HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-30, Page 98P
George Acheson -
Enterprising m
George Acheson, a youth of George Acheson. He was .a
18, left his father's Huron- trustee and a class leader at
road farm in 1849 and came North Street Methodist
into Goderich to learn church for a half -century
shoemaking with James —"a counsellor, helper and
Campbell, one of three "boot teacher."
and shoe makers" in town. "Since 1853," it was
Two years later he set up for recalled on North Street's
himself in the boot and shoe 125th anniversary, "one
business. The time came Acheson, usually two and
when, according to the Huron sometimes three have been
Signal, he was the most en-
terprising,man in town..
"Mr. Acheson," the
newspaper stated in an 1886,
issue, "is full of enterprise.
He is one of the few men
erecting new buildings in
Goderich this summer. . .
George Acheson has in his
employ a large staff of car-
penters, bricklayers,
plasterers and laborers. If we
had half a dozen men in town
as pushing and enterprising
as Mr. Acheson, the town
would be a lively hive."
When Mr. Acheson died in
1907, aged 76, he had spent 58
years in the town.
"He prospered," the Signal
said in its obituary article,
"and became the owner of a
Targe number of business
premises and residence ... A
healthy body, tireless energy,
strong and courageous will,
Christian home training and
clear intellect brought him
step by step to the honorable
and commanding position he
held in the business world."
George Acheson was one of
a group of young men who
.turned "industrious hands to
humble tasks in Goderich,
prospered and became
eminent in its business world.
He was a cobbler; his brother
William worked as a saddler.
Alexander Ross learned the
carpentry trade on the way
up to bank manager, member
of the Legislature and4'
Provincial Treasurer. Horace
Horton was employed as a
saddler, his brother Henry as
a blacksmith. Horace became
.„,,an M.P. and head of the
Huron & Bruce Loan Com-
pany. Henry built • a big
grocery business on The
Square. James and George
Bissett were carpenters.
Jacob Seegmiller, who built
the British Exchange Hotel,
was first a "tanner and
shoemaker."
In the early years of
Toronto, it is recorded,
"ambition brought from
provincial places those who
sought a wider field and a
better chance in eom merce,
industry and finance... This
group of 10 comprised one
farm boy, one school teacher
one carpenter, one miller,
two office clerks, two country
storekeepers and two
telegraph operators, to wit:•
George A. Cox, Timothy
Eaton, Joseph W. Flavelle,
H.B. Howland, Donald Mann,
William Mackenzie, Edmund
Osler, Hart Massey and E.R.
Wood."
CHURCH "PILLARS':
John Mitchell, in The
Settlement of "York County,
notes that seven of these ten
men were, at one time or.
another, "pillars" of the
Sherbourne and Elm Street
Methodist churches. So also it
was with the rising
businessmen of Goderich,
conspicuously in the case of
officials at North Street. They
are William, John and
George, in the 19th century.
The family has been here four
generations: John and Jane
Graham, their mother, Mrs.
(Dr.) J.M. Graham; her
father, R.J. Acheson: his
,;father, William Acheson."
Mrs. Graham is now Mrs.
(Dr.) W.A. Crawford. of
W ingha m.
Which of the Acheson
brothers qualified as
disciplinarian is not in-
dicated. but the North Street
board in 1890 appointed "Mr.
Acheson" to see that perfect
order was kept*, at an ap-
proaching tea meeting.
George made substantial
bequests to North Street and
the Methodist Church: $3,000
to the trustee of North Street:
$2,000 to the General Mission
Fund; $2,000 to the Women's
Missionary Society: $1,000 to
the Superannuation Fund and
$1..000 to the Educational
Fund. There was a bequest of
$2,000 to the Ontario W.C.T.U.
and $1,000 to the Goderich
Hospital.
This narrative is not in any
respect a history of the
Acheson family; that task
ought to be undertaken by
someone with great patience,
a little money and -a com-
fortable life expectancy.
However, the results of
current research, as they
relate to various members of
the pioneer family, may he
set forth briefly.
FERMANAGH FAMILY
George was born at
Enniskillen, in County
Fermanagh, Northern
Ireland, from which area
many families migrated to
Huron, and in particular
Goderich township. He came
with his parents, four
brothers and perhaps one
sister. The father, •Robert,
bought from the Canada
Company, on May 4, 1841, Lot
29 in the' Maitland Con-
cession, and three months
later added Lot 90, across the
road. These lots are about six
miles from Goderich.
The eldest son, John, 'was
only 12 at the .time of set-
tlement. A fifth son (Edward)
was born here in 1841, and a
sixth (James) in 1845, but the
latter evidently died in in-
fancy. The baptismal record
of St. George's Anglican
church gives - the birthdate,
April 27, 1848, of an Acheson
daughter, Elizabeth, so that
there were six sons and two
daughters.
John Acheson (1829-1906),
the eldest son of Robert,
married Mary Sneyd (1837-
1925) ann in 1855 took over the
Huron road_ farm from his
father, but in 1876 he sold 'it to
Samuel Walter. In the Belden
Atlas of 1879, a township map
shows Mr. Walter on this lot.
It belongs now to Gerry_Ginn
'Para to page 60•
"lohn Acheson, Sr." is inscribed on this photo in Huron Pioneer Museum, identifyingth
subject as a former dry goods merchant on the Square. A native of Ireland, John Aches
conducted the family farm in the Maitland Concession for 21 years beforesellinr.ltial8'
and starting business in Goderich at the age of 47, next door to his brother WillIaIU 0
married Mary Sneyd and they had a family of one son and six daughters. Their resident
was at Nelson st. and Cambria road. Mr. Acheson died in 1906, aged 77.
from
Goderich
Pete and'Jeanne McCauley
and staff ,
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honor than over bolero.
Blu�water Cleaners.
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