by Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer
In the early years of its history, Sarnia turned to a doctor to help cure its economic ills.
Specifically, the community selected Thomas William Johnston as its fourth Mayor in 1859. And it chose the Irish native to head Council two more times, making him the first Chief Magistrate to serve more than one term.
In fact, he was so popular that he was acclaimed to the top post every time he ran.
Born in Omagh, Ireland on March 24, 1813, Mayor Johnston moved to the United States at an early age, studying medicine in New Orleans before setting up shop as a Louisiana surgeon. He moved to Sarnia after that, becoming the doctor for the 4th Lambton Battalion.
During his years as Mayor he helped usher in a period of unprecedented growth. And he did it partly by lowering taxes. Minutes of a Town Council meeting for 1860 show that under his direction annual licence fees for downtown businessmen were slashed from $60.00 to just $40.00. The cuts were made, the minutes say, to help merchants battle “hard times”.
Mayor Johnston was also interested in making life a little more enjoyable for ordinary citizens. His Council tried to lure circuses to Sarnia on a regular basis by dropping circus fees from $100.00 to just $30.00. It also loaned the then princely sum of $100.00 to a local band so it could buy musical instruments. That may not sound like much money today, but it should be remembered that the Town’s entire levy to Lambton County Council in 1860 was only $870.00.
The Great Western Railroad had arrived a year earlier, connecting the Municipality to London, but the Grand trunk’s arrival was even bigger news.
A train station was built at the foot of Cromwell Street, helping to stimulate development downtown.
Despite his popularity, Mayor Johnston had his critics. In a scathing editorial, the Tribune newspaper accused him of wanting to keep the Mayor’s chair “in perpetuity”. It called on voters to turf him out of office at the end of his second term.
But The Observer came to his defence, declaring, “we look upon our present Mayor as one who considers his constituents as a part of himself, and studies to do his duty faithfully, without regard to party feeling or sectional interest, and who never yet has allowed one cent of the public money” to be wasted.
Mayor Johnston, who did not seek a fourth term in 1862, was appointed County Registrar in 1865.
He died March 12, 1876, at age 62 and he was buried in Sutherland Cemetery in Mooretown.