HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-04-17, Page 63Sea forth in 1879
"An
lan
erior tratt of
becomes a town
Centennial
Weekend
June 27-*
July 1•
See
you then!
I
We are proud of our association with
the Town of Seaforth and Welcome
this opportunity to Extend Bcst Wishes
on the occasion of their 100th Birthday
(From the Huron Atlas of 1879)
Referring to Seaforth; the Atlas
says:
This flourishing incorporated
oT n may be justly described as
one of the most prosperous and
progressive of a section'of country
where prosperity and progress
have been the. order of the day.
Not many years ago, and within
the memory of even the "rising
generation'„', the spot which now
marks the existance of this centre
of trade and industry — now one
of the most important places, in a
commercial point of view, in,
Western Ontario — was a dense
and almost impenetrable forest, .
echoing back ,the scream of wild
fowl and the croak of reptiles, the
only inhabitatits of what hs since
thee been transformed into the
beautiful embryo Seaforth we
now_ see it.
'Without any natural
advantages of position. and with
the actual disadvantages of what
was in the early days considered
an inferior tract of land — from
being comparatively- ,low; and
14' therefore more difficult In bring
uhder the subjection of. the
husbandman — this spot was
passed by unheeded by
thousands who. to use a common
expression, "went further to fare
worse." Its lowness constituted a
seriods impediment also to any
approach to a "settlement" at
this point; and other places grew
apace. and prospered too, n all
sides, and within such easy
distances, that none ever
dreamed of a great future i store
for the "Guide Board Swamp",
as the place was familiarly
known, from • the fact that thqs,
-then stood for many years at fITE
"four corners" .a post and
fingerboard, pointing towards,
Egmondville. Ainleyville ?nOw
BrussMs). and Goderich, showirT
the direction and number of miles
to each place.
The first who ever had ,the
courage to settle in 'the swamp'
was Andrew $teene,' who located
on Lot 26, Con. 1, McKillop, at an
• early date in the hisfory of that
township. He made a clearing and
built a log house on the southeast
corner of the lin, which was the
first and for a great many years
the only human habitation on
what now comprises the Town of
Seaforth. This house stood until
quite recently as diginally built,
but was destroyed by fire lately; a
part of it, the oldest landmark of
the place. yet remaining in .the
conidition of a' ruin.
At a very early day, Lot 11.
Con. .1, i luckersmith, was
purchased from the Canada
Company by one McGregor, who,
took his residence further weSt. ,on s.. on Road, beyond
Harpur ey, clearing some 10
acres, however, on the corner
where Carmichael's hike( now
stands; and after thie amount of
improvement was made upon the
Place, he offered the whole
hundred acres for $450, and
without a purchaser for a long
time, but finally disposed of, it, at
f
7
about that figure to' Christopher
Snarling. -
Slit:wily after this, Andrew
McKearnan, an ' Irishman,
purchased thfee -.acres on the'
northest corner of the lot, and
erected a log tavern on the very
spot • now occupied. •
Carmichael's hotel.This was the
second habitation and the first
"public-house in the place. The
above' two houses were the only
ones here till the inauguration of
the Buffalo, Brantford' and .
"''GOderich Railway, afterwards the
Buffalo and Lake Huron. About
this time great a'etivity was
evinced-in speculation in lands in
the vicinity of the supposed line of
the proposed' railway: Under the
excitement, the balance of
McGregor's `lot was purchased
from Mr.Sparling .by, Messrs,
Patton, Bernard and- LeFroy,
professional men from the fist,
who 'at once surveyed the whole
lot into a town plot, and through
whose enterprise Seaforth
received its first impulse.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, , 7,:0;;;,(1.:%;>"
Best Wishes
A • to
Sealorth
" on your
100th Anniversary I
We are happy to have had a
part in our town's growth
over the past 20 years and
look-forward to the future
ETUE INSURANCE
AGENCY
32 MAIN ST. SEAFORTH
• `-1.„
N..
•••
f • \
ERIE & HURON BEVERAGES LIMITED
STRATFORD
• Authorized Bottler of; Coca-Cola under contract with Coca-Colo Ltd.
• ,
0•
Somebody
Wants What
Yoti Don't Need!
a.
WM:W.
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, APRIL 17, 1975 —49