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Colonel Joel Stone 1749-1833
Photo by Rick Mason - Posted October, 2010
Photo from Google Street View ©2014 Google - Posted January, 2014
Plaque Location
The United Counties of Leeds & Grenville
The Town of Gananoque
On the north side of King Street
in front of the town hall at the west end of downtown
Coordinates: N 44 19.722 W 76 09.852 |
 |
Plaque Text
Born in Connecticut, Stone forfeited his home and property there when he fled to New York to serve with the Loyalist militia during the American Revolution. He came to Canada in 1786, settled with his family in New Johnstown (now Cornwall) and was eventually granted 280 ha of land on the west bank of the Gananoque River. Here, he established mercantile operations, including a sawmill and a ferry service to cross the river. Stone was appointed Justice of the Peace for Leeds County in 1796, Collector of Customs for Gananoque in 1802, and later, a Surveyor of Highways and Roads. In 1809, he was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Leeds Militia and was in command when American forces raided the village in September 1812. The settlement established by Stone formed the nucleus of the present town of Gananoque.
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Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
> Posted November 3, 2015
This plaque is carefully specific about colonies in what would become another country (the United States), but utterly vague about those in what would become this country. It's almost as if the writer were in the US, where a bad habit of referring to "Canada" as if it were a village is commonly perpetuated.
More than geographically vague, it's historically inaccurate. Joel Stone did not arrive in "Canada" (a name used by the French regime until 1763). He arrived in the vast Province of Quebec, one many times larger than Connecticut or New York, and whose name deserves recognition. For if we don't acknowledge it, who will?
In 1791, five years after Stone arrived, Quebec would be divided, a portion becoming Upper Canada. This is not the only provincial marker which misuses "Canada", but we can hope it's the last.
> Posted July 12, 2010
Visited the area in July 2010, and a brand new sign has been erected to replace the old, vandalized one.
> Posted December 4, 2009
Have been there in September 2009 and only the pole stands. Have no idea where it is know.
Regards
Eric Costello
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