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Page 2Editor's note -- the following history seems to have been lifted mainly from the article printed in the Perth Courier, December 22, 1916, and which in turn was lifted from an Nov. 7, 1877 article in Ottawa's Daily Citizen. See Centennial Of The Perth Settlement on this website.
There is behind the Town of Perth a tradition that reaches back through the decades to 1815. At that time, Canada -- or to be more correct, Upper and Lower Canada -- was under the domain and flag of England but fifty odd years, and in that half century England had lost her American colonies, had passed through the French Revolution, the war of 1812 with the States and the return of Napoleon to Europe. England's time in the fifty years was fully occupied with war, but with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo and the close of the war between Canada and the States, English statesmen, in both the Colonial and War Departments, turned their attention to colonization, with the thought uppermost in mind of establishing strategic outposts that would form defence lines back from the waterways that separated Canada from the States. Thus, even before 1815, we have colonization schemes planned, and Perth was the chief centre. Perth settlement was an English Government enterprise, followed by settlements at Richmond and Lanark and the building of the Rideau Canal. Perth was a part of Quebec province, or Lower Canada, and it was not until January 1st 1823, that the Bathurst district was formed. The district to the South was known as Johnstown, with Brockville as the centre. Sir George Prevost was the lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada. Many settlers came as far as Brockville, then walked north about twelve miles and then west to Portland where they were transported on the Rideau to Oliver's Ferry, coming thence to Perth. The route was outlined by Captain Otty, who gave his name to Otty Lake. Three townships formed the basis of the Perth settlement in 1815 and 1816: Drummond, Bathurst and Beckwith.
The first minister here in Perth was Rev. Wm. Bell, who was pastor of the Perth Presbyterian Church in 1817 to 1857.
The settlement at Richmond was founded in 1818, named after the Duke of Richmond.
Under the direction of Lord Dalhousie in 1820, the settlement of Lanark was undertaken. In 1823, the first large Irish immigration was located at Almonte, followed by the McNab idea in Renfrew County at Arnprior and the building of the Rideau canal. All these were mighty enterprises of over a century ago, with foundations laid deep in virgin forest and along unharnessed rivers that yielded year by year in the development of the country to the splendid area of Eastern Ontario -- and more particularly in this instance to the County of Lanark.
It is established beyond a doubt that Perth was founded by some pioneer Scotchmen in 1815, and Scottish names were given to the area. This town was named after the city of Perth in Scotland, and it was natural the river on which the town stands took its name after the Scottish Tay. When the time came for a county designation, Lanark was chosen after a county familiar in Scotland's history. The district of Bathurst was called after the Earl Of Bathurst, a colonial secretary in 1814 who was organizing colonization schemes for Upper Canada.
The district about Perth was favorably described by the pioneer Scotchmen to their friends in the home land, and in the month of May 1815, three transports, the Atlas, Batiste, Merchant, and the Dorothy sailed from Greenock with three ship loads of Scotchmen, their wives and children. They reached Quebec the middle of September, and too late to proceed to their future homes, they were quartered for the winter at Prescott and Brockville. In April, 1816, they were established on their lands around Perth on the 1st concession of Bathurst and the 10th of Burgess, which to this day is known as the Scotch Line. They were pioneers, a peaceful, thrifty and industrious people, who, year by year, through their own handiwork and almost unassisted, build independencies for themselves and their posterity. Their dominie was John Holliday.
Then with the close of the war of 1812, the Glengarry Light Infantry Regiment of Fencibles, the Canadian Fencibles and the de Watteville regiments arrived in June 1816, locating in Perth. A town plot was laid out, the Tay was crossed and the sound of revelry was the hum of the axes in the primeval forest.
In 1816, the ships Canning, Duke of Buchinghamshire and Commerce brought hundreds from both Ireland and Scotland, for settlement in Elmsley, Burgess, Drummond, Bathurst and Lanark.
Perth, however, may be called a strictly military settlement, as it was first peopled by half pay officers and discharged non-commissioned officers and men, when peace was declared between England and the States and between England and Napoleon. Grants of land were made by the Government, captains receiving 800 acres of land, lieutenants 600, ensigns 400, non-commissioned officers in proportion to their rank, and privates 100 acres.
