HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-01-13, Page 5s;
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, BY W. E. Ei..t'IQTT
On, October •19th,! 1832, the
Canada Cowpany .sold to •Elder
Bertrand, ' for five • pounds
• lawful money► " of Upper
Canada," : Lot .-6 in Goderich,
.. measuring 601A perches. •- (rods)-
On the front.of its stiffened and
yellowing folds, the 'deed, bears
the ,signature of-(capt,);
Dunlop? 'who registered -it and
tuc Ce, i It . away..ir,1 1835 one.
hundred and .thirty-seven years •
ago,
- The lot (later number 796)
was not on a street named in the'
original town plan, and so was
• ° described as on the northwest
side of the third street north of
West street. Counting. St.
Patrick, Colborne .and Nelson,
we .come to. Roy"Breekenridge's
apartment' building on° Waterloo
Street, erected seven . years ago.
Monsieur Bertrand held this.
lot, until March, 1851, when he•'
sold to " Louis .Bellamir, for 50
pounds.- Bellamir (the name has
been" spelled', erroneously as'
"Belmore") is described in the
deed as "of- the. township. of
Moore, Lambton county." His.
signature was witnessed at Sarnia
by Louis Bertrand and Francis
Disham. All the parties made an
X where . someone else had
written their names. ,
Bellamir perhaps "knew
something" at the time 'pf, his
purchase, for only -five days later
',,he resold the :lot t4' William. G.
Smith, presumably at a
respectable profit, inasmuch as
° Mr. Smith was about to erect a
big, brick tannery. In due course,
his two sons carried, on the
, business,` 'until about 1911. The
,building~ after being used. some
years for various purposes, was
"demolished ,early in 1964, and a
on the site arose • the .apartment .
block. ' ^ _
This flashback to';the town's
• earliest years reveals -too little
about .:a' ',group of
French-Canadians who settled
hese---and---al to �-5 ° 'yeas--or=so
appeared no more in the records.
of life in Goderich.
The 50 pounds Bellamir paid
:for 'his .,jpt appears to have been
the price charged by the
Company about that ti•rne• for
town lots. Dr. William Dunlop
had ,cQn 1ained.:in_
Assembl that . the t Com . an
obtained .."►for town lots , ,,a
c�ii Oter-acre 50 pounds, and for
.?tuner lois 75. That 'was 30Q .an.
acre -for what the company' got
for:one shilling and threepence.",
411.1•„ Louis Bellamir's 1851 deed,
,designating him as a resident of
Lambton county, 'sheds enough
light upon the French -settlers to
remove them from the mystery,
. category: -The= Canada Company
as early as. 183.2 had stated a
• 'policy ,of attempting to attract
• _. worthy -..,_French 'settlers from
Lower Canada. Its advertising in
• • Lower Canada was �- fairly,
extensive.
". ° The presence• of French
settlers was-, mentioned, though
in not very, complimentary •
:terms, by • Henry Cowper
' Hyndrnan, who arrived in'
Goderich with - lis ` family from
Ayrshire in the 1830s and held
the office of sherriff' from 1841
to 1844. He wrote that "French
and half-breeds, Indians. and the
few :Europeans belonging- to -t
Company made r up he.
population.,"
settlers Iotall'y
R l
•
Victor Lapriston of Chatham, in 1831. It- .passed, to the
a-."Goderich - boy,'• in „his Ggodings ..in 4836,•. -but the
monumental' History of Lambton .registry record doesnot show
`'"Writes' that l'ontchartrain,'where •libik.. On it today is the reesidence
Detroit stands, became one -of a of Albett:/:-M ddel,
;line of •F'relieh outposts 4.$ John. Roleau' acquired in 1833
'Canada with the Mississippi and Lot 105 and mortgaged it to the.
designed, .. to. iirnllt es e 1
� , g , , �`, .,. � try Goodrngs, Who' later got. titje in a
,advance of British -colonists on deed Poll, 'The John Marwick.
