Xi '•> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A. V ^\^:\^ . ^j < <;<' /l^- m ■& M/, 1.0 LI I? ^ E S ta il2.u ilA 1 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ . 6" — ► p% ^ /a 'e: % % rf o <# Photographic Sciences Corporation 22 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER K.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Can&dian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institiit Canadian do microreproductions historiques ^ ^ 1981 Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. 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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, olanches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en ba?, en prenarit le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 f 'i A BETEF SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF GUELPH. BY ROBERT THOMPSOxN, A FIR8T YEAR'S 8ETTLER. In tlie spring of 1825, my father, with liis family, canio to I'oside in the Tov. n of Gait. He purchased a lot on the west side of the Grand River, and erected a hoii so where we resided for about two years. Gait was at tliat time a place of about 70 to 80 inliabitants, with one store, one tavern, gi'ist and saw mill, a cooper's shop, a distillery, and about ten dwelling-houses. On the morning of the 22nd of April, 1827, niy attention was .vri'ested by a small group of men and ox teams on the opposite side of the river. T was then a boy of about ten years, and possessing, as I believed I did, a fair share of full-fledged curictsity in seeing and knowing all that was going on around me, I hastened to the spot, and very soon gathered from the conversation that tlie party was preparing to start for a place they called the Block, somewliere east of the Township of Waterhx). So far as memory serves me the party were as folh)Ws : — Mr. Gait, Dr. Dunlop, Charles Prior, John McDonald (late Sherirt" of Goderich), William (ioodin, of (Jalt, and some eight or ton axe men and chain bearers— foin- of whom I know — as Harry and Curtis Lambe'.t, Stace, and Tra Holdin, all residing in or near Gait. The teams belonged to Absahtm Shade, and were loaded with jiork, Hour, whiskey, etc. The easterly part of Waterloo througli which they had to pass was at that time Imt thinly settled, and only one settler in the entire To\\Ti8hip of Guelph ; this was a man named Rife, who had about two years ])revious 8(iuatted near the westerly limit.s of the Townshii), about live and a half miles from the town ; the creek running tlirough his farm is still known as Rife's C'reek. The distance to l)e travelled from Gait was about sovonteen miles, and for the most part was over a rough and newly-made bush road. Tlie cortege left (Jalt at eight o'chick in the moiiiing, and reached their desthiation about five o'clock in the afternoon. As many of the more favoured of the party as could be acconunodated took shelter for the night in a log shanty which had been erected a few roi)er for tlie town ; and hoAV to fix the; centre and circumfei'ence on one and the same spot was a problem very dirticidt to solve. The Doctt>r, liow- ever, was (juite e(pial to the emei'gency, and at once suggested the ladies" fan, to which all present gave hearty consent. The stump was afti-iwards fenced round, neatly levelled and dressed on the top, and a sun-dial placed on it, wliich answered as the town clock for several years. Ready employment a)id remunerative wages .soon brought reinforcements of craftsmen of varicnis kinds to the place, insounich that great inconvenience was experienced for a time in rinding even temporary accommodation for the worlauen and their families. The tii.st three months were mainly occuitied in clearing up tlie land and erecting log houses in different parts of the town. Four t)f these original structures are still standing. Two of them may be seen on Waterloo .street-one opposite the iJaning-null of Mercer it Casey, and the other on the premises of F. W. Stone, E.S((. This one was the first ])lacksmith slio]), and was occupied by Joliu Lynch, fatlier of o\U' respected townsman, James Lynch, and who is en- titled to the honour of being tlie first of the