In 1816 Captain Joshua Adams, a veteran who served in the American War of 1812-13 in the Canadian Militia, was about the first to draw a town lot of an acre, and here erected a tavern thereon. Shortly after that soldiers began to pour in, and pending the taking [continued on page 6]
Timely assistance and a patient waiting for better times, tided the setters over their difficulties; the lane turned and the highway to [continued on page 8]
Prosperity was soon reached; the clearings became larger, the dwellings began to assume some semblance of comfort, crops were better year by year, and each Spring saw fresh bands of settlers coming to Perth, and quite a large community was formed by degrees. While this was going on, the Capt. Adams before mentioned, gave up his tavern, and put up one of the first grist and saw mills on lot 20, in the 2nd concession of Bathurst, County of Lanark, and he soon began to derive a brisk trade. The first store was opened in 1816 by Mr. (afterwards the Hon.) Wm. Morris, father of Lieutenant-Governer Morris, of Manitoba, the latter subsequently partner of Mr. W.H. Radenhurst who was mayor of Perth in 1877. This store was on the south side of the river Tay, then unbridged, and there the town may be said to have started. A ferry was then used to ply across the river, and cattle, when moved from the north to the south side, and of course vice versa, had to swim the stream. The next store was established by Benjamin Delisle, an ex-captain in the Canadian Fencibles, who came to the settlement in July or August 1816. His store was also on the south side of the Tay, near where St. James' Anglican church is now. Mr. Delisle, after doing business there for some years, removed to Montreal where he died. Others came in their turn, and the place began to be in some measure independent of other markets at a distance.
As the settlement grew, of course someone was wanted to look after their spiritual welfare and then came the first Protestant clergyman, in the person of Rev. William Bell, a Presbyterian minister. He had his church which has been burnt down, in the south-east portion of the town. He ministered faithfully to his flock for many years, and was highly esteemed by the members of all creeds as being a thoroughly good man. In 1820 came the Rev. Michael Harris, an Episcopal clergyman, and co-temporary with him was the Rev. Father Lamothe, the first Roman Catholic priest. Then, of course, the physical ailments of the settlers had to be attended to and a disciple of Galen, a Dr. Thom, formerly of the 41st regiment, came among the people. The gallant, and no doubt learned doctor, must have been a gentleman of a practical turn of mind, or else the place was unprofitably healthy that time hung heavily on his hands, and the piastres did not come in plenteously enough to please him, for he started a grist and saw mill on the site of the one later belonging to the late Hon. John G. Haggart, M.P. History does not go so far as to state whether the doctor had a lathe in his mill for the purpose of turning his own wooden legs, but probably that branch of industry was not sufficiently developed in Perth at that time to make it profitable; it is on record though that the saw mill [continued on page 10]
In 1817 the first native of the town, Mr. James Bell, was born. This gentleman's father, who it will be remembered was the Presbyterian minister, used to tell of the difficulties to be contended with in a trip from Perth to Brockville, in these days; there was nothing but a foot trail, and that not particularly clearly defined either -- scarcely a vestige of human life was to be seen, and the only marks of civilization were the few miserable cabins of some settlers near the bank of the Rideau River. The woods then abounded in wild animals many of which man was not desirous of forming any close acquaintance with. Bears, wolves, wolverines, wild cats, etc., deer, partridge, and other game were plentiful, but the prices given for the pelts scarcely paid for the means adopted for obtaining them, to say nothing of the trouble and risk; but notwithstanding this, several of the settlers then eked out their scanty livelihood by the sale or barter of the spoils of the chase.
A few years which were not remarkable for any event of importance passed over the heads of the settlers, who kept adding to their numbers - people of all classes, creeds and nationalities. Prominent among those who went out to seek their fortunes in the wilds were Capt. Marshall, Capt. McMullen, and Capt. McKay, all of the Canadian Fencibles, which has been embodied for service for several years previously: Lieuts. Watson, O'Connor and Monk Mason (afterwards recalled for service in the 24th regiment), Blair, of the Glengarry Fencibles; Playfair, and Fraser, the father of Mr. Jas. Fraser, who was the deputy clerk of the Crown in Ottawa in 1877. The first jail and court house was built of brick, on the south site of the river, in 1821 or 1822, probably its erection extended over a portion of both these years. The structure was afterwards burnt down, and the present one, a handsome free stone edifice, was put up in its stead.
The first death recorded in the annals of Perth was that of the wife of Sergt Wallesley Ritchie, of the 89th regiment, in 1816, and his remains were interred in what is now the English cemetery on the south side of the Tay. Mortality does not seem to have been large until the year 1832, when the cholera was the cause of some deaths among the settlers.
The next band of emigrants to take up their residence in the Township of Lanark was a number of Paisley weavers. They all took up land and entered vigorously into farming pursuits. They were an industrious law-abiding folk, adapting themselves easily to their new mode of life, and were soon a large and important item in the list of colonists. Despite the hardships which, perhaps from the use of the loom and shuttle to that of the spade, axe and plough, they felt in keener degree than their fellow settlers, they rapidly acquired wealth and not a few of them left to their posterity handsome dependencies.
Fall wheat was first grown in large (for these times) quantities in 1823, and the succeeding years. The only outlet and market for it was Brockville, to which place it was taken by oxen teams, a rude road having by this date, been made, there being no horses in the settlement until about 1830, when Mr. Henry Glass procured a team. The wheat sold in Brockville at three shillings and six-pence currency per bushel, and the settlers paid in kind, taking home supplies for their families - but a very small quantity of money being afloat in those days, in fact, until some of the veterans applied for, and obtained pensions from the British Government, the whole, or nearly the whole, trade was done on the barter system.
