John W. Kennedy [ 1845 (Approx.) - ]

John W. Kennedy is listed as a painter in the 1869 Ontario Gazetteer and Directory. In the 1871 census the 26 year-old, Ontario-born Wesleyan Methodist had become a store-keeper, and more specifically, in Lovell’s Province of Ontario Directory of the same year, a baker and grocer. By July 1871 Kennedy had formed at partnership with Samuel Newman to operate a general store under the name Kennedy & Newman. The partnership lasted until December 1874. At that point Kennedy went into business for himself for about six years. He dabbled in bankrupt store stock (1876-1877) before operating a general store (1877-[1880?]) and acting as an “agent”, probably for harnesses (1878-1882). An ad appeared in the Gazette in 1880 announcing that Kennedy and Newman had “resumed business in Mr. Newman’s old stand” selling dry goods, groceries, and boots and shoes [FFG 10 July 1880; 3], but it was not to last. Kennedy “wound up his business in February 1882, and was preparing to leave for Manitoba [FFG 25 Feb 1882; 2]1.

He continued to own property in the village, namely two buildings on the west side of Colborne Street; a wooden store that was occupied by A. Laliberte, and a brick block containing two stores, one occupied by Samuel Johnston, the other partly owned by Samuel Newman. These were all destroyed in the April 1884 fire [FFG 26 April 1884; 2]. Kennedy’s name disappears from the records soon after this. His wife and sons “from Winnipeg” visited family and friends in the village in August 1885 [FFG 8 Aug 1885; 2].