John Muir 1838-1914
Born in Dunbar, Scotland, this famous naturalist, whose books and articles played a significant role in the early development of the United States National Park Service, emigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1849. Intensely interested in botany and geology, Muir set out in 1864 on a walking tour of Canada West, during which he travelled much of what is known in Ontario today as the "Bruce Trail". His brother Daniel, employed since the previous year at the rake factory of William Trout and Charles Jay, near Meaford, induced him to take employment there also. In 1866 Muir returned to the United States, where in later years he became a leading champion of conservation.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.