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Hiram Worcester Slack attended Cornell University, New York and was a school principal in the St. Paul City school system for 40 years. In 1887 he went on a fishing trip on the Nipigon River at which time he visited Nipigon, Port Arthur, and Fort William. A naturalist, Slack recorded his botannical observations in his journal.

John A. Dyke, son of the Rev. Joshua A. Dyke (mayor of Fort William in 1902 and 1903, Methodist minister and businessman), was a prominent Fort William lawyer with the firm of Dyke and Beeman and later on his own. He started practice in ca.1906 and retired in ca.1949. Died ca.1955. Married Gertrude (writer of history).

Carson F. Piper (b. in Fort William, 1901 - d. 1983) worked at the Empire Elevator and at W.S. Piper Hardware Store which he managed until 1960. He served in the armed forces during World War II, was a trustee of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, a member of the Fort William Rotary Club, the Fort William Sanatorium, the Red Cross, and other groups. He was a long-time member of the Thunder Bay Historical Society and was its president from 1937-1940. He actively collected items of historical interest to Northwestern Ontario and was largely responsible for creating the Thunder Bay Historical Society's museum in 1942. He married Helen Briggs of Minnesota in 1931.

Sidney H. Blake was born in 1913, in Fort William, and died in office in 1965. A prominent and active member of the community he was affiliated with the city's housing authority, Neebing Valley Conservation Authority, the Chamber of Commerce, the Home for the Aged, the Order of St. John of Jersualem, the Masonic Order, the Canadian Legion, Civil Defense, Lakehead Industrial Commission, the Association of Civic Executives, the International City Managers Association, and the Ontario Municipal Association. He graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston and the University of Chicago. He was also a major in WWII. Blake's intention was to publish a book on the history of Fort William, so much of his and McNaughten's material was compiled in manuscript form.

Alexander McNaughten (b. 23 Dec. 1866-d. 3 Dec. 1945), city clerk for Fort William from 1900-1945, collected and preserved material in and out of office relating to the history of the city. He came to Fort William in 1890, taught school for two years and then worked at the Port Office from 1892-1900. He assembled a large collection of primary documents from City Hall, clippings from local newspapers and interviews with individuals. When he died his research collection was given to Sidney H. Blake, treasurer of Fort William, 1945-1955, and civic administrator 1955-1965.

Ross Munro Matthews (b.1909 - d. March 1982) was a pediatrician, and the son of Isaac Lamont Matthews and Jentie Gordon Munro, and a member of one of Port Arthur's founding families. His father was a successful businessman building up a large department store originating as "Street Bros. Drygoods". Ross graduated from the University of Toronto in 1933 and did post graduate work in Boston. He established his practice in Hamilton in 1938. He enlisted in the R.C.A.F. in 1940 and served in 400 Squadron overseas. Upon returning in 1945 he joined the Peterborough Clinic where he practiced medicine until his retirement in 1972. He served as President of the Canadian Medical Association in 1969-1970 and was awarded an honourary L.L.D. by Trent University in 1974. He married Barbara Page Brown and had four children.

Keith Denis (1909-1979) was a President of the Thunder Bay Historical Society from 1961-1969 and a long-time collector of historical information and a writer of history. He worked at the Workman's Compensation Board in his later years but also worked on construction and mining projects and as a salesman. He was a noted naturalist and conservationist and served as President of the Northwestern Ontario Conservation Federation. He was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Lakehead Philatelic Society, and the National Exhibition Centre. He also managed the Port Arthur Tourist Bureau.

Wilbert Stewart Brown, collector, was a former Fort William Police Chief. He was born in 1893 in Valcartier, Quebec, and came to Fort William in 1911. He began his career in law enforcement in 1912 in Fort William, one of a 14 man force and served overseas in WWI. He became a patrol sergeant with the Fort William police force in 1932, a staff sergeant a decade later, and Chief Constable in 1950. He was presented to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1951 and was involved in the Boy Scout Movement locally. Brown retired in 1958 and died in 1986.

