26) Marshal Vaughan: Elected mayor for the Town of Welland in 1917, & Elected mayor for the City of Welland in 1918

Vital statistics

Birth: March 16, 1884 at Gainsborough, Ontario, Canada

Death: June 1, 1959 at Welland, Ontario, Canada (age 74)

Burial place: Fonthill Cemetery (Find a Grave )

Parents: Wilford / Orpha Augusta

Spouses: Evelyn Maud (née House) / Margaret (née Ewan)

Children: None

Occupation: Seed business owner

Religion: Anglican

Political affiliation: Conservative

Community affiliations: Master Mason / Willson Chapter Shriner / Welland Rotary Club / MPP for Welland in Ontario Legislature / Church Warden for Holy Trinity Anglican Church / Welland County Registrar of Deeds

Profile

Marshal Vaughan was born on March 16, 1884 at the old family homestead at Elcho, in the St. Anns area of West Lincoln to Wilford and Orpha Augusta Vaughan. He moved to Welland around 1907 when he was twenty three to set up a seed business here, it was located near the intersection of Victoria St. and Lincoln St. It ceased operations in 1998 and the remnants of the building were destroyed in a fire in 2015. His business specialized in Kentucky blue grass and was credited with developing a premium seed called Victoria Park Lawn Seed for the Niagara Parks Commission, which produced grass that was resilient to shade and drought. His business was very successful and he was considered one of the premier seed growers in Canada.

He was elected as a councillor in 1913 and 1914, and then he had the distinction to be the last mayor of the town of Welland, as well as the first mayor of the city of Welland. He was elected mayor of the town in 1917, and the new municipal council immediately began agitating for city status, taking initial steps to annex parts of Crowland Township which would instantly grow the population of Welland. The Ontario Legislature turned down the annexation request, but decided to declare Welland a city anyways, with Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Sir John S. Hendrie, proclaiming Welland a city on July 2, 1917. It would be appropriate to include much of Marshal Vaughan’s lengthy address at the city’s inauguration ceremony which occurred on July 2, 1917 in Merritt Park:

“Welland is the youngest born of the cities of Ontario. It is our boast and belief that in the matter of commercial and industrial activity and of healthy growth generally, its position is exceptionally favorable.

Its transportation facilities are unsurpassed. It is in the very centre of the development of electrical energy and this fact alone must continue to attract established profitable manufacturing plants. For some years past its growth in every phase of development has been rapid and unchecked.

The growing list important manufacturing concerns shows great variety and excites corresponding interest.

From flour mills to munitions, from cotton to cordage, from refining ores to the manufacture of hoisting engines, from steel plant products to pipe mills, from foundries to ship yards the visitor passes with increasing attention. One of our plants for example, I am informed, has contracted for and consumes daily a larger volume of electrical energy than any other plant in the whole world.

The weekly wage roll of our industrials reaches a surprising large figure; it is steadily increasing. This accounts for our present prosperity and lays a sure foundation for still greater progress in the future. We have reason to be proud of our churches, our schools, and our hospital.

Appreciating our unsurpassed physical advantages our citizens are committed to a progressive policy of permanent improvement.

Our surrounding tributary country is rich and prospering. At our doors we have large tracts of land of great fertility, as well as many orchards and gardens of rare beauty.

Extensive nurseries famous throughout all Canada are the pride of the Town of Pelham, the heights of which look down upon our city.

Ships and vessels large and small, with an immense aggregate tonnage pass our very doors for distant ports, east and west, constituting shuttles in the Empire's loom. The gross traffic in tons through the Welland Canal in 1916 was 2,544,964.

The future of the city is assured beyond all peradventure. Indeed from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie it is reasonably expected that within a few years a continuous row of large factories will line the Canal and make the Niagara Peninsula one of the world's great industrial centres.”

He ran for mayor again in 1918 and was acclaimed as such (unopposed), making him the first mayor of the city and the first to win an election as mayor of the city. He did not run for municipal council again after 1918, but from 1923 to 1934 he represented Welland in the Ontario Legislature as a Conservative. An editorial in the Tribune after his death made special mention that Marshal was a strong advocate for good roads and used his influence on the Ontario government to promote better highways, which benefitted Niagara very well.

He lived in a fine old home at 24 Merritt St., and was married twice, with both wives unfortunately predeceasing him, and never had children. Vaughan Road in the south east part of the city was likely named in his honour. Marshal (also known as Mark) died on June 1, 1959 at the Welland Hospital. One year prior in 1958 he had opened the centennial celebrations Welland held, marking 100 years since incorporation as a municipality, showcasing his importance as the first mayor of the city. In his obituary his character was described as thus: “He seldom left any doubt as to where he stood on an issue, and could always be counted on to back his course, irrespective of its popularity, with formidable persuasion and oratory. He was a fiery debater and had much of the old school of political make-up. But there was no kindlier host. He had time for anyone, and many constituents, not of his party allegiance, received his assistance in various forms… He was a staunch Wellander and never lost interest in its people. His short jaunts around town each day were neighborly tours. If he didn’t stop to chat, he would at least offer a warm smile.”

Sources

“Auspicious Inauguration of the City of Welland.” The People’s Press, July 3, 1917.
“Citizen Of Firm Character But Abundant Friendships.” The Evening Tribune, June 3, 1959.
“Colorful Wellander Mark Vaughan Dead.” The Evening Tribune, June 2, 1959.
“Welland garage fire deemed suspicious: deputy chief.” The Tribune, March 4, 2015.
The Welland Historical Society, “What’s in a Name? The Origins of the Street Names for the City of Welland” (2005), 61.