Robert Kirkland Kernighan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Kirkland Kernighan (25 April 1854 – 3 November 1926) was a Canadian poet, journalist, and farmer. [1]
Born at Rushdale Farm, Rockton, Ontario, he apprenticed as a journalist on the Hamilton Spectator staff. In about 1876 the paper printed his first poetry. Kernighan lived in Western Canada for a while working for the Winnipeg Sun. Short thereafter returned to Hamilton to farm. He worked exclusively for many years for the Toronto Telegram writing a column titled, "The Khan's Corner." The nickname "Khan" was given to him by a young French-Canadian woman who could not pronounce his name.
It was the opinion of the Sir John A. Macdonald that if Canada ever went to war the soldiers would march to battle singing Kernighan's poem "The Men of the Northern Zone".
[edit] Tribute
The Kernaghan neighbourhood on the Hamilton, Ontario Mountain was named after him. It is bounded by the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway (north), Stone Church Road West (south), West 5th Street (west) and Upper James Street (east). Landmarks in this neighbourhood include Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club and Kernighan Park, also named after him.
[edit] References
- ^ Bailey, Thomas Melville (1991). Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol II, 1876-1924). W.L. Griffin Ltd.
- MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 657 - Grids M12
