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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-07-30, Page 34Passe 10 Hawkins family was prominent anlong first setters Editor's note: The following, history of Port Albert is taken from the book, From Bush Trails to Present Tales, a History of Dungannon, Port Albert and the surroun- ding area of Ashfield and West Wawanosh and West Wawandsh Townships, compiled by the Dungannon Women's Institute. PORT ALBERT The first settlement made in Ashfield was in and around Port Albert, the plot of which the village was laid out in 1837 by William Hawkins, a surveyor in the employment of the Government. It was the expectation and desire of the Government that a town should be erected here, as the Nine Mile River which enters Lake Huron at this point, furnishes water power, and forms a very good harbour, but uncon- trollable circumstances def9Ated this laudable object and Port Albert's early commercial and industrial institutions were summed up as thus: two stores one saw, grist and shingle mill; two hotels; one telegraph office; two blacksmith shops and 2 post offices, being supplied with a daily mail north and south by the Goderich and Kincardine stage. The first actual settlers in Port Albert were Andrew McConnell, Jerome, Sharpe and Stephen Martin, and though there is no record of the exact date of their settlement here, it was sometime between the years of 1837 and 1841, • in which year they were followed by John Hawkins and family, who also located on the town plot. Of these ear- ly settlers, Andrew McConnell was drown- ed in 1842 while on his way from Goderich to Port Albert in a boat; Sharpe left the country some time later, and Martin and Hawkins continued to live there until the time of their deaths, not many years after. Before leaving, Sharpe built the first John Hawkins hotel (Petrie's store) sometime before 1842. On a map dated 1842 his name is writ- ten into the property on the righthand cor- ner of the road leaving north from Port Elizabeth Hawkins Albert. Presumably, this was"the location of the hotel, but he never had the deed to the property. Port Albert was originally called Albert with the prefix "Port" not being added un- til the late 1800's when the Federal govern- ment developed the mouth of the river into Turn to page 14 Congratulatio Port Albert on your Sesq u icen ten n ia your friends at IODGES MILLING LTD. R.R. 1 Dungannon R "Your Shur -Gain Dealer.." 529-7951