CELEBRATING GUELPH'S BIRTHDAY
by Ross W. Irwin

The Glorious Twelfth, Queen Victoria's Birthday, and Dominion Day were three occasions for merry making in Guelph a century ago. Old country bank holidays were also celebrated on Easter Monday, Whit Monday the first Monday in August and the first day after Christmas (Boxing Day) as well as Good Friday and Christmas Day. Statutory holidays respecting the Lord's Day began in 1906. Dominion Day, the anniversary of Confederation on July 1, was held in 1868.

In addition to statutory holidays there have been several days widely celebrated in Guelph over the years. These include the Glorious Twelfth (of July) celebrated with a parade and speeches by members of the Loyal Orange Lodge. Local national societies celebrated St. George=s Day on April 23, St. Andrew's Day was observed November 30 to commemorate the patron Saint of Scotland, and to a lesser degree in Guelph, St. David's Day on March 1 the anniversary of the death of the patron saint of Wales. The Caledonian Society and St. Patrick's Society (March 17) were also very active in the city before 1920.

The Gore Gazette ¹ noted the Canada Company had started cutting a road from Galt through their 40,000 acre tract in the Halton District and was selecting a site for a new company town.

John Galt selected St. George's Day, April 23, 1827, to formally cut a large maple tree and name the town - Guelph. Guelph was founded on what was then a public holiday in England.

Work on clearing the town-site progressed rapidly and Galt decided there should be some formal recognition of the event and fixed on the birthday of King William IV (August 12, 1827) for the occasion. Since it was Sunday, the celebration was the next day on August 13. Galt declared it a local public holiday.

Great preparations were made for the event. The new market building was erected in the Market Square, the corner stones were laid for two public stone buildings - one intended for a bank and the other as a school house.

More than 500 strangers came to Guelph. For dinner an ox was roasted whole and was carried into the new market building where it was carved - and found to be quite raw. A small band from York provided entertainment. Toasts were drunk to the Royal Family. The firing of a wooden cannon caught everyone by surprise. The evening ended in a riot! ²

The Agricultural Society of Upper Canada was organized at the event with John Galt elected its first president. This event was represented by three animals; however, livestock fairs continued twice a year until the coming of the railroad changed livestock buying practices.

From1845 Queen Victoria's birthday was celebrated on May 24 and after her death in 1901 it was declared a public holiday in Canada - to be celebrated.

25^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1852 - population 1,800

The 25^th Anniversary of the founding of Guelph passed with no note of any event in the local newspapers. It was probably too close to the founding to seem important. Guelph had just acquired police village status, but called itself a town. The April 1852 meeting of the Town Council made no mention of the anniversary and dwelled on a bylaw defining Temperance Drinks and authorized the erection of a wall around the old Burial Ground. In July, P.T. Barnum brought his famous circus to town.

CONFEDERATION, 1867 - population 5,300

The Confederation of the Provinces became effective on July1, 1867. The following year the event was declared a public National holiday and was frequently referred to as Natal Day where they "celebrated in good style". It was noted, "the first anniversary of the Birthday of the New Dominion passed over Guelph quietly. If no demonstration were made in its honour it was not because there was a lack of loyalty or notice found in the inhabitants but simply because no person had taken the initiative in getting up a popular display"³. The air temperature was a torrid 95 degrees in the shade. The 30^th Wellington Regiment put on a band concert. In subsequent years Dominion Day featured ball games by the Maple Leaf ball club and a regatta on Allans' mill pond.

50^th ANNIVERSARY, JUBILEE YEAR, 1877 - population 9,500

The 50^th Anniversary of the founding of Guelph left us three lasting reminders. The most notable was the publication in April 1877 of The Annals of the Town of Guelph, a 170-page book describing the town from its founding to 1877. It was authored by C. Acton Burrows, Editor of the Guelph Herald, with an introduction by Mayor F. J. Chadwick. The book sold for 754. Robert Thompson wrote a pamphlet A Brief Sketch of the Early History of Guelph which was published by the Guelph Mercury. It also described the origin of the town and listed the first and second year settlers. In March 1877, the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Wellingtonwas published for subscribers.