old .settlei's now living in the town. The lioiise at present occupied by Dr. Herod, on Quebec street, wtm ei'ectero ton. Early in July an opening celebration was mooted, and finally the King's birthday was fixed upon for the occasion. All hands were soon set to work in making the necessary preparations. A large frame building to be called a market lum-se wassoon in course of erection, aiitl was to be used on the occasion as a place of amu.semeiit and festivity. In view of the coming event another tavern was also soon in course of erection. This building stood on the south side of east Maiket Stpiare, nearly opposite the Royal Hotel, and was kei)t by one Philip Jones. Absalom Shade had by this time finished his contract of cutting and clearing what was then called the liroad Road, now Waterloo Road, extending from the 1 %7l ap). work 3 Wjitorldo lino to the town, u distance of six miles. He soott after com* menced another contract of cli()])[>ing and clearing the road tlu'ongh the Township of Puslinch or Clergy Reserve. The Comi)any, with but few ex- ceptions, were then getting all tlieir supplies from Mr. Hhade, viz., pork, floin", whiskey, etc., etc., ser was to come oil" in the I'riory. The tables Avere ajtread in the main building, as yet in an unfinished state. From sixty to eighty sat doAvn to a sumptuous supper, Mr. (Jalt at the head of the table and the old Doctor iicting as Vice. Wliiit followed the removing f)f the cloth may be easier imagijied than described. SuiHce it to s.iy the nicht draA'e on Avi' sanga an' clatter, and aye the grog AvasgroAvin better. The ball was led oil' by Mr. (Salt and Mi's. Ijeaden. Farther on in the evening, how- ever, a row ensued, and one Thomas Brown, acting as Constable [iro (cm., Avhile endeavoring to restore iieace, had one of his hands badly cut by a carving knife in the hands of one of the rioters. liroAvn Avas in consecpienco ajipointed (Jrog Boss among the company's Avorkmen. This Ihown was father of the first child born in the town. Letitia HroAvn, infant, was the grantee of a house and lot as a free grant from the Canada Com]tany prom- isecl to till) first born in the town. The lot referred to is eighty-five on Quebec street. A l)risk 1)ii.siiU!S8 in Imikling continueil dnring the reiuaniing part of the season. The luiildings, liowever, were for the most part of a somewhat dif- ferent clas.s from those erected in the early part of the season. A fi'amo store was erected and kcjit ])y the firm of Gilkison & Leaden. It stood Avhcre the produce store now stands on Efist Market Sipiare, near the Grand Trimk Station, A saw-mill was erected by the .siiine firm on the site where the Peoitles Mills now stands. Jenkins iV Oliver Imilt a stone store jnst opposite the first mentioned on the nortliwest side (f the S([nare. Fnjiii some cause or other unknown to the writer the business carried on by this tirui was of shi>rt duration, lasting only some four or five months. Several frame buildings were erected along tlie northerly side of theSijuare. One of these belonged to Mr. James McQuillan, now residing a short dis- tance from town, and father of the enturprishig owners of McQuillans Block on Wyndliam street. Early in the spring of 1828 two other stores were oi»ened on the s"uth side of Upper Market Scpiare — one by Thomas McVaiie, who occuined a big house opposite the drill shed ; the other was a frame building a little further eastward, with one Charles McCrae as its propriet(jr. The day book , now my property, was the one used in the establishment at the time. By the index it would ajjpear that he had the names of about eighty of his ciLstoiuers in his books, which comprised nearly if not (piite all the adult male portion of the inhabitants then in the town. This book is at the dispitsal of any who might be curious enough to know what the average price of whiskey in Guelph was fifty years ago. Though the winter t)f 1827-8 was uimsually mild, little was d(jne in the way of building lumses. Quite a number, however, of the comi)any"s workmen were retained and employed dnring the winter in opening and extending the roads leading into the town. Early in spring the work Avas