John Martin Robertson came to Canada in ca. 1880 and worked for the Cumberland Railway, Spring Hill, Nova Scotia until 1889. In 1891 he was a locomotive fireman for Joggins Mines Railways and, after coming to Fort William that year, he went to work for the C.P.R.. From 1895 to 1897 he worked for the Hawk Bay Gold Mine Co. and from 1898 to 1900 with Fort William Light and Water. After 1901 he worked for Imperial Oil and from 1916 to 1920 as a mechanic for the Merchant Grain Co.

John Wilson Robertson (b. at Carolside, West Lodge, Berkshire, Scotland, 12 Apr. 1843-d. 17 Jan. 1913), was known as the "Bard of Glen Erie." He married ? Frazer in Roxyburyshire, Sept. 1868. His children were John Martin, James T., Edwin L., Thomas A., Mary and one other daughter who became Mrs. Manning. He emigrated to Canada in 1891 and made his home in Fort William, Ontario. In Fort William he helped establish the weekly tabloid, The Fort William Echo and was editor from 1893 to 1895. He continued to farm and write poetry until his death of heart failure, 17 Jan. 1913. He was noted for his poetry and music.

Andrew Dick (1831-1917) probably lived on Caribou Island, near Rossport, and was a fisherman by trade and cared for the lighthouse at Point Porphyry. He had at least ten children between 1863 and 1884 when his wife died. He possibly had six to eight more children by another marriage.

Mary Isabel Mackey Kelly (b. in Thornbury, Ontario ca. 1898-d. Sept 1987) was a teacher at Port Arthur Collegiate Institute from 1922 to 1962 and retired as head of the mathematics department. She was educated at Meaford and the University of Toronto where she graduated in 1919 with a degree in mathematics and physics. She earned her M.A. in those subjects from the U. of T. in 1920 and later received a Ph.D. Lack of opportunities for female physicists led her to become a high school teacher. She was known as a "strict disciplinarian" in her approach to teaching. She served as a trustee on the Lakehead Board of Education from at least 1968-1970. She married John Kelly in 1961-1962 and died in Sept. 1987. Her principal hobby was collecting material for a history of the Port Arthur school system and, in particular, Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and its forerunners.

W.C. Dobie (b.1839-d.1929) was federal fisheries inspector for the western Lake Superior region, police magistrate, and justice of the peace. He was born in Liverpool in 1839, came to York Township in Ontario in 1849 and grew up in Bruce Mines. In 1865 he married Sarah Dorothy Coatsworth of Missouri. She was daughter of J. Coatsworth, manager of the Montreal Mining and Lands Co. and postmaster at Bruce Mines, Ontario. Dobie came to Prince Arthur's Landing in 1872 to work as a bookkeeper for Thomas Marks and Co. and in 1884 formed a general store of his own in partnership with John Hasking. In 1887 he entered into partnership with George Marks and H.A. Wiley to form W.C. Dobie and Co. He then purchased the interests of his partners and, in 1894, disposed of his business to his son, J.C. Dobie, who amalgamated it with other businesses to form the Marks, Clavet and Dobie Co. William served on the Shuniah council for five years before 1884 and was a member of the school board for 30 years. He was at one time Dominion Inspector of Mines. He served as magistrate for 32 years from 1890 to 1922. His first wife died in 1879 and he remarried in 1887 or 1888 to a woman by the name of Mary who left him shortly thereafter. Dobie died in 1929.

George Brown Macgillivray was president and publisher of the Daily Times-Journal newspaper in Fort William from 1959 to 1975. He was also a writer and amateur historian.

Bernard I. Black, Q.C., Fort William barrister, solicitor, and notary, opened his practice at 105 N. May St. in 1950-1951. He joined Morris, Babe, Pugsley, and Black in 1954. This company acted as solicitors for the City of Fort William at the time and continued to do so until about 1964. Mr. Black formed Black and Hatherly in about 1967-1968 with offices in the Chapples building. He was a former president of the Thunder Bay Historical Society and he took an interest in collecting material relating to the legal history of Thunder Bay.

