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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-07-16, Page 42S lika5e 22 1 36 is ree Colborne History in Brief Colborne Township, named for Sir John Colborne, the LieutenantGovernor of Up per Canada when the Huron Tract was be fag opened up, is a relatively small township consisting of 35,460 acres. The Huron Tract had been the casual hunting ground for the Chippewa Indians but John Galt, a tall, handsome, imaginative Scot, envisioned it as a rich agricultural land to which his countrymen could emigrate. He founded the. Canada Company in 1824, throwing open a vast expanse of Western Ontario to settlement. 14 1826 Dr., Dunlop, also a man of many talents and of whom