Individual Notes

Note for: Walter Juxon Blackburn, 18 MAR 1914 - 16 DEC 1983 Index

Education:
     Date:   JUN 1935
     Place:   Business, University of Western Ontario

Occupation:
     Place:   Owner, Blackburn Group (Free Press, CFPL-TV, FM96, AM98, etc)

Event:
     Type:   Ethnicity/Relig.
     Place:   Anglican

Burial:
     Date:   DEC 1983
     Place:   Woodland Cemetery , London, Ontario

Individual Note:
     For more information on Walter Juxon Blackburn, his ancestors, life and times, see www.toledofamily.com/Genealogical_Archives/BornToTheJob.htm; and, "Walter J Blackburn. A Man for All Media" by Michael Nolan.
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from the internet...

Walter Juxton Blackburn followed the footsteps of his grandfather and father in the family media business. His grandfather, Josiah, bought the weekly Canadian Free Press newspaper for $ 500.00 in 1853, and by 1855 had turned it into the daily London Free Press. His father, Arthur, succeeded Josiah on his death in 1900. Arthur continued his father's policy of updating and expanding the newspaper and keeping abreast of the times.

As radio started to emerge in the post-war era, Arthur put CJGC on the air in 1922. After 10 years of what he and his senior management felt was slow growth in the radio field, he sold CJGC to a consortium in Windsor who had taken over CKOK in that city, and the merged stations became CKLW (London & Windsor). However, London listeners and the former staff of CJGC complained bitterly over the loss of the station, and the Blackburns put CFPL-AM on the air later that same year, 1933.

During his high school years in the 1920s, Walter Blackburn became a radio amateur , a ham operator using Morse Code. Later, in university, he developed an interest in photography and motion pictures. Both of these hobbies would play a part in his business career.

He graduated with an Honours MBA from the University of Western Ontario in June of 1935. His father died in January, 1936. At age 21, Walter Blackburn became the youngest publisher of a daily newspaper in Canada, as he took over the reins of the family empire.

The newspaper had just come through a 14-month printers strike which "W. J." felt took its toll on his father, and this proved to be his motivation that nothing like this would happen again. He spent time with not just the various department managers but with their supervisors and the workers, getting to know the business of publishing from the ground up.

World War 11 caused disruption as many staff members left for service in the armed forces. However, in the years following the war, Walter continued to improve working conditions. The Free Press was one of the first in the area to set a policy of a five-day week. Then a pension plan was introduced, followed by a medical plan. All of these benefits were worked out with the involvement of an employees committee. In 1950, this committee was formalized into the Free Press Employees' Association.

1948 saw the beginning of CFPL-FM, at first simulcasting the AM signal, with some separate programming being instituted in 1958. FM 96 with a brand new contemporary format started in 1979.

Blackburn's earlier interest in photography and motion pictures surfaced again as the U. S. had started to license TV stations. Both Erie and Cleveland stations could be viewed in London, although with a very snowy picture. Edwin Jarmain started one of the first cable TV systems in Canada in 1952 to improve these signals. Blackburn and his radio manager, Murray Brown started to plan for a TV station, and their dream was realized in November 1953 when CFPL-TV came on the air.

When the London Free Press Company celebrated its Centennial, the staff had grown from 184 employees to nearly 400, circulation from 38,721 to 72, 356, and of course profits kept pace, but never without facilities and equipment being updated.

Blackburn was also involved with industry affairs. His peers in the newspaper world called him the "father" of Broadcast News, since he worked so tirelessly to convince his newspaper associates to agree to set up the teletype news Service for broadcasters to be managed jointly by broadcasters and the newspapers. He served on the BN board for nearly twenty years.

Over the years, he also appeared many times before the regulating bodies as well as many government commissions and committees, defending the right of newspapers to own broadcasting facilities in the same cities. He and Murray Brown were successful in all these presentations because all of the Blackburn properties were individually managed with no overlapping "editorial" direction.

Sadly, son, Walter Jr., died in 1968, leaving his two sisters, Martha White and Susan Toledo, as the only heirs to the Blackburn media empire.

The London Free Press Holdings Ltd. purchased CKNX-AM-FM-TV Wingham, Ontario from the Cruickshank family in March of 1971. 'Doc' Cruickshank, founder of the stations died just at the time the papers were signed.

In 1971, Blackburn bought out "almost silent partner" Southam Newspapers 25% ownership and another small shareholder so that the London Free Press Holding Ltd. was totally owned by the Blackburns.

Walter continued to be active until 1982 when he was diagnosed with cancer, and died in December, 1983, passing control of the company to his daughter Martha, whose untimely death in 1992 ended the Blackburn management dynasty.

