The Huron Expositor, 1979-01-04, Page 11'by: Belie Campbell Continued from the Pee. 2t 17.8 fluron
Expositor, third Of three parts. ,
Van Egtnond's cash allowance was exhausted, about the end of ;a '
year and a half of the two yearsit tookto, complete the job, which was e ..
year sooner than called, for in the contract. For the balance of his pay he
received large tracts in Tuckersmith. Township near the ,present day.
Egmondville and. also in the Mitchell and 'Stratford area:, • He became the largest land proprietor and The richest man in the
Huron Tract. His holdings were estimated at 13',0000 acres, Because of
errors made by. Thomas. Mercer Jones, who had replaced the more
experienced man, John Gait, the corduroy had to be torn up and
.replaced by turnpike at a,cost'of ' 7,409.75s 80. This brought the total;,
cost of the Huron Rd'ad; to around §26,231.11s 80, ;r
TRICKLE IN
Even When the road was completed it was not till the early and'
middle 30's that settlers began totrickle into the, area, These were
energetic, thrifty men who were willing to sacrifice in order to secure,.
and hold land theY could call their own and for their descendants in the
years to comp, t aL-,
Have you►etried to picture in your mind what thls,unknown and
..": unt.rodden wilderness was like when these first settlers ventured into it
on foot,' horseback or by ox team? Prior tothis the only trails ,were.
those used
by the Indians
as
they travelled
dfrom on
e;ca' p
ing gr
ound to another 4n their hunting- a dfishing ex edit"on Yat these
courageousmanWere wilinto jolt over the corduroy Yan�tread a
bridle path to reach their destination "where they knew laborious wore
awaited them.
Thos e
.e fromIreland left behind, them the bleak mountains dotted.,
with, Mud hovels, the reclaiimed land rent.ed'for exorbitant prices and
theeat stacks.. The Scotchmen Ike the Irishmen,had looked. for the
P
last time on the desolation of the beautiful hlItS-and had' bid farewell to
the exacting I irds. '
In ottler, countries.,.there were' heaps of stones and patches o ,green
grass which marked"where once cottages ari'rl gardens:hadeen\but
now these were deserted by ff;''pet' `occupants because of the promise::\,-
. \.�
of Iivirig in a land where they' was . ,possibility of` owning ones" vIn•
'home. These were the ,people wh • entered the; Huron Tract and • made
it what it is today.,
In thisparticular:area the first to arrive for ed an Irish settlement
. � m`
near Iris town now kn wn: as. St..Columban. These were Carlins,
'-D'owniek, Michael; FkaWley, H. Neil and Patrick O'Sullivan followed
by McCanns, McKennans, Devereaux and Shanahans•.;To the east and
south
•. of Egmondville .came Oldfields, McGeochs, Gemmel`Is
Sholdices, Chesneys,:Archibalds,'S ,roats and McKays. Near.Stiene's •`
Corners, Pater-Seaforth,'settled the'Cluffs and the Beatties. ,•
-'HARPURHEY
Dr. Wm. Chalk arrived at what was later Harpurhey in a Klaiber
wagon with no thought of'following. his profession, but this he did till
younger doctors cameinto the community. Soon_ to the Westof him
came Fowlers,, Hendersons,:, Carters, Hugills`,and still..further west,'
r Clinton,,
neoewereGibbings, Gosrnan, :Ransfords and Vanderburg
To the south of ,Chalk, it was Samuel; Carnochan! and his son , a. who
were the first to venture into, the"forest. TO leachtheir chosen lot they
had to cut a path: a mile and, a• half long and -wide enough to travel
,through with their oxcart. UntiI
a shanty, was b4fillWagon was
heir only s•,heIter from theelernents, O#h rs soon ir v d -t
he
Landsboroughs,
Cresswells, McLeans, Broadfoots; . Modelands,
McIntosh, Camerons, Hailidays`, Townsends, Criches and Turners.
�N,ORTH AND, EAST
To the: north and east of Harpurhey. came Scotts, Dicksons, Grieves,
Hays, McDowells Govenlocks''Mc ... illans :Campbells,. Lawrence and
S _arlin s. These hewed out:homes, for themselves in. the wilderness.'
P 9 ..
Every year more settlers arrived andthe clearings' became larger. .
Today, a number of these names still are familiar to us because
, of
the active part their descendants take in all worthwhile 'community
activities. •
In time, thesehard working hewers of wc, od became more irritated
and discontented at the delay of the Canada Company in fulfilling their
,N.'-bbligationkand promises to provide them with more and betterroads,
ristpossibly.
