When Ed Butts is on the bus and passes through neighbourhoods throught Guelph he often thinks to himself “there’s a story behind every door.”
Guelph Stories is a collection of many of those tales, and the city’s history – one story at a time.
Butts writes all about the Royal City in Guelph Stories, a collection of his many stories and columns over the years detailing famous people connected to Guelph politics, crime, sports, war and countless tidbits of information many may not know about.
Butts has written historical articles for the former Guelph Mercury and GuelphToday, so when someone suggested he compile the stories into a book it was a no-brainer.
He first started researching and writing history in 2014 when it was the 100th anniversary of the beginning or the First World War. He wrote articles about recognizing Guelph’s part in the war through the people whose names are on Guelph’s cenotaph.
“Thousands of people pass by the monument daily, but only during Remembrance Day ceremonies on Nov. 11 does anyone take a minute to read at least some of the names. For most of us, so far removed from that catastrophic war, they are the names of strangers,” he wrote in the book in an article called Guelph’s Empty Tomb.
These aren’t just names, these were people who walked the streets we walk today. The past is part of who we are so it shouldn’t be forgotten, said Butts.
Why Guelph? Butts was born in Toronto but he’s lived in Guelph on and off since he was a child. He moved back to Guelph from the Dominican Republic in 2001 and has been here ever since.
Anywhere you go you can find an interesting piece of history but he enjoys Guelph because it still has a small town atmosphere.
He broke the book into five parts; The Famous and Forgotten, The World of Sports, Guelph’s Dark Underside, Sundry Stories and In Times of War. Butts had to pare down what articles he wanted to include so the ones he chose fit well under these parts.
There are a couple of stories in the book that stick out to Butts as important parts to Guelph’s history as the lead up to the bicentennial is only three years away.
Anne Sutherland Brooks referred to herself as a happy rhymer. She was one of Guelph’s forgotten poets but was well known in her day, said Butts. To celebrate Guelph’s centennial in 1927 Brooks contributed a poem called Guelph – Our Heritage.
A bit of history repeating itself can be read in the book’s story called Smallpox: Quarantine at the City Hotel. In 1903 an outbreak of smallpox occurred in Guelph. Resident John Kelly and his wife were admitted to the hospital to be treated for smallpox and were placed in isolation. Since he was a bartender at the City Hotel it was suspected he may have contracted smallpox while handling money. The hotel and 32 people who were in it were quarantined for 10 days. Luckily no one at the hotel had gotten sick and eventually smallpox was eradicated.
“There was a danger and that the community cooperated in doing something to stop the danger in its bud without a whole lot of fuss,” said Butts.
He wrote the article at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
His process to find stories starts at the library. He’ll go through reams of old newspapers on microfiche and through his research for one story he’ll come across something interesting he looks into later on for another story. People also contact Butts with news tips that sometimes turn into an article.
The cover of Guelph Stories is the old Carnegie Library. Butts thought this was fitting because what better place to find stories and history than the library.
Someone has asked Butts jokingly if he lives at the library since he is there so often.
He hopes people who read his book enjoy the stories. Butts said it's worthwhile for people to talk to the older people in their families to learn what their stories are.
The self-published book will be available at The Bookshelf, Guelph Public Library and through Butts at [email protected].
