The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-01-18, Page 270
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THE GODER ICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1979—PAGE 9A
411, A
Tailor lost right thurith, turned to industry here
BY W.E.ELLIOTT
Priming a cannon for a
blast celebrating the
Queen's. birthday in
1861,William Mortimor
Savage was deprived of
the thumb on his right
hand. The mishap ended
his short career as a
tailor. Turning his talents'
to other ends, he became
the greatest entrepreneur
in the history of
Goderich.
Following the '49ers to
the' California goldfields,
Peter Adamson then in
New Orleans, took along
supplies to set up a store,
ensuring profit even if his
mining attempts failed.
His cottage was later
owned by Harold
C . W ill ia ms. Dr.
N1C.Jackson acquired the
north half of the lot (873)
in 1937.
Alex McD. Allan
rallied Canadian grain
and fruit growers to show
their, wares at exhibitions
in the capitals of Britain
and Europe, in order to
build.new markets.
All these were Church
Street men at one time or
another, and Eliza Miller,
widow– of the famous
Jonathan, hotelier,
resided for the last three
years of her life with Mrs.
Oswald Sturdy in the big
white house number 42,
where motor licences are
issued now. Born -at
Taylor's Corner, she was
a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. John • McCullough,
last of 11 children.
Church Street is one of
four one -black, streets in
the inner part of the town,
laid out for reasons ob-
vious to anyone looking at
the plan. St. Andrew's
Street, between Hamilton
and Nelson., •w as not
named on early plans, so
probably got its title from
the Church of Scotland
building near its northern
end. The others are
Stanley and Market.
There was no church
near -by when Church
Street w designated,
but erects n of St.
George's in 1881 afforded
some justification for the
name, and certain events
in its history seem to
impart an ecclesiastical
flavor.
In 1875,William Savage
borrowed $1,000 from the
Rev. P. Schneider,
Lachlan McIntosh
bequeathed one -Of -his
Church Street lots to the
Roman Catholic Church,
and Mrs. Ida McKim
made an important
bequest to St. George's
from her estate.
In the Sturdy house at
the south end of the
street, the Rev.
E.L.Elwood lived for a
time after the first
Anglican church on the
Crescent burned in
December 1879 - or so
Mrs. Tom Davis, now at
Huronview, has been
told.
So the house is over a
century old, and probably
was built by Lachlan
McIntosh, first owner of
the lot after the Canada
Company. Sturdys,, have
owned it since 1902.
On the north side lived
Rueben Sallows, in-
ternationally -famous
photographer. .He had no
time for municipal office,
but did allow his name, to
stand for the council of
1912.
YCharac-
teristically,"the Signal
explained,"he did no
campaigning, and one
who did was elected."
RED BRICK ItOUSE
• At the northeast corner
of Church and Nelson
stands the red brick
house long the residence
of Thomas Ausebrook,
Grand Trunk conductor,
on a lot purchased from
Dr. McDougall. Mr.
Ausebrook's daughter
Eva was a talented
singer, Mr. and Mrs.
Phillip Carey lived there
fi'om 1937, and now
Maurice Jenkins.
The government sent
A. McD.- - Allan to
exhibitions in the British
Isles and Europe, where
he took charge of displays
of grain and fruit. As
early as 1885, Huron
County Council was
requested to have the
reeves "end grain and
seeds to Mr. Allan for the
Indian and Colonial
Exhibition in London".
He may not have
received the newspaper
-publicity that his efforts
deserved. On August
25,1899, he complained
that fruitgrowers in this
area were not.responding
as they should with fruit
for the Canadian display
at the Paris Exposition
the following year.
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Church Street, one of four short -ones each a block from the Square, presents
a diversity of residential architecture. Equally varied were the lives of some
of its residents in years gone by. (hoto"-courtestof W.E. Elliott)
Mr. Allan's daughter
May was married to
Thomas Morrison
Masson, eldest son of
County Judge James
Masson.
EARLY PURCHASER
William Savage as an
early purchaser of lots on
Church Street. After his
Queen's birthday mishap
in Amherstburg, he
worked for a time in
Detroit, then started a
eneral store here.
In subsequent years he
operated a brickyard, a
cooperage, salt works,
sawmill and bought pork
and grain for export. Ile
built the western half of
the business block on The
Square between North
and Colborne Streets,sold
it m1869 -to 1 -rank Jordan
of Medical Hall and built
the big brick house at the
corner of Colborne and
Church which later was
known as Holmes Villa.
His coachhouse has
long been a doctor's of-
fice. As a councillor,
Savage had the town's
clock installed in the
county court house.
Evidently seeking a
larger field for his varied
activities, Savage
removed to Buffalo,
where he became a
building contractor on a
.large scale. He died there
on March 12,1918, aged
89.
W.M.Savage was born
in Turriff, Aber-
deenshire, in 1829. He
married Frances
Roberts, of St.
Catharines. Up to the
present it has not been
possible to determine if
they had any children.
