William Stairs (1789-1865), general merchant, established his store in Halifax in 1810. By 1825 business had expanded and William re-located to the corner of George Street and Bedford Row. His son W.J. Stairs (1822-1906) became a partner in 1841 and the firm was named Wm. Stairs and Son, changing to Wm. Stairs and Sons three years later when William's other son John entered the partnership. Its name changed again to Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow in 1854 when William's son-in-law Robert Morrow joined the firm. At the time of William's death in 1865 when W.J. succeeded him as head of the business, the firm had diversified its product line and branched into the shipping business. By 1880, the firm owned or managed thirty-two vessels. In 1869, the Dartmouth Rope Works factory was established as a branch plant and remained a wholly owned subsidiary until 1892. The firm was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature in 1900 but was liquidated in 1926 with a new company organized under the same corporate name. By 1970, Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow, in addition to its subsidiaries and its wholesale hardware distributorship, consisted of four divisions and had branch offices in Sydney, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. The most lucrative component of the Stairs group was N.S. Tractors and Equipment, which continues to operate. The firm existed until 1975 when it merged with J.W. Bird and Co. of Fredericton. The former Stairs family firm survives under the name Bird-Stairs, a division of J.W. Bird and Company of Fredericton.
William Stairs (1789-1865), general merchant, established his store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1810. By 1825 business had expanded and William re-located to the corner of George Street and Bedford Row. His son W.J. Stairs (1822-1906) became a partner in 1841 and the firm was named Wm. Stairs and Son, changing to Wm. Stairs and Sons three years later when William's other son John entered the partnership. Its name changed again to Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow in 1854 when William's son-in-law Robert Morrow joined the firm. At the time of William's death in 1865 when W.J. succeeded him as head of the business, the firm had diversified its product line and branched into the shipping business. By 1880, the firm owned or managed thirty-two vessels. In 1869, the Dartmouth Rope Works factory was established as a branch plant and remained a wholly owned subsidiary until 1892. The firm was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature in 1900 but was liquidated in 1926 with a new company organized under the same corporate name. By 1970, Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow, in addition to its subsidiaries and its wholesale hardware distributorship, consisted of four divisions and had branch offices in Sydney, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. The most lucrative component of the Stairs group was N.S. Tractors and Equipment, which continues to operate. The firm existed until 1975 when it merged with J.W. Bird and Co. of Fredericton. The former Stairs family firm survives under the name Bird-Stairs, a division of J.W. Bird and Company of Fredericton.
William Stairs first established a hardware store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1810. The business was renamed Wm. Stairs and Son in 1841 when his elder son (W.J.) came into the business; his son John joined the company in 1844. In 1854, when William's son-in-law Robert Morrow became a partner, the business became known as Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow. By 1865 William Stairs had died, W.J. Stairs had taken over his role, and the business had expanded into shipping. The Dartmouth Rope Works was established as a branch plant in 1869. Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow was incorporated in 1900, but liquidated and reorganized in 1926. The business expanded to four divisions with offices in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick. In 1975 the business merged with J.W. Bird and Co. in Fredericton, New Brunswick. N.S. Tractors and Equipment, a former branch of Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow, is still in operation.
Augusta E. Wolfe was born Augusta E. Croft on 3 January 1851 in West Dublin, Nova Scotia, to farmers Fred and Margaret Croft. In 1886 she married Daniel Edgar Wolfe, a fisherman, with whom she had at least one son, Harold E. Wolfe, who died at sea. She died a widow on 4 July 1939.
The Wolfville Meteorological Station, run by the Canadian Government, began operating as early as 1910. Its original location is unknown, but in 1912 an observatory was built at Acadia University in the field behind Chipman House. The Meteorological Station may have operated from the Acadia Observatory. The Acadia Observatory was a two story building with a circular tower on the north-west side. From 1910/11 to 1935/36, Acadia offered courses in both Astronomy and Meteorology and used the Observatory for both. Meteorological instruments were located on the first floor of the building. It is uncertain how long the Meteorological Station operated, but the Acadia Observatory was torn down in the early 1960s, seemingly to make room for the new men's residence, Eaton House.