W.S. Dingman

Born: May 9, 1858.

Absalom Dingman, a newspaper publisher from Strathroy and a United Empire Loyalist who had migrated to Canada from an early Dutch settlement along the Hudson River in New York State, came to Stratford with his family and purchased the Herald, a weekly with a steadily increasing readership. Three of his sons joined him at the paper with the eldest, William Smith, who in addition to his newspaper experience in Strathroy, had spent a year as managing editor at the Port Arthur Daily Sentinel becoming Co-publisher, and hence began what is described by Adelaide Leitch in her history of Stratford, Floodtides of Fortune, as a newspaper dynasty. It would last for 113 years.

William Smith Dingman and Margaret (Maggie) Elizabeth McDonough were married in Strathroy March 13, 1889 with her father, the Rev. William McDonough, a Methodist clergyman, performing the ceremony. They immediately moved into 59 Grant Street where their first child, a daughter, Wilhelmine Margaret was born. William and Maggie’s first son, George McDonough, served in World War 1 and afterwards continued in the family tradition as an advertising manager in St Thomas.

In 1890 William moved the Herald into a new building, designed by architect Joseph Kilburn, on the south side of Market Square where it would remain until the merger with the Beacon in 1923. He became active in municipal life serving on the Board of the Collegiate Institute, as an alderman on the city council and finally as mayor 1909-10. It was during his term as mayor that he played a key role in bringing water-powered hydro service to Stratford. His advocacy and support for Sir Adam Beck’s Niagara Power project culminated in a 1910 Christmas Eve ceremony at which the first Niagara powered electric lights were switched on to illuminate Stratford’s streets.

In 1899 he was elected President of the Canadian Press Association, a non profit organization created in 1859 to improve relations among newspaper publishers, proprietors and editors and strengthen the press against the divisive effect of political interference.

After more than 30 years in the newspaper business the Ontario government called on him in 1915 to serve as Vice Chairman of the newly established Ontario Board of License (Liquor) Commissioners. This position would soon involve him in the administration of the Ontario Temperance Act which came into effect in 1917. He and Maggie moved to Toronto where they spent the rest of their lives. William Smith Dingman died in 1947 at age 89 and is buried with Maggie in Mount Pleasant Cemetery there.

--www.stratford-perthcountybranchaco.ca/