Goderich. The first shipping pier was built in 1857. In 1873, the railway arrived, allowing Southampton and Port Elgin products to travel far from Lake Huron. Agriculture prospered and the shipping industry benefitted from the natural harbour. Timber, coal, general merchandise and passengers arrived by ship. Warehouses for storing grain were constructed, and a tannery opened for business, becoming the second-largest in Ontario. By the 1880s, tourism was becoming a factor in the economy; passenger boats, largely from the U.S., began visiting this area. In the 1900s, industry in the area declined in the 1900s and the harbour began getting fewer ships as the other modes of transportation improved. Tourism became more important in the early 1900s. Development began to be directed in that direction; for example, the harbour was modified for pleasurecraft, the town was beautified and an increasing number of cottages were built. The library was built in 1908 with assistance from the Carnegie Fund, a secondary school was completed in 1889, with additions made in 1939. The school was replaced with a more modern structure in 1975. The Government of Ontario also erected another historic plaque in Port Elgin, titled The "Nodwell" Indian Village Site. "This important Iroquoian village site was discovered about 1900, and named after the family which then owned the property. Subsequent archaeological examinations have uncovered a mid-14th century village, consisting of twelve longhouses, from 42 to 139 feet in length, protected by a double palisade. It was probably occupied for about 10 to 20 years by a group of some 500 people who were predecessors of the Huron and Petun Indians. Although primarily farmers who grew corn, tobacco and probably pumpkins and sunflowers, they also engaged in considerable fishing and hunting. A large number of artifacts have been retrieved from this site including fragments of pottery cooking vessels, smoking pipes, arrow heads, adzes, awls and netting needles." Historical timeline, 1849 to 1906 Although specific dates vary depending on the source, the following are excerpted from a reliable source, History of the County of Bruce, Ontario, Canada, by Norman Robertson, published in 1906. 1849: The first settler in the bush is Lachlan ("Loch Buie") McLean. 1852: George Butchart, an early Bruce pioneer, erects a dam and sawmill on Mill Creek. 1854: The first commercial store and post office are opened in the community called Normanton; other buildings include three houses, a tavern and an