HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-12-18, Page 270
K.
Formerly postmaster's bome
BY Wog. ELLIOTT
In September, 1864, the Rev. °
Alexander MacKid "brought to
the Signal office some of the
finest grapes we have ever seen,"
the editor wrote in
acknowledging a gift of fruit
from the spacious garden of St.
Andrew's manse on Nelson
street. The Canada Company
had granted - two and a half acres
to the. Church of Scotland
trustees. Where lawn and garden
extended eastward from the
house there is now a nursing
home, another large house and a
gasoline station. Some of the old
trees — chestnut, maple and pine
— remain as witnesses of life at
the manse more than a century
ago. In 115 years the fine old
house has changed ownership
only four times. The late Keith
Hopkinson, proprietor of Sky
Harbor, bought it in 1940; and it
is the family home.
Before that, for some 40
years, it was the residence of
John Galt, postmaster • of
Goderich for almost the same
period. The story of the Galts in
Goderich ought some day to be
written. For the present,
rr something at least — may be
recorded regarding the house at
35 Nelson east. Of course, this is
not the only Galt house. Canada
Company Commissioner John
Galt lived in the company's log
building on harbor hill during his
relatively brief stay.. His son
• John, registrar of deeds, Bras
squire of Ridgewood, the
beautiful log and stucco house
built on the north side of the
river for Baron van Tuyl of The
Hague. Books have been written
about the careers of the other
sons, Sir Alexander and Sir.
Tlic__Las Galt, the first a
Conft 'eration Father and first
Prime Minister of the Dominion,
the other, Chief Justice of
Ontario. Their brother John
preferred a quieter life, held no
SHOP EARLY
such ambitions as Alex, and
Toni, and never sought a
parliamentary career, yet he died
at Ottawa, whither he had gone
upon some public business.
The Gait Mouse'.`
Commissioner Galt's boys
were well educated in England,
Scotland and Lower Canada.
After he returned to Scotland,
the sons lost little tiine in getting
back to Canada, in 1833 and
1834. Previously acquainted
with Dr. William Dunlop, they
were often guests at Gairbraid,
the "Tiger's" big log house
across the river. John married
Helen Lizars, of the
Meadowlands family in
Colborne. He acquired the
Ridgewood house, with 30 acres,
and at Ridgewood were born his
son John and six daughters:
Agnes, Robena, Elizabeth, Jane,
Helene and Magdeline.
SEVEN JOHN GALTS
,1
John was fifth of seven eldest
sons, beginning with three
generations in Scotland. The
Canada Company Commissioner
was John Galt IV, the registrar
V, the Goderich postmaster VI
and the,banker as VII. John Galt
of Victoria, $,C., married
Dorothy Marsden, of Vancouver;
they have two daughters, no son.
GOOD
SALESMAN
THE HUSBAND,WNO
CONY/NOES///S WYE,
SNELL BE TOO FAT
INA M/NA'COAr..
2 F ` 1Q�12u-2,12u
JOE'S BP
g Service Station
• g and
M Coffee Shop
g 41 -1 --Huron Rd., Goderich
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g . 524-6871
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As in all square - Ian Houses of Hone , B.C., Prince George, in " 1897) sent
street in 1848 ;cit" a s_tipen o d f P Y
125 pounds, He labored with the period, the central hall opens P.C. , Rossland, B.C.,condolence.
that congregation for18 years, onto large rooms on each side Collingwood, Ont., and the The historic bed and
resigning in 1866, He died in . In rear of the southerly one isWestmount main office, gentleman's dresser remain in In where he retired June the house where they were for
18? 3. According to W. H. the "den,"and the room back of `
Graham, in The Tiger of Canada the northerly tone, originally the 15, 1945. so long a part of the Galts'
West, he was "a tall, fine-looking ' dining room, is now'the kitchen, "I Was about 10 years at the personal property, and could not
man, of ,fascinating manners; a with rPonveniences which of various branches •' in the be in more fitting environment,
widower, who had emigrated course were unknown to the St. Okanagan Valley — a fine Mrs. Galt, widow of the
@
with his mother and sister, r
aft Andrew's mini ter and famil place," he said. postmaster, did not plan to
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having married his lady -love as Between the pair of rooms on When in St. Catharines, Mr. continue keeping house, but
caDSRIgri MONnA ,T $ EcEMar�
WITH THIS CI
letter of
she lay dying." each 'side of the hall were Galt was churchwarden at St.
When the struggling fall -length arches, making George ps, of which the rector
congregation had to sell the available for a party or other was Rev. George Luxton, now
manse to meet debts, the gathering the whole four rooms. Bishop of Huron.