Saul Laskin (b. Fort William 1918) was educated in Fort William and Toronto. He returned to the Lakehead in 1937 and worked at Stitt's Clothing store in Fort William in 1938 and in his father's Port Arthur business after that. Mr. Laskin served overseas in the army in World War II. He began to take over operations of his father's store in 1938, bought the property and built a new store that year (expanded in 1947). This he operated successfully from 1946-1958. He entered politics as alderman of Port Arthur (1959-1960) and served as mayor from 1962 to 1969 (Port Arthur) and 1970 to 1972 (Thunder Bay). He was Thunder Bay's first mayor. He ran as a Liberal in the 1963 Federal election but failed to achieve office. Amalgamation of the Lakehead communities was a principal goal for Laskin as a politician. Mr. Laskin belonged to the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International. He served as president of the Port Arthur Bearcats hockey team and sat on the advisory committee of St. Joseph's Hospital. He married Adele in the 1940s. His father emigrated from Russia in 1903 and began farming in Neebing area and in ca. 1918 rented and operated a small, clapboard second hand store (clothing, furniture, hardware) in Port Arthur on S. Cumberland St. Saul Laskin’s mother was born in Latvia. His brother was Bora Laskin, Chief Justice of Canada. Mr. Laskin claims the Jewish religion to be formative in his personal life.

William Benjamin Frue was born in County Down, Ireland but spent most of his life in the U.S.A.. He became general superintendent of the Silver Islet Mining Co. in 1871 and was responsible for the mine's great early prosperity. He left Silver Islet in 1875 and died a few years later. He was responsible for erecting the crib work around the islet. During his tenure the mine became one of the world's richest.

Arthur Widnall (b. 1897 in Yorkshire, England- d. ca.1982) came to Canada in 1903 where he settled on homesteads at Silver Mountain and Whitefish Lake. He moved to Fort William in 1908. His father, Fred, operated Widnall Dairy until 1930. Art was a noted athlete and runner competing in the 1922 Caledonian Games in Calgary. He served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and after the war worked as a private secretary for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He later entered the University of Manitoba, specializing in dairying. He worked in his father's dairy from 1923-1930, then became secretary manager of the Fort William Parks Board and later director of recreation and director of tourism for the City of Fort William. He acted as voluntary secretary for the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce and later became its president. Widnall was for a long time associated with the Fort William Chamber of Commerce and, until 1975, Rotary International. He was a past president of the Fort William Rotary Club and district governor of Rotary International. During World War II he was chairman of the Victory Loan Sales and Salvage Committee locally and secretary of the local ration board. He married Olive Eunice Atkins (school teacher and artist) in 1931 and had one son, Arthur Lloyd. Olive died in 1979 and Art ca.1982. Widnall was a Progressive Conservative and served as secretary of the Fort William P.C. Riding Association in the 1960s and 1970s. He ran unsuccessfully as P.C. candidate in a Federal election in the late 1950s or early 1960s. He served as alderman of Fort William in 1968-1969.

A.T. Hill (b. in Finland 12 Oct. 1898-d. 1978) arrived in Port Arthur in 1917 and was a leading young Communist and secretary of the Finnish Organization of Canada from 1921-1924 and 1926-1929. He became secretary of the Young Workers' Party of Canada in 1922 and attended the fifth Comintern Congress in Moscow in 1924. From that point onward he was a Communist Party organizer serving as a liaison between the Party and the Finnish community in Canada.

James D. Doty, politician and speculator was born in Salem, Washington County, New York in 1799 and died in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1865. He began practicing law at Detroit, Michigan Territory in 1819 and in 1823 became a judge of the judicial district of Northern Michigan. He became Wisonsin's delegate to Congress in 1839 and served until 1941. After Wisconsin acheived statehood, Doty served as a representative in Congress from 1849 to 1853. He had much interest in the Indigenous peoples of the Michigan and Wisconsin areas.