One of Savage's sisters,
Tane, was married in
Goderich in 1847, to
Edward C.Watsom, a
native of Kent,E ngland.
He was a painter and
later removed to Detroit.
Peter Adamson, born in
Caithness, Scotland, in
1825, left for New York at
the age of 19; was in
business in New Orleans
for some years, then
hastened to the California
gold fields and "was
engaged in mining and
other phases of life in the
country at that time."
He visited Scotland in
1851, returned , to New
York in 1853 and then, in
an extraordinary move
for which was have no
explanation, settled in
Stanley Township in
Huron.
Right away, almost, he
was elected reeve and a
member of Huron -Bruce
council. In 1866 on the
retirement of D.H.Richie
as county clerk, Adamson
"-pr-e-vai-ledupento
-
accept the position".
He filled the office, the
Signal said years later,
"with much benefit to the
county and credit to
hirriself" and in county
council was "a perfect
encyclopedia of
municipal lore".
He bought from
William Savage in 1868
the Church Street lot
number 873, and the
cottage there was now
probably built for him.
Adamson was a Justice
of the Peace, "and no
better posted or more
conscientious magistrate
ever sat on the Bench".
He died July 16, 1891,
leaving an estate of about
$40,000 to his widow,
Isabella Dunbar
Adamson, who sold the
place in 1902 to George
L.Allan. Allan advertised
in the Signal that he was
"the leading hard-
wareman" and offered
"stb-Ves and ranger -that
save fuel, time and
money".
He - assigned on
December 6,1904, to Alex
McD. Allan, who in the
following year sold the
Church Street house to
Job P.Brown, late of
Auburn.Fram 1934 it was
the residence of Harold
C.Williams.
Though he held Church
Street property,McD.
Allan may not have lived
W. J. Denomme
FLOWER
SHOP
Phone
524-8132
DAY
OR
NIGHT
Agent for 24 -hr.
FILM DEVELOPING
there. A note on file is to
the effect that he lived on
Cameron Street.
for
LIFE
INSURANCE
Terry Crowley
representing
London
Gamma.' Life
524-9075
11 \I.1 \
VISA
MM.
maSler ehaf9e
The Home of
Fine Furnishings
re'
Located On West Street
Jurst-Off-The Squ-are -
giACKSTONE:FURNITURE
TABLE
LAMPS
L:
°/
TO
OFF
KAUFMAN
WALL UNITS
OAK WITH MATCHING
TABLE AND CHAIRS
20% OFF
• 1 ONLY ANDREW MALCOLM
BEDROOM SUITE
DOUBLE DRESSER, CHEST, BED,
AND NIGHT TABLE
LIST $ 99.50
'999.50
MERIDIAN 2 PIECE
CHESTERFIELD
AND CHAIR
UPHOLSTERED IN 100% NYLON
LIST
820
$5491"
. KROEHLER
DINING SUITE
OAK, 4 SIDE CHAIRS, OVAL
TABLE, BUFFET .8, -HUTCH
LIST
'1,795.
1 20095
• • •
SPECIAL PRICES FOR
QUALITY FURNISHINGS
Come early while selection
is best, but plan on wen-
ding some time as the
bargains are many and the
prices will amaze you.
HOUSE OF BRAEMORE - i 1 ONLY 2 PIECE
DINING SUITE CHESTERFIELD
PECAN FINISH, 3 SIDE CHAIRS,
1 ARM, TABLE, BUFFET
AND HUTCH
LIST 1
'1,779.95
,299?5
KROEHLER 2 PIECE •
CHESTERFIELD
AND CHAIR
PINE WITH LOOSE CUSHION
UPHOLSTERED IN 100% POLYESTER
LIST
599• 5
'719.50
HOUSE OF BRAEMORE
CHESTERFIELD
AND CHAIR
100% NYLON FLORAL VELVET
'729.95
LIST
AND CHAIR
SWAG
LAMPS
25°OFF
ONE OF A KIND
COFFEE AND
O END TABLES
- 1/2 PRICE
SPECIAL PRICES ON ALL
OTHER TABLES IN STOCK.
BLACKSTONE FURNITURE'S
JANUARY
SIMMONS 54" OSTEMOOR
O MATTRESS
OR BOX SPRING
$ 1 3 995
• EA
39" WHITE VINYL
HEAD BOARDS
CASH
AND
CARRY
PAIR OF RUST VELVET
CHAIRS
BY FLEXTEEL
PAIR
CONTEMPORARY 2 PIECE
SWIVEL CHAIR
AND OTTOMAN
$1 99?5
524-7741
,
'CUSHIONS
UP TO
50"
OFF
CHAIR BED
$16995
•
GOLD VELVET
SWIVEL ROCKER
\ LIST '269.95
$1891"
MANY OTHER
CHAIRS
TO CHOOSE FROM
r+,
MANY MARKED DOWN,
SPECIALS NOT ADVERTISED
COME IN AND SEE
SAVE!
WEST man
GODERItH
--.4411140111111144.'"
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