Thomas Gumersal Anderson (1779 - 1875)Inducted 1993

As a young man, Thomas Gumersal Anderson was a respected and successful Indian trader in the upper Mississippi Valley. In 1812, while stationed on Mackinac Island, he raised a company of volunteers, including Antoine Goddard, and captured Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi in what is now Wisconsin. He remained as commanding officer here until the end of the war in 1815. He joined the Indian Department as a storekeeper, interpreter and clerk at Mackinac, Drummond Island, and subsequently at Penetanguishene.

In 1829 he was summoned to York by Sir John Colborne and ordered to undertake the settlement and civilization of the three tribes of Ojibwa Indians under Chiefs Yellowhead, Aisance and Snake at Coldwater and The Narrows. He supervised the building of the mill on the Coldwater River in 1833, a store and a school for Indian children, as well as the dwellings and meeting house at The Narrows Village.

Yellowhead settled at The Narrows, Aisance at the Coldwater end of the Reserve and Snake on Snake Island in Lake Simcoe. Anderson's reports at that time stressed the successful transition the tribes had made from hunting to farming and noted that religion and education was increasingly important in the lives of the natives. However, in 1836, the new Lt. Governor, Sir Francis Bond Head urged that they be removed in order to accommodate the white settlers moving into the area. Thus in 1839 Chief Yellowhead and his band settled in Rama Township, Chief Aisance went to Beausoleil Island and Christian Island while Chief Snake remained on Snake Island.

As a trader and government employee, Anderson had close contact with the Indians for 58 years. He was a shrewd judge of their character and was devoted to their interests and was highly regarded by them. He was responsible for executing the first attempt made in the British Empire to place aboriginal people on reserves.