Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer

Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer - McLUHAN, James

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Pioneer - McLUHAN, James

Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County

Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906

McLUHAN, James , was b. in Newtownards, Co. Down, Ire. 1838. He came to Canada with his parents in 1847, who were detained in Montreal with ship fever for 6 months. Th family then went to Simcoe County, where they remained till 1864. About 4 years previous to this, James, along with a comrade, took a trip westward, in the search of land to buy, and being attracted by the cheap land for sale in Luther, came and looked at some of it, the result of the trip being, that James bought lot 5, con. 14, and his comrade bought lot 6, con. 14, 200 acres in each lot.

The two boys walked all the way from Cookstown to Rosemont, thence to Mono Mills, Orangeville, Fergus, Elora, from Elora to Arthur, thence north to the 4th con. Luther, where the road ended abruptly. They took the zig-zag street around swamps, till they reached the 10th con., a guide next day took them up to see the 14th. They then returned to Toronto.

They purchased their tickets on the Northern R.R. to Bradford, some 13 miles from Cookstown. Mr. McLuhan's lot was $5.50 per acre, assessed 1905, at $8,000. He had to battle with all the hardships incidental to pioneer life, frosts, etc. He held the office of Deputy Reeve, 1875-1876. In these years, along with Wm. Dawson, who was Reeve, they succeeded in obtaining a by-law to be carried for the building of 10 miles of gravel road, five miles of each side of the township. A close call, carried by the casting vote of the Warden. With the assistance of Reeve Stevenson of Arthur Tp., another grant of $500 was carried to still push the West Luther gravel further north. He was the delegate chosen by the Council to represent the township in the matter of the division of the township into two municipalities. With the assistance of his friend, Mr. Robert McKinnon, P.P., the matter of separation was made so clear to the gentlemen of the Private Bills Committee, that the request in behalf of West Luther was unanimously granted. Mr. McLuhan was therefore the last Reeve of old Luther, and was elected the first Reeve of W. Luther. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1881. He was also Township Clerk for several years, and in his first year as Clerk, originated a by-law for the relief of the settlers, and at the same time to compel speculators to bear their full share of the people's burdens, it was enacted that the statute labour day to the settlers shall consist of 6 hours, and that statute labour on all non-resident land shall be at the rate of $1 per day. He also took an active part in organizing the Conn Cheese and Butter co., for which he obtained the charter. He was the first Secretary, and in company with Mr. Wm. Heriot, as President, let the contracts and caused the erection of the building in 1885, and the whole cost was paid up in full by the end of 1887. He also took an active part in organizing the Conn Telephone Company, and making it a success. In 1874, he m. Margaret, the dau. of the late John Grieve and Jane Syme of Edinburgh, Scot. His family are Methodists, and he is a very pronounced Liberal. His family consists of 4 sons and 3 daughter. One son , Wallace, in Alberta; one daughter in Toronto. The rest are all at home. He came to the township when the greater part of it was a wilderness, while to-day, it is a well improved and prosperous community.

From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906