Discover Ontario's history as told through its plaques
2004 - Now in our 15th Year - 2019
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The Founding of Goderich
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted October, 2004
Plaque Location
The County of Huron
The Town of Goderich
On a stone cairn at the junction of
Lighthouse and Colbourg streets
Coordinates: N 43 44.535 W 81 43.400 |
 |
Plaque Text
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.
Other plaques at this location
The Great Storm of 1913
Thomas Mercer Jones, 1795-1868
Related Ontario plaques
"Tiger" Dunlop 1792-1848
John Galt 1779-1839
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Information
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Settlements
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Goderich Plaques
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
> Posted 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
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