A photograph entitled “Bushwackers” shows a whare made from ponga with two men outside the building and a third man sitting on a horse.
Taken c 1888 this is probably the whare of C K Wilson the future husband of Helen Wilson who wrote the book “My First Eighty Years”, a history of the Levin district.”
Several sites for saleyards:
Somewhere between the Grand Hotel and Weraroa Domain lies the site of Levin's first saleyards.
Contains:
Grand Hotel
Weraroa Domain
Mr E. Stuckey's
Mr John McCaw
Mr Abraham
Hudson and Marriott
Swainson and Bevan
J. G. Hankin's
Mr Porritt
Messrs Gorringe
Bevan
Higginson
Dunn
Kirkcaldie
J. R. MacDonald
John Davies
Tom Bevan
John Taylor
Skerman and Podevin
Hugh Gillies
The Simcoz Run
Walter Ryder
Rod McKenzie
Jack Pukelowski
Dave Munro
Albert Narbey
Mat Wills
Mat Suhan
Te Horo yards
Levin cattle yards
Associated Live Stock Company
Wright Stephenson and Co.
Many sawmills in early Levin:
The Levin area was heavily covered with primeval bush until 1889. Matai trees were very numerous, but rimu and other trees suitable for milling were plentiful. Sawmills were also numerous in the district, the last true bush mill operating near the Makorokio Creek at the end of Tangimoana Road (off Muhunoa East Rd).
Contains:
Matai trees
Rimu
Mr Prouse
Mr James Parsons
Bartholomew and Dunn's sawmill
Peter Bartholomew
Joe Harvey's Sawmill
Adsett's Sawmill and Planing Mill
Mudgeway Brothers Sawmill
Bartholomew Timber Comapany's Sawmill
Prouse's Sawmill
Odlin's Sawmill
W. Crighton and Son's Ltd Sawmill
Wm. J. Crighton
" Between the Municipal Buildings and Chamberlain Street (now The Mall) there was once a big metal pit.
At times it would fill with water and after school the children used to flock there, grab packing cases from behind
nearby shops and paddle across the water. How they kept afloat I dont know. The water must have been 10 to 12 feet deep.
It was wonder no-one got drowned."-
Mr H. L. Jenkins talking of early days in the borough.
