HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Illustrated Signal-Star, 1889-03-25, Page 3GODERICH ILLUSTRATED SIGNAL -STAR.
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7 r•ibu>'ie, who was president of the party
of forty American bicyclers, which made
the "Grand Tour" through Ontario :
We entered Goderich in the evening, and
the party rode slowly around the beautiful
little circular park, with a handsome
courthouse in its centre, which adorns the
very centre of the town, facing which are
all the principal hotels, stores and business
houses.
During the night the wind rose until
it blew a half gale. Early in the morning
the artist, President Bates, and some others,
rose and took a spin about the place to
inspect it. Goderich is the principal.
watering -place of Western Ontario, and it
well deserves its high reputation for beauty
of location and surroundings. The
town is built upon a bold headland
overlooking the lake. There is a
small bay, the entrance of a river,
and another bold headland, called
"The Cape," on its opposite side,
which shows finely from the town.
Upon the brow of the headland is a
reserved parade -ground, with the
light -house. were the bluff is al-
most a precipice, and the view is
very fine, embracing many miles
of coast, the bay, and the steep
side and end of the opposite cape.
On this morning, the waves of
Lake Huron were beating sullenly
at the foot of the bluff; the sun
had risen amid drifting clouds,
casting checkered lights and sha-
Mows over the water, which had a
blue -grey hue, of a threatening
character. Within the harbor be-
low lay a number of vessels ;
several miles out in the lake, half a dozen
fishing -smacks, standing in a direct line
off shore, were dashing with' white wings
out to their distant fishing grounds, regard-
less of the ominous aspect of the lake
and sky. These little craft are periagua
rig,—a rig much used on the lakes for
fishing boats, as it is easily handled by
one or two men, and spreads a cloud of
canvas to the light airs for boating.. The
two large, almost square fore-and-aft sails,
with their broad heads strained flat as
boards, and with straight lines,
have a peculiar picturesqueness,
like Gothic architecture ; and the
sight of a fleet of them standing
out of harbor in a wind is a finer
marine view than that of a squad-
ron of the most shapely yachts.
And for fleetness it is doubtful
which would win, as these boats
are built very sharp, light and
strong, and are sailed by the most
skilful and daring seamen of the
lakes.
Turning from the lake view the
town is a pretty sight,°being neatly
built, With many fine houses and
summer residences,- with gardens
and ornamental grounds, the busi- // J ness portion clustering about the `` ,4ADIAN PN-Tp.ENG,.3�n£AJ
pretty little circular park hereto-
fore mentioned. All about the
neighborhood, within a radius of
half a dozen miles, are summer hotels
and summer residences, on locations which
command the choicest views and other
attractions."
Many similar opinions could also be
quoted did space permit.
yam.
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ATM OP HfSTORY,
Interesting Incidents of Early Years.
The Visit of De Champlain—Story of the
First Settlement—Growing from
an Indian Station to a
Thriving Town.
\HE following interesting data has
been obtained from Belden's Atlas,
and other sources, and will prove of in -
//.
Alit%
eley
for scores of years afterwards, being from
the Upper Ottawa to Georgian Bay, whence
he coasted around into and d.own Lake Hu-
ron, through the River and Lake St. Clair
and Detroit River to Detroit. After this
visit of De Champlain, the mouth of the
Menesetung grew to be a frequent calling
place for those indefatigable workers, the
Jesuit priests, in their expeditions to and
fro between their settlements on the shores
of Georgian Bay and those farther down
towards Detroit.
In the year 1826, W. F. Gooding, accom-
panied by a Frenchman named Frank De -
champ, left the mouth of the Grand River
in a small vessel, loaded with such goods
as they considered necessary for the estab-
lishment of an Indian trading post,
and sailed along the southern
while
GODERICH TOWN HALL.
terest to all who are anxious to know of
the inception and growth of Goderich :
More than two centuries previous to the
first settlement of a representative of the
Anglo-Saxon race at the place where the
handsome town of Goderich now stands, the
locality was visited by Samuel de Cham-
plain, the most daring adventurer who ever
held his way through the unbroken and un-
explored forests, or paddled his canoe up
the noble rivers and over the magnificent
lakes of Canada.
That famous explorer landed at the
coast of south-western Canada, up
through the Detroit and St. Clair
Rivers and Lakes St. Clair and
Huron to the mouth of the Mene-
setung—thenceforward called the
Maitland River, in honor of Sir
Peregrine Maitland, Lt. -Governor
of Upper Canada—and there they
disembarked, secured their vessel,
and erected a small cabin or "store"
where Ogilvie's mill now stands.
Here they remained more than
three months before seeing the
face of a white man, and it, was
not till 1828 that any other settlers
came in ; but in that year Mr.
Galt, the Superintendent of the af-
fairs of the Canada Company, by
whom the entire Huron Tract was
owned, determined to plant a settle-
ment at the mouth of the Maitland. This
determination was probably formed by the
recommendation of Dr. Dunlop. who had
previously visited the place, guided by an
Indian named Captain Jacob, and who was
very intimate with Mr. Galt.
The road surveyors, immediately after
their arrival, laid out the town in its pre-
sent novel shape, according to a plan which
had been prepared in the Company's office
in York. Many of the laborers who came
through with the surveying party, took up
land and settled in the vicinity, and many
more settlers followed as soon as
the road was made passable.
Among the first to arrive after this
was Alex. McGregor, who came
through the woods from Zorra, in
Oxford County, bringing several
yoke of cattle, with which he
worked on the Company's roads.
During this year also there arriv-
ed John Wilson, who built a house
and tannery on the harbor flat,
this being the first tannery in the
Huron Tract. Mr. Wilson, in com-
pany with Jacob Coomer, Valen-
tine and Michael Fisher, and some
others, were sent up from York in
a schooner at the expense of the
Company. Before the establish-
ment of a post office Wm. Reed
used to make semi-monthly trips
to Guelph to bring the letters for
the Company's agents ; and any
settlers who were so fortunate as to receive
letters, were charged extra for their carriage
from 'Guelph.
In 1832, George Fraser arrived, in com-
pany with the Sturdy family, William
Rutledge and wife, and Andrew Whitely
VIEW FROM SPIRE
OF ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH—LOOKING SOUTH.
mouth of the Menesetung—as the Mait-
land River was called by the Indians—in
the year 1618, while on his way from the
eastern part of the present Province to
Detroit; the route taken by him on this
occasion, and indeed the only one known