By John Rhodes
Special to The Chatham Voice
Sometimes good people, who do great things, do not seek special recognition for their accomplishments and just such a person was S.F. Gardiner.
Samuel Fleming Gardiner was born on a Middlesex County farm, abutting the Thames River, near London, Ontario on Christmas Day, 1839.
Unlike most children of his era, he was able to obtain a post-secondary education. He first attended Victoria College at Coburg in 1858.
In 1860 he then obtained additional instruction at the Brant, Strattor and Goldsmith Business College in Detroit. He worked in the daytime and attended classes in the evening.
His original intent was to become an engineer, but he was not long in realizing that he had an understanding of money and how it worked.
His knowledge eventually led him into the private banking business, along with his brother, and they established a private bank at Chatham in 1867.
Private banks were common in those times as people did not trust the national banks and avoided them.
Sam was a success and his private banking building soon was established on the north side of King Street, second building east of Fifth Street. For more than one hundred years, it had a blended front which made it look identical to the Merchants (Montreal ) Bank beside which it stood.
It burned in the 1980s.
In 1881, Sam became financially involved in the Chatham Loan and Savings Company which had a three-floor building that still stands on the north side of King Street at 83 King St. W. This firm, technically, still survives as part of Canada Trust.
Sam, on establishing his wealth and success, built a fine home on the west side of William Street, second house north of what is now the Hinnegan-Paseski Funeral Home, and it still stands.
Sam’s greatest achievement was his diligent and relentless efforts in establishing Public General Hospital. Many years ago, I had the wonderful experience of writing and researching the history of PGH and only at that time did I realize what Sam had done in guiding this wonderful project into existence.
Sam died at Chatham in 1909 and reposes in Maple Leaf Cemetery.
