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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1956-06-27, Page 7Mill at Gorrie 100 Years Old -rirraas • - • Home Howick Old, Boys ingbant Inv° $PRUC1NG UP IN HOWICIf WINOIIAISI, ONTARIO, WPRINTESO 44-16 3 •3NE 27, 1958 Two Gr.andialliOrs. Settled on. pirst wf,s. Preached by H. Strath Land Now Cedar lane .Farm Pioneers considered William Spence to be one of the best ex- aznplee of a self-made man of his generation, Government Foresaw Town Plot as City "The Town Plot of klowick" or Fordsvich aS it is known today, was chosen by the government as the site for a future city. The pioneers Were Joel Rogers, W. G. Walker and Arthur Mit.- chell, who settled 'in 1854. Joel Rogers kept the first, public house and built the first grist mill in Fordwieh, one of the early mills in the township, Mr. Rogers also Howick, the first frame house in Arthur Mitchell had a post of-. flee establilshecl in the village in 1855 and was the first Postmaster, He travelled 18 miles to meet the regular snail courier for the week- ly mail, According to. the Huron County Atlas published in 1319, Fordwich then had three general stores, a grocery store, two carriage shops, three blacksmith shops, a steam planing mill, two saw mills tom steam, one water) and a large flouring mill. There was a cheese and butter factory, a number of shops of various -mechanical trades, two hotels, a telegraph of e flee, one school with two teach- ers and three churches. The southern extension of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway from Teeswater to Orangeville, the junction with the' main line to Toronto, was .operating daily An Englishman, HenrY Smith, emigrated to Orillia from his native land at a time when there was only one ether white real. dent In that area, Mr, Smith, who WILLIAM PENCE SELF-MADE MAN By W. V, Canapliell Cedar Lane Farm is loqated •ighway 87, Lots 29 and 30, Howick Township. ,. Mr. and Mrs, Edward. Campbell came from Ireland in the early •1800's, settling first in Tecumseh, near Beeton, Cut., and later in0V- lag to Howie/t and taking up the east half of • Lot 29, from the Crown. They endured many of the hardships of our pioneers clearing, the land of trees slid making a home, Their family consisted of nine, boys and five girls; Samuel, 'Thomas, Edward, George, John, James, Richard, William, Robert, Margaret (Mrs. john Johnston), Mary Arm (Mrs. James Blodgett), Catharine( IVirs, Jas. AitkenS), Sarah (Mrs. Jahn Wiggins) and Sane Cowbell. Some of the boys helped to clear the land of bush to get ready to grow crop., I have heard one of them telling of drawing 'timber to build the first Beatty factory at Fergus, which is now known all over Canada, .Six , soils and three daughters Went to, the western provinces to • homestead anti make their homes there. The YOtIngest son, Robert, passed away last Year being the last of the family of fourteen, The first railway, which - had a peat deal to de in the advance- ment of HeWielt, was run-thtough the back of this farm and I have often heard of - the great capita,* meat when the railroad ,was built and the first train went whistling through the Township of Howicit. :John Campbell, who remained on the hornestead, married Mar- garet Douglas inaTanuary 1896 and to. them was born Minnie (Mrs. Gordon Brown), Janet and WA- -liana They built many of the 'present buildings and purchased adjoin- ing farm Lot 30, They were mem- bers of Redgrave Congregational Church and . Templar's ,Lodge, which were across • the corner from the farm, The present owner, William Campbell, married Cora Strong in' 1927. their family being Dorothy of Hamilton, Evelyn (Mrs. Donald. Gibson) • Harriston, and Ivan at home. This is. the fourth generation on Cadar Lane Farm. ,; The west half ` of tot 29, now owned by the writer, was • first taken up from the Crown by my grandfather, James Douglas, there- fore our farm was taken up by my two grandfathers. Thanks to our forefathers. kir their faith, and courage, and may we Carry on what they began. Early Howick Settler's was a Methodist minister,' used to preach to the Indians through interpreters. He later moved to IViarybero Township where he was the third. settler in the district: At • this place, too, he ministered to the, spirituel needs of the' settlers; In 1854 he came to Ilinviek had settled on Lot' 6,. doneessien, '4 and in the Same • year opened . the. first 'tore in the