Alexander (Alex) John McMIllan-Farm Equipment Dealer
231 Church Street
Stratford, ON
1910

In 1864 Alexander (Alex) John McMillan was born in Hampstead, a village in the former township of North Easthope (now part of Perth East), the son of John McMillan, a native of Scotland and Janet McGillvray. A farmer's son, he grew up with his younger brothers Joseph and James on the family farm on the second concession of North Easthope where he became aware of the rapidly growing and changing range of implements and equipment needed to supply the growing farm communities in Perth County and across southwestern Ontario.

Kate Stewart also grew up in North Easthope where she would meet, and later marry, Alex on May 18, 1892 at her family home. Alex and Kate operated a farm on the township's second concession and became the parents of a daughter Oral, and two sons, Roy and Joseph, who later served in the First World War. Sadly, Kate died in 1899 but Alex continued to farm until 1910 when he moved into Stratford and took possession of the newly built house located at 231 Church Street.

Once settled he joined the farm implement business recently established by James M. Lillow, another Stratford resident living at 57 Cambria Street. The premises of McMillan and Lillow were located at 90 Wellington Street at the corner of St. Patrick Street where a 2000 square foot showroom featured samples of farm implements from such prominent manufacturers as Massey Harris, International Harvester and McCormicks, as well as milking equipment, carriages and various other items. In 1916 he retired from this business and died in 1919 at age 55. He is buried in St. Andrews Cemetery in North Easthope, now part of Perth East.

The history of 90 Wellington Street is an illustration of the early growth of downtown Stratford. The first owner of the property, which is part of the Canada Company Survey Lot 299, was Thomas Mayne Daly, the son of John Corry Wilson Daly, one of Stratford's earliest settlers and its first mayor.

In 1867 Henry Baker purchased the southerly part of the property and established a blacksmith business as well as a wagon building shop and space for tenants who included a shoemaker, painters, a saddler and a tea merchant. In 1885 he built a new building on the site where his primary tenants were soda water and pop manufacturers who were in business there until 1895. Many years later in the 1950s it was the location of Gourlays, a popular women's fashions shop.