Person Record

Metadata

Name

Legate, Walter A.

Othernames

W. A. Legate

Born

05/14/1897

Birthplace

Owen Sound, Grey County

Places of residence

605 3rd Ave. East, Owen Sound, Grey County (c. 1915)

Father

William Legate

Nationality

Canadian

Education

O.S.C.I. (Owen Sound Collegiate Institute)

Notes

In 2015, a downtown Owen Sound store, Legate's Fine Furniture, closed in April of that year. The store had celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014. The store president and owner at its closing was Kevin Legate, the fourth generation of his family to run the business. It had been opened by his great-grandfather, William Legate, in 1914. The location was 790 2nd Ave. East (also fronted as well on some of 8th St. East as it was a corner location). The store building was built in 1906 by William Legate. It originally housed a Farmer's Bank, a feed and flower (flour?) store, and a grocery store.

In 1914, Mr. Legate converted the main floor into a furniture store, at the suggestion of William Goldblatt. There were apartments above the bank and stores, that eventually were converted into use by the furniture business. Eventually all three floors of the building were furniture display areas.
William Legate's son, Walter Legate (Kevin's grandfather) joined the business in 1919 after he returned to Canada from his military service overseas. Walter worked there until 1980, when his son Dave Legate took over. Kevin Legate joined the business later on in the 1980s.
Walter Legate was known to extend credit to customers during the Great Depression. This gesture wasn't soon forgotten by some local families, who remembered this kindness, and continued to do business with the store in later years.

Grey Roots Museum has a 1930s dining room suite made by the Spiesz Furniture Co. of Hanover that was retailed at the Legate Furniture Store.

When he was a "Student" at Owen Sound, Walter enlisted on November 20, 1915, and his regimental number was 304616. His next-of-kin was recorded as his mother, at 605 3rd Ave. East. He served with the __________(unit?) until 1919.

Walter Legate is seen in a 1935 hunting-related photograph that is at the Grey County Archives. See 1991.036.027. He was hunting up in Killarney with some other Owen Sounders (Dr. R. Howey, Dr. B. Danard, Herb Brownlee).

In 1949, Mrs. W. A. Legate was a financial contributor to the Owen Sound General & Marine Hospital. She is listed in 1994.059.138, the Annual Report of the General & Marine Hospital.

Walter A. Legate (1897-1980) is interred at the Mausoleum at Greenwood Cemetery at Owen Sound with the Butcharts. His wife (b. 1896-d.1977) is also there.

Occupation

Veteran (First World War)
Legate's Furniture Store / Merchant / Businessman
Hunter

Publications

Croft, Melba, OWEN SOUND 1921, p. 93 (shows the 1935 hunting photo)

"Fourth Generation The Last at Legates", SUN-TIMES (Owen Sound), Tuesday, April 7, 2015, pp. 1 and A3