Charles Wesley O'Hara: A Long and Interesting Life

THROWBACK THURSDAY/ JULY 30TH, 2020

Today we are going to look at a very interesting member of the O’Hara Family. This man was famed at one time as “Madoc’s Oldest Resident” and “Ontario’s Oldest Mason”.

Charles Wesley O’Hara was the sixth born child of Squire James O’Hara and his wife Mary. Born on November 2nd, 1832, Charles was the second youngest brother of James O’Hara Jr.

Charles never was married and spent much of his life dedicated to the community.

From newspaper clipping we know a number of interesting facts about him.

From a young age he was a hard worker; “When only fourteen years of age he carried the mail between Madoc and Stirling, riding horse-back in the summer and using sleighs in the winter”.

At the time of this newspaper clipping he was the oldest member of the Masonic Lodge in the province and possibly the Dominion. He joined the Madoc Masonic Lodge in 1872 and spent his life as an active member. He helped to build the Madoc Masonic hall, and two methodist edifices; one being the now United Church Sanctuary at Hart’s Corners. He also helped to build the current red bricked United Church in Madoc.

In his old age he was said to have a love for gardening and still was just as able as any young man. He was known to never have smoked or tried tobacco in his life. He also was known to have never shaved his beard once and sported quite the beard to prove it!

Like many of the O’Hara Family Charles made a lasting impression on the community and after his death on December 27th, 1928 his legacy lived on through his work and contribution to the local community.