resumed under the management of a new foreman — a yimng Englishman named Strickland, who had been in the coun- try for a few years, and professing to have had some practical exi)erience in new country life. Mr. (italt first met with him in Toronto, and .wis so favourably impressed with his abilities, together with some satisfactoiy rectunmendations, that he brought him to Gueli)li on trial, and finally gave him the entire management of the company's works, wbicli consisted mainly for a few months in bridge building and other general improvements. By this time the town had assumed such proportions that it was deemed desirable tt>hold semi-annual fairs. So the first Mondays in May and No- venil)er were the days named. The first May Fair in (]luel[ih was a day long to be remembered. The show of stock, however, was something very dilf'erent from what was exhib- ited at our last Easter Fair. Three cows and two yoke of oxen comprised the entire stock on the ground. It was a rare thing in those days for gatherings of this sort to pass off without a few lights. (hi this occasion it was Irishmen pitted against Yankees. Two brothers named Sullivan appear to have been the principal actors on the Yankee side. A row commenced at a newly-opened tavern called the " Horn of Plenty," kept by one Charles McTague, resulting very unfavourably for the poor Y'ankees. As soon as that aHray was over one of the bystanders hurried off up town to Jones' tavern, where a number of Irishmen were collected, and told them that the Yankees had gouged out a bushel of Irishmens eyes. This, of course, was the signal for a genei'al on- slaught ui»on the pei'petrators. The Yankees, only about half a dozen in luunber, perceiving that the odds were against them, and that they were !! . A- .. \l i\ M^ likely to be again overpowered, fled for refuge in the direction of their l)oarding-liouse, with twice their nunilier of Irishmen close at tlu-ir heels. They succeeded, however, in reachuig the liou.se and getting the door closed before their I'/Ursuers overtook them. This was a small log hou.se which stood on the lot where Cooks Hotel now stands on Cork street, and kept as a tav- ern or boarding-house by a man named Yankee Matthews, still living, I believe. The Irishmen, however, were determined not to l»e foiled, and began to force open the door. My father happening to be in the house at the time, and per- ceiving that the Yankees were all armed with axes, and fully determined to use them should the othei's force an entrance, (juietly got out thi'ough a small window at the rear end and went round to the crowd in front, assur- ing them that murder would .surely be committed if they persisted in entering the house, and Hnally succeeded in persuading them to leave, still vowing vengeance on all the Yankees they could find in town. Mr. (Shade, from Gait, who was well known to be a Yankee, was in town, but took the precaution of keeping out of the way. He rode a very tine horse, and put up at Jones' Hotel. Now it was verily believed that the poor animal was suspected of being Yankee, too, from the fact that in the morning when it was brought out of the stable it was minus the tail. An action for (himages was instituted against Jones, resulting in a ver diet for the plaintifi' for sixty dollars and costs. Jones left soon after, and W!is succeeded by a man named ^'anhoutin. Quite a nmaber vi emigrants came in during the early 2)art of the sunnner. Among them were some eight or ten families from Paisley in Scotland. The majority of these were temporarily quartered in a large log house newly erected for Dr. Dunlop. This house stood on the south bank of the River Speed, a little north-east of the new English Church. It was demol- ished only some eight or ten years ago. Doctor Dunloji took these Paisley Ixidies, as he was pleased to call them, under his special charge, and took an interest in selecting farms for them, etc. Some of them, I l)elieve, were .rmong the first settlers in that ])art of the township known as the Paisley Block. He also acted as their jiliysician for a time, as it would appear from a little incident related l)y Mr. Strickland lief ore referred