. ,.
and flour mils :also schools and churches. -No one Was ossibl
more disturbed about, , this , situation than Colonel Anthony 'Vac"
E9o
m nd..
Before'we proceed wi't '.aur story we shall now recall someactivities
P ... h Y •
of, the Colonel -and his fainil 'from the opening of the: road in' 1828.
Y, P 9
While Van Egmond has been criticized bysome,4ile everyday life'
9
storyshows that he 'always tried •to help ,those in ci
rcumstances Tess
..
fortunate than his own. He'worked to give justice to these -new settlers.
Once at Nia ara .when he and his familywere movin `to Canada he
9� - moving
lo
nd a load of settlers, who were especially anxious to passage on
a �, P Y get
the ferry. He, in' order to help them, left part of his, own belongings.
behind. including a life-size portrait' of himself. On his. return to
Niagara all was: gone ---the people left in charge ' and all : his '.
possessions includinghis ortrait.'No one ever saw another picture' of
,�� p
Anthony. Only word pictures of him were left:..
The Misses Lizars wrote: "-In appearance he was a tall; soldierly
• PP y•
looking man, but age gave him a stoop. His features were good, with
large noteand he always, wore a close ca;seven under a hat. He was
never seen without this cap and the legend is that his ears had been cut
off. He spoke English fairly well, and was considered eccentric.''
Another said:. "He was a gallant soldier, an enterprising pioneer and
a friend to all." And still another: "He was a man who had a genuine
interest in the:welfare.pf the citizens; When hard times came their way
he always extended a helping hand.".The story is told that he laid
aside a large supply of flour to be used in times of emergencies. This
was to be handed out only to #hose who had no money to pay for it.
FIRST HORSES
His were the first horses and wagons brought into the Tract. He
Lower: Interest Rates
lY(1W At AILAui t' ON
]st. and "2nd Mortgages
411‘ 1k ittn Illi O,IL'It`.iU tr,l
Rt 41[1L N 11;'11 INI>t S'1 RI.\t c ci�ttirl lir°I.il� i lr
EARN( tROPhi1 f it
Intei�ini finatttiitg,ttitt itewconci ilk:lion or I find desoopiimu.
SAFEWAY INVESTMENTS
CONSULTANTS. LTD'.
t+OR110.61t. LOtAi, LL.
MURRAY STAiRK 1-800-261.0800, pg. 2080
ai4C10111et 7.11 IC[n'gSkei Weskitlidc er,,($19 ,51)'.4600
Branch'Offkest 7OS`- 'odlcr•Ich (!4I}ori Blain 1.51918324044•
'WEBUY EXISTING MORTGAGES FOR INSTANT'CASH
0
grew the first -wheat i ''Huron and'„M:adatmo Van Egmond clft•;and •
bound the first sheaf of wheat in 1829. ' A•
;For a year .or more before the road was completed; his son Edward
carried the first mail from Galt to Goderich, with a bag on his back,
” making deliveries to::the.settlers along the road. the was a fleet -footed:
• boy but even when making,, good time traveling .over logs and through
swamp: it took him almost two -weeks to snake the round trip. He also
had the honour to drive the first load of provisions over the new Huron.
Road.
TEAMS BUSY
When the settlers started coming in larger numbers Van Egmond's
twenty-four horse teams were kept-bysy, carrying' in these immigrants:
and their; goods; from "Muddy York" to Goderich. The rate charged
was -$3.75. a day for horses and half price, $1.87 a day for a team of
.. oxen, Wishing to give more assistance he brought in a stock of 500
barrels of, flour in 1831 and this flour proved tobe a great •benefit to
these newcomers. - -„'''
Settlement was proceeding. very well till the Canada Company failed
in its. obligations which caused the settlers and. Van Egmond much -
. discontent. -
,:Van Egmond told of a personal. experience which he had with the
company. Hewas promised 200;acres to provide a school and a church
for asettle.. en He tookthe o an 'a. itsword and roceeded. o
m t cmp y w.rd P .._. ,, . t.
n vi II
Imetal' mad Iheceased
li settlement ehis ow e
.establish a Eg n Atn exp nsecleared
four acres of land, built a school house and paid the schoolmaster's
salary for two.years, At this time the company took back the 200:acres.
with the promise to replace them but up to 1837 thePror rise was still
not fulfilled.; ' . ;K , . .
'M.ISSIONARI'ES ,'
It was'i :.'1.835°Va rf.. Egmond had the, c 'ill and` Tuckersmith
n _: _, . a . �. m #h M Ki op Tuckersmith .
settlersgather at his Hullett�home to mee' with. two missionaries 'Rev.
,
y.Vrith Proudfoot and. Rev. Thor�aa. s •Christie :t4'':discuss. ,avin Rev.
