Elections signs of the past were not as bright and colourful as they are today!

This 1840 election banner is made of satin and was used to show support for Edward C. Campbell during the elections for the first parliament of the province of Canada. Campbell won by one vote against Henry J. Boulton. Boulton appealed the election results, and the seat was turned over to him after a year. Interesting that Mr. Campbell then became Judge Campbell when he was appointed to the Niagara District court the following year.

Edward (1806-1860) was the son of Fort Maj. Donald Campbell (at Fort George), who died early in the War of 1812, and Elizabeth Campbell, who left a haunting account of her experience, with young children in tow, of the burning of Niagara in 1813.

Edward grew up to become a local lawyer and built the former “Plumb House,” which was torn down to build the former Parliament Oak school, which was also torn down. Campbell was known to be a horticulturalist and was instrumental in forming the local Horticultural Society in 1856. He was also the president of the Mechanics Institute, which later became the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library.