The National societies - St. George's, St. Andrews, St. Patrick's and Caledonian were well represented in Guelph and organized and participated in most important events. The St. George's Society held a planning meeting January 25, 1877 for a dinner at the town hall on April 23. On March 27 a public meeting of citizens was called to plan the Jubilee celebration. George Elliot was made chairman of the event. Town council belatedly (April 12) authorized a grant toward the expenses of the event.

The Guelph Mercury stated "The celebration by its inhabitants was in all respects befitting the event, and of such a character as to embrace all classes of the community. The day was a beautiful one - such as we seldom have in early spring. From an early hour people from the country began to arrive, and by ten o'clock the streets were alive with a moving mass of humanity, all bent on having a day"s genuine enjoyment."⁴

Events began at 9:00 a.m. with a Royal Salute by the Wellington Field Battery. School children were regaled at the Drill Hall and members of town council wore white rosettes. Athletic games on the Market Square began at 10:00 a.m. and at noon the Guelph Rifles shot a "feu-de-joi" which was followed by the ringing of most bells in the town.

The Civic procession from the town hall was very long, taking 20 minutes to pass a point. The procession included Reeve George Hood and Mayor F. B. Chadwick. Sir A. T. Galt, son of John Galt, had been invited but could not come; however, his elder brother Hon. Mr. Justice Galt spoke in his stead. He had first come to Guelph in 1828.

Thomas Lynch, the first male child born in Guelph, carried the Royal Standard. Carriages carried old settlers two of whom had actually cut the first maple tree in 1827.

The militia and fire department paraded as well as local fraternal societies - St. George=s, (300)

St Patrick's (250), Caledonian (250), St. Andrew's (250) and the St. Patrick's Societies band from Hamilton.

Addresses from the Town Hall balcony were made by the Mayor, Justice Galt, and others.

After the speeches the Sons of Auld Scotia repaired to the large hall in the Masonic Hall and amused themselves by dancing reels and strathspeys to the music of the pipers.

In the afternoon a baseball game between the Maple Leaf Ball Club (professional) and the Maple Leaf Club (amateur) was held near the Great Western Railway. A rifle match was held at the butts and there was lunch for the guests. The St. George's Society held their grand dinner, which cost $1.25, in the Town Hall.

In the evening there was a general illumination of business places and fireworks by Prof. Hand on Market Square. There was a sermon in the Congregational and other churches. The Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, Prime Minister, visited the town July 7, 1877.

GUELPH BECOMES A CITY, 1879 - population 10,000

On April 23, 1879, Guelph was inaugurated as the 9^th city in Ontario. The most notable lasting contribution of the event is the May 9, 1879 issue of Canadian Illustrated News which shows views of the important buildings and scenes in the city. More than 200 copies of the newspaper were sold at the City Bookstore and a second supply was ordered by Day s Bookstore

Planning for the event was led by the town council who had city budgeted $500 for the celebration. Wyndham street stores were the glory of Guelph. Wyndham street was scraped, cleaned and watered. People came by train, and 10,000 took part. The day began with the firing of a Royal salute from the 32-pdr garrison gun situated on the Dundas Rd. hill and then subsequent ringing of the bells in the city and sounding of factory steam whistles.
School children were regaled in the drill shed - 1,200 public, 400 separate and 150 high school pupils attended. Each were given an orange, apple and bun.
The sports day had many events, mostly races and jumps. The 10- mile walking event was completed in one hour and 44 minutes.

A lengthy parade included 10 bands, the military and many fire departments, mayors from several towns and cities, Boards of Education, National Societies, 45 mounted butchers three-abreast wore white trousers and a red hat with a band. Walter Cook, who weighed 350 pounds, rode on Sleeman's monster cask of lager beer. Many other companies took part in the parade.

The Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne and Princess Louise, declined an invitation to attend; however, they visited the new city on September 17 to open the Central Exhibition.

Speeches were given from the balcony over the front door of the town hall. Mayor Howard read the Act of Incorporation and continuing, said:- A By the authority of the Act of Parliament just read I do now declare the municipality of Guelph to be incorporated as the city of Guelph. I do further declare that the said city shall hereinafter be known as the Royal City.⁵

The Berlin Band took first prize in the Band competition for $250 in prizes. Prof. Hands display of fireworks was witnessed by 13,000 people. The event closed with a monster bonfire on the Market Square. James Whiting was the first child born in the new city of Guelph, April 25, 1879.