MacKids. _bought it, for 800 These wericlosed up in the time More interesting than the
pounds, and so, as Mrs. MacKid of the Gaits. statuary, as a souvenir of Hon.
wrote to a relative, "we had not The large rooms have plaster M. C. Cameron, is a massive and
to move," • medallions in the ceilings; the elaborately carved Victorian
For some years the house was ' orle in the former dining -room is bedroom suite made .especially
tenanted by H. I. Strang a design of fruit. Double for the accommodation of lion.
(collegiate principal) and family, fireplaces in the wall between Wilfred Lautier on the occasion
who were very fond of the place, the ground -floor rooms of a visit to "The Maples." The
evidently heated the house , magnificent bed, its head
originally, but stoves were in towering to the ceiling and its
general use long before the Galts companion dresser near by are a
lived there, and there are melancholy reminder that
stovepipe holes upstairs. There although Mr. Cameron served
was a maid's room at the back, the -Liberal party
Jessie Strang, writes from and a stair leading to the second devotedly—unscrupulously at
Niagara -on -the -Lake, "and father floor. 'times, some opponents
intended to buy it." Unlike the The original pine floors charged—in and out of
MacKids, however, the Strangs remain, well cared for. Though Parliament for 40 years, and was
did have to move. In 1885, some log houses were still in majority a logical choice, if ever there was
years after the Presbytean in Goderich, when this house was one, for inclusion in Laurier's
union, the "devisees in trtist," built, there are no log beams. first cabinet, he was
(Rev. Robert Ure and John The floor supports are joists 12 conspicuously omitted.
Davison), sold the' .place to inches by 2, with rough sides. Laurier. ----•--became Prime
It is on record that John Galt Margaret Seager, wife of Charles The chimney design is similar to Minister after the Liberal
A. Seager, town solicitor and that of the Widder (Cayley Hill) election victory of 1896,, which
V "came out' to be a farmer." In later Crown Attorney. The house, and definitely dates it. It was the year of Cameron's last
the 1840slot,he owned the
at the northeast Seagers sold to the Galts. is ° recalled that there were contest in West Huron, when he
100-acreThe manse was probably outbuildings in John Galt's time, defeated Robert McLean. Date
corner of the Dunlop begun in 1854,when the Clergyof Laurier's visit to Cameron's
intersection, and sold it to John gu extending toward Bruce street,
Upthegrove as a tavern location. Reserve Fund commissioners one probably accommodating house' is not at the moment
offered 150 pounds, conditional the family pony. Mr. Hopkinson certain. It is pleasant to believe
The Goderich settlement was upon the congregation of St. had them taken down and that it must have been some
short on. educated persons to fill Andrew's raising 50 pounds erected a • frame building for years before Laurier chose his
public offices associated with a' more, which was done. Four lots storage. ininistry and withheld from,
district centre,, and John Galt at ' in all were obtained from the Cameron the just reward of long
about 20 years of age was Canada Company, and a loan of ART — FROM ITALY service. In that cabinet, formed
appointed collector of customs, 500 pounds was obtained from July 3, 1896, Western Ontario
at a salary of 100 pounds. In the Trust & Loan Co.. Rev. Mr. Malcolm Colin Cameron, who was represented only by James
1843 he was a justice of the MacKid agreed 'to have the represented South Huron' and Sutherland' of North Oxford and
peace, and .from 1851 registrar interest paid out of pew rents. later West Huron in the House 'of William Paterson of South Brant.
of deeds for the United Counties To meet his wishes, a large cellar Commons most of the time from' Paterson actually had been
Confederation to 1898, travelled* defeated in the general election;
a great deal and from Italy but Laurier found a seat for him
brought back °various pieces of in North Grey and he was sworn
statuary for the grounds or "The as Minister of Customs.
Maples." Some time after his • Cameron accepted the post of
death, Mrs. Cameron bought the Lieutenant -Governor of the
"Castle." and at that time the North West Territories. Only a
grounds of Postmaster Galt few weeks at the capital, Regina,
evidently received several pieces he caught a severe cold. He
of art from the Maples. An hastened to , the home of a
ornamental deer later travelled -son-in-law, Dr. John D. Wilson,
to the Pacific Coast to adorn thy: mayor of London, Ont., and
THEY CALL IT
"HEARTSEASE"
"They called it Heartsease,"
Mrs, F. H. Hewson,'the former
of Huron, Bruce and Perth. He was built under the main part of
was returning office in 1858 and the house, and also a kitchen at
probably in other elections. The the back. -
authors of In the Days of the The brick used for the manse,
Canada Company recorded the though long ago painted red, is
following intimate sketch: actually a kind of orange color.