toarnshiP.:••lje was active hi munsnipal affairs and was the first reeve- of township when ' the -council'. was formed in 1856. A native of Ireland, Mr, Spence located in Howick in Ap- ril 1854 where le was the first settler in the south-east portion of the township, Arriving withqut friends or means, Mr, Spence had an abun- dant amount of courage and, en- ergy which he promptly began to exercise, Aisisted by his wife, he undertook to clear his land and set up farming. From the forest timber they built themselves a comfortable home. By the time Mr. and ,Mrs. Spen- ce's sons were grown men, Mr. Spence was able to give each of them a good farm and still owriect and operated 400 acres of the fin- est land in the township. A village known as Spencetown was named after William Spence, who was the, original Settler in the neighbourhood. It was he who laid it out as a village plot, the official name being Newbridge. • ,In 1879 -there was ..a store, a grist and sawmill, hotel, black- smith and wagon shop and a few hosises in the settlement. There' was a post office with daily snail from Fordwieh, the nearest railway• station, only four miles away. rif.-oxeter Village oliticai Field • Aceording .to the Huron Colin- Father of Wrexeter ty'Atlas•Air,-firek"settletnent, in the present limits of the sellage of Wroxeter Was Made hY,Therrias and Robert Gibson; • natives , of Scotland. • • • . , Preparations far the Ilowick Centennial gathered morrientaria last Week 'throughout the township; with decorations being put hp amid floats pre- pared all over the district. Above, Ira keLean, chairman of the decorition committee; puts up a gaily painted trellis on one of the lamp posts in Wroxeter. Offering friendly advice are, left• to right, Mrs. Bill Wright, Carl Smith and Mrs. aVfoLean, Wheels of, pregreee" is tq. he • the name of a fleet being prepared by the /idles below, for No. 13, The old 'buggy sebeels which are being refurbished will he yeed .on 'the float to depict the changes in Howick TewriShip since its founding 100 years ago, Left, to, right are Mrs. Ken Bennett, Mts. Everett' Cathers, Mrs, Charles Lathers, end Mrs. Joe $itinneins.:• Leech Family Was Prominent In Early Howick Settlement -Thomas .Gibson • had 51 successe f ul political career, He was noted for being a staunch, upright man, who never used political, trickery. His first contest was in 1867 when he ran for North Huron, the county being •divided into two ridings only. The planing was by open vote, and since there was only one polling place in the township; it took two days. Mr. Gibson was defeated but in the general election of 1871 he won over his farmer opponent with a large majority: He was victorious 'at each futhre :election until he retired about 1898; Mr; Gibson wai also prominent in municipal „affairs and for ten years in succession was a member 'Of the County Board, during sev- en of Which he was reeve, He was a great proMoter of industry in Wroxeter. A very practical man, Mr. Gibson's advice was highly valued and people in and around the village often consultett him on private matters. These men bought Lot 29, Con- cession B, Howick,' FebruarY 1856,' at the seine, titre 'Obtaining Lot 26 and the • water-, priyilege where they later erected mills. The purchase :was made from Hon. James, Patten,'-who., others, had acquired the, hindeaari which the village is today,' ' The only hinprovements• and deb' velopment of. the til 1858 •were' made...,13Y.' and Robert Gibsdii,- itriOlaree Hof their brothers whe% had ~oinei them.• In that year;;SkifdrewlePats ton, in' the intereatszaf' ills 'bloth- er, arrived in Howck and laid out the village of Wroxetera Mr. Pat- ton surveyed the firat streets hien- self and erected the' first frame house in the village. Through the influence of his brother, a post office was established,; and Patton was appointed poStmaster, ugh Hollinshead and his wife settled on Lot 3, Con. 3 in the winter of 1855-56, and it was in their home that the first sermon in Howick ,Township was delivered, by Henry Smith. Mr, Jiollinshead and Mr. Smith built the first sawmill, which was located on Lot 3, Con. 4. ' YITroxeter Main Street hORRIE WAS KNOWN AS LEECHVILLE tare and was among the first to .operate cheese factories in Leeds County where he built and operat- ed five large factories for several years. John did not josh his broth- ers in Howick until 1874 and en- gaged in the grain and produce trade after