60^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1887 - population 10,000

"The Diamond Jubilee of the founding of the city passed quietly." However, there was a great celebration on June 22, the occasion of Queen Victorias golden jubilee. The headline of the Guelph Mercury read "The City Does the Queen Honor."⁶ The City band gave a concert at Trafalgar Square bandstand. There was a procession of lodges and firemen followed by a concert in city hall. It should be noted that while Guelph's official birthday was April 23, the population preferred to celebrate in better weather on Civic Holiday, the first Monday in August.

75^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1902 -population 12,000

This anniversary year left us as a permanent historical reminder the Anniversary Edition of theGuelph Daily Herald, published August 9, 1902.
"The celebrations of our 75^th anniversary did not come out so badly after all. The 75^thanniversary of the founding of the city, while not celebrated with a mighty flourish of trumpets, was rendered noteworthy in a quieter way by special exercises by the pupils of the Collegiate Institute and Public schools of Guelph.

The special exercises were patriotic choruses and addresses by prominent citizens. The Guelph Mercury suggested such a program be held in the schools every year and concluded with "if we keep this up, we shall have a memorial of John Galt yet.

Note: It was not until Oct. 5, 1979, that a statue to John Galt, born at Irvine, Scotland, May 2, 1779, was erected and dedicated in front of city hall. The work was commissioned by the John Galt Memorial Trust Fund Committee, chaired by Peter Anderson, works manager, Pirelli Cables. The statute was created by John Miecznikowski. It was unveiled on the 100^th birthday of Guelph becoming a city.

The Sons of St. George, Merrie England, held their annual banquet April 24, in celebration. They concluded by singing God Save the King and The Maple Leaf Forever and the school "yell".⁸

100^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1927 - population 20,000

The lasting reminder of this important milestone in the history of Guelph is the Wednesday, June 20, 1927, edition of The Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser (132 pages) which records events in Guelph from its founding. This issue was also created to recognize the Diamond Jubilee of the founding of The Guelph Evening Mercury, July 22, 1867.

On May 22, 1926, a Centennial Committee was established to plan the Centennial. A large floral arch was established on Wyndham St at the railway overpass. City hall and downtown stores were decorated with flags and bunting. The anniversary was celebrated on April 23 with a choir and school children singing in front of city hall, but the main events were during Civic holiday week in August. An illuminated arch was erected in St. George=s Square. The event began with a Go to Church Sunday. On the Monday there was a historical pageant in the evening with a cast of 500 people and a 200-voice choir. Tuesday was visitors day and the balance of the week was dedicated to various sports. The main feature was Old Home Week held from August 1 to 6, 1927, including a monster parade.⁹

The Guelph War Memorial was unveiled Sunday, July 3. Major General J.H. MacBrien was the principal speaker. The Honour Roll for World War I was published in the Guelph Mercury.¹⁰

125^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1952 - population 28,000

The Guelph Mercury lamented that "Guelph to Let Occasion Slip" and noted it was the first quarter century that has not seen a celebration since 1877.¹¹ City council did not promote a celebration but they did renovate the town hall clock and approved a new seal for the city.

100 Years of CONFEDERATION, 1967

Guelph Historical Society dedicated John Galt Garden on April 23, 1967. The garden had been designed over the previous four years. On Dominion Day, July 1, 1967, the Rotary Club organized a monster one-hour parade which included a float of the Wellington County Historical Society. City hall was decorated with flags and the 11^th Field Regiment fired a 100-gun salute at York Road Park. The city even declared parking to be free! The event was chaired by Vern McIlwraith.¹²

150^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING, 1977 -population 70,000

The lasting reminder of this historic milestone was the publication by the Guelph Historical Society, History of Guelph, 1827-1927, by Leo A. Johnson. The project had been initiated by Ruth Pollard, President of the Guelph Historical Society, in 1973. Robert A. Stewart published his two volume works A Picture History of Guelph, 1827 - 1977 as a personal centennial project. Donald E. Coulman published Guelph - Take a Look at Us. The Guelph Mercury annual issue was entitled 150 Years of Progress (Mar. 5, 1977). Guelph Lake was created by the Grand River Conservation Authority. The city adopted a revised Coat of Arms.