the, Atlantic coast , Along the house is on'thls lot,
Detroit Aver , •.crime a{ Frenph ,t Francis Demary purchased '
habitants settled. A. few,: -Lot 106, upon which stands ;the
combining farming With -hunting ° .tWo=St. U y . "brick house, '
and ' fishing, , appear to have reputedly built in, . ,1848, now•
established similar homes along owned bY Arnold Fisher. Jean
the St. Clair," mostly on the Baptiste Martel g'ot1.01-and-sold7----
western bank. ., to the goodingss in 1853. Here
Whether from the Detroit , are tire;. residences of 'Mayor
and. St..' Clair settlements, or Harry Worsell and Alvin Riley.
more directly from Lower The Lighthouse 'Street =-lot 'at
Canada, • the French 'settlers in the southwest ' corner ' of
Goderich did not come from the Wellington was purchased,. from
French . Settlement which the Company-'in,1832 by Lquis
became St. Joseph, for 'the Bellamir; who 23 years later sold'
reasdri,that it was not then in it to ;Antoine Letarge. In; the
existence. Furthermore, none of "',-same yea'r, 1855,, Letarge sold to'
the` Goderich names correspond Rev. Jbhn Fraser, for whotri„,r,_,
• with any of those of the• dozen probably, was built... the large ' '
families who founded St. frame cottage still there. It has
Joseph., It may '-be noted that been the home of Judge Cooper,
William ,Fisher Gooding, trading Rev.. J; E. Ford and 'Mrs. Jessie
with the Indians here before Robertson. •••
Goderich was born, had as Across Wellington, where Dr.
partner one Frank 'Ducharme,, 4. W. Wallace livesq Lot 109 was
but that js a common name, and _: purchased from the. Company in
although it is also a• St. ''3oseph 1832 by Antoine Canteau, who
• name, this man was. here many disposed of it in 1356, taking a
. years before therewas a St. mortgage back. This date marks
Joseph."A"' " ..._ry_�. the latest point at which any of
Members of • the Goderich the French are shown to have"
group who sold . out early been still in Goderich. In the .list
• probably purchased lots oT professions and trades,
elsewhere in the town; there has published about tlfat time, there -
. been no systematic search. In are—no—French names.
the transactions cited in this There may have been a
• narrative, however, there' is no language difficulty on the par't' ,
in"stance of a late purchase, say of this group. it cannot be said
in the 1850s except for prompt, that they were. long deprived, of
resale„,,What they do show is that the services of their Church
what might be termed the Assuining• them, to be Romani
"Wrench Quarter" came about Catholics, they could hear
quite logically-. • . • masses said• in almost the earliest°
The Frenchmen, arriving in years 'df the settlement, through
the settlement only four or five the " benevolence • of "Catholic
•years --after Galt. and Dunlop people in Waterloo county.
founded it, bought .their lots jn Indeed, it is on record that W " F. •
the early- 1S30s and in, most Gooding, coming up ° from
instances disposed of there in • Detroit to trade with the'
the 1850s. Most of them, Indians,' - "after. 1826 usually ,
therefore, would pay five -brought a priest.". • •
pounds and sell for 50, or about- * Before, what appears to have
$250. In the years between.,,they been ' a general exodus, the •
would carry on their ;trades. French colony• had begun to
Eber'.' Bertrand, is%described in his experience the benefits and
18 - deed as- a --shingle ,caper -disadvantages ►:q of ttttt iretpai
d-Bellaxp r-as-a_y$or�aana-,Same. orgauizaaio ch_became..a
may:: have been . Sfishern7eri. town,. effe �v 18 0 :elected
• Bertrand and '• -• Martel'•:: *ere, a . council ' and prepared
Married ' men; perhaps others assessment. •rolls; -the years of'
were also.' - township rule were past: There is
• The Canada Company office
originally was in a log building in
what is now °`.Harbor Park.
Opposite, along West : 'and
CQbourg streets, the lots were
occupied mainly by•:,,Cnlnada
Company people. In 'the next
street south, the lot 'at. the
:southeast' corner of Lighthouse
and Wellesley was picked up by
Williath Bennett Rich, an official
of the Company, but the next
lot.. east, No.' 103; had been
acquired in 1832 :by J. Baptiste
Martel. Rich' bought... it from
Martel in 1836; and thus
completed the, property`- on.
which there' was built . for him
the large brick house ,now owned'
by Mrs. Ivan Wilson.
