Person:George Kieffer (2)

Biographical sketches from -Jubilee History of Thorold, Township and Town. ...(Thorold [Ont.]: Thorold Post Printing and Pub. Co., 1897-8. From Appendix K, pages 73-74:

"KEEFER. A history of Thorold could not be written without frequent mention of the name of Keefer. George Keefer, the chief founder of the place, was born a British subject in the county of Sussex, Colony of New Jersey, on the 8th of November, 1773. He came to Canada in 1790, at the age of 18 years, accompanied by his brother Jacob, aged 16, settling at what is now the Town of Thorold. He married, and attended diligently to farm and home matters. He attached himself to the militia of the early times, being first ensign, then First Lieutenant in the second regiment, Lincoln Militia, and served during the War of 1812-14, being then promoted to a Captaincy. He was in the battles of Lundy's Lane and Chippawa, and never failed at the call of duty. When the county had become settled, he entered vigorously into active business and social life, taking a leading part in every movement set on foot for the religious or commercial interests of the people, and leaving a record which time cannot efface. He built mills, conducted commercial enterprises, gave employment to the people, and in many ways was a special factor in the general prosperity of the section. He gave his whole energies to the Welland Canal enterprise, being elected president of the company which first attempted that great work turning the first sod with his own hand on the 30th of November, 1824. But to write the history of George Keefer would be to write a volume. He died June 25, 1858, in the 85th year of his age. His family history is given on the several pages of portraits which appear elsewhere, while much of his business activity appears incidentally thoughout this work.

He had fifteen children, two of whom still survive. Nine of them were by his first wife and six by his second. Of these, George, Samuel and Thos. C. were civil engineers; Augustus and Alexander were lawyers; Jacob and Peter were merchants and millers; George and Jacob were justices of the peace; John was a miller and farmer; James held a county office in Middlesex; Charles Henry was as physician; a graduate of McGill college, but died of ship's fever during the first year after his graduation. George was engaged as engineer of the Welland, the St. Lawrence and the Chambly canals, and upon the Grand Trunk Railway. Samuel was Chief engineer of public works, having begun his profession on the Welland and then been transferred to the St. Lawrence Canal. He built the first suspension bridge in Canada at Ottawa, and the longest on the world (at that time) at Niagara Falls, for which he received the gold medal at the the Paris Exhibition of 1878. He was the second President of the Canadian Society of civil engineers, having succeeded his brother Thos. C. in 1888, when the latter became president of the American society. He (Samuel) was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in England, and of the Society of Civil Engineers of New York. Alexander was elected a member of the Legislature of Victoria, Australia, 1855-60."