Walter J. Blackburn's 47 year career as head of the Blackburn enterprise was heralded by all as "A Man for All Media."

In 1999, Walter Blackburn was posthumously inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Source: Book - Walter J. Blackburn - "A Man for All Media" - by Michael Nolan
ISBN 30-7715-9200-0

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END OF THE MEDIA DYNASTY- note by Tony Toledo
Walter Juxon Blackburn bequeathed (1983) his Blackburn Group holdings (London Free Press, TV, radio stations, etc) to his daughter, Martha Grace who was required to buy out her sister, Susan Marjorie. When Martha died in 1992, the holdings were in trust for her three children. However, In 1997 the major operations were sold by the trust to Sun Media Group which was subsequently purchased by Quebecor, Inc in 1998. The Blackburn Foundation was established by Walter J Blackburn, and continues it's charitable work today (2006).

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Residences: 929 Richmond Street (with parents); 401 Huron Street (1st house after married), 305 Huron St, London; 326 Victoria Street, London; 11 Kings Park Crescent, London. Also spent much time in his youth at the home of his aunts at 652 Talbot Street.

Individual Notes

Note for: Marjorie Ludwell Dampier, 2 NOV 1913 - 27 DEC 1993 Index

Burial:
     Place:   Woodland Cemetery , London, Ontario

Individual Note:
     See archive section of ToledoFamily.com for more information (Mary Mathieson's first 30 years) on the Dampiers

here's some of it...

"One event that stands out in the first year at Bruce Beach was my receiving a letter from my sister that sent me out alone on the beach in tears. She was to have been married to Walter Blackburn in September and I was her bridesmaid and the wedding was off I was shattered, and I'm ashamed to say it was probably more for my sake than hers. I have never really known what caused such a serious rift. I believe that Walter wanted just to move into the family home on Richmond Street in London when they married. His father had died (his mother years before) and he was the very young publisher of the London Free Press. Marjorie didn't want just to inherit the status quo and be swallowed up by the entrenched family traditions as exemplified by the three maiden aunts who monitored family affairs from their house on Talbot Street. Quite naturally Marj wanted to make a fresh start with Walt and when the family closed ranks she had the courage to dig in her heels. At least that was my understanding. Marj had gone off to Chicago and Aunt Olive to indulge her love of nice things at Marshall Fields, returning with an extravagant "trousseau". That was a must for a bride that has gone the way of the Dodo This gorgeous finery was then put on display at the traditional trousseau tea, usually held the week before the wedding, a display looked forward to by romantically curious friends. With the breakup of Marj and Walt's engagement, her finery was returned to the store in Chicago and Marjorie decided to apply to Library School in Toronto for the next year. However, not too long after, her determination won the field and the wedding was on again....minus the lingerie. The new date was November 9, 1938, and I was reinstated as only attendant. My sister was having her pure silk chiffon wedding gown designed and handmade by a pricey London dressmaker, and so I had to too. Mine was also chiffon in a lovely shade of jade green...15 yards of it so fine it could be "drawn through a ring"...the test of the real thing. There was an underskirt of the same shade and the pattern involved elastic shirring in sleeves and waist, and a cloche cap to match. All this finery had to be paid for by the Trust Company of course and I recall the horrified reaction when they got the bill...it's "in the book"..."Margaret Birrell, dress Mary, $65.15 "; This was an unheard of expense that was finally but grudgingly paid. In those days we often wore long gowns for parties so I gave it good use for several years. I have always regretted not caring for it and keeping it as a memento of that happy occasion. I think I ended up "swapping" with someone else for a much inferior garment.

Marj and Walt's wedding was the social event of that Fall in London. It was held at St. John the Evangelist Church (corner Wellington and St. James Streets in north London). I forget the number of guests but the church was full as was the London Hunt and Country Club for the reception. I was at the stage of being completely overawed and tongue-tied throughout. The wedding photographs of Marjorie and/or me were taken ahead of time at the home of the Nevilles on Western Road. "K.P.R." (Kenneth Percival Rutherford) Neville was the Dean at Western and Marj was a close friend of Louise his daughter. Not having her own family home, Mrs. Neville had invited Marj to stay with them over the wedding time, rather than her apartment. The photography session seemed endless and the results, painfully stiff with frozen smiles, unlike the informal ones of today. The Best Man was John Ralph, an English Professor at Western, Walt's good friend and one of Marjorie's disappointed beaus. I recollect John weeping openly after we had given the bride a bow-tied rolling pin and then seen them off at the CPR station. The train pulled out, taking them on the first leg of their month-long honeymoon in Florida. While they were away I always hummed along romantically whenever the popular "Moon Over Miami" came over the radio. When they returned the young couple moved into an attractive white clapboard home on Huron Street.
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Individual Notes

