356 Trafalgar Road - Home of George E. Perdue and Jennie Wallace Perdue

This property was orignially owned by George King Chisholm, later being bought and was the original location of the Oakville Basket Factory. In 1947 the land was bought by Gordon E. Purdue, becoming their family residence by the early 1950s.

This piece of property situated along the east bank of 16 Mile Creek was once owned by
George King Chisholm. The 1910 Fire Insurance Plan labelled this strip of land as holding “scattered logs”, presumably placed there by the Oakville Basket Factory, who purchased the property from the Chisholm family in 1914.

According to Frances Ahern’s book “Oakville A Small Town”, “It was located on the bank of the Sixteen on what was then known as “the Basket Factory Hill” - the steep slope up Dundas Street (Trafalgar Road), north from Division Street (Macdonald Road). Logs brought in by nearby farmers were stacked along the river bank, and as time went by extended farther and farther down Dundas Street). The log piles were complained of as a public nuisance, since they caused sleighs to be overturned and brought injury to horses.” This practice continued until 1920 when the factory suffered a disastrous fire and was relocated farther north to just south of the railway tracks.

The Basket Factory held onto the land until 1947 when it was purchased by Gordon E. Perdue, who at the time was co-owner of the company and living on Spruce St. He enlisted architect Norman Alexander Armstrong to design the house which was built circa1950. The 1949 Fire Insurance Plan indicates that there is no house on the lot, however, the closest available telephone directory after that (1953), shows the Perdue family to be living at the residence.

Gordon Emery Perdue was born in the tiny hamlet of Eden Grove in Bruce County Ontario in 1891 to parents Robert & Elva who were farmers. He grew up on the farm with his parents and older brother Nelson and as a young adult relocated to North Bay were he taught school. In 1915 he married fellow teacher Jennie Wallace.

Their move to Oakville was prompted by Jennie’s brother John Wallace, co-owner of the Oakville Basket Factory. Victoria Park was renamed Wallace Park in his honour after he provided flood-lighting for the baseball diamond, a wildly popular sport at the time. Perdue served as Vice-President & General Manager and eventually became part owner of the factory.

Gordon & Jennie had three children, Robert, Elizabeth & Dorothy. Their son, Flight Lieutenant Robert Perdue was a pilot with the RCAF 622 Squadron during the Second World War and was killed in action on 24 December 1944. He is commemorated on the OTHS Honour Roll.

With his early days rooted in education, Gordon Perdue decided to lend those talents to the local school board and became Chair in 1949. In 1961 a new Oakville high school was planned which would be named after him. According to a history on the school, his wife Jennie was also involved in the overseeing of the construction. It was opened in September 1962, offering a choice of academic, commercial and technical education. Prior to this, youth wanting to learn technical skills had to travel to New Toronto.

As well as being Chair of the school board, Gordon Perdue was a member of the Rotary Club and was a founding member of the Oakville Curling Club.

In 1980 they celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary. After many happy years together, Jennie died in 1981 at the age of 93 and Gordon died in 1984 at the age of 94. The property was sold the following year.