(below) The northeast corner of Dashwood Road (Main Street) and Fried Street in the early 20th century. The house in the foreground is the Ball residence; with a small workshop at its rear, to its immediate right (east) is visible the roof and the rear portion of the second story of the Thomas Klumpp residence. These structures have subsequently been removed.
(below) The northeast corner of Dashwood Road (Main Street) and Fried Street today.
“The original organization meeting was held January 28, 1968 in the Exeter Public School with 110 people and service clubs becoming Charter Members. Officers installed were: Ron Heimrich, president; Ivan Sharrow , vice-president; Lee Dobbs, treasurer; Margaret Purdy, correspondent secretary; Alma Godbolt, vice-president; and Hilda Smith, recording secretary. The next month the following were added to comprise the first board of directors. Helen Kneale, Rev. Andrew Blackwell, Raymond Hartman, Walter Fydenchuk, and Terry McKauley.
By April 30, 1968 a nursery class was held in South Huron District High School two mornings a week. In January 1969, the nursery moved into a classroom at J.A.D. McCurdy School in Huron Park. The Huron County Board of Education assumed responsibility for the school-age children commencing in September 1969. The TMR class was one of the first in this area. There was still a need in the area of pre-school children so a nursery program was set up in Crediton in December 1969 and shortly thereafter moved to Grand Bend. The Order of the Alhambra, Algarva Caravan, offered the use of their club hall just south of Grand Bend for this program.
In April of 1972 the directors received an offer from Dashwood Industries Limited to donate the facilities in Dashwood to them. This offer included all the buildings on the east side of Fried Street in Dashwood. The offer was quickly accepted and in April, 1973 tenders were sent out for renovations. It was felt there was more building space than needed so in November, 1972 the northern-most building was sold to Gaiser-Kneale. September, 1973 saw the first general meeting of the association to be held in the new cafeteria of ARC Industries. The official opening took place October 20, 1974.
In October, 1973, ARC Industries enrolment was five trainees and in 1974 grew to fifteen. The need for residential services was the next issue needing attention so in November, 1977 the 28 James Street home in Exeter was rented from Exeter United Church to be used as a four bed residence. In November, 1977, the South Huron Bakery was started in the ARC Industries building. Another residence was opened in Exeter at 16 John Street, March, 1978 to accommodate nine full time and one relief bed for emergency placement. After extensive renovations to the Klumpp house on Main Street in Dashwood the nursery was moved to it in May, 1978. In April, 1979 eight persons were placed in their own apartments in Exeter and Clinton. This was the beginning of our apartment support.
The 15,000 square foot warehouse on the west side of Fried Street was purchased from Dashwood Industries Limited in June, 1979. This was destroyed by fire September 22, 1982. The area left from the burned warehouse was fenced and used for a storage area for raw material and finished wood crates and pallets in the summer of 1983.
On August 24, 1984, the South Huron Bakery was relocated back in the main ARC building. [On] September 24, 1984 the Ministry of Community and Social Services funded a program designed to help more severely handicapped persons adapt to the community. The CAP (Community Activity program) started with 6 persons. This was prepared by Paul Turnbull, Director of Public Education and Awareness. When you enter ARC the first thing you are aware of is that everything is neat and clean. A receptionist can direct you to any place you want to go whether it be to have something photocopied or a hand bill printed up. They are a busy and happy group of young people.”
extracted from “Friedsburg-Dashwood 1860-1985” by Mary (Patterson) Rader, 1985; pgs. 73-74, ISBN 0-9692115-0-3