to. This gentle- man aunised himself occasionally in interviewing the Doctor's eccentricities and relates the ft>llowing anecdote : — I remember, he says, one time in par- ticidar. He came to my othce and incpiired for me. On being infoi'uied by the store jiorter (Mr. Fielding, father of the present landlord of the (Jreat Western Hotel), that I had just gone out, he said to tellliim when he comes back to take the calomel and jalap down to my house and treat those Paisley bodies to n dose apiece. What I all of them, sir '. Yes, to be sure. They are but ji'.st arrived, and have got as fat as ])igs on the voyage, and some of their bacon must be taken oti', or with this heat we shall have them all sick on our hands, and tell him not to 8[)are the jalap. The time was now nearing when the ;,ubject of holding another Khig's bii-thday celebration must be con.sidered. And the ((iiestion as to how it was to be observed was of all the most per[>lexing. Some were in favour of a grand ball and sujiper ; others contended that another ox should be roaated. A few, however, of the more economical, thought there would l)e far more fun out of a barrel of whiskey than either of the two tir.st mentioned. 1'he vote being taken, it was found that whiskey had a large majority. So oil the morning of the 12tli a barrel of whiskey was rolled out Jind placed hi the market-house, and notwithstanding the limited means of advertising in those days a goodly number were in attendance, and, as might be expected, things began to get tolerably lively towards evening. The proceedings were brought to a close by a grand concert, as ([uite a number of tiie more* de- voted lingered around the luucli-luved spot and were seen at a late hour sitting / 6 in ranges along the stops of the niarkot-house singing heartily, " Wc \\ on't tJo Home Till Moiniiig. ■" The I2th (hiy of August, 1820, was again observed for the last time in Ouelph, the only deuioustratinn being the tiring off of as many of the (.hi muskets as could he collected in the neighbourhood. 1 wish now to return brietly to the history of the I*ost otKce. . The othce was next removed to Mr. Corbet's then newly-erected block, corner of Wyndham and Cork streets, in 1850. He held the appoint- ment of Postmaster until the time of his death, which was in 18()1, a period of over twenty-four years. He was a man of correct business habits, and gave general satisfaction as a public ofHcer. His widow is still living, and now resides with her family on Norfolk street. There were four deaths during the first year, all accidental. The first of these was aliout tlie end of July. A brewer or beer pedler named Stephen Tuttle was in town with a load of beer. On his return, and when about three-fourths of a mile down the Waterloo Road, a tree was blown across the waggon, killing him instantly, without injury to either the horse or any part of the waggon, except the box. The next was a man named Chase, who was killed liy a falling l)oam while at a house-raising in the month (jf November, He was a carpenter by trade, and boarded at Jones' Hotel. Though comparatively a young man, ho was very wise — in his way of thinking — wise enough to be a scoffer, and was wont to parade his scep- ticism occasionally among his fellow-boarders. In conversation the night previous he said to his companions : — " J^'>.ys, if you heave any messages to hell, I'll take them for you.'' A man named Turner was killed on the 17th of March, 1828, by a falling tree while out chopping. He had just located on the lot adjoining that now occui)ied l)y John Murphy, Es(|, , known as Mount Tara, formerly known as the Dwyer Farm, The other was a man named Chiu-ch, who was choked by a piece of beef, on the Good Friday following, while taking his breakfast in Jones' tavern. Turner was buried in South Market 8(|uare, a few feet from the west corner of the stone building recently erected for an arsenal. His remains were never exhumed that I am aware of. The other three were taken away for interment by their friends, Macdonnell street Avas at that time chopped and cleared to the top of Church Hill (as it was then called), and an aero or so slashed, which