Dr. Joseph Henry Radford, Mayor

1856 - 1936  (80 years)

• Name	Joseph Henry Radford
  Prefix	Dr.
  Suffix	Mayor
  Born	12 Feb 1856	Bathurst, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1881	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Physician - Doctor - Dr.
  Occupation	1885	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	doctor
  Occupation	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Physician - Doctor - Dr.
  Residence	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Presbyterian
  Elected Office	1897	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Galt councillor
  Elected Office	1897	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Mayor Galt
  Occupation	1901	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Medical Doctor
  Elected Office	1906	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Waterloo County Council
  		Waterloo County Council in 1906 Image from: 100 Years of Progress in Waterloo County Canada Semi-Centennial Souvenir 1856-1906
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187513938
  Occupation	1911	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Medical Doctor
  Residence	1911	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	English
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-60051P
  Died	7 Nov 1936	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	10 Nov 1936	Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  Person ID	I60051	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Family 1	Mary Roberton Philip,   b. 6 Feb 1864, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Sep 1934  (Age 70 years)
  Children	1. Martha Helen "Helen" Radford,   b. 19 Sep 1885, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Dec 1946  (Age 61 years)   2. Frederick Henry Radford,   b. 26 Jul 1890, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 28 Aug 1895, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 5 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F15711	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Phillip,   b. 1865, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Helen Radford,   b. 1885, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Fred Radford,   b. 1890, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F253739	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Dr. Joseph Henry Radford Image from: 100 Years of Progress in Waterloo County Canada Semi-Centennial Souvenir 1856-1906

  
  

