Clark searched for his “hugger”, a wallet. From the hugger came gold!82 pieces of gold, worth about $5 dollars each.Clark had Mrs. Whittet promise to never talk about the incident. Old Clark continued his life, however Mrs.Whittet broke her promise,and told someone of Clark and his gold.This may have caused Clark his life.
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In the early winter of 1858, many of the towns folk were shocked at the news that the Old
Clark had been found dead. The town demanded an answer, and the body was
brought to Toronto for inspection, where they determined that the death was of poisoning by
prussic acid, and with that information, the town’s police force arrested a doctor and a local settler,
just out of suspicion. The trial, which took place on a day in March, shook the whole community.
The doctor was found guilty, and with the help of his lawyer, the settler got off scot-free.
The questions about the incident would have continued forever if Rowlan Whittet, one of the
many people disturbed by the fire, had not stumbled upon one of Clark’s walking trails.
Twenty-five years after the incident, he was lucky enough to meet a John Hull of Hullsville
in Haldiman County. John told Rowlan that Old Clark told him that his real name was
Joshua Sears and came from a rich family that came from Massachusetts.
Old Clark's body is now buried in an unmarked grave in Bear Creek Presbyterian
church yard on the 6th line of Moore. And it’s probably the place he wanted it to be.
The Brigden Fair is the biggest fair in all
of Lambton County, but before it got its
fame and popularity, it was simply a few
horses and farm animals. In the year 1850,
the Brigden Fair was held for the first
time on the Reilley Farm, located on the 8th
Line in Moore Township. Before the fair
settled in to its main location in Brigden,
the fair had many different sites, including
Mooretown and Corunna, and later
Courtright, prior to 1889.
The Brigden Fair was actually
considered as a township fair until 1928,
where it was finally opened to the public.
After many years, the Brigden fair had
finally achieved the grade of an A class fair,
which meant that it could be open for 3 days
and could include over 40 acres of land.
This year, the Brigden Fair has many things
to do, including visiting the farm animals,
going on crazy rollercoasters, and getting
wacky carnival food. So if you are ever in
Brigden, Thanksgiving weekend, head to the
Brigden Fair.
The Maxmobile is probably not what you’d expect when you hear the words “old car”. Although it more resembled a carriage rather
than a car, it made history!
Unlike other cars that were crafted using old parts from other things, Dave Maxwell, the creator of the car, decided to take on the
build with solely new materials, from the engine to the wheels.
David Maxwell was born on
August 10th, 1861, and was at an early age, orphaned in Watford, He ended up working as a blacksmith for John Baimbridge, and eventually bought some land and started his
own blacksmith shop, which he even
built himself!
As for the car, there were about 12 variations. And to think that this was all in the early 1900s! Henry Ford asked Maxwell to join him in Detroit and become partners in Ford Motor Company. But Maxwell was quite
happy tinkering with the Maxmobile in
Watford, Ontario.
We all love something about a hermit. Perhaps you are intrigued by his urge for privacy, or, perhaps you enjoy his “outcast” vibes.
Josiah Clark, or, as the other townsfolk called him, “Old Clark”, occupied the old bank of Bear Creek where it crosses the second line of Moore. His house consisted of logs and dug-out parts of land. Though he didn’t have much to wear, Josiah was almost always dressed in a buckskin shirt and jeans, and for his head, a straw hat.
During a snowstorm in a late afternoon of
February in the year 1842, a lady by the name of Mrs. Whittet found Clark at the front door of her house, begging her to let him into the warmth. Early in the morning after, Mrs.Whittet and her 4 children were awoken by screams. While he
was sound asleep, a spark from the chimney
had set his rags on fire! Mrs.Whittet grabbed a pail of drinking water and doused the flames, on Old Clark.