Flat Iron Building

This is the Flat Iron Building, built in 1913, I believe. It was a very small building located at chisholm's Corner at the north intersection of Main and High. when my family lived in the Chisholm house, we used to sit on the foundation of the Flat Iron Building in the evenings with friends. The building was occupied by a lawyer A.T. MacKay, who was involved in real estate. The building was dismantled in 1936, and part of it was used to build a pump house.

This is my Herbie

Don Cosh history of Trenton Pictou Advocate article by me

Don Cosh Alex Chisholm's stores

The first photograph shows Alex Chisholm's second store built in 1895, located on the right side of Main St. heading south.The date of this photo with the white horse is 1912, (on a calendar sent to me by Woody Macdonald). The third picture is shown with a south attachment to the store between 1912 and the longer store(picture #2) in 1916 with an attachment on both ends.

This is the building that later became a pop manufacturing plant; Tennant Beverages and Coca Cola bottling plant. The south side of the building was added (as seen in another picture here) And the North end was added also. This picture shows what it looked like in 1916.

this building was made up of the original built in 1895, and two additions, one on each end, as shown in the 1916 picture with the telephone pole air brushed out.
In 1912 picture of Alex Chisholm's store, it is A. Chisholm only; in the next one, the one with the addition on the south end,same sign, but with an awning with alex Chisholm printed on it. notice the roof shade/colour on the addition. finally, by 1916, it reads A & A Chisholm on the new sign above the entrance
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The Big Chief at Trenton Steel works

This was the axle hammer that every Trentonian knew about. It was continually pounding out a cadence that was always there but not really heard; the sound was just part of being there in Trenton in those years. Yet when it stopped, there was something missing. It was like the sounds that are always present in a house or a car, but when they are not heard, it is noticed.

As kids, we would be lured over back of the CN station, across the tracks, and up to the barred opening where we could see the men operating the big axle hammer. It was mesmerizing; we would stand there and watch for lengthy periods of time.

Later, I was carrying mail through the whole plant, and I was still hypnotized by the axle hammer.

Trenton;Main St. showing Temperance, theatre, and Strickland's in the '50's

 Main Street, Trenton. Judging by the vehicles, this was probably in the late 1940's or early '50's.

On the left is John MacLean Fraser building, then the Temperance Building, and further down past the trees, J.B.Strickland's store. Across the street, on the right is Irving gas and garage ,operated by John Hoskins. This was the Trenton Theatre built by the mayor, J.B.Strickland in 1912. (shown below)

Reminiscing about Trenton

I moved to Trenton with my family in 1954 at the age of 6. It was half way through Grade 1 at the Westside School in New Glasgow. At first we lived in a prefab on Dickie Street, and I went to school at Duke Street. Then we lived above Morton's store on Main Street. The most interesting house had to be the Chisholm house, built by Alex Chisholm, and owned at that time by his grandson,Robert, who I believe was stationed in Germany. This was a very large house with a basement that had previously been a store. (I would love to have pictures of that wonderful house.) We were there in 1959 when the Queen passed by. I remember waving flags from the high verandah. Mamie Ryan lived next to us, and across Chisholm's Corner lived the Long family and Laurie Reid. On the small piece of land where Main and High met, was the foundation of the flat Iron Building, built in I have so many great memories of those years.


I attended the old Duke Street School in Grade 1,2, and moved to the old Diamond Street School for Grade 3. For Grade 4  I went to the Florence Condon School where Vesta MacDonald was my teacher.  Grade 5 and  6 was in the New Diamond Street School. Then I moved back to the Florence Condon School for Grade 7 with Mrs. Barnes. Grade 8 and 9 was in the old High School on Dickie Street. The remaining grades were in the new part of the high school. (Peter White, Catherine Logan, Ron Rice, Peg Cameron, Mrs. MacKay(German), Dave MacKay, Mrs. MacLeod)We had those old long desks made for two students in Grade 9 with Annie Duncan. 


I remember going down street, as we called it, Town Office,Morton's Store, police station. It had a jail, a courtroom, and Chief Trowell and his family lived upstairs. Then there was the post office, a bakery?, the Temperance Building, an old blackened shingled structure. This was before the NSLC store and the new Fire Station. The old fire station was across from Morton's, which was previously a theatre. Then there was a small blue building before the store that was built by the first mayor, J.B. Strickland. At that time it was not a general store, but a shoemaker repair was using it. There was Thompson's, Cooney's barber shop,Merchant's Photography, Sobeys. 
McNabb's store was next, where the Legion is now, and then the two drug stores; MacLeod's and Steeltown, owned by Elmer Humphreys.


I remember the Trenton theatre across from the post office, although it was an Irving garage at the time. I don't remember when it was torn down. I have two pictures of it; one from 1916 and one from the 50's which also shows the old Temperance building.


to be continued      anyone reading this, feel free to correct, add or tell more


In 1961 we moved to Rose Avenue.