy of this edition of the Caledon Citizen underneath the new riser that's being installed for future generations to discover.