Hiram Johnson was the fifth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1894 to 1896, after several terms on the Village Council. Johnson was born in Markham in 1844 and moved to Stouffville in 1884. He ran a grocery and bake shop in the Village, which was located near Main and Church Streets. As reeve, Johnson campaigned for the installation of electric street lighting in Stouffville. At the time, Stouffville’s streets were so dark at night that residents complained of bumping into trees. His efforts were temporarily defeated, and Stouffville would have to wait nearly another decade for street lighting. In his personal life, Johnson served as Justice of the Peace and as Secretary of the Whitchurch Agricultural Society.

William “W.J.” Stark was the seventh Reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1899 to 1900, after several terms on the Village Council. Stark was prominent in Stouffville’s banking and insurance industries, first as partner of R.J. Daley & Stark, and later as manager of the Sovereign Bank, which had offices on Main Street. During his time on the Village Council, he played an important role in the development of Stouffville’s first municipal water system. As reeve, he oversaw the erection of a new fire hall, which included a wooden hose drying tower. This tower was replaced in 1931 with a brick tower which still stands on the site as the Clock Tower in Stouffville’s Civic Square. In his later years, Stark moved to Edmonton, Alberta, where he managed the Edmonton Exhibition, an annual summer fair which attracted thousands of visitors.

Richard Underhill was the tenth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1903 to 1904, in addition to several terms on the Village Council. In his day, Underhill was a well-known local shoe merchant, operating the “Stouffville Shoe Store,” which was located on Main Street. As reeve, Underhill succeeded in bringing street lighting to Stouffville, though he was less successful in his calls to pave Main Street. He also passed by-laws which prohibited riding bicycles on sidewalks and letting off firecrackers in public streets. Following his tenure as reeve, Underhill left Stouffville and founded a shoe manufacturing business in Aurora. He would later move to Toronto in his retirement.

James McCullough was the eleventh reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served a single term in 1905. Born in neighbouring Goodwood, McCullough was a lawyer and ran a thriving law practice in Stouffville under the name of McCullough & Button. As reeve, McCullough attempted to “rid Stouffville of hotels,” where many went to drink alcohol at the time. Despite the popularity of the Prohibition movement, McCullough appears to have been unsuccessful in his efforts. McCullough and his family lived on O’Brien Avenue until his death in 1928.

Dr. Walter Sangster was the twelfth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1906 to 1907, and again from 1913 to 1916. Dr. Sangster was born in neighbouring Lincolnville, a hamlet located at the present-day intersection of Bloomington Road and Tenth Line, and studied medicine at the University of Toronto, receiving first-class honours. He established the Market Drug Store in Stouffville and practiced medicine in the Village for over 40 years. As reeve, Dr. Sangster oversaw the construction of Stouffville’s first paved road. Well-known for his charity and kindness during his lifetime, he donated several acres of land to expand Memorial Park near the time of his death in 1942. A plaque marking ‘Sangster Grove’ in the portion of Memorial Park west of the creek, near the Burkholder Street bridge, commemorates his life and legacy.

*Special note: This street is named after Robert Coulson, who commonly went by the name of R.P. Coulson. During the initial research for Reeve’s Way, Coulson was incorrectly identified as Richard Coulson, a name he never used during his lifetime. In this brief biography, Robert Coulson’s correct name will be used.

Robert “R.P.” Coulson was the thirteenth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1908 to 1912, in addition to several earlier terms on Village Council. Coulson was a druggist by profession (now known as a pharmacist), and also published the Sentinel newspaper in the 1890s, competing with other local papers such as the Tribune, the Free Press Weekly, and the Pilot. During his time as reeve, there was a failed effort to repeal the “local option,” which prohibited the sale of alcohol in the Village. Coulson devoted considerable time and energy to philanthropic causes. He was a founding member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Stouffville – a fraternal organization whose purpose was to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan[ed]” – and served as the Superintendent of the York County Children’s Aid Society in his retirement.

Wilford “Wilf” “W.E.” Morden was the fifteenth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served in 1923 and again from 1931 to 1933. Born in neighbouring Lincolnville, Morden was known as a successful businessman, specializing in trucking and logistics. His companies, variously known as Morden Cartage and Morden Transport, delivered construction materials in Stouffville and the Toronto region. During his first term as reeve, Morden oversaw the completion of a project to bring hydro-electricity to Stouffville. Around the time of his second term, over two kilometers of new pavement and curbs were installed in the Village. Growing up, Morden and his family resided on Main Street near Market Street, next to the historic post office.

Frederick W. “Fred” Silvester was the seventeenth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1925 to 1927. Silvester was born in Ringwood, a hamlet based around the present day intersection of Highway 48 and Stouffville Road, where his parents were prominent storekeepers. Well-known in his day, Silvester operated a successful hardware store in the Village and had a real estate interest in the “Silvester Block,” a significant commercial building downtown. Silvester was reeve during the Village of Stouffville’s 50^th anniversary celebration in 1927. To commemorate the occasion, he organized an ‘Old Boys Reunion’ which brought together descendants of the early settlers in the Stouffville area. In his retirement, Silvester moved to Uxbridge and was known for spending his winters in Florida.

Albert “A.V.” Nolan was the twentieth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1945 to 1950. Born in nearby Uxbridge, Nolan had an illustrious career as manager and editor of several local newspapers – including the Stouffville Tribune – and served as a Justice of the Peace for ten years. An early environmental activist, Nolan was a prominent member of the York County Committee for Reforestation. After intensive forestry during the 1800s had caused wide-spread deforestation and soil erosion in the Whitchurch area, this Committee led local reforestation efforts and succeeded in establishing numerous York Regional Forest tracts. The legacy of his environmental activism lives on in the present-day Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.

Garland “Gar” Lehman was the twenty-third reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1959 to 1960, in addition to several terms on the Village Council. Lehman and his family operated a well-known vegetable farm on the northern edge of the Village near Tenth Line. During his time as reeve, construction works were carried out to install an extensive network of sewers in Stouffville. Known locally as an avid hockey player, Lehman would later serve as the director of the Stouffville Arena. In the 1970s, the Lehman farm and the remaining portion of the Stouffer family farm were developed into the residential subdivisions located north of Millard Street.

Winfred “Win” Timbers was the twenty-fifth reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1962 to 1965, in addition to several terms on the Village Council. Timbers also served as reeve of Markham Township for four years. Born in Markham, Timbers spent most of his life in public service, sitting on numerous municipal committees in addition to his tenure as reeve. As reeve, Timbers guided Stouffville through a period of significant residential development, particularly in the areas northwest (Rupert Avenue) and northeast (Stouffer Street) of the historic Village Main Street. Timbers was known for his love of plowing, an agricultural sport in which participants compete to plow a field with the greatest precision and neatness.  His dedication to the sport, first as a competitor and later as a coach and judge, earned him respect across Ontario among plowing enthusiasts.

Kenneth “Ken” Laushway was the twenty-sixth and final reeve of the Village of Stouffville. He served from 1966 to 1970. He was also the first mayor of the newly amalgamated Whitchurch-Stouffville, which held its inaugural meeting on January 4, 1971 in the old municipal building on Civic Avenue. An accomplished businessman and entrepreneur, Laushway owned a number of businesses over his career, including a garage in Ringwood, a pool hall in Stouffville, and an insurance agency on Main Street. As reeve, Laushway was instrumental in the development and beautification of Civic Square, particularly what is now known as the Nineteen on the Park building and the adjacent Clock Tower. Laushway was an avid golfer and gardener, and remained actively involved in the community following his retirement.