was intended as a burying ground when cleared, A portion of what is known as the old burying ground was cleared otf early in August, and the first one buried was a man named Reid, one of the first year's settlers in the Scotch Block on Elora Road. Two others were interred the day following — oao Ji Mr. Wallace, fatlier of tlic Mr. D. Wallaco, of the township of Pil- kington ; the other a man name Thane, from Paisley, Scotland, who died very shortly after his arrival in town. Horace Perry, of Port Hope, millwriglit, wlio had the contract of building the Guelph Mills, arrived in (Jiielph with a staff of builders and millwrights on the 2Sth of April, IHIiO. The mill was up and running on the loth of December following. The first Siniday School was opened IjyMr. Buchanan, British Consul, in August, 1828, while m tJuelph on a visit for a few days from New York. It was in a small h^g house on South Market Sqiiare, owned by the late Benjamin Harrison, wIkj, witii his wife, were among the teachers. The fivst school teacher in the town was a man named Davis, who opened a private school for a few months towards tlie end of 1827. An office for job printing was opened on Waterloo street early in 1828> by a man named (Jhatterton, existing only some six months. The Canada Ct)mpany's oiler of a town lot and house for the lirst weav- ing done in the town was awarded to the late James Hodgert, Es(i., who had a loom ruiming in the Avinter of 1827-8. This lot is situate on the cor- ner of Quebec street and St. George's S([uare, lately the property of the Messrs. Heflernan. The first marriage solenmized was that of Christojiher Keough to Mi.?s Ann Green in September, 1827. Mrs. Keough is still living, and resides adjacent to the town. The lirst practicing physician in the town was a Doctor Welsh, in 1827. Thomas Lynch was the fir^t born who is now living in Guelph. LIST OF THE NAMES OF THE FIRST YEAR'S SETTLE US IN GUELPH STILL LIVING. Jas. Lynch, Hugli Henry, Rol)t. Thompson, Jas. McQuillan, Mrs. Jas. McQuillan, Felix Hanlon, Mrs. Michael Allen, Mrs. Ann Keough, D. Stirton, Donald Wallace, Hugh Wallace, Alex. McDonald, Walter xMcDon- ald, Alex. Kennedy (teacher), Thos. McBrid*', Mrs. McBride, John Gillis, Mrs. Charles McTague, Mrs. .fohn McTaguo, Mrs. Peter McTague, Mrs. Soden, Mrs. Bickiera, Mrs. Tobin, Bory McGrae, Wm. McCrae, Henry Foster, Jas. Benham, Mrs, Macdonald (widow), mother of Alex. Macdon- ald ; Mx-s. McCrae (widow), mother of vVm. and Kory McCrae ; Wni. Croft, Miss F. Harrison, Mrs. Henry, Alex. Campbell, Tiiomas Daily. SECOND YEAR'S SETTLERS. , ^ .... — , J, — , Tague, Robert Knowles, Mrs. Fields, Janet McKersie, William McKersie, John McKersie, David McKersie, Gavin McKersie, Robert McKersie. List of some of those known to have been residents of Guelph in the winter of 1827-8 in addition to those already given or referr.-d to in the nai-rutive :— Chaa. Armstrong, D. D. Akins, Chas. Boyington, Thos. Bakor, 8 Chas. Burns, Jacli lUlerd, John Clark, Janien Coleman, Robert Clark, Ed. Carroll, .John Clark, .James Cornfoot, Daniel Dougan, Wm. Delimoro, James Elliott, Robert Elder, John Foster, John Farrell, VVm. Gregg, D-'.vid Gibba, Edward Gilniore, Daniel Hill, Louis Howard, John Hall, John Herreld, George Henry, Thonuis .lohuHon, Tliomas Kelly, \Vm. Komly Enoch Konyon, Uriah Lanipart, John Lennox, Thomas Lee, Malcolm Liv- ingston, .lanies McCartney, Michael Mullen, Wm. MeCrea, John McDonald, James McGarr, John McLeod, McLaren & Miller, .fohn McNeil, ^ugh McDonald, Peter Butehard, Alex. Rose, John Gatlhey, John Smith, Geo. Walli'.ce, xVlex. Reid, Wm. Jcjhnson, Richard Johnson, Alex. McTavish, J. Oliver, Henry Pennybaker, Thomas Stewart, Tliomas Smith, Fenton MoUoy, John HiirnoH, .lose])!! iMilloy, Robert McCuen, .John McNulty, James Thompson, John Thompson, John Taft, W, W. Wright, John Wilson, Matthias Wert, James Yates, John Mitchell, Andrew Ritchie. ROBERT THOMPSON. Ellenhukn, Guelph, April 21st, 187Y GUELPH : Mercury Steam Printing House, Macdonnell Street. 1877. Clark, Ed. oro, James !gg, D-.vid i^Iall, John m. Komly ilculm Liv- McDonald, S'oil, IJugh mith, Geo. yruviah, J. on Molloy, ty, Jaiites M Wilson, IPSON. J