History of Homes:  John Street

126 John Street 

120 John Street, 1920   Photo: Vince Gratton

John was treasurer for Perth County and served as mayor of Stratford in the 1890s. He was elected to the Ontario Legislature very briefly after 1900; that election was overturned upon appeal.[1]

ln 1911 after Lizzie's death, the family lived at 126 John St. and John was in real estate. By 1921 he was Post Master in Stratford and lived at 46 Hibernia Street. 

J.C. Montieth lived in this home in  1920. In 1911 J.C. was a scholar and lived with his father and several siblings at 126 John St. He was well educated and became a civil engineer.  Source: Wiki

1921 last year for J.C. Monteith

1922 Wesley John Thurston (wife) Vera

still there 1953 at 126 John (left in 1954) moved to;

in 1955 -196 Douglas St. -living there in 1959


 



170 John Street

170 John Street   Photo Vince Gratton

Daughters of Robert and Ann (Hossie) Moderwell in about 1910. Photo Mary Newel

Vince Gratton dates this photo to about 1895, with this explanation: "The very elderly couple on the porch would be Robert  Moderwell and his wife Ann Hossie. Robert died 1886 and after that Kay and two adult sons were living there into the Edwardian years." Vince also points out that pictures like this, showing family with prized possessions in front of the family home were popular at the time. The postcard pictures were sent far and wide to family and friends, often in Europe, to illustrate how well the family was doing. Source: Vince Gratton

The house was thought to be erected by Thomas Lunn, a Stratford contractor who built the High School 

See much more here Moderwell Street

175 John Street   Photo: Vince Gratton

175 John Street, 1960  Photo: Vince Gratton

David and Miriam (Haines) Root lived in this home in 1960 . He was a Stratford secondary school teacher, deeply involved in community work, and Miriam was a noted pianist, music teacher, soprano soloist and member of The Elizabethan Singers 


Kathryn Anne Root their daughter  also lived here. She was a professional musician and a gifted concert pianist with a rich teaching, concert and recording career. See more about Kathryn on John Street.


David Root

Kathryn Root