"With his handsome face and On this_ point, Mr. B. Napier
• kindly courtesy of mind and Simpson, Jr., Willowdale
manner, John Galt was not a architect, states: "There are
man to be lightly forgotten by buildings around that
those who had the privilege of countryside, from Goderich say.
*Wade bf the
is ----friendship --Ibis---leo---early as. ' as on on, -- -
r nig �z %'
grey stock brick wit a pin ounds" of- --John--= ri4-S -died there:- His ---body--w-as----w�
death was truly mourned and flashing.- This brick and its • house in Victoria, which he calls : 'brought to "The Maples" for
had he lived, his character coloring obviously was a result "Gairbraid," perpetuating the burial in Maitland Cemetery. Sir
showed that he could not have of using local clay, and so in the name of Dr. William Dunlop's Wilfred Laurier (he was knighted
been kept from reaching as earliest of buildings you would log mansion on the Colborne
prominent a place in the records .have to allow that perhaps the side.
of Canada that held by each bricks had been a hand -made A large statue . of "The ,
of his brothers." operation, in which the bricks Reaper" remained on the
The registrar's son John, who were made right in the land grounds when Mr. Hopkinson
was to be associated with the where the structure was to be bought the place, and he had it
"Galt house" of this narrative, erected. These hand -made bricks removed to a site opposite the
went with his widowed mother are usually smaller than a front door. ..
to Stratford to live with 'her standard brick." Mr. Galt, of Victoria, known to
brother, Judge D. H. Lizars, and The full-length verandah on Goderich friends as "Tim," was
to the Grand Think 'shops to the front is believed original. in the service of the Bank of
learn engineering. In Guelph for There are French doors opening Montreal for more than 40
a' time, he worked later on the' onto it, and ,another upstairs years, commencing in Goderich,
Intercolonial Railway. (The opening on the balcony. There at $16.16 a month, as he
Huron Signal in' a social note are 11 rooms, including . five recalled recently. Later he was
records a visit in 1887 by Galt bedrooms on the second floor. manager of branches in Port
and his wife, Lena Ca
Moncton " with the
"of
he 'otter's xsIa;WSsa5i�st5a 3tA.1*A;s�s�'.staMA 5&>A Vgt T..�,.5:1"1.1tZ.=;Axc:A:Mgt ;tMIcIii3t,11:5N4,*;c4%;��..x�51•xfaxt5X;���4
rather to stay with her
daughters, and • the Hopkinsons
were happy to acquire the suite.
It had included a lady's dresser,
for a time among the Cameron
furniture at the "Castle," later
disposed of at a sale there. Mrs.
Galt 'died in 1947.
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Harbourlite Inn
NEW YEAR'S
EVE PARTY
THE DEL-REYS
9 - 2
Tickets Now On Sale
Reservations Phone
524-9371 or 524-9264
father, M. C. Cameron.) Possibly
through the influence of Mr. g
.Cameron, who was M.P. for West A
Huron, Galt was appointeid g
postmaster of Goderich, and
from 1899 made his home at the rgi
former manse on Nelson street.
There are five children of John A
and Lena Galt who recall life in g
that house: Mrs. Ivan Wilson and
Mrs. G. F. Clingan, of Goderich;
Mrs. Colin D. Headlee of iA
Annapolis, Md.; Mrs. D. A. g
Mitchell, Guelph and John Galt, ti
Victoria.
Rev. Alex MacKid became the g
first settled minister of St. M
Andrew's church on Nelson g
•
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%Eve
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A
CHRISTMAS
LIGHTING
CONTEST
RULES _& REGULATIONS
CATEGORIES TO BE JUDGED:
• (1) Best all--round,Christmas Theme
(2) Best Religious Theme
(3) Most Original Decorations
PRIZES;
The prizes for the winners of the, above mentioned categories will be three beautiful
electric blankets, donated through the courtesy of the P.U.C.
JUDGING:
The judging will take place on Monday evening, December 22. The prizes will be
alloted on December 23.
REGULATIONS:
(1) Only one category can be entered by each household.
(2) Only those entrants who have signed the coupon will be eligible for prizes.
(3) Contestants must have their coupon stating the category to he entered into the
Development Office, 26 The Square, by noon Monday December 22.
(4) The decisions of the judges will be final. .
GODERICH TOURIST COMMITTEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTING CONTEST
I
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Name
• Address
Category !Only one category may be entered
(Check Only One)
-- BEST ALL-ROUND
BEST RELIGIOUS
---••'MOST ORIGINAL
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RIVETTS
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THE SQUARE GODERICH
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