his arrival. His busi- ness failed,- due to a commercial crisis which swept the county; and in 1879 moved to Manitoba to make a fresh start in the new conutry. William came in 1856 and as- sisted with the building of the Bluevale mill. He was one of the brothers to organize a company among the family and the Huron County Atlas - states that he. struck the first and last Mow on the mill at Bluevale when it was built. A millwright by trade, William had helped with the er- ection of several s mill's before- coming to Huron County. . • . . ,Buy Klima:de . Mills William ,and Joseph purchased the Bluevale milli - .in 1882 _from their brothels .and -'liveds;Sat.'that • . village. Joseph was a steward the Methodist church and j, supporter of the temperance cause.. Ile took an active interest in politics and was, president of the North Huron Conservative Association for sev- eral years, Nathaniel came with his broth- ers but remained only a short time. He soon entered the minis- try and went to Nebraska, Three of the brothers did riot cohie to Howick.. George and Webster were Methodist thinistere with charges, elsewhere and Rich- ard, a soldier in defence of his country eeinsed along the St, Law- rence frontier during the Mekee- tie Rebellion, later becoming a Merchant and a farmer its Leeds County. easeeaSeSsasaaent=21WaS At the extreme right of the picture taken about 1878, is the first brick store in, the township, owned by John Sanderson. The brick, for the building was hauled through the woods from „Galt by oxen. Mr, Sanderson opened his store in 1858 and operated it for 30 years, at which time his son took over. During this period he was also a grain buyer and was postmaster for fifteen years, First Settler Came To Howick in 1951 One of the events scheduled for the Howick celebration this week- end is the unveiling of the newly- erected cairn, in memory of the pioneers of the township. The lo- cation for the cairn in ideal. It stands on the farm owned 'by Mrs Tessie ZimMerman and sons, Har- ry and Bill, descendants of Jolla and Ellen Carter, who were not only the original owners of the farm but also the first'settlers in Howick. John Carter arrived in August, 1851 from Wellington County. Travelling by way of Molesworth, he stopped over at the home of Andrew Mitchell. At this- point, all sernblandeef "road had van- ished and Mr. Carter had to snake. Pais way through the bush to his new location. He settled on Lot 11, Concession 8 and began the tedious task ,of ,erecting his log home and clearing the land, His nearest neighbour for over two years was Mr,,,Mitchell, some ten miles away, In October, 1853, Mr. Carter brought his family to their new home. During the frist few years supplies were obtained from Wel- keeton, It was a long trek by foot through the forest and the pur- chaSes had to be carried on his back, Progressive Area. The Centennial marks 100 years of steady progress in the town- ship. The vast area of forest has brought forth rich farming land and paved roads have replaced the trails.. The log cabin of yesteryear would look meager compared to the homes in Howick today, Liv- ing conditions of this generation are such that it is hard to realize the hardships of the pioneers, The- cairn will be unveiled on Sunday afternoon at three o'clock by William T. Sothern, 94, How- ick's oldest resident and a relative of the first settles-. A descendant of John and Ellen Carter, Rev. E. NI, Carter, of Brantford, will take part in the service, • The ceremony to pay tribute to the brave men and women who pioneered the township is a fitting, manner hi which to bring • the gala festivities to a Close. Erected Gorrie Mill The Leech brothers played an important part in the growth and proSperity of .Howick Township. • ' They were"determined to come west and were anxious to wont to- gether. Jan-eV and Nathaniel start- ed out on .a prospecting trip and arrived in Howick in 1854. Im- pressed with what they saw, they returned to their home in Eastern Ontario ,and -eight of the' ten vbarot.hers decided to form a part- nership . to ptirchase mill sites at what are now Gorrie and Blue- le James and Edward returned in the early winter of 185556 and bought the sites. The erection of grist and sawmills began and by thd following harvest both grist Mills were in complete running condition. It has been reported that, as many as 60 teams of oxen were counted at the Gerrie mill at one time the following