The Late Peter Hendershot pages 128-130

The following article could not be photocopied because the pages of the book were too old and yellowed.

Peter Hendershot died, in London, on Sat. July 21st at the advanced age of 87 years, notwithstanding the strenuous life he lived. He was well known in this county in the fifties and sixties of the last century. He represented Bertie in the council and conducted a large general store at Stevensville, with a branch store at Fort Erie. At the same time he had a vinegar factory at Stevensville, also a soap and candle factory at Stevensville. These were the days of tallow candles. There were no railroads in Stevensville then, but he had teams on the road, delivering his manufactured goods to merchants of this county. He also dealt in and bought quantities of dressed hogs and shipped them to the city market. The price ranged around $4 per 100, a price which will seem incredible to people now, but the pig pen of the farmer of that day was his bush and here the pigs took care of themselves, lived and thrived on the products of the woods, such as acorns, beech nuts etc. During the existence of the reciprocity treaty with the United States, Mr. Hendershot also dealt in grain, mostly wheat and oats, and in the absence of railroads, transported it by teams to Buffalo. In the year 1860, the writer was one day walking along the river at Fort Erie, when he noticed sheets of water shot upward on the landing of the ferry boat. He, however, soon learned the cause, one of Mr. Hendershot’s teams, running full speed, had plunged into the canal. In hauling heavy loads from the ferry boat to Niagara Street, the hill made it necessary to double up teams. During this process, one team became frightened, and ran down the hill, and the canal bridge being open, plunged head-long into the canal and were drowned. The team was driven by Joseph Taylor, now 84 years old, who lives at Port Colborne.

These, too, were the days of big oak timber and the banks of Black Creek were sometimes covered with oak logs. Mr. Hendershot, with others, also bought up this oak timber and had it delivered on the bank of the creek, then it was taken in rafts down the creek to the river, and then over to Tonawanda, where it was generally sold for shipment to the seaboard.

In these early days, the commercial traveller was not so much in evidence as now, and merchants of any note visited Montreal every fall and spring and purchased enough goods to last them six months. The firm of Wm. Stephen & Co. was a leading wholesale drygoods house in Montreal of that day. Mr. Hendershot bought his goods of this firm. George Stephen was the head of this house and was one of the great business men of Canada. He became also general manager of the Bank of Montreal, was one of the syndicate that built the Canadian Pacific Railway, and became president of this great trans-continental railroad and was made Lord Mount Stephen.

Before Mr. Hendershot left Stevensville he sustained very heavy financial losses in two successive fires. The first fire was his large general store, store-house and dwelling, on the corner occupied by the Stevensville hotel. The fire was so bright at night that the bells rang in Buffalo—supposing it was in the city. The second fire was across the street on the opposite corner on which now stands the Sterling Bank and Mr. Robinson’s store and dwelling. The fire started in the Wright Mills on the bank of the creek, just behind Mr. Hendershot’s store. The mill consisted of a large three storey commercial flour mill and adjoining it, a sawmill and machine shop. The fire spread from these mills to Mr. Hendershot’s store. This second fire occurred only a few weeks after the first fire. He was insured in the Old Niagara District Fire Insurance Co., which was regarded, at the time, as a strong company, but to the surprise of all, completely collapsed soon after this fire. He never rallied under this crushing financial loss. In all his business connections he retained ever increased confidence, and after he left Stevensville, he conducted a large general store at Niagara Falls. Then a wholesale grocery business in the city of St. Catharines. In the last few years of his life he had a wholesale stationary business in the city of London.

He made a profession of his faith in Christ about sixty years ago and ever strove to show his faith in his life.

He had one sister, many years deceased, John, late of Stevensville, was his brother. Two younger brothers survive him, Abraham of Dunnville and Paul H. of Stevensville. His wife, two sons and five daughters also survive him.

Copied by E. Winge,

Courtesy of Jessie Hubert Hendershot