HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1968-10-31, Page 1r
Seaforth Main Street Looking South, June 1878
Seafoith = A Hundre
A century ago, Seaforth looked like the least
stable of all the towns of Huron. Created, it seemed,
not outof a natural need, but by the chance whims
of where a railway line happened to go and flanked .
by two already well-established villages, one might •
well have predicted a volatile and up-and-down ex-
istence for this, then, upstart town. The• "boom-
town" atmosphere of its first few years of exis-
tence did nothing to dispel either dreams or doubts.
Curiously, a hundred years after the event, '
with record 'clearly marked year by year, Seaforth
is'the town of Huron with the steadiest of all exis-
tences. Nothing of either immediate advantage or
future promise has ever centred on ,,Seaforth. Clin-
ton and Exeter have had large service bases in their
immediate 'neighborhoods which have strolyin-
fluenced their development for thirty years or more. •
With the coming of the great St. Lawrence Seaway,
Goderich cannot know what the future holds for it.
Wingham's name and fame has been circulated in-
creasingly for almost half a century by the power-
.ful media of, first, radio, and later television.
But Seaforth haB had to generate its own per-
sonality within itself, without benefit of external
factors. What it has created as its outstanding char-
acteristic is stability, a characteristic which seems
to carry on intact from generation to generation.
Some of the names may change, but the value of an
ordered, solid and dependable way of life has never
been threatened or challenged.
In the beginning, much of this feeling derived •
from the merchants who were — and still are —
the:backbone of the town. It might have been expect-
ed that a "new" town* would attract fly-by-night
traders. Not Seaforth. Quickly it became apparent
that mercantilism in Seaforth was sound, that the
By James. R. Scott
businessmen.._were of the ilk that planned to• stay,•
grow with the town and make a full contribution to
its development. The early.names are a roll of hon-
our — Laidlaw, Dickson, Young, Roberts, Scott,
Robb, Pickard, McFaul, Willis, Cardno, Kidd and
many others — and some of their descendants are
still making contributions to the town. Later, other
names to be added like Beattie, Sills, Daly, McTav-
ish, Greig, Smith and Stewart. Today, banded to-
gether in a Chamber of Commerce, and in' their own
Individual ways, the merchants still, plan and work,
giving much of their time, money and support to
the welfare and development of Seaforth.
The early industrialists, too, are remembered
for their contributions: Gouinlock, Gray, Coleman,
Wilson, Broadfoot, Box, Bell and Eanean'and others
as well.
A highly respected professional group of doc-
tors and lawyers have set a consistent example for
the young of each succeeding generation, teaching
the lesson of professional integrity. The doctors,
first, Chalk, Coleman, Tracy and King; later Camp-
bell, Bethune, and Scott and then MacKay, Bur-
rows and Ross all brought not just their skill but
the lesson of humanity in healing, a tradition car-
ried on by their more contemporary counterparts.
The lawyers combined jurisprudence with wit: Gar -
row, Killoran, Holmestead, Hays and Best.
And let us not forget the town's far -extended
reputation for hospitality and remember some of
the men. whose work it was to provide cheer and
welcome, the genial innkeepers of Seaforth who
have included Downie, Stewart, Hawshaw, David-
son, Weir, Carmichael, Knox, Kling, McLennan,
Stevens and Dick.
Nor its reputation for sportsmanship and ath-
Years After
Mr. Scott is well known as the author of the
history of Huron "The Settlement of Ht fin County",.
as well as, fore, number of other books and articles.
letic prowess, its baseball teams, its bowlers, its
lacrosse teams and its curlers, .its hockey teams and
its champion Fire Brigade.
Seaforth has always valued its young children
and many of its citizens ha '4'devoted selfless years
in service to the young. One thinks of Miss McLean's
kindergarten, of Mrs. Brodie's Trail Rangers and,
yes, of Jim Robb's many drill classes.
• In religious terms, Seaforth .from the begin-
ning has been a, town primarily of four faiths ---
the
the Presbyterians, the Roman Catholics, the Angli-
cans and the Methodists (now United Church).
Each has had many beloved shepherds of the flock
most of whom were fully integrated into the fabric
of the life of the town and made a contribution be-
yond sectarian lines.
And throughout this hundred years, the chron-
icle of the town has.been faithfully carried on, week
after week; by 'the McLean's in The Huron Exposit-
or.
It has been said that Seaforth's most impor-
tant product and export is brains. If this be so, and
its record is enviable, it all began with McFaul in the
Public School and Clarkson in the High School and
has been carried on faithfully by dedicated men and
women ever since.
The names listed here are merely the _represen-
tatives of a whole population .uniquely united in
their belief in their own town, in its sound business
_.sense, its professional integrity, is happy hospitali-
ty, its good sportsmanship, its nonsectarian devo-
tion, its love of the young and its respect for learn-
ing.
Stability in Seaforth? How could it be other-
- wise when, for a hundred years its men and women
have been dedicated to these values.