Frank Doble

Frank Doble was born in Brock Township and operated a lumber business with a planing mill in Sunderland at River and Pine Streets until 1905. With Sunderland expanding with the arrival of the railroad, Doble constructed several new homes in the village.

Frank Doble and his family are credited with establishing the village’s first library in the McDermott Block at the corner of River and Albert streets. This library was maintained from about 1900 to 1923.

In 1907, Frank Doble was appointed township clerk, a position that he held until 1927. During his tenure, he was very active in the project that saw the cenotaph erected in front of the Town Hall as a tribute to the fallen soldiers of the first world war. Undoubtedly, the death of his son, Lt. John James Doble, at Vimy Ridge, fueled his passion to see the cenotaph project completed.

Records show that Frank was also an active member of the Sunderland Orange Lodge and the Royal Black Knights, each with chapters in Sunderland.