A BIT OF THE MILLS FAMILY HISTORY
Stanley Mills dabbles now and then in the bygone days in his editorial
introductions to his daily advertisements in the Hamilton newspapers. It makes
an interesting chapter, and in future days, they will be valuable guideposts to
the coming generation of enterprising business men. He caught the raconteur from
some of his ancestors, and evidently he improves on their style. Now, the
reason we refer to the habit that Stanley Mills has fallen into – and it is a
good one – it is because he has suggested an idea that the readers of the
Spectator might think over and adopt. Stanley has gathered some of the letters
written by George Hamilton Mills, one of the early settlers of Hamilton, had
them copied on a typewriter and bound in substantial covers. In reading over
this typewritten history, he fives much valuable information of ancient
Hamilton that carries the old-timers away back to the beginning of the last
century, information that is not to be found in any other form, therein of more
than ordinary importance. But this is sufficient introduction to our story. If
every family in Hamilton would put their ancient history into typewritten
pages, substantially bound, what a treasure they might leave to their children
and to the future historian. A few days ago in these musings, we gave some
account of the Mills family, so that it will not be necessary to repeat.
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George Hamilton Mills, the founder of the Hamilton branch of the Mills
family was descended from John Mills, a Scotchman, who went to the United
States before the American revolution, and settled in Staten Island, New York.
He was a staunch supporter of the British cause, on account of which he
suffered the loss of property. He was what was called a United Empire Loyalist.
The father of George Hamilton Mills was born in Newark, New Jersey, and moved
to Canada in 1794. Being the son of a loyalist, he was entitled to a grant of 500
acres of land from the Canadian government, but for some reason, he never came
into possession of the land. Upon his arrival in Canada, he took up the
business of a fur trader with the Indians, which he carried back to the States
and exchanged for goods suitable to the requirements of the Indians. He became
friendly with several tribes located to the south and west of Lake Ontario,
which secured him kindly treatment wherever he went. About the year 1800 he
decided to settle permanently in Canada, and in 1802 was united in marriage to
Christina Hess, a daughter of one of the early settlers in Hamilton. She was
born and baptized in Pennsylvania in the year 1747. An extract from the
baptismal record in the church in which she was baptized would look queer in
such a record today. It read “All these splendid children are born of one
bosom, pure marriage bed, from Michael Hess and his married wife, Gertrude,
under the hearty congratulations that God Almighty might bless them, soul and
body, here temporal and there everlasting.” The good mother died in Hamilton in
December, 1857.
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James Mills, the father of George Hamilton, in 818, bought the property
extending from Locke to Hess streets, and from the mountain to the bay, for
which he paid at the rate of two dollars per acre. Being unable to pay for more
than one hundred acres, he sold the easterly part to his brother-in-law, Peter
Hess, at the same rate. It was upon this farm that George Hamilton Mills was
born on the 10th of November, 1827, the youngest, but one, of the
family. The oldest brother was named Michael, and next to him came Samuel,
later a Dominion senator. There was quite a family of girls and boys. The old
farm house was a frame building 9on King street west, and was considered the
largest mansion for miles around. One of his early school teachers was Patrick
Thornton, a Scotchman. Evidently he did not think much of George’s scholastic
ability, for when he left school, the teacher paid him a rather doubtful
compliment : “George, you have considerable ability, but your application is
not worth a straw.” George was sent to Victoria college, Cobourg, of which
Egerton Ryerson was the principal, and later to a public school taught by Dean
Geddes. At this school he made rapid progress in the study of Latin, Greek,
French and mathematics. Dean Geddes was a pain-staking teacher, though not an
advanced scholar. In 1846, George was articled to John Wilson as a law student,
and completed his course in Judge Burton’s office. In 1851, he was called to
the bar.