• Notes

  RADFORD, JOSEPH HENRY was one of those few fortunate physicians whose contributions to his community were recognized during his lifetime. He was born on February 12, 1856, near Perth, Lanark county, one of a family of fourteen, of whom three were adopted. He was educated at Perth High School, where he obtained his second class teaching certificate before he was fifteen years of age. For four years he taught in Bathurst township, before entering the acuity of medicine at the University of Toronto. H e spent a year in internship at the Toronto General Hospital, received his medical degree in 1880, and the Victoria University degree in 1882. He came to Galt in the summer of 1880, and his card was in the Dumfries Reformer on August 4th. ; J. H. Radford M. D. graduate of Toronto and Victoria Universities, Member of College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, late resident Assistant Physician, Toronto General Hospital, also in Burnside Lying-in-Hospital. Office - That occupied by the iate Dr. Philip, Colborne St, The next week the Reformer remarked: Dr. Radford whose card appears elsewhere, comes to Galt with an excellent record of attainments, and with considerable hospital and other experience, his office is that formerly occupied by the late D. . Philip at the northern end of Ainslie street. He entered into a partnership the next year with W. R. Vardon. The Dumfries Reformer on September 29th. commented: We understand that Drs. Vardon and Radford have entered into partnership and have rented the new premises at present in course of completion adjoining the Reformer office, which they will use as an office, &c. We wish the new firm success This arrangement was short lived, and was terminated on February 2, 1882, with a notice that he was leaving for Winnipeg. By April 20th. he was bacj and the Reformer said that he was resuming his practice. In 1882 he married Mary, the daughter of the late Dr Philip. Also in that year he was elected to the public school board, where he served for ten years, eight of them as chairman. He later was on the high School Board for two years. In other areas, he spent sixteen years, all but two as chairman, on the Waterworks commission, he was also chairman and county representative of the library board. The Daily Record of February 21, 1894, in commenting on municipal leaders, said of him: In ' 90 and '91 he sat in the Town Council. In 1892 Dr. Radford ran for mayor but did not succeed in gaining the seat. After a season's rest we find him returned to the Council as Reeve and as such he took his seat at the recent session of the County Council. Galt has the reputation of sending only good men to this body and in its Reeve it has a clever broad-minded representative who can be relied upon to promote the best interests of that town and the County generally and as a member of the Committee on Education and Printing will undoubtedly prove an acquisition. The Deutsche Zeitung of that same date had a comment under the heading: The Municipal heads of Town and County: Dr. J. H. Radford, reeve of Galt. D. Radford, who has just entered his 36th. year, was born in Lanark, and felt inclined to the Medical profession from his youth, to which he has shown distinguished devotion in Galt. Since 1882 he has occupied public office, and has taken great interest in all town, county and school affairs. On January 1st. this year he was elected in Galt as reeve, and qualified by his outstanding cultivation of the mind, will support the interests of his town with credit and energy in the County Council. A later comment is found in the Waterloo County outlook Edition of the Daily Telegraph in August 1914: A very diversified career is that of Dr. Radford. Besides his interest in his chosen profession, in which he has made a country-wide reputation, the doctor has wide business interests, and is prominent in both local and national politics. The people of the town have given Dr. Radford the highest honor they could, for he was elected to the Mayoralty and filled that post with dignity and emminent satisfaction during the years 1997. 1898 and 1899. He played an important part in subsequent elections, both in the local and Federal as well as Provincial campaigns. He is keenly interested in a number of industries and is the president of the new Galt Shoe manufacturing Company whose fine model building on Queen Street West is one of the best structures of the kind in the Province, he is a member of the Board of Trade and of numerous civic and industrial associations and organizations, he has an abiding faith in Galt and Waterloo County, and when interviewed recently by a representative of the County Outlook Edition, was very optimistic as to business conditions and the great future in store for his nome town. It is men like Dr. Radford who have helped to make Galt what it is today, and to them is due a debt that cannot be estimated In 1916 he was appointed Medical Officer of health, and later, school doctor. To provide full time attention to these appointments, he withdrew from private practice in 1925. When he arrived in Galt he was the eighth doctor in practice there, he delivered an estimated 4,000 babies, and in 1884 was said to have performed the first appendectomy in the County. The Record said of himi "The Doctor has a pleasing, winning way, and loves to hear and tell a good story." They also point out that he was a Conservative in politics. He was active in promoting the establishment of a sanitorium in this area to serve the counties of Waterloo, Wellington, Oxford, Perth and Brant. He was especially interested in providing a place for incurable consumptives, as no provision was made for these cases elsewhere. Although a considerable amount of interest and support was aroused, it was finally dropped as it was not considered to be a local matter, but rather a provincial affair. He has not been recognized as a forerunner of the plan for the establishment of Freeport, and no credit has been given nim on this account. He died suddenly of a heart attack on November 7. 1936, and had been predeceased by his wife, he had been considering running for alderman in the coming elections, and as he had been acting as a relief Medical Officer of health, he had innoculated some school children on the day of his death. Dr. Alexander D. Campbell, Doctors in Waterloo County 1852-1925, 1986 ___________ DR. JOSEPH RADFORD A doctor who became Galt's Medical Officer of Health and also went into local politics and served as Galt's mayor. In 1884, he performed Waterloo County's first appendectomy, a remarkable feat for someone who had only read about the procedure and had never seen one done. During his 40 years of medical practice, it's estimated he delivered 4,000 babies. He successfully persuaded the Galt council to pass a by-law prohibiting the sale of unpasteurized milk in the city. He also served on the Galt Waterworks Commission, the Galt School Board and the Galt Public Library Board. He died in 1936. Waterloo Region Record Fri, Feb 08, 2002 Page 18 _____________ DR. J. H. RADFORD PASSES AT GALT Discovered Dead In His Bed; Had Municipal Record Of 53 Years GALT, Nov. 9. Dr. J. H Radford. acting medical officer of health, who during his career delivered 4,000 babies with but four maternal deaths, was found dead in his home Sunday. He is believed to have died late Saturday night. Dr. Radford had been acting M.O.H. during the illness of Dr. George. Dr. Radford probably held a record for municipal service in Canada, serving for 53 consecutive years. He held every municipal office within the gift of the electors. Born February 12, 1857, on a farm at Bathurst, Lanark county, near Perth, he attended a country school, Inter Perth Collegiate, and for four years taught school at Bathurst. He then went to the University of Toronto and took a medical course, coming to Galt on July 4, 1880, to practice. Two years after his arrival here, he married the daughter of Dr. John Roy Philip of Galt, who predeceased him. In 1884 he performed the first appendix operation in Waterloo county. He began his municipal career in 1883 as a member of the school board, was a member of the Galt Collegiate Institute board, served 11 years in the town council and was mayor in 1897-8-9, being one of the few to serve three terms. He served for many years on the water commission and library board, was appointed M.O.H. in 1916, later school doctor, retiring at the close of 1935. Only two weeks ago, he was appointed chairman of the welfare board, and had intended running for election as alderman in coming civic voting. He was a past president of the Ontario Medical Health Officers' Association. Kitchener Daily Record - Mon, Nov 09, 1936 Page 14

  
  

• Sources

  [S259] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1901, Galt (Town/Ville) C-3 Page 4. [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Galt Division 1 Page 44. [S572] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1911, Div. 16 Page 14. [S1800] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1891, Section 2 Page 28. [S655] z Vit - ON - Birth Registration, birth certificate 35917 (1885), Martha Helen Radford. Martha Helen Radford Date of Birth: 19 Sep 1885 Gender: Female Birth County: Waterloo Father's Name: Joseph H Radford (physician of Galt) Mother's Name: Mary R Philips [S1629] Book - 100 Years of Progress in Waterloo County Canada Semi-Centennial Souvenir 1856-1906, 12. [S2699] Burial Card - Mount View Cemetery, Card Collection. Joseph Henry RADFORD M.D. - 10 Nov. 1936/

  
  

• Event Map

  Occupation - Physician - Doctor - Dr. - 1881 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - doctor - 1885 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Physician - Doctor - Dr. - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Galt councillor - 1897 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Mayor Galt - 1897 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Medical Doctor - 1901 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - Waterloo County Council - 1906 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Medical Doctor - 1911 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - English - 1911 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 7 Nov 1936 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - 10 Nov 1936 - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth