Wood carving celebrating Adam Fergusson one of two founders of Fergus, Ontario
According to the Dictionary of Canadian Bibliographies, Adam Fergusson "was a lawyer by training and a country gentleman by inclination." Fergusson was born in Scotland but emigrated to Canada with his family in 1834 after having been sent a couple of years earlier to "Upper Canada" (now Ontario) to check out agriculture here. Obviously, he was impressed by the farming possibilities. (Remember he was a hardy Scot!)
Front view from the street side
A year later, he and James Webster purchased a large parcel of land, some of which became the village of Fergus.
Three year later, Fergus commanded a militia unit in the Rebellion of 1837. He was loyal to the British Crown and in 1850 was opposed to Upper Canada being annexed by the United States, preferring to remain under the British flag. He worked hard to improve Canadian agriculture and at the same time worked to establish political reform, attempting to safeguard the interests of the common people.
As seen from the back
In 1841, Lower Canada (Quebec and Labrador) and Upper Canada (Ontario) joined to create the Province of Canada until July 1, 1867 when the Dominion of Canada was formed uniting Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Sadly, Fergusson never saw this union as he died five years earlier in 1862.
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