HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-30, Page 90Christopher Crabb
from page 49
street. Detlor, a-merrchant at
North street and the Square,'
had been mayor in 1866.
Horace Horton,- elected to
the House of Commons in
1872, was . opposed in the
general election of 1874 by
Christopher Crabb. The
Goderich merchant accepted
the Conservative nomination,.
and declared support of Sir
John A. Macdonald at a time
when the fortunes of leader
and party were at low ebb.
Crabb was a magistrate, ex -
mayor, member of public and
collegiate school boards, the
Board of Trade. and so on, but
Centre Huron had given
Horton 480 majority and there
was small chance of over-
coming that lead.
At the Conservative con-
vention in Seaforth, Mr.
Crabb accused the '0 iberaI
party of following a free trade
policy, and contended that if
Canadian industries were
adequatelurrotected by the
tariff, hundreds of .men
leaving Canada for the United
States would be able to find
employment at home. Thus
he anticipated a -policy which
his own leader had not, at the
time, actually adopted, but on
which he was to be trium-
phantly returned to office in
1878.
Christopher must have
been an able speaker. The
Huron.. Signal. (Reform)
remarked before the 1874 -vote
that "were Mr. Crabb by
accident to go to Parliament,
the members no doubt would
be treated so some rich
oratorical displays, but as
there are already enough
speakers in the House, we
think it would not be well to
inereasc their number by
sending Mr.. Crabb. Better
leave him at home to dispense
law and justice." Most
electors evidently concurred:
Horton won by 770.
Christopher Crabb had
C. ORABB,
--= AT THF. --
Old Reliable Store,
-till hangs out with almost every class
of
"CT -0-0-13—S."
Needed, and
Prices to Suit the Times.
par 1'xot•'ITE ARE TOO SMALL To HOLO
OUT Tiij; BAIT or DIscULrxT 'Ott
L.LrtnE Pctu'HAAEs,
BUT
I TASE THE LEAD in Woolen Dress
Goods.
I '1'.+,;E 'THE LI•:no in AlI.SWool Cash-
meres.
I
TAKE T.IE LEAD in Fine Wool and
Cashner'e Huse.
I TAKE Tir:: Lens in \\ hits and Un-
bleached Cotton.
[ TAKE THE BEAD in White and Col -
,.r,, d Shirts.
1 'list: TUE LEAD in Ladies White Un-
iJi•rw'ear,
I T;•,r:'rii L}Ltn in Ladies Hosiery
lo,,' i i; .,' nod (lulfI,'r,n. 11c;41ei'p Nt
j,; •}, i,r;i)U be bo7a!(ht• fur fess Ilion
L.rt... vmt ;;Ucix. c1.•cithe,e. .
1 T.tta: TO: LEA], in Men's Overeoats
and Snits.
I 'l',AKE THE L::.:> in :!'. kinds of Cloth;
'!'weeds and other Dress Goods.
•
GR OCERIESa
As usual I have niways taken the lead in
T3vAOS •
and decidedly in
CCONTIE E3311
Aly Cottee at 25. ts. being equal to any
40;:. Coffee in the MarL'et. •
I3r;;r lti r' ELM Coelho:
ti Cents per lb.
3es'r CurtnaNT., 8 Cents per Ib.
All other' Grneeriee et.mlly low.
RAISI1:i,
HARDWARE
In Hardware I decidedly take the lead.
\'u'ts, from. 't -inch ?fp, $2. 75 per'/ep.
tlivm 4.4u11 si.:e..
Paints, (!ils, .l'-C'Et Saws, Axes
4 I u11 other ales,ce;pl.ion of Hardt avis
i•t Lott' Rates.
Perfection Cook Stoves
—AT—
WR(JLLESALE PRICES.
C. CRABB.
.re *
came to Canada with his
mother, Mary Ann, after the
,death of the father in
England, probably about
1833. The, Signal mentioned
George Crabb, cabinet-
maker, as operating on
Kingston street about that
time. Later he is said to have
operated the schooner Mary
Ann between ' Goderich and
Detroit, bringing supplies for
the Christopher Crabb store.
The Crabb Block
lrr 1835, Mrs. Crabb pur-
chased from Thomas Archer
Lots 27 and 70. site of the
future ,block on the Square
between Kingston and East
streets, but at ' the time
vacant. Business ,had been
moving slowly up from the
harbor area. Goderich
township however, was
settled early: Kingston street
brought •its farmers to the
Market Square and later was
Mid to be the busiest "street in
tOwn.
Construction of the Crabb
Block commenced in 1839.
Five years later,
Christopher's mother deeded
him the property, and he gave
her a mortgage for 300
pounds.
The Crabb store on
1: ingston street, close to the
Square offered "everything
from a needle to an anchor,"
an advertising claim which
seems also to have been
promulgated by William
Waunders. At any rate, Crabb
was the settlement's first
importer. "Teas," the Huron
Signal stated. "Mr. Crabb
imports direct." The Crabb
schooner, Mary Ann. plied
between Goderich and
-Detroit. One import it carried
would be salt. On one oe-
rasion, when he was
presiding as magistrate,
Crabb committed for trial
County Judge ° Squier on
charges laid before him. and
the judge had to find bail:
Later the charges, were
thrown out. and whether or
not as a result, Crabb's
commission as magistrate
was terminated.
In 1889 there was a special
joint issue 'of the two
Goderich weeklies, with
articles about merchants and
industrialists. In one of these
it, was noted that C. Crabb,
general merchant and im-
porter, had been in business
for 50 years.
"The pioneer place of
business in Goderich, and in
fact in the counties of Huron,
Perth and Bruce, is that
carried on by the mere
veteran C. Crabb,'n�ke,
newspaper . .,Thp
business was statedetstablishedlg
1839, and consequently is i
its 50th year under conttnuniis
management. glmo.s
everything a purchas4
requires can be had in 01
general store, where, gene
hardware, engineers sui
plies, builders' supplies, to
resin, oakum, etc., can
found alongside weavin
cotton, cotton warp, and a
the adjoining. store are°e1yte
dry goods and groc
departments.
"Mrs Crabb is among '
largest taxpayers, and i
Turn tophi
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE
TOWN
GODERICH
ON YOUR
150th
ANNIVERSARY
AKROMOLD (GODERICH) LTD.
�. CO CAMBRIDGE STREET
GODERICH -- 524.87M
el
do
1
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
GODERICH
ON YOUR
150th
BIRTHDAY
We wish everyone
Happiness during the
JUBILEE 3 celebrations
HOFFMEYER PLUMBING
& HEATING LIMITED
GODERICH, ONTARIO
PHONE 524.186
55 KINGSTON STREET