Port Elgin, Ontario

The area that is now Port Elgin was first settled in 1849, by Lachlan McLean ("Loch Buie") who first built a shanty and later ran a tavern, serving settlers and sailors passing through the little port. In spring 1852 George Butchart built a dam and saw-mill on Mill Creek. According to a Government of Ontario historic plaque, Butchart sold the mill to Benjamin Shantz who subsequently built a grist-mill and within three years a community of 250 people had developed around these mills. Stores, hotels and tanneries were constructed and in March 1857, a village plot named Port Elgin was laid out. The enterprise of its businessmen, notably Henry Hilker, Samuel Bricker and John Stafford, contributed to the development of the settlement, which had a population of over 600 by 1867. The arrival of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway in 1872 further stimulated the growth of the community and it was incorporated as a Village in 1874 with a population of about 950. Early industries included a steam sawmill, foundry, and woolen mill. By 1869 the population was 650 and there was connection by steamship to Southampton and to Goderich. The first shipping pier was built in 1857. In 1873, the railway arrived, allowing Southampton and Port Elgin products to travel far from Lake Huron. Agriculture prospered and the shipping industry benefitted from the natural harbour. Timber, coal, general merchandise and passengers arrived by ship. Warehouses for storing grain were constructed, and a tannery opened for business, becoming the second-largest in Ontario. By the 1880s, tourism was becoming a factor in the economy; passenger boats, largely from the U.S., began visiting this area. In the 1900s, industry in the area declined in the 1900s and the harbour began getting fewer ships as the other modes of transportation improved. Tourism became more important in the early 1900s. Development began to be directed in that direction; for example, the harbour was modified for pleasurecraft, the town was beautified and an increasing number of cottages were built. The library was built in 1908 with assistance from the Carnegie Fund, a secondary school was completed in 1889, with additions made in 1939. The school was replaced with a more modern structure in 1975. The Government of Ontario also erected another historic plaque in Port Elgin, titled The "Nodwell" Indian Village Site. "This important Iroquoian village site was discovered about 1900, and named after the family which then owned the property. Subsequent archaeological examinations have uncovered a mid-14th century village, consisting of twelve longhouses, from 42 to 139 feet in length, protected by a double palisade. It was probably occupied for about 10 to 20 years by a group of some 500 people who were predecessors of the Huron and Petun Indians. Although primarily farmers who grew corn, tobacco and probably pumpkins and sunflowers, they also engaged in considerable fishing and hunting. A large number of artifacts have been retrieved from this site including fragments of pottery cooking vessels, smoking pipes, arrow heads, adzes, awls and netting needles." Historical timeline, 1849 to 1906 Although specific dates vary depending on the source, the following are excerpted from a reliable source, History of the County of Bruce, Ontario, Canada, by Norman Robertson, published in 1906. • 1849: The first settler in the bush is Lachlan ("Loch Buie") McLean. • 1852: George Butchart, an early Bruce pioneer, erects a dam and sawmill on Mill Creek. • 1854: The first commercial store and post office are opened in the community called Normanton; other buildings include three houses, a tavern and an unfinished log house. • 1855: A grist mill is completed. By now, the community consists of five houses and two taverns. • 1856: A steam sawmill is erected by Samuel Bricker. • 1857-58: A commercial pier is built by private enterprise for landing passengers and goods. (Previously, a large scow rowed out to steam ships in order to transport visitors and goods.) The piers of the harbor would continue expanding until at least 1899. • 1859-60: A small foundry and brick works are opened. A woollen mill is already operating. • 1866: The population is about 630. There are five churches, two schools, a large Town Hall, four stores, three hotels, a job printing office, a brewery, two tanneries, a woollen factory, a foundry, two sawmills, a grist mill, a pottery, many retailers of handicrafts and one physician. • Circa 1869: Electric telegraph reaches the community. • 1873: The village is incorporated on June 7, to be effective in 1874, with a population of 941. The name is changed from Normanton to Port Elgin. The railway has arrived and is helping to increase trade with other areas. • 1889: The first high school opens. • 1905: A large sawmill opens; work begins on a spur line from the railway station to the mill. • 1906: Port Elgin is becoming more popular as a summer resort. "The splendid beach, the bracing breezes that blow from off Lake Huron, and the mineral spring and baths are attracting each season an increased number of visitors." ==Economy==