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Local History

You're On the Right Track

"You're On The Right Track"
A Historical Timeline of Schreiber

A soft cover booklet, 60 pages of Schreiber's history from 1884-2005.

Celebrating 120 years of Schreiber's History
Cost: $7.00 per book
Cheques payable to: Schreiber Archives &
Historical Society.

Excerpts and Photos from the booklet:

Sir Collingwood Schreiber

In 1885, Isbester's Landing is renamed Schreiber, in honour of Sir Collingwood Schreiber, who was the chief engineer of Government railways in 1873 and succeeded Sir Sanford Fleming as the CPR's chief engineer in 1880.  Sir Collingwood Schreiber passed away on March 22, 1918.

On June 28, 1886, at 8:00 a.m., the first transcontinental train from Vancouver arrived at Schreiber.  It covered an approximate distance of 2, 600 miles in a running time of 137 hours, including all stops, at an average speed of 19 miles per hour. 

C.P.R. Station

In 1890 Italian immigrants from the Calabrian city of Siderno emigrated to Canada to find employment.  Many settled in Schreiber because of the railway construction and many played a major part in its completion.  One of these individuals was Cosimo Figliomeni.  He was responsible for sponsoring the immigration of others from Siderno to Schreiber.  Today surnames such as Commisso, Speziale, Diano, Costa, Caccamo, Spadoni, Cebrario, Pellegrino, Valentino, Veneziano, Verdone and Figliomeni are common in the community.

Schreiber Town Hall

1895 the first Town Hall was erected and it was known as Mechanics' Institute Hall.  It was built through the efforts of Rev. M. Neilly at a cost of $6,000 and was formally opened to the public on October 25, 1895.  This building housed a public library, an auditorium, a barbershop, and two cubicles containing the town's first bathtubs. 

On September 22, 1937, the highway between Schreiber and Port Arthur was opened, following the completion of the Nipigon Bridge.  Schreiber residents could only travel by rail prior to the highway's completion.  The 63 mile stretch cost between $40,000 and $75,000 per mile to build. 

First Bus traveling through Schreiber

 Check out the "Along the Shore Line" digital collection. A collection of photo's, articles, artifacts, and much more.

"Along the Shore Line" Digitization Project

Schreiber Archives & Historical Society Collection

Schreiber Town Hall

Schreiber Public Library (~1980)

Located in the Schreiber Public Library
1891-2016

Mandate:  The Schreiber Public Library fosters the development of information for the preservation of our local history.

Reference Materials:

Archives Artifacts and Fond Collections:

  • Schreiber Archives and Historical Society

  • Yon Shimizu

  • Beth Macadam

  • Darcy Furlonger

 

Audio Tapes:

  • A collection of biographies of local citizens and events

 

Books:

  • Over 300 books!

  • "Township of Schreiber Heritage Book"

  • History of the community from 1885 and on

  • Accounts of events pertaining to the Canadian Pacific Railway from the early 1900's

  • "Schreiber" - a collection of papers by Ray Gionet

 

Local School History:

  • 1954 & 1964 High School Yearbooks

  • Projects done by local students

Building C.P.R. Station

Construction of Schreiber High School (1924)

Local Organizations:

  • Minutes of Town meetings and letters

  • Historical records of Schreiber's past organizations, ex: I.O.O.F and The Women's Institute

 

Photograph & Digital Photo Collections:

  • Of main events that affected our town ex: Schreiber's flood of 1911

  • Of our founder's, Sir Collingwood Schreiber, immediate family

  • Of local buildings, people and scenes

  • Digitization Web Site: OurDigitalWorld (OurOntario)

  • Community Connections

 

Scrapbook Collections:

  • Arranged by The Schreiber Women's Institute during the years of 1930 - 1980

  • Collection of newspaper clippings concerning Schreiber's hockey teams during the years 1907, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1916, and 1917

 

Vertical Files Index Clippings From:

  • About the town's special events from the early 1900's until recently recorded events

  • Port Arthur News Chronicle dating back to 1934 including the years: 1934, 1936, 1946, 1951, 1959 and 1968

  • The Scout Scribe (1958)

  • The Evening Telegram (1943)

  • Fort William Daily Times Journal (1951)

  • Terrace Bay News (1959 & 1966)

 

VHS Tapes:

  • A Scattering of Seeds

  • Superior - Under the Shadow of the Gods

 

Did you know?

  • From the early 1880's to 1934 Schreiber was only accessible from the west via rail and water.  With considerable expense, due to the most rugged terrain of Lake Superior's North Shore, a 63 mile stretch of highway linked us to the west.

Spadoni's corner

Schreiber Main Street (~1900)

Schreiber Archives and Historical Society Board 2019:
Donna Mikeluk .......... Chairperson
Neil Nesbitt ...............Vice Chair
Rosann Pellegrino ........ Treasurer
Coral Cole ...Secretary

 

Library Hours

Tuesdays - Fridays
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tuesdays & Thursdays
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturdays
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

 

The Library's Archives welcomes any donations such as photographs, letters, books, and small artifacts.
The "Schreiber Archives and Historical Society" meet monthly.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Library for more information.

 

Did you know?

  • in 1898, gold was discovered 2 1/2 miles south of Schreiber.  In 1934, a 25 ton mill as built at Worthington Bay and North Shore Gold Mines Ltd. started mining the deposit.

 

 

Schreiber Public Library
314 Scotia Street
P.O. Box 39
Schreiber, ON
P0T 2S0

Phone:
(807) 824-2477
Fax:
(807)824-2996

Email:
libinfo@schreiber.ca

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