Alexalnder McKenzie settled as apastorof the Goderich, Stanley and
T,„ck'ersrnith congregations,,~ McKenzie was topreach every third-
1
unda ..th morning a V'a. m. d. afternoonon the
S� n`E on. s and,in the _ h
y in..the , � 0 � � ..
London Road. Van.Egmond- also' ,made apromise to•.build 'a brick
` church witha tin iron roof on the Huron Road' but before the wood was:
seasoned and the brick made he became involved in the. 1837 Rebellion:
•church and the brick ch c eve `wasu`It.
abe seen that Van ha � efor thesettlers but
It can,. h td done much se e s
'he still l felttat `us ic.wee h .. n d
._ti h # snot beingmeted. out: to them byt e Ca a
Company, His thouts then turned to Parliament. • •
P Y gih'
Nit h the firstt aelection
forLegislative
the Le issl
ative Assembl in the offins=
or •
'838heconsentedto•allowhis'name
to stand:as a candidate in ho es
of haying an oPPortu itY to air., pub iclY 'these .,grievances oft e
settlers against the Canada Company. Because. of this it easily can be
seen that;Thomas . ercer Jones chief'reason. to -•have Van E mond
M9.
defeated at the poll was to deprive him an o portunity to speak on the
,,, P of P
fib of the House Assembly. .. -- ti
- n f proved' uccessful asVanm
J ries'../efforts its o dto be s E and lost' b' t n
fo e e
P9Y ,
'n
ri Robert v ne i . was Captain be t Dunlop,r -
otes., . Ms .:oppo t ap r .b other ofWm.
T
er'',. Dunlop. -
NODEED: NO VOTE..
Only,
nlY those who: had in their
possessiona deed of
their -land had
a
. privilege tovote. ,M ny of Van Egontl s supporters' Were still
struggling to keep up their land lease payments in an effort to get that
deed. If - theycould..have voted; the re uit would have been much
,,e
different.
Van Egmond took his defeat as a se ious 'blow to his plans:to'secure
-justice for the settlers buth d no i oof givingis fight. he, a in ratio up .hi f g .t. It
>.va then •
s t en he turned to Wil lam Lyon' Ma enzie.
For some time these twoagreed . responsible eve n
•
t ese had ag_ eed th t government
merit
was, remedy the erred for Many of the people en Lipper Canada but`
Y -Y P PI� they
idn' a,` eon ail .poi as n . w' it f
d o e. n . P. finist _ hn, could be brought about. Van
E.m n id:
ndd n �f�
of avo
ur
thefr ,.
use, o. fp ce. MacKenzie fel the onlywa to
9t . Y. •
g,:: ii, would be by,taisrnrj• ;Ai 'iii:.. -a {ainai tiie Far'oiy. Compact ' •
Another closefriend "Of MacKenzie, John Cummer, felt as Van
Egmond-did, that force was<not the course to:take, Often Cummer: was ,'
called in as he passed 'Mackenzie's office in Toronto for advice on a
radical, or sometimes violent, article he had prepared to print in his
aper the Colonial Advocate. At such times Cummer always cautioned
MacKenzie not to make. his demonstrations too bitter. Cummer, -like
'many others, felt;therewas need of Reform, but refused the offer to be
a'rebel leader. Because of this he.was known by his'neighbours as "the
man. who. ;refused the sword.''
Following Van :Egmond s election defeat he • had is : first letter
published; in MacKenzie's'paper on ,October 4, 1836. It was entitled
• ' `The Curse of the Canada -Company." The next year he,wrote-an, open
letter to `Thomas Mercer Jones . including an;. essay on "The.
"n the CanCompany.":.w.. documents
',Mismanagement of , oda These t, o
showed clearly why he eventually took part In the armed rebellion on
.1877 •
December 7.
As time tn'c;it or, conditions Worsened ant '‘A ! nzie became more
incensed -No Idyl then could deter hirr from going ahead.with the
Rebellion'.
he Rebellion is too give a' detailed
The story ,oft W R well known to giveI
account of it here. You ,remember' that by .November . 24,,: 1837
MacKenzie had, the consent. of Van Egmond to take charge of 'his ,
troops.
But it was a disappointed Van Egmond.. who arrived at
Montgomery's Tavern on a white' horse at eigl.: o'clock in the morning
on December 7th and found so few untrained and. Nc i-ly equipped men
ready for action.', That afternoon when the well=prepared enemy
swooped down upon them the sl irmish had lasted little more than '
•
LU E
MACHINESHOP
Custom Building . Ornamental Iron Work
Stone Picker Buckets r
Bean Pullers
& General Large Capacity
� P
Repair Work - Material' Buckets
. Snowblowers
No Job, Too: Small. No Job Too Big
FCR ALL YOUR MACHINE SHOP`, NEEDS CALL ----
t o7 main st; y S.