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George H. Mills’ first entrance into political life was in 1857, when he
was elected alderman for St. George’s ward. During his first year in the
council he made a close study of municipal affairs, and was one of the early
advocates for planting trees and ornamenting the Gore. There was an element in
the city council at that time that favored the selling of the Gore to
capitalists on which to build an arcade, but through the persistent efforts of
a few men in the council the scheme was defeated. History tells of other
aldermen in later years wanting to dispose of the market square for a location
for business houses and for a concert hall. In the early days, the mayor was
elected by members of the city council, and in 1858, on being returned as
alderman for St. George’s ward, Mr. Mills was the choice for the office of
mayor. It was his experience that the council was not an easy body to manage,
as with the exception of four or five, all were ignorant men. It may interest
some of the old-timers to know the men who were elected in 1858 to manage the
town affairs, so we will give the list :
St. Lawrence ward – Aldermen John F. Moore, William Davidson,
Councillors Edward McGiverin, Alexander Graham
St. Patrick’s ward – Aldermen C. J. Tracy, John Patterson, Councillors
James Mullin, Dr. G. Ryall.
St. George’s ward – Aldermen B. N. Law, George Mills, Councillors James
Walker, George Murison.
St. Andrew’s ward – Aldermen Lawrence Devaney, M. W. Brown, Councillors
Thomas Routh, Owen Nolan.
St. Mary’s ward – Aldermen Geo. Roach, W. Holton, Councillors Thomas
Walker, John Waugh.
Previous to the year 1857, many public works had been in progress,
giving employment to large numbers of men, but in 1858, all enterprises ceased
for lack of money to carry them on, and the result was the flooding of the
cities and towns with unemployed men and poor families. Wages were low in those
days, and the men generally spent their earnings without thought of the morrow,
and by October in that year there was ample evidence of coming distress. During
the fall and winter months, men by the hundreds were begging for work, and
asking for food for the families. It was a critical time in the old town, and
Mayor Mills had a busy time of it in planning to relieve the distress. The
council decided upon opening new streets in order to furnish work, and men drew
lots for jobs that paid only fifty cents a day. In his memoirs, Mayor Mills
says that he never met with a better behaved lot of men, , considering the
trials they were passing through. The city hall was crowded with men, women and
children whose faces clearly indicated their poverty, and the mayor determined
on visiting them at their homes that he might better judge of their needs. He
took with him Donald Dawson, a policeman, and they went down into the sinks of
poverty, crime, drunkenness and sorrow. It was a sad plight, and never before
had Mayor Mills the faintest idea that such a condition existed in this
beautiful city. The mayor had no heart for re-election, and when his term
expired, he declined to again become a candidate. Mayor Mills took Quite an
active part in securing the erection of the Crystal palace, in order to Bring
to Hamilton the provincial agriculture exhibition, and in 1859, the fair
grounds (now Victoria park) were purchased.
Here we might give a bit of information the writer has been asked for.
The Hamilton Horticultural society was instituted in the year 1850. B. Kelly,
of Burlington nurseries, was president; David Murray, Rosedale nurseries,
vice-president; Charles Meston, recording secretary; F. W. Fearman, corresponding-secretary;
James Gay, treasurer. Directors : John A. Bruce, John Haig, George Stewart.
There was also in existence the Hamilton Horticultural club and the Horticultural
Library association , of which Warren Holton, of the Burlington nurseries, was
president. What a wealth of information was contained in the old city
directories of sixty and seventy years ago. In the year 1860, George Hamilton
Mills was elected president of the horticultural society. In the early days but
little attention was given to floral culture, and as there was not substantial
wealth in Hamilton, refinement and taste in that direction was very limited. In
1875, Mr. Mills was instrumental in securing the first governmental recognition
of the society in the form of a money grant. For this, the society made him a
life member.
