Beamsville in Lincoln in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
George Herbert Locke
1870-1937
Photographed by Tim Boyd, April 13, 2024
1. George Herbert Locke Marker
Born at Beamsville and educated at Victoria College and the University of Toronto, Locke taught at Toronto, Chicago and Harvard Universities and was Dean of Education at Chicago and at MacDonald College before becoming Chief Librarian of the Toronto Public Libraries. In that position, he transformed a small institution into one of the most respected library systems on the continent. Sometime President of the American Library Association, one of the founders of the Arts and Letters Club, he was a gifted speaker and the author of books and articles on literary, historical, and professional themes. He died in Toronto.
this page online
Erected 1948 by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 43° 9.872′ N, 79° 28.554′ W. Marker is in Lincoln, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is in Beamsville. It is at the intersection of Mountain Street and Beam Street, on the right when traveling south on Mountain Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4276 Mountain St, Lincoln ON L3J 2J5, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Clinton Township Hall 1851 (here, next to this marker); Jacob Beam Mill Stone (here, next to this marker); The Howard House 1847 (within shouting distance of this marker); 1909 Basket Factory (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Vosburgh Blacksmith Shop 1866 (about 180 meters away); Alanson Harris - Foundry Site (about 210 meters away); Early Education In Beamsville (approx. 0.3 kilometers
Photographed by Tim Boyd, April 13, 2024
2. George Herbert Locke Marker
Marker is on the left of the door
Also see . . . Libraries Today - George Locke and the Toronto Public Library.
Locke’s outlook in library work was guided by his Methodist upbringing, his association with John Dewey’s contribution to American progressive education, and the Anglo-Canadian academic tradition of British Idealism in the late nineteenth century. These religious and intellectual strands encouraged personal action to seek solutions to improve social conditions.(Submitted on April 24, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
1917
3. George Herbert Locke as head of the Ontario Library Association, 1917
Toronto Public Library (public domain)
circa 1911
4. Toronto Public Library Main Branch, ca 1911
Toronto Public Library (public domain)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 190 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on September 10, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 24, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