Seaforth
060
THE HiIJR,ON EXPO ITOn ; JA �AA'Y
MAFq(ING THE CENTENNIAL The, Huron Road, now. No. 8,highway;.
'was 'Ibutit in 1828 an a hundred.ears later in 'September 1928
Y
communities alolrg the road marked the centennial of its construction..
•Q,ne of the ce emonies was at Harpurhey when a cairn was .unveiled. In
this picture` are shown many of those who took part in the proceedings
including area officials and; representatives. of pioneer•ientr'ties. They are
James, Robertson,on,
Canada Company ,ommissioner, Mayor. W.H. -"
Golding, of Seaforth, Thomas McMillan, MP Huron South, Mrs.fobertr,
y hh
Charters -born in 1846, Thomas Daly,. born 1849, Mrs. J. 'Murray, Mr -s,,
Alex Stewart, • Mrs. Janet Kerr, . Mrs. Charlesworth, Mrs. Marion : ,
,Carnochan, Mr..and: Mrs. Peter Hawthorne, Michael M rdie, Thomas
Stephens, G.K. Holland, Jas. Evans, Frank Scott, Bluevale, and Henry
Golding, Staf.fa.
twenty minutes when Van Egmond :realized that nothing but mass•'r`
slaughter faced them. '
He than gave the command to his men to save themselves. A little.
later the leaders met at the Golden. Lion thn four ,'miles north of
Mont omer 's Tavern where,after a .hurried'discussion, they' decided
g Y , .:4.
to try to reach'Niagara:. MacKenzie made it but Vani" Emond,
exhausted, had to take shelter in a. farm :home where he was soon .;
found by the Loyalists.
He was arrested; "taken to Toronto jail andwas Charged with treason,',
Here be became ill, Was transferred to the hospital where he died. on
`°..
January 5, 1838. His.P son'Constant and his brother brought the. body
back to Huron where he was buried, without"Y
'militar honors, under a
tree .on his l-lullett home farm.
RE -INTERRED
However, some time after Eg'mondville Cemetery was opened .on.
land `donated; by his son Constant, the Colonel's body was ,re -interred
here with full military honors. Again he washonored•, when an
historical site plaque was: placed at, his grave. After a suitable service,
it was unveiled by his great. granddaughter Miss Constance Ann., ,•, ,,
Rudolph, The unveiling took place "July 7,1963.,•
The Rebe Ilion failed but it was the mgvement.that brought to the
'attention ' of the British.' Government: tie need "of a change in the
government of this Canadian colony. The first change made was to
unite the two provinces—Upper and Lower Canada—with one
Parliament.
The next impoTtant'change came with the passing of.the Municipal
Act in '1841' which gave self government to the villages, towns,
townships and counties. This ave each munici ality the management'
J9 P 9
of such matters as building roads, bridges, schools etc. and this is what
MacKenzie, Van; Egmond and others had endeavored to -achieve
throughthe years - responsible government.However, itcame too late
for Van E `mond to see his, dream become a reality.
The British Parliament's official pardon for all Rebellion , . rebels
arrived in Canada in.1840. Amon' the names on ,the 'I st eVan
i were
Egmond, Count and Matthew but it came too late to save the lives of
these three. Van Egmond had died on January 5, 1839 and: the other
two met their fate on the gallows in April that same year. MacKenzie,
after his pardon was received continued; to work
Pin New York till 'the
Canadiangdeclared an amnestyin 184
to all who had
government 6
taken part in, the rebellion, Soon MacKenzie returned, took
.his place in
the. Assembly; again and served till his health made it necessary him
im
to retire from public .life; He died. in Toronto on August 29 1861.
In this the year in whic •we'celebrate
Y h .the 200th birthdayof` Van
an
'E mondiand the 150thyear of the opening of the Huron 'Road, we
should allgmuch thought to' the circa ._. .
.res and struggles of the
• • give, 9umstan . •
men who were responsible for the opening of this road which ted ,to the
development of the Huron Tract..
Without it thethe,early settlers, ancestors of some of us., would never
have ventured into this wilderness to claim, land and hew out for
themselves homes that they could call their own.
AAlsolet usnot fo
forget It was these same. men�.who•I laid a d the foundation •
of responsible `government:- government of the people, for the people,
bythe. n
people, This•heritage 'han'ded down toous; `was not attained
easily. Let us guard it wel st we.
9 lose if. • . . .
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•
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