HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-30, Page 149Congratulations to our many friends in Goderich
on the celebration of Jubilee 3
ree
lop
Malcolm Cameron, who
his political and jour -
c career at Perth,
e the leading
man of pioneer Sarnia
represented six different
cies in the Assembly,
Legislative Council and House
of Commons. He was member
for Huron, 1851-54, a member of
the Baldwin -Lafontaine
government, and supported the
Macdonald -Cartier govern-
ment in framing Confederation.
tablished Signal
page 108
"ton's . chapter in the
ton history, all present
name without middle
But consider these
is: Cameron's ad-
sement in the Canadian
nac of 1851 was
ed"M.C.Cameron." In the
stry office, the Huron road
s registered to M.C.
-on. The poll clerk in St.
ds Ward, whether at
on'sdictation or because
usage was familiar, wrote
Cameron." Finally, the
zmentary Guide lists the
. for South Ontario in 1874
C. Cameron, Liberal."
now, in June, 1975,
a communication from
Courier in Perth,
on's original home, with
tion of "the Malcolm Colin
on plaque," That settles
matter.
that October day in 1858,
erich, a young solicitor,
Years a member of town
'il, voted in St. Patrick's
and he voted for
nald, Reform. His name
Malcolm Colin Cameron.
this's not his story.)
is time to point out that
r of Sarnia was first
on of Perth, in Lanark
He was the son of
Cameron, a former
Ital sergeant, who kept an
his mother was Euphemia
gor. Young Malcolm
born at Three Rivers,
while his father was
the army.
mong real life romances,"
Ston has written in
s -Hundred Years,
in Canada's' history can
that of Cameron, the
of Sarnia and the
ding figure in Lamb -
Pioneer history, It is the
of the poor boywho
ed, battled '
achievement.
way to
ment.. But his
ement- followed no
groove; his activities
ant and
but uniformly
and successful.
off a new community,
a new territory, a
hll business man with
adnerests, a skilful
�smareached the rank
n, a journalist of
these are only a few of
the activities which crowded
his 68 years."
As early as 1850, one finds in
the Canadian Almanac under
"Port Sarnia" the following
notice: "M.C. Cameron,
merchant, forwarder by
,schooner from Quebec to
Chicago, Marine Railway for
hauling out" and repairing
vessels. Square oak staves,
sawed pine lumber; flour
in large quantities. Lands and
town lots for sale.'
Owned Goderich lot
There is no evidence that
Cameron interested himself in
Goderich ' real' estate, other
than one purchase which by
design or chance qualified him
to vote here in 1858. Even a
cabinet minister could not
otherwise vote away from his
home riding. Cameron in 1853
had bought from Edward E.
Ritchie "Lot 13, Bayfield
road."
Block "A" in those years
included a number of 10 acre
properties, and Cameron's was
at the southwest corner of the
Bayfield road and Bennett
street, long since subdivided
into residential and business
lots. Harry Chambers lives in
the house now at the corner.
Why ' Hon. Mr. Cameron
mortgaged his lot a month
previous to the 1858 election is
something requiring more
explanation than we are likely
to get.
Another oddity of the period
is an entry in John Allen's
account book • in 1851: "Dr. to
Malcolm Cameron, .1 bbl.
herring, 17-6; 9% yds. shirting,
&'6; 1 oz. thread, 4d." But
Cameron was a general
merchant, as we have seen, and
Allen was an innkeeper; this
may have been an ordinary
transaction.
Cameron's pre -
Confederation newspaper
enterprises began with the
Bathurst Courier at Perth in
1834. Later he helped establish,
in Toronto, the North
American, as an organ of the
"Clear Grits." His political and
business interests in Huron led
to the establishment at
Goderich of the Huron Signal,
"ably edited," Lauriston
Turn to page 110•
I
Page 109
TRtgt
CLI\TO\
Robert E. McKinley, M.P.
Congratulations
Goderich
on your
Jubilee
Celebrations
Sincerely
Bob McKinley
Happy
Goderich
From
Murray Johnston
Contracting Ltd.
* Specializing in Gabion Installation
RR 4 God•rtch
524-4641
t`v
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