The making of potash became quite an extensive branch of industry, and large quantities of it were shipped, both winter and summer, by ox teams to the Brockville market. For this article money was generally supposed to be paid, but the amount was nearly as a rule eaten up by the credits obtained by the farmers from the storekeepers, who, it would seem invariably got the best of the bargain, although the settlers tried to sail as close to the wind as possible. The trade in potash was an extremely brisk one until the lumber trade was opened in 1834 by Rogers and Thompson, Porter, and Gemmell, Alex. and Henry Montgomery, James Flintoff and others. The lumbering operations in the immediate vicinity of Perth were of a most extensive character, and the settlers then saw to their sorrow the amount of valuable timber which had been burnt by them, when clearing their lots, and the thousands of dollars which had been literally thrown into the fire. However they were not the kind of people to indulge in vain regrets, and not a few of them went into the business themselves and carried it on for some years successfully and profitaably. The timber thus obtained was drawn to Brock- [continued on page 13]
The construction of the Rideau Canal in 1825 did Perth an immense amount of good, openng as it did, a direct line of communication and means of conveyance with the River Ottawa. During the years the canal was being built trade was very brisk in the town, the large number of men employed on the work, being the means of causing a considerable amount of money being put into circulation. About this time, too, a private enterprise called the River Tay Navigation Company was formed for the purpose of deepening the channel and making it navigable to the Rideau River. Large sums were laid out by the Company, locks were constructed, and for a time a considerable amount of traffic by means of flat bottomed boats was carried on; but in time railroads took the trade away, and the locks on the building of which so much money had been expended, fell into decay and remained as monuments of a scheme which eventually did not turn out a profitable as its projectors anticipated until rebuild later. The company built a steamer called the Enterprise which was launched on the Tay right at the town in the year 1833. She, however, only made two trips and was then transferred to the Rideau Canal, on which she ran for many years. When she was broken up, her engines were put into one of the steamers built by Mr. Jason Gould for the navigation of the Muskrat Lake and river. Goods from Montreal at this time, consigned to Perth, were brought in barges up the Rideau canal via Ottawa, and then up the River Tay. This state of things continued until that stream began to fill up, and the locks got into bad repair and became useless, then part of the merchandise intended for the town was taken in via Oliver's Ferry by teams. Then the Brockville and Ottawa Railroad was built and this effectually killed traffic on the Tay Canal, and the latter gradually fell into complete disuse. The business then was entirely of a mercantile character, but lumber of excellent quality was still being taken out of the northern and western portions of the neighboring country.
The population increased steadily for ten years after the Rideau Canal was finished, many of themen who had been employed on the work, settling in the town or its immediate vicinity. One instance of the progress of the place may be quoted, and it is in the establishment of the first newspaper which was called the Examiner and was edited by either William Tully or John Stewart, who was also a schoolmaster. This was in 1825 or 1826. The Examiner afterwards merged with the Courier in 1834, when Mr. John Cameron, brother of the late Hon. Malcolm Cameron, occupied the [continued on page 18]
Prior to 1860 the Conservative Journal in Perth and Bathurst district was the Perth Observer, launched by the late Richard Campbell, whose facile pen in the middle of the last century stirred the residents to the marrow bone. The British Standard was in existence at the time too. In 1860 the Perth Expositor was launched by Thos. Cairns, who came here from Kingston. Mr. Cairns conducted the Expositor for a short time when he took into partnership THOS. SCOTT, later Col. Thos. Scott of Red River fame. After the appointment of Mr. Cairns to the position of Postmaster at Perth, the paper was conducted by Col. Scott for a short time, eventually being taken over by Messrs. Edward Elliott, afterwards Judge Elliot of London, Ont, and Wm. Berford, both deceased.
In 1896 Col. A.J. Matheson, became the proprietor and editor with Capt. J.W. Motherwell as publisher. Both these worthy newspaper men have also passed to the great beyond. In 1886 Chas. F. Stone, fresh from Perth Collegiate, entered the Expositor as "printer's devil," and completed his apprenticeship in September, 1890, when he secured a position on the Deseronto Tribune, later on the Wiarton Echo and the Petrolia Advertiser. In 1893, on account of the illness of Capt. Montherwell, Mr. Stone was offered the position of publisher and accepted it in March of that year. Three years later, after Col. Matheson had received the endorsation of the electors of South Lanark to represent them in the Provincial Legislature, the control of the Expositor passed into the hands of Mr. Stone, who was its editor and proprietor until early in 1914, when he was appointed Collector of Inland Revenue. His son, the late Harold E. Stone, who was killed overseas, published it until December 1914, when the Expositor passed into the hands of Mr. John A. Stewart.