The Founding of Goderich
Text from the plaque
In 1826 the Canada Company, a newly chartered colonization firm, acquired a large block of land known as the Huron Tract. The following year William 'Tiger' Dunlop, appointed Warden of the Forests by the Company's first superintendent, John Galt, established his base here in the western part of the Tract. Named Goderich after the Colonial Secretary, Viscount Goderich, the site was initially marked only by 'The Castle', Dunlop's residence, but a settlement gradually developed. By 1829 the Canada Company had surveyed a town plot, opened the Huron Road from Guelph, and established an office. In 1841 Goderich became the administrative and judicial centre for the newly created Huron District. Nine years later, with a population of about 1,000, the community was incorporated as a town.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The County of Huron
The Town of Goderich
On a stone cairn at the junction of
Lighthouse and Colbourg streets
Also recorded for this place: The Town of Goderich
N 43 44.535 W 81 43.400
Recorded October 2004. Check current access before visiting.
More information
Where it stands
Visitors' notes
August 19, 2012
The mapped location for this plaque is incorrect. This cairn is not on Cobourg Street. It is on the southwest corner of Harbour Park above the north side of Harbour Road. I believe the location marked here is for the plaque commemorating the Great Storm of 1913