Andrew Pattullo was born in [Caledon Township, Peel County, in 1850] and grew up in Woodstock. In 1875 he joined The Sentinel newspaper as a junior partner. In 1880 Andrew bought out his partner and brother and joined The Sentinel with The Review. All of his life he worked on the paper but in 1903, sorry to say, Andrew Pattullo passed away.
"Extra Information From Quiz Committee: In his will, he bequeathed "to the Corporation of the City of Woodstock the sum of one thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting a public fountain on
the Market Square or on one of the City Parks, as the members of such Council may see fit".
Nothing happened with the money for a long time. After 1906, the City Council began to plan to build a new city hall on the site of the old Town
Hall (now Woodstock Museum) and further stalled the erection of a fountain until after the proposed city hall was built. World War I effectively
cancelled such rebuilding plans. Finally, in 1915, the City formed a committee to choose a suitable fountain, consisting of the Mayor (Kemp), two
Aldermen and Andrew’s brother, George R. Pattullo.
A fountain design , "Maid Of The Mist", was manufactured by J.L. Mott & Company, New York. Made of cast iron, it was delivered in sections to
Woodstock on November 20, 1916. The 16’ 8" high figure of a woman pouring water into two pans, was assembled and mounted within a landscaped area,
north of the City Hall. Between circular and angled walkways were beds of tulips planted by Woodstock Horticultural Society. The fountain was first
officially turned on in what was then City Hall Square on May 28, 1917.
The newspaper merger actually took place soon after 1875, while George Pattullo, Andrew’s brother, was still listed as Editor and Publisher. From
1880 until his death, Andrew had been the liked and respected Editor and Publisher of The Sentinel-Review; local Member of Provincial Parliament (for
North Oxford) since 1896; a president of the Canadian Press Association for 3 years; a president of the Dairymen’s Association of Western Ontario; and
the founder and first president of the Ontario Good Roads Association. In his spare time, he was an accomplished platform speaker, in demand across
both Canada and the U.S.A..
Sources:
- Woodstock Public Library, History Archives; ‘Andrew Pattullo File’;
- Woodstock Museum, History Archives; ‘Andrew Pattullo File’;
- Oxford Historical Society, vertical files, biography section;
- Ottawa Free Press, Dec. 30, 1903.