From that point'east*ard, six
Frenchmen bought adjoining
lots and soon owned the
equivalent', of •a block on the.
south side of Lighthouse. Jospeh
(n t:Louis) Bellamir got Lot 104
' :math
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0QDERickf s w N���"l o. . A R, TIw. '
Daring Monday morning the Goderich Signal Star hosted 60 students from Central Huron District,
High, School in Clinton. The students, who are menibers-of 'the journalism course at the school,
toured the plant facilities, at, the local newspaper (where the Clinton .,Nevus Record is also
published) and were shown how the papdr is produced. ;Above, John Buchanan explains the '
Printing process while below 'Lloyd Lounsbury, explains: the typesetting equipment'to one group
of the students:•--Staff,photo: • a " ,
R�lflb(
FIVE Y.EA RS AGO : ° M
Janu�ar'y,12,1967 a On : 13
Two -sitter chalices returned ' . insuguurrtl metting of thst flow
home- ato rest at 'St,' G �y:r+ .. ''l`own Co-
Ang..lc.. n 'Church t, The chum' *3.902 w held.», - -
began the Centennial years with, About 1100 p,m. on
.the rededication cif . the, chalice* Years . Eve the Gly .
which were, used in 1867 �by.the Brigade: as cal d out.to tight II►
parish. = .fire: at.the barn of the Method,
Goderich Gun Club members "Church Parsonage , on .14Orth
placed second In a trap shoot at Street and n anaged :;tat ° s0,ve'the
Ha m 11 t n G n CI u b' buildings and ' rOcuitd.1s► number
competitions in that city. of hens'as WWII',
Drillers !orking . on .a farm 'Inspector 'Tule .tcepotted'
owned by Elmer ,Foran` in West . the; '' ublin Sehoo ' Board .Sitying
Wawanosh Township near' St.. that, :students ata the . 'Model
r
He11ns struck natural gas and . school had, Oaq.ed,‘Olanlina#001
14 u c_ J e d off further satisfactorily -.and .showed. - great.
investigations .in the area for oil. interest in their work. - •
The, Goderich Kinsmen Club 'At -the , requests°off`' the :public
announced it Would -be library board A. Duff, librarian,
sponsoring a • beard growing was appointed special constable
contest as part of its Centennial for the FLurpose of preserving
year activities. ' ,' peace . and order in:, the reading
Torpnto . ,Qlobe '"' :and Mail _' room "-and the . approaches
Columnist,, Richard Needham.; : thereto.
was in Codericil to 'speak to
students in Grade 13 at . the 25 YEARS AGbO.
Goderich and District Collegiate . • January 13, 1947."
Institute. The inaugural meeting of the
Official opening of the Goderich High School District
$737,423 addition to l•luronview Board - was held •, a,att the' High
home for the aged was delayed School and • H. M°. ;Ford;.. the
five - months because of a appointee of oderich Town
shortage of electrical supplies. It" Council, was c oxen chairinarl
L.
had been . scheduled to open Waterlevel of the' Great
January 12 but was put off to Lakes and St , Lawrence River-
June 11. - - were reported by the 'Federal
L: B. Graham secretary of the Hydrographic and 'Map services
o Goderich branch, committee of and Lake Huron gwas said t� be
"the St. John's•. Ambulance -three' and three-quarter' inches
Association• and John Wilson, 'lower than the previous year.
found_ er of the Goderich branch, Lou Lane"of Goderich caused
Were honored in ceremonies at some excitement at Lucknow
Government House in Ottawa by when" he was foree4 to make an
the , "e radian Branch of ' the emergency landing in his plank;°
organization.
70 YEARS AGO
January 13, 1902
after taking off , from Sky
Harbour -airport." The pilotwas-
-•-
concerned about motor trouble.
Twenty Four girls tu ed up
- Rev. Dr. Daniel was to address '• to an organizational meeting for '
the meeting at Temperance Hall a Girls Hockey . Team in
on North:Street beginning with a Goderich: '
'song:service at 4L(10 p.m. and the ._'An exaplosion in. a kitchen
regular meeting at 4:15. -stove started a fire. -which—did
A,big.Crowd turned out to see considerable damage .in the
- the • O'. H.A.._-_ champion Anglican church rectory ' at.
