Herbert Charles Youngs was born in Norfolk, England and immigrated to Virden with his family in 1911. He was listed on the ship log as an apprentice harness make and 15 years old. As with many young immigrants, he chose to go back across the sea and fight in WW1 in September of 1914. He served in the 5th battalion until his discharge in March of 1919. He was wounded a couple of times and probably his vocation as a harness maker saved him from a heavy combat role.
In July of 1919, Herbert Charles Youngs took over the harness shop on Reston from W.W. Shippam. The shop was formerly run by E.J. Wilkins and it was where the playground is situated today on Main Street. In 1920 in Winnipeg, he married Lily Kempton. Their daughter Lily Alice Patricia was born in March of 1921 in Reston and on the 1921 census, the family of three were living on 5th street in Reston. In January of 1922, H.C.'s business relocated to the Cates block which is on the far right of this postcard below and is where Hometown Lumber sits today.
 The unique ad for his business from the Reston Recorder in May of 1921 caught my eye and inspired today's blog post is reposted at the top of the page. Most advertisements were text and an outline picture like this is unusual for local businesses. Google helped me find a surprise - you can still buy Bickmore's Gall Cream to aid curing of sores on horses today! Originating in Old Town, Maine in 1882 to tend to wounds, cuts, or sores suffered by horses in the logging industry, it quickly became popular. Household products for humans followed including Bickmore Easy-Shave Cream, Toothpaste, Cold Cream, Disappearing Cream, Pom-Gloss, and XYZ Skin Ointment. |
H.C. Youngs had a prominent ad in the paper for the next few years and it is through them that the story of his business remains. The mainstay of his business would be making and repairing horse harness using rivets along with stuffing and patching collars. Harnesses would need to be oiled and some shops had a tank to dip the harness in for this job. Besides harness, he dealt in boots and shoes, skate straps and threshing machine belts. Canvas for binders were made and repaired in his shop. I can only imagine any harness maker's fear when more and more cars and tractors were seen in the mid-twenties and fewer horses clopped down the streets of Reston. He must have taken his skills to a larger center
as the last Youngs ad that I came across was printed the February 28, 1924 of the Recorder. According to an Ancestry tree online, another daughter Phyllis Joy was born in Saskatchewan and Herbert died in Coquitlam, B.C. in 1976. I'm glad to recognize the contribution made by Mr. Youngs to early Reston. Further information is always welcome in the comments below.
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