Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer

Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer - McQUEEN, James

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Pioneer - McQUEEN, 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

McQUEEN, James . Among the many notable men who set. in Fergus in its early days, none became more widely known, or more sincerely respected, thin the late James McQueen, who d. on his farm in Nichol Tp., in 1899, after passing sixty-three years of his useful life in Fergus and vicinity.

He was born on his father's farm of "Auld Newton," parish of Kilmadock, Donne, Perthshire, Scot., in 1810. After attending the public schools, he entered Glasgow University, whence he graduated, shortly after which, on account of his father's death, he was called upon to undertake the management of one of his father's farms. In 1834, he left Scot. on the "General Graham," and after a tedious voyage of six weeks, landed at Quebec, and proceeded westward, via Montreal and Bytown, (now Ottawa). After a short trip to the United States, where he was much disgusted with the anti-British feeling, he came to Trafalgar township, Halton Co., and there taught school for about two years, when, in 1836, be came to Fergus, finding it but a struggling hamlet. He was almost at once installed as master of the "old log school," which was on the present school site, and for over twenty-one years, he continued in this position, in that time, turning out many brilliant pupils, such as Rev. Dr. McMullen, Woodstock; Hon. Senator Jas. McMullen, Mount Forest; Rev. Dr. Ross Guelph, etc., whose careers are sufficient evidence of his ability as a teacher. In 1837, at the solicitation of a deputation composed of Messrs. Webster, Ferrier, and Ferguson, he accepted the position of Postmaster, with the office in his own home. This condition continued for about 12 years, when a postoffice was erected on St. Andrew's St. At the time of the Mackenzie Rebellion, Mr. McQueen and Mr. Gardiner, the Presbyterian minister, were the only men left in Fergus, after the volunteers went to the front. Mr. McQueen, during this time, carried the mail to Guelph, at one time losing the mail bags in a stream, and fishing them out and proceeding on his-journey. In 1882, Mr. McQueen resigned the postmastership, and his daughter, Miss Christina, was appointed, and now holds the position. In the meantime, in 1837, he bought 160 acres of land near the village and cleared it, after which he lived on it until his death. In January, 1837, be was chosen as Clerk and Treasurer, and his performance of these duties needs no further commendation than the repetition of the old saying so common to the people of Nichol Tp., "that it made little difference who was Reeve and Council; so long as they had Mr. McQueen as Clerk, everything would be all right." - On his resignation in 1892, after 56 years' faithful service, he was presented with a gold watch by the rate payers of the township. He was also the first Division Court Clerk of the District, which extended at that time to Owen Sound, but not finding the duties of the office to his liking, it was one of the first which he resigned. From the time of his arrival in the settlement, Mr. McQueen was connected with the Presbyterian Church and Sabbath School, of which he was for many years the Superintendent. At the disruption in 1843, he went out from St. Andrew's and joined the Free Church, now Melville, and there continued as Superintendent of the Sunday School and Precentor of the Church. He was also the first Librarian giving space in his home for the library, which was started about 1836, by the residents contributing what books they could. In all these duties, he had the full sympathy and helpful influence of Mrs. McQueen, whom he m. in Scot, as Christina Black, and who predeceased him nearly five years. The influence of such a well-ordered and useful life on the mental and moral tone of a community in the early stages of its existence, can hardly be estimated. It has been the living example of such men as Mr. McQueen, that has made possible the character and stability of the Fergus of to-day.

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