(below) This historic building housed one of Dashwood’s first post offices, when Joseph Snell was postmaster (1888-1905); the village’s first telephone (1893) and it also contained the infamous “Farmer’s Bank”; which, when it failed late in the first decade of the 20th century, lost local investors $85,000 (Rader; pg.6). [Ed. note: This is the equivalent in today’s funds of approximately $4,000,000.]
“Dashwood Post Office was established December 1, 1871. The following have served their term of office [as postmasters]: Noah Fried, 1871 to April 4, 1888; Joseph Snell, June 1, 1888 to September 23, 1905; Jacob Kellerman, September 16, 1905 to February 10, 1912; Henry Willert, February 26, 1912 to July 14, 1922; Earl Guenther, April 2, 1923 to January 24, 1966; Donna Restemayer (Mrs. Leeland Restemayer), January 26, 1966 to -. […] The first Post Office was on the east side of Noah Fried’s house. This house was later owned by the Charles Guenther family. The Post Office went by what party was in office. Kellerman had it where Nicholson’s house stands. Joe Snell had it also where Lloyd Guenther’s house stands. [Ed. note: The post office was attached to the south end of the home and is still standing.]”
extracted from “Friedsburg-Dashwood 1860-1985” by Mary (Patterson) Rader, 1985; pg. 37, ISBN 0-9692115-0-3
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“In 1893, Bell Telephone built the first line from Crediton to Dashwood. It was in the present home of Lloyd Guenther then owned by Joe Snell.”
extracted from “Friedsburg-Dashwood 1860-1985” by Mary (Patterson) Rader, 1985; pg. 37, ISBN 0-9692115-0-3
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“Later, Edward Seibert and Thomas Klumpp undertook to collect donations from the village merchants for the purpose of forming Dashwood’s new band. They were successful in collecting $80 [Ed. note: $80; shortly after the turn of the 20th century, is equivalent to approximately $2,000 in today’s funds.] which was deposited in the Farmer’s Bank located in the present residence of Lloyd Guenther. The bank failed and the funds were lost. Mr. Siebert conducted the band free of charge for two years.”
extracted from “Friedsburg-Dashwood 1860-1985” by Mary (Patterson) Rader, 1985; pg. 76, ISBN 0-9692115-0-3
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“The incident was recalled by Thomas [Klumpp] in a speech at the Dashwood Band’s annual banquet in 1956.
‘Fifty years ago I was instrumental in helping form a band in the Village of Dashwood consisting of six members and our leader, Mr. Walls’, Thomas said. ‘This one lasted about four years and then Mr. Walls left and the [band] broke up.’
‘Later a man by the name of Ed Seibert and myself undertook to collect donations from the town’s merchants for the purpose of forming Dashwood’s new [band]. We were successful to the extent of $80 which was deposited in the local Farmer’s Bank, then in the residence now occupied by Lloyd Guenther. The band was just formed when this bank failed and our $80 was lost. Mr. Seibert then conducted this band free of charge for two years at which time he left Dashwood.'”
extracted from “A Look At Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Our First Millennium”, published by Dashwood Industries Limited; 1978
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“When Rev. F.B. Meyer was pastor, [of the Evangelical Church] the open sheds and poles for horses were replaced by splendid galvanized sheds. A fowl supper was organized to partly pay the cost, but the fund was oversubscribed before the supper could be held. The Y.P.A. [Young People’s Alliance] gathered over $400 for a new organ and deposited it in the Farmer’s (so-called) Bank. This, along with some Sunday School money and the savings of many in the neighbourhood, was diverted into wrong channels and the money lost.”
extracted from “Stephen Township – 150 Great Years, 1842-1992”, published by The Council of the Township of Stephen 1992; pg. 86
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“In 1903 the Sovereign Bank bought the McArthur and Company bank in Hensall and the Snell and Company banks in Dashwood and Zurich. The Sovereign Bank was taken over in 1908 by the Bank of Commerce.”
extracted from “Exeter, Situate on the London & Goderich Road in the township of Stephen and Usborne, 30 miles from London and in the County of Huron, C.W. : a history of Exeter, Ontario” by Joseph L. Wooden, Exeter, Ont.: R. Southcott, 1973, pgs. 65-66
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“The Molsons Bank has established a branch at Dashwood to take the place of the late Farmers Bank there.”
The Financial Post of Canada – Jan 14, 1911, pg. 7