Bethune-Thompson House National Historic Site of Canada, Williamstown, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 45° 08.633 W 074° 34.505
18T E 533406 N 4999021
Few houses claim an association with 2 separate historical figures. The Bethune-Thompson house was home to Dr Norman Bethune's great great grandfather, patriarch of the family of achievers. David Thompson mapped huge sectors of the Canadian West.
Waymark Code: WM8ZWH
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 06/06/2010
Views: 31
Bethune-Thompson House dates to 1784. The community it is in, Williamstown, was settled by fur traders and United Empire Loyalists. Two occupants of historical prominence lived in the house. The Reverend John Bethune, patriarch, was great great grandfather to Dr Norman Bethune of China fame. The second notable was David Thompson, explorer. John Bethune acquired the house in 1804, expanding the structure built by Peter Ferguson. A Scottish immigrant, Bethune left North Carolina for Montreal in the wake of the American Revolution. His subsequent arrival in Williamstown was to see him become the first Presbyterian minister in Upper Canada. Thompson meanwhile succeeded Bethune as occupant in 1815. He was a trader in furs with the North West Company but is best known to us for the maps and journals he produced while charting his explorations of the Canadian West. The records of his journey to the mouth of the Columbia River through the Rocky Mountains, in an attempt to head off American claims to the northwest, are in the annals of the greatest geographical achievements in our history. The house was designated of national significance in 1966 and received a federal plaque in 1985. The Ontario Heritage Trust owns the property.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Williamstown
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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