The Guelph Mercury headline of Apr. 23 was "Happy Birthday Guelph". Telegrams of congratulations were received from The Queen and letters of congratulation from Premier William Davis and others. Anniversary services were held in St. Andrews and other churches. It rained on the Hon. Pauline McGibbon, Lieutenant Governor, when planting a tree in the Guelph Historical Society John Galt Garden. The 11^th Field Regiment fired a 15-gun salute

Homecoming week began July 4. Special sesquicentennial souvenir dollars were issued. G.C.V.I. held a reunion for 1,500 alumni, there was an Anniversary dinner and ball at the University and Allan's Mill park was dedicated. There was a dog show. The parade, with 97 floats took two and one half hours to pass. Vernon McIlwraith was also general chairman of the event. Governor General, the Hon. Jules Leger, visited the city on Sept. 13, 1977.

175^th ANNIVERSARY, 2002, population 110,000

Of lasting significance Guelph Historical Society published - Guelph: Perspectives on a century of change, 1900-2000, 277 pp, by multiple authors, published in 2000 for the 2002 event. Hilary Stead was the editor of Guelph, A People's Heritage, 60 pp. published by the City.

Founders Day was held at River Run Centre and the Guelph Historical Society planted trees in John Galt Garden. The Riverside Park floral clock was a centre of attention. and a Doors Open Guelph program was a success. The Guelph Civic Museum sponsored several exhibits. There were no parades.

Conclusion

Celebrations in Guelph are enthusiastically supported by the population as exhibited in recent times as support for annual Santa Claus parades. However, leadership from 1877 to 1902 depended on active fraternal organizations and more recently by the participation by of Kiwanis and Rotary service clubs. City Council has never given other than token support to these functions. The next quarter century celebration will be in 2027. Who will organize it? What activities will be featured?

Some References

John Galt, The autobiography of John Galt. The founding of Guelph v2, pp 51-55.Key & Biddle, Philadelphia, 1833.

C. Acton Burrows, The annals of the Town of Guelph, Guelph Herald, 1877, 170 pp.

Robert Thompson, A brief sketch of the early history of Guelph. Guelph Mercury Steam Printing House, 1877

William Walker and C.F. Miles, Illustrated atlas of the County of Wellington, Toronto, 1877

Canadian Illustrated News, Montreal, May 9, 1879

Guelph Daily Herald, Anniversary Issue, August 9, 1902

Guelph Evening Mercury and Advertiser, Anniversary Edition, June 20, 1927, 132 pp.

Leo A Johnson, History of Guelph, 1827-1927, Guelph Historical Society, 1977, 389 pp.

Robert A. Stewart, A picture history of Guelph, 1827 - 1977, 2 volumes, 1977.

Guelph Mercury, 150 Years of Progress, March 5, 1977.

Donald E. Coulman, Guelph - Take a Look at Us, 1977

Guelph Historical Society, Guelph: Perspectives on a century of change, 1900-2000, 277 pp, 2000

Hilary Stead, Guelph, A people's heritage, 60 pp, City of Guelph, 2002

Guelph Mercury Special Edition, March 26, 2002, 175 and Growing, 48 pp

Guelph Tribune, Guelph, 175 years in the making. Spring 2002, 98 pp

Sources

1. Ancaster Gore Gazette, April 14, 1827

2. William W. Evans, Guelph City of Guelph Directory, 1882-83, pp. 15-16., Guelph, 1883.

3. Guelph Evening Mercury, July 1, 1868

4. Guelph Daily Mercury and Advertiser, April 24, 1877

5. Guelph Weekly Herald, May 1, 1879

6. Guelph Daily Mercury, June 23, 1887

7. Guelph Daily Mercury, April 24, 1902

8. Guelph Daily Mercury, April 24, 1902

9. Guelph Evening Mercury, July 20, 1927, 114 pp

10. Guelph Evening Mercury, July 4, 1927

11. Guelph Daily Mercury, July 2, 1952

12. Guelph Daily Mercury, July 2, 1967


Ross Irwin is a Past President of the Guelph Historical Society and has added much to the printed historical knowledge base of the city. His published work include the Origin of Street Names in Guelph, 1827 - 1997; History of the Norfolk - Paisley - Dublin - Cork Block; History of the Guelph City Parks, 1830 - 1960; History of Trinity United Church; Bands of Music in Guelph; and The Office of the City Engineer. He has developed a reference guide the the published history of the City.