Wellingtons of Toronto play an Blyth.. Rev. and Mrs. L: • H.
exhibitior._�game:� against a Hendlrson were away. and :a
'Goderich Junior team and the neighbour.was.tending fixes.;-�
game ended In a crushing defeat The Dungannon school bus to
for .the •visitors a the-Goderich • Goderich was . travelling • with,
• team: handed them a 31 to 4 soiree difficulty., With• . heavy
°
trouncing. goads on . the cncessions , the.
The Oddfellows annoupced ..pyils have' had . to get to
that there would be a -ball under Dungannon by other means or
the sponsorship of their group st ty in the `village:
no justification for attributing
departure of the Frenc)t to this
new- set -tip, but it is permissible
•to. credit them with rareigood
fortune in escaping, so early, the
impact of urban,tarcation.
... 'so more wit live •
1.GIVE a
HEART FUND
Huron-PerthT. RCSS'
odrd elects .James Morris
BY WlLMA OKE
Jaynes Morris, 34 Palmer.
Square, Stratford, was elected
chairman of the Huron Perth,,
County Romari< Catholic
Separate"'School- Spud at the
first meeting for _the' year when
it met in' Seaforth last Monday.
I 5 LI E'S
night.—Ile succeeds,, Howard
Shantz of -Stratford.
• Mr. Morris won •on;tl e firs!
ballot with eightvotes over tlw
• nly• other candidate for the
position, - ' Joseph Looby of
• Dublin, who, received six voters',
• John McCann, 'RR. . 3, Ailsa
Craig, with eight votes won over
Francis Hicknell. of RR 5,
Seaforth, who received six votes,
for the position of vice-chairman •
.for 1972. ° ` '
Rei+ Father H. J. Laragh of„
St. 'James, Chlarch, 'Seafort e,
--tSpened the meeting with an
address to the board members
urging them to remember wh•eh
carrying out their duties as
board members that they were
doing if for thechildren, not the
trustees. Too; 'he urged them to
re•merubnb4he-teachers and other
,?embers of the staff and to have
concert) for them
"Going to mass is not
something you take lightly`'
Father .Laragh stated and urged'
the -board to Hire teachers who
go -tb mass,`. -le .suggested that
pastors be • asked 'for their
evaluation of .prospect'lve
teachers before they are hired':
John Vintar, Superinteadent
of Education, who- presided for
the election - of. the chairmen,
spoke of the.co-operation he -had
received 'and said that for 1972
.to be a rewarding year a spirit of
mutual trust was necessary 'that
we can best sere our stpdents'.
In other business the board'
appointed as its solicitor- the
legal firth 'bf .Doririell'y and
Murphy, Goderich.
..—v To Make ap rointn- ents: for
-representatives to other boards,
such • as the Lib'raty Board; a
nominating comrriittee was
named. F. J. Vere,' chairman;
Oscar ,.Kieffer, Arthur plaid,
Michael Conpolly and Chris
Walraven,
The following standing'
'coirtt'nittees were ,elected with
,:first harried ehairinan:' Finance
Home Dressed Seiect Meat
•
MADE PRE'SH DAILY
•
LET US
ViITHIOUR
We Buy' Direct PrOin The Producer SAve The Cost Of
The M Our Moat, Is- Govertinient inspected
and Insurance, i : J. (Mickey)
.`Vere, _ Stratford; -Michael
Connolly, RR 3, aKippen; and
Francis Hicknell, RR 5,,
•Seaforth; .Personnel and Salary
Negotiating, Ted Geoffrey, RR
2, Zurich;' David `eahen,
Stratford; and Michael Connolly;
Property and Building
Committee, ' Vincent Young,.
Goderich; Pat Carty, Stra'tfard;'
Joseph Looby, Dublin; and
Howard Shantz, Stratford;
Transportation, Arthur Haid,
•
e
Councillor Stan Profit of the women's washroom is in need of•
Traffic and Safety 'Committee' paint ,once _ . more. That
has asked that citizens refrain, wasiifoom was painted , joust last
from parking on the school -side. summer, according to council,,
of Bennett Street' adjacent to The inspection . was made
Victoria School of the winter early in the:morning, December .
months. _ • . , .._. � . 2.9,_ Council , ~ suggested _.that,wa
Profit warn' that with. more , acetxrate' picture of ,the.
snowbanks rand parked. cars. on 'state of the public'washrooms in
both'sides of the street,•a traffic the Court House could be made
'hazard is created in that�'district about 4:36 p.m. in June.
in thewinter•, • • * * *
• Council suggested that signer The, Town of Goderich • will
b acted' to remind •motorists "buy •a membership.-this:,year...in.:
of the rid'`parking request. .: the Association . of Mining'
* * *
Municipalities of .Northern
Reeve Paul Carroll' announced' - Ontario.