Note for: Walter Juxon Blackburn, 31 MAY 1941 - 22 JUN 1968 Index

Burial:
Place: Woodland Cemetery, London, Ontario

Individual Notes

Note for: Martha Grace Blackburn, 9 OCT 1944 - 15 AUG 1992 Index

Occupation:
     Date:   BET 1987 AND 1992
     Place:   Publisher, London Free Press

Individual Notes

Note for: Ana Teresa Toledo, 26 AUG 1902 - UNKNOWN Index

Individual Note:
Died in a flood or hurricane in Cuba as a young married woman

Individual Notes

Note for: Leonor Toledo, 13 MAR 1906 - 1992 Index

Individual Note:
name could be Lenor, Lenore, or similar

Individual Notes

Note for: Juan Bautista Mata Toledo, 8 FEB 1901 - ABT 1980 Index

Occupation:
     Place:   mechanic, factory forman

Immigration:
     Date:   1925
     Place:   From Cuba to New York

Individual Note:
     named after "John the Baptist" (cousin, forerunner, and baptizer of Jesus Christ, later sainted)

Individual Notes

Note for: Maximiliano Perez, ABT 1865 - ABT 1920 Index

Individual Note:
Was a Captain in the Cuban independance war against Spain about 1895. Later was a "Mayoral" (person who runs a sugar cane plantation for owner).
When he died Candelaria moved to Francisco, Camaguey area with children.

Individual Notes

Note for: Maria Perez, 28 JUL 1904 - 21 JAN 1980 Index

Individual Note:
Gave classes in her home to school children. Lived in Las Delicias, Francisco province (now Amancio Rodriguez) with her mother (Candelaria)

Individual Notes

Note for: Juan Ramon Celedonio Perez, 30 MAR 1905 - 4 APR 1989 Index

Alias:   /Malungo/

Occupation:
     Date:   BET 1940 AND 1960
     Place:   Mayoral (boss at sugar cane plantation)

Residence:
     Date:   BET 1940 AND 1960
     Place:   San Alberto (near Francisco, now Amancio Rodriguez), Camaguey province - where is was a mayoral

Residence:
     Date:   BET 1960 AND 1989
     Place:   City of Camaguey, Camaguey province

Individual Note:
     Everybody called him "Malungo" Perez, meaning something like "naughty little boy", because he often skipped out on school as a child.

From Fidel Guerra....
"�l tuvo tres hijos en un primer matrimonio: Ram�n, H�ctor y Ondina. No supo decirme el nombre de esa su primera esposa. Luego Malungo tuvo tres hijos m�s con Blanca Plaza: M�ximo (Mito), M�riam y Mirta. Esta M�riam, quien es entonces prima de tu Pap� tambi�n, visit� a su t�a Beliza en New York. A Malungo y Blanca Plaza los recuerdo de mi infancia. De hecho, cuando ninos, mis hermanos y yo jug�bamos a salir de paseo y dec�amos: "vamos a la casa de Malungo" lo cual significaba "vamos a salir a la calle". O cuando mi Mam� nos preguntaba por alguno otro de mis hermanos le dec�amos: "fue a la casa de Malungo", es decir, "sali� a la calle". Malungo y Blanca Plaza ten�an una muy buena casa en Camag�ey. Lety me va a verificar si se trata del "Mayoral Pistolas". Verdaderamente pienso que s� es �l. Los mayorales (ya no hay mayorales en Cuba), ten�an una nefasta mala fama en Cuba. Mayoral, en los campos de la Cuba de aquellos anos, era sin�nimo de abusos, explotaci�n e impunidad. Cuando yo conoc� a Malungo era un viejito apacible, de muy pocas palabras y serio. Pero si �l fue mayoral no me sorprender�a lo de la pistola el d�a del pago... y cualquier otro d�a."

He was a "Mayoral" i.e. in charge of the cane fields for the Francisco Sugar Company and lived in San Alberto (near Francisco, Camaguey) in a large wooden house. A nice man, face like leather and always packing a gun on his horse. When his job evaporated after the revolution in 1959, he moved with his family to the city of Camaguey, and to the house where his wife and son live currently (2005). I (Tony J Toledo) just spent a month visiting his family in Cuba. His three children love him dearly, and are truly wonderful human beings themselves.

His godparents were Francisco Santander-Vinas and Maria Vinas-Collado