FAMOUSE FLEURY PLOWS

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Community leader

During his lifetime, Joseph Jr. enjoyed his family and a local political career, as well as the challenges of his manufacturing business. On July 2, 1859, he married Ann Watson Hughes, who grew up on the farmstead next door to his childhood home, near King City, Ontario, and who was six years younger than him. They had three children, Herbert Watson (H.W.), Clara and William James. On Oct. 18, 1871, Ann died suddenly at age 39. Soon after Ann's death, Joseph married her sister, Sarah Webb Hughes, who was 10 years younger than Ann, and subsequently, Sarah and Joseph had two children, Laurine Adele (Clute) and Viola Sarah.

Herbert Watson and William James later owned and operated J. Fleury's Sons Limited. Viola Sarah lived to be 93, and always resided at the family mansion, called Inglehurst. The home was built in 1876 under Joseph Jr.'s direction on Yonge St., immediately across from the Agricultural Works. H.W.'s heirs sold it in 1945, and it was demolished in 1980.

In 1866, Joseph Fleury Jr. became interested in municipal political affairs and was elected to local office. He received 91 more votes than any other candidate according to the Aurora Banner, the local newspaper. In 1872, the Banner reported Fleury was recruited to seek the Reeveship of Aurora, which is similar to the post of mayor. A petition signed by 72 residents requested he run for the office, and he obliged the following year. He won and served as Reeve until his death, in 1880. He was also appointed Warden of York County in 1879. Joseph Jr.'s obituary in the Newmarket Era newspaper, portrayed him personally as a liberal and a man of great initiative, and politically as a reformer.

His personal journal, now on file in the Aurora Historical Museum, reveals his thorough and competent town management, including a systematic approach to town planning. It also includes a report of his single-handed organization of Queen Victoria's birthday celebration on May 24, 1875, in Aurora.

The Aurora Agricultural Works

A May 30, 1873 Banner report gives a detailed glimpse into Joseph Jr.'s business world, too. The piece reports on operations at the Works and some of the innovations Fleury's employees had at their disposal. The article describes the molding shop and a nearby building for complimentary tasks such as cleaning castings, the blacksmith shop, machine shop, iron finishing shop, planning room, wood and paint shops, finishing shop and other areas.

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