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HARD TIMES IN HAMILTON
Early in the year 1861, it became apparent that Hamilton would not be
able to meet the interest indebtedness on the debentures held in England. There
was stagnation in all classes of business with corresponding depreciation in the
value of real estate. The city taxes were uncollectable and the treasury was
empty. Mayor McKinstry was mayor, and it was decided by the council to appoint
a committee to wait upon Sir A. T. Galt, minister of finance, and ask of the
government immediate help to meet the interest indebtedness. Finally, he began
to see light. Hamilton, at that time, was the owner of Great Western railway
script and Mr. Galt suggested that if the committee would send down to him
$75,000 of the script as a deposit by way of security, he would provide for the
payment of the interest in London. It was like the man who was heavily indebted
giving his note and thanking providence that the debt was paid. Three years
later, the city was obliged to compromise with its creditors. That was about
the time that the mayor’s throne was seized and sold for the city debt, and
Thomas Beasley, who was the city clerk, hid the tax collector’s books in
Buchanan, Harris & Co.s’ safe to keep them out of the hands of the sheriff,
who was trying to levy upon them at the command of the creditors. Clerk Beasley
quietly left Hamilton for Rochester, N. Y. to keep out of the way of the
sheriff. There was a hot time in this old town in those hard-up days. In 1864,
the legislature placed a restriction upon the city to prevent it from again
running into debt upon visionary provocation. It might be a good thing if the
city solicitor would hunt up that old law now that the board of control is
about adding $300,000 of an overdraft this year in the twelve millions, or
more, of indebtedness which has already piled up.
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GREAT WESTERN STOCK
In 1865, the city of Hamilton was the owner of 1,500 shares of Great
Western railway stock, the par value of which was $150,000. That same year
1,234 shares at par value of $12,400 were sold at the instance of the creditors
of the city, under order of the chancery court, for $52, 184, a loss to the
city of $80,216. In 1871, the Great Western took a sudden rise in the market,
and Alderman Mills, as chairman of the finance committee, sold 200 shares for
20,000 ponds. In 1872, still being chairman of the finance committee, he
exchanged 114 shares, so that the two transcations amounted to a sale of stock
at par value to the extent of $21,000. In December, 1872, the city purchased
2,025 Great Western debentures at 91%, and later 650 shares at par. Mr. Mills
evidently intended to make money for the city while he was chairman of finance,
and in 1873, he purchased 1,405 shares from all of which purchases, the city
made a handsome profit. In 1874-1877, the shares of the Great Western dropped
down to the fifties, and never again did they rise to the surface. Hamilton
seized the opportune time to buy and sell.
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THE SALE OF BURLINGTON BEACH
It is doubtful if there are half a dozen of the old-timers who can
recall to memory that even in as late a day as 1873, the minister of crown
lands had entered into negotiations for the sale of Hamilton’s summer resort
(the sand strip) to a man named Livingston for a nominal sum, and that letters
had already passed promising Livingston the property. At the time, J. M.
Williams was Hamilton’s representative in the Ontario legislature; and Ald.
Mills got busy to stop the outrageous selling or substantially giving away
public property. In company with Mr. Williams, Ald. Mills called upon the crown
lands minister and entered a protest against completing the sale. The result
was that the government minister saw the error of his ways, and the sand strip
was saved to become Hamilton’s celebrated summer resort. It cost the city $500
to repay Livingston for money expended.
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DUNDURN PARK
In the year 1877, there was a plan proposed to exchange Victoria park
for Dundurn park, and to help out the project, Ald. Mills became a candidate
for that year for re-election to the city council. Had the scheme succeeded,
Hamilton would have come into possession of Dundurn in trade for the old
Crystal palace property. The palace grounds were really an obstacle to the growth
of the city in the west and north. Had the exchange been made, the old palace
grounds would have been divided up into building lots from which a handsome
revenue would have accrued to the city in the way of taxes. It would have
benefited the city in another way by the reclamation of the Dundas marsh. If
the marsh could have been turned into arable land, Hamilton and Dundas would
have finally become united, to the advantage of both. It was a beautiful dream,
but the ratepayers knocked the idea when they came to vote on it. It was argued
that Hamilton could not stand the luxury and expense of the ownership of
Dundurn. However, the city bought it, in course of time, paying twice as much
for it as it would have cost had the exchange been made.
The life memoirs of George Hamilton Mills contain matter that would be
of historic value to Canada. Stanley Mills has certainly done his part in its
compilation, and having it bound in substantial covers to insure its
preservation.
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