year. James was a carpenter and cabinet-maker by trade. He took charge of both mills in turn as a miller and while never having aPPreeticed to the trade, Was re- puted to be very efficient, He was the organizer of the first Sab- bath school and was for many years' the leader of the Methodist Class in the Gorrie section., Edwasl was a millwright and I after serving' his apprenticeship' necarne weil-kno‘vn throughout the province, fdr his ability as a xts.chiniset. He helped: in the erec- tion of many .saw and grist mills, among there the Gorrie mill, He resided in Gorrie for 22 year and then moved to Whitby where he ; retired. grist ri1111 standing in Gorric today was built in 1856 by the Leech brothers, It Was remodelled in 1867 and made into a threesetoreY beilding, /A 1869 150 barrels of flour were 'ground And packed daily, besides custom work, the fall Of 1954 high *kora brought by lurricane /laser forced the dynamiting of the dam to •preserve iii.from destruction,, and the trxill has net been Wed for chopping since then, The break Jo the dam Was 'repaired last week to provide Switn,Mhig facilities fOr Children of the Village, Edward and James Leech arrived in Howlek in the early winter 1855-4, chopping their way through the bush from IvIdleSWOrth' to sortie, a distance of about 15 Mika. They promptly purchased sites at Gorki° and Bluevale and by the following harvest these mills Were In complete running condition. Bober' - was the heat brother tc come to the district, folloWins closely on the heels of James and lildwai(d. Time other seven brothere subsequently sold Dar their in- terest in the mills and left him sole proprietor. served on the council for a `umber of years and was interested in all public services, Jobe was interested hi agrieul- The Greer brothers first oc- cupied the land where Gorrie stands today. They came in the early part of 1854 and were fol- lowed by James and Nathaniel Leech, who were on a prospecting tour and did not settle until the following ynar. The orticial name for Gorrie was Howick Village but it was gen- erally called Leechville, a name which stuck for many years. Growth during the early years was fairly rapid, In a matter of 25 years, what had been dense forest had turned into a thriving community, The village boasted three general stores, one hard- ware, two tin and stove shops, a book and stationery store, drug stoke, jewellery store, a grocery stere, she store, two saddlery ,shops, a tailor, • a barber, black- smith and carriage shop. There were .two photographers In Gorrie, an eXpress office, two telegraph offices, a Beery stable three hotele, •ti schobl with two teachers, three churches, a week- ly newspaper, a grist Mill, two sawnillis, a eastern foundry, steam _planing mill, cheese factory, two lime burning etitabliehnients and ti "perk patking phoit, PoStal serviee by this tithe I. feted dallY tiiail east And west by the Toronto, Croy arid Bruce ! Railway and Ea aria from geaforth I daily by Stage, Kept up with Times However, it WaS mainly through the effotta and leadership' of the Gibsons 'that the village continued its ;growth: They set about 'to ele- velop the water poWet and erect- ed a sawmill to 'Which the saw logs were drawn , frain the pthid across the road arid into the mill, When this we wad completed they built a flotir and grist These mills were' considered to be very superior ineehaiiically but With improvements in. machinery and methods, they skin gave way to more modern atrUctstirea . The original SaWinill was even- tually abandoned atid a new one erected on. the banks Of the river higher up, By 1879 there. were a number of eXtehalVe.millsi,offer- greateat facilitlea of the times in their reapeetive lines to the community, An Oatmeal Mill Was erected. and a Woollen. niuIl Where the farmers' *til was eard- rd into to be Strati into easel for stockings or itnaiie into fulled cloth for men's *ear/ The old flour mill Weis succeeded by ft new one Oir ii different site to which A spur line was balk front the CPR Station- .and stories were dipartied,:f,ar 'AleXinidet 'roan 'hi thlirge of the sawmill fot 16 years after his 'ar' rival and then purchased the re, ititereathdf the others in' all the Mills Mid became Sole owner. He Was deputy reeve of Howick before VVitiketer Was ire, torpereted 'and then bet kite leSeVe Of the village, He w'as'eleated first chief ii1itglatrate.g4 Wirets or, ,1l)1111% and 1'LUNN' (lAIIT)19.1t