page_title: Kincardine, Ontario (community)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kincardine, Ontario (community) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Kincardine Town Hall
context_page_description: Kincardine is a community and former town, located in the municipality of Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County in the province of Ontario, Canada. The namesake town is located at the mouth of the Penetangore River, and was founded in 1848 by the name of Penetangore. The current municipality was created in 1999 by the amalgamation of the Town of Kincardine, the Township of Kincardine, and the Township of Bruce. The former town is Ward 1 within the current municipal boundaries.
  The locals of the area still use the former town's motto: "Where You're A Stranger Only Once".
context_section_description: On March 5, 1848, Captain Alexander M. MacGregor sailed his little schooner "THE FLY" into the mouth of the Penetangore River. In Ojibwa, Penetangore means "river with sand on one side". This refers to the sand bar at the mouth of the river. Settlers Allan Cameron and William Withers landed their ship at the site of the modern-day town, in that part of Canada West known only as the Queen's Bush, and founded a community called Penetangore. Near where they landed they built a log cabin in which Cameron ran a hotel. Withers built a dam and a sawmill which was opened the following year (1849). By the winter of 1848/49 seven families inhabited the settlement.
  On January 1, 1850, the Queen's Bush was divided into counties, and the counties were divided into townships.  Penetangore now found itself located within the Township of Kincardine in the County of Bruce.  Both the township and the county were named after James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine.
  Francis 'Paddy' Walker arrived in Kincardine (then Penetangore) driving from Goderich on the ice along the Lake Shore, in a horse drawn cutter in the spring of 1850. He brought with him his wife, Jane, and their seven sons. The Walker House Hotel was built that same year, overlooking the Penetangore River.
  The sand flats later became the harbour and the center of intense commercial and industry activity.
  An outstanding example of the pioneer entrepreneurs who helped create strong communities, Mr. Walker also operated a schooner, Mud Turtle, and was a contractor on the Durham Road as it was cut eastward through the bush from Kincardine.
  
  In the summer of 1851, the Durham Road finally reached its terminus at Penetangore, and allowed access to the settlement by land.  The road would be considered nearly impassable by today's standards, but at the time represented a significant improvement in communication and trade.  A post office was established at Penetangore in the same year.
  In the early years of Bruce County, Kincardine was the only township with any appreciable settlement, and served as the seat of local government for the entire county.  Tensions eventually rose to the point where this arrangement could no longer be maintained, and on January 1, 1854, several new municipalities were formed, leaving only Kinloss Township and Bruce Township in union with Kincardine.  Kinloss subsequently separated in 1855, and Bruce in 1856.
  Over this time, the name Penetangore had gradually fallen out of favour, and was officially discontinued (except with regard to the river) when the Village of Kincardine was incorporated on January 1, 1858.
  Kincardine's first school was opened in the summer of 1851. The building was situated on the flats near the mouth of the river. This was the school until 1855 when a permanent building was secured. During the years 1856 to 1866, a long, convoluted political battle was fought over the location of the county seat. Kincardine and Walkerton were the main contenders, and the latter finally emerged victorious. Kincardine would continue to dominate the county economically, but had clearly lost much of its early political primacy.
  To help govern the growing town a Town Hall was erected in December 1872 at the cost of $8000. On the first floor of the building it had municipal rooms, a caretaker’s apartment and a fire hall, while the basement was a detention room and had several storage areas. The 2nd floor was an auditorium for town speeches and community plays.
  In 1874 James Watson and Andrew Malcolm opened Watson and Malcolm, a furniture company. After the death of its founders the company was renamed Andrew Malcolm Furniture Company.
  With a new town council a law passed in 1874 stated that Kincardine was to be enforced by one constable. The first constable was Mr. William Purves. His office was in his home, identified by a large sign over his front door which read "POLICE." As the town constable he would have many responsibilities including: tavern inspector, street inspector, caretaker of the town hall, and ringer of the town bell (at the 
caption: The Old Town Hall Circa 1900
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