.in council that otl'tdoor skating "As long' as we're that kind of
• rinks Will • be established' in municipality'. --(niihirtg), • we,
the, variq,,ps schools :under. its . Judith''Gooderham' Park and at should- belong, to .'it, stated
jurisdiction Robertson Memorial School this Reeve Carroll who' added. that
John Uinta, was appointed winter.valuable information was,
official'- hiring agent for the • It is hoped these .'outdoor available through the
__-board. facilities_.wil1 provide additional organization:
Appre al was given for the• skating .opportunities for
1 d t b d t the
Goderich youngsters. -
• RR 4', List�ovvel; Oscar Kieffer,
RR .. 1, Bluevale; • and Chris
Walraven
St
Marys.
Y
Chairman James Morris
indicated he would attend *the
Finance• and Personnel
Committee �:,,�errtesrotings and
Vice -Chairman 'McCann would
attend Property and
Transportation• Committee
meetings. `
The members of 'the ad hoe
property for Holy Name School
in St.. Marys„..were re:appointed
to complete the final details of
The purchase:which' Was made
last -year for, the enlalgernent of
the school grounds.
- Mr. Vintar reported that the'
' application to the Department
of Municipal Affairs for the
' *board to proceed with the -4
Provinepl,Municipal Incentive
Employment Plan . had been
granted for the installation of a
centre at St, -Mary's School in
Ilesson. 'The initial allotment to
tlie board will amount to $2,500 .•
-for labour (whieh is,100 per cent
"of labour costs) and will pay 25
.per tent of the cost of materialS
and of supervision. This plan
ealls for the employment of
unemployed persons or People .
on welfare.
The 'board .look" into
Money to tarry 'Out painting in -
year y dues o e par o •
Ontario ._ Separate School ' * * """ am -�
An of t � 1 •
Trustees Association which assessmentthe town's
amount to $3,012.90 for this •Christmas lighting - displays I •GOOD THINGS 11
year, compared to ,$2,392.95 showed that between $80 and HAPPEN .
last year. Mr. Vintar said the' fee $100 worth of bulbs were lost'
is biased on a 70 cent per pupil „ during tite holiday -leas -on. • ' WHEN 'YOU HELP'
.
increased from 50
• basis which is
cents in 1971.....
Also at last weeks meeting,
council --learned that a Huron R
County. Health Unit inspection .
Next "to held on ,of the public washrooms in the
Jan. 24. - - .. ,.._..." - . � ,NMI Mill MIME
Meeting
g
be
Court Houser revealed haat the -L'
•
Big, steer no forgotten
• Far back in if*, memories one ming I do'recall
Was up in the north of Ashfield a mile Or two, nOt far
Therp dwelt a huge animal and nobody did he fear
in pasture fields he jived forinany, many year&
Andpeople for miles around would go and see the'bigIsteer
And in that same pasture field.he dwelt for many years
Up North of Kintail he fivedend people.liked to go
The crowds would gather anityircle him in.rows.
And nearly every Sun's:lay that animal visitors had (
He never seem to nffind them as on the graSs he fed.
always. was fOr show and the lazy life he led
The crowdsyrould gather around' him and back and forward- tread.
If,you would want a picture„ tipt animal he would pose ' •
,No matter•if he was eating, to the occasion he anise
Fol. he is dead now smile fifty. years ago
Mr. Stewart kept him for exhibition shows.
This- was the entertainment in all the homes.aronnd•
To gwand see the animal that weighed thirty-five hundi'ed and Seventy pounds:
There was no bigger ithiinal within these parts to be found „
The roads were lines with a feW cars as people came froth far
And in those days unlike nOw„,ttiete many earS
The biggest aniMalitt Alhfricifiliat the pipers db recall
And 'people went to see him from"Smingtime on to fall.
A proudlY *stately that seemed -to have goOd health
Will always be, rethenibeted by 'those whO knew hitn hftt.