1) Daniel McCaw: Elected reeve for the Village of Welland in 1858

Vital statistics

Birth: November 10, 1810 at Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Death: May 28, 1902 at Welland, Ontario, Canada (age 91)

Burial place: Fonthill Cemetery (Find a Grave)

Parents: John / Jane (née McCormick)

Spouse: Jane (née Anderson)

Children: John

Occupations: Shoemaker / Owner of D. McCaw & Son

Religion: Presbyterian

Community affiliations: Town Councillor / Public School Board

Profile

Daniel McCaw was born November 10, 1810 in the northern part of Ireland, in the county of Antrim near the Giant's Causeway. His parents were John and Jane (née McCormick) McCaw. In 1842 when he was 32, he moved to Canada. He lived in Port Colborne for a time then moved to Welland in 1849, starting his own business. He met his wife Jane (née Anderson) in Philadelphia, PA in 1849. She was born in the county of Antrim as well, in 1814, and moved to Philadelphia in 1849, living with her brother. After Daniel and Jane’s marriage in 1849 they moved to Welland (then known as Merrittsville) where they lived the rest of their years, prominent in business and municipal affairs.

In 1851 he opened a shoe-making business at 87 East Main Street which he later expanded into a retail store in 1867. D. McCaw & Son prospered and was run by his son John and later his grandson Douglas until it was purchased in 1972 by Lincoln Trust, and the building was demolished and replaced. A recent business that operated at 87 East Main Street was Patti’s Place Restaurant.

Upon reaching a population of 750, Merrittsville was incorporated as a village on July 24, 1858 (and renamed to Welland at the same time). A municipal election was held on September 16, 1858, and the elected councillors were Daniel McCaw, William Archibald Bald, Moses Betts, Chester Demare, and Nathan Thomas Fitch. The first council meeting was held in the Grand Jury Room of the Courthouse on September 27, 1858, where Daniel was chosen as reeve by his fellow councillors (which was the custom until 1869, when reeves began to run specifically for that position in elections). This caused consternation for Nathan Thomas Fitch, who was hoping to be the reeve. Fitch also didn’t get his way with his pick of clerk, so the next meeting he resigned his seat, giving him the distinction of the shortest amount of time spent in office of any public official.

Daniel’s time as reeve was not a full year, but rather just over three months until the end of the year. The normal date of elections for established villages was in January. Therefore, in addition to being the first Chief Magistrate of Welland, Daniel McCaw also holds the distinction of spending the shortest amount of time in the position, as he was not elected reeve again. However, he was elected six more times as a councillor to go along with his tireless work of nearly thirty years on the Public School Board. In fact, at his funeral in May 1902 the Welland Telegraph reported: “The children of the public school formed up at the school and marched in a body to the residence which was done out of respect and in remembrance of what the deceased had done for the educational system of Welland.” He was also Secretary of the Board of Trade and Treasurer of the Public Library Board.

During his brief time as reeve, we have a copy of an address he made to the Toronto City Council and Board of Trade, who had made a trip to Niagara to inspect the new Welland Railway and had just arrived in Welland County. From the October 21, 1858 edition of the St. Catharines Journal: “Gentlemen – The Municipal Council of the County Town of Welland are happy to have an opportunity of giving you a hearty welcome. This place was selected for the County Town, not merely from its central geographical position in the county, but from commanding an extensive water power. When the Lake is made the summit a supply will be received, both from the Grand River, descending into the level of Lake Erie, and from the Lake Erie level into the Chippawa, surrounded with a rich and fertile soil with a direct communication with the forests and plaster beds on the navigable waters of the Grand and Welland Rivers, and with the additional facilities that this Railway offers; a population must rapidly increase. The Great Western and Buffalo and Lake Huron Railways opened facilities for conveying the produce of the interior of Canada to the United States, but no locality, bordering on the Welland Canal through the Counties of Lincoln and Welland, comprising eight different towns and villages, with a population of seventy thousand souls, has derived the least advantage from either of these roads heretofore notated. The Welland Railway (…) this population with Toronto and Buffalo in a few hours and open a daily communication with two of the most populous cities in Canada West and the Western States. It is therefore the mutual interest of every locality, connected by this line of road, to render it every aid and encouragement in their power, and we beg to congratulate you on the prospect of its speedy completion.”

From his speech it’s easy to discern the pride he has in his chosen home, as well as the hope he has for the future: that Welland will surely prosper given its enviable trading position between Toronto and Buffalo.

The first by-law passed by the inaugural council, headed by Daniel, would prohibit the sale of spirits in village limits, except by innkeepers and tavern owners. Other laws concerned restricting animals from running at large, and regulating shows of wax figures and other types of exhibitions. The council made and would make for many years annual appointments for positions such as: clerk, tavern inspector, pound keeper, fence viewer, treasurer, and collector of rates.

Moving to religion, the Presbyterian Church seems to have played a central role in Daniel McCaw’s life. He was baptized by the Rev. W. J. Stavely, D. D., of the county of Antrim in Ireland. In Welland, he was credited as being instrumental in bringing the Rev. McIntosh of the Church of Scotland here around 1849, who preached the first Presbyterian sermon ever delivered in this place.

Enough time passed that Daniel became an institution in Welland. This was due to his public service, his successful shoe business, and his decision to plant his roots firmly in Welland and to not move elsewhere. In 1892, an article in the Welland Tribune read “Mr. Daniel McCaw has the distinction of being the pioneer resident of Welland. There is not now living in the town a man, woman or child who was here when Mr. McCaw came here in 1849.”

On Wednesday May 28, 1902 he passed away at his home in Welland, 91 years of age. The Welland Tribune reported: “He suffered from no particular ailment, reaping the reward of good parentage, a well spent life and a clear conscience by dying a truly natural death – gradually and painlessly sinking into rest. He also enjoyed the inestimable privilege of retaining his reason practically unimpaired until the end. A man of sterling integrity, exemplary, kind and charitable, he possessed the respect and good will of the community to a marked degree. In his demise this town loses its oldest living landmark, a loss that will be keenly felt by all, and especially by the older residents to many of whom the deceased was a trusted and life-long friend.”

Unfortunately, to our knowledge there is no permanent mark memorializing Daniel to be found today in Welland. In the coming biographies of reeves and mayors, we will see that many have streets named in their honour, some have their names chiseled on buildings, and one even has a school named after him (David Ross). This can be rectified any time, and perhaps one day we will have a McCaw St., or perhaps a McCaw section in a public school.

Sources

Allenov, Mark. “McCaw family made mark in Welland.” The Welland Tribune, December 14, 2019.
Barrett, David G. “Where Welland Councils Have Met: 1858 to 1971.” 1971.
“Daniel McCaw.” Welland Tribune, May 30, 1902.
“First reeves Of Welland Were Named From Council Ranks.” Evening Tribune, June 29, 1963.
“Funeral of late Daniel McCaw.” Welland Telegraph, June 6, 1902.
Lewis, William H. “Aqueduct, Merrittsville and Welland: A History of the City of Welland, Vol. 1” (1997), 116-118.
Lewis, William H. “Aqueduct, Merrittsville and Welland: A History of the City of Welland, Vol. 2” (2000), 101.
“Mrs. D. M’Caw.” Welland Tribune, February 24, 1899.
“A Pleasant Trip on the Welland Railway.” St. Catharines Journal, October 21, 1858.
Welland Tribune, June 17, 1892.
Welland Tribune Printing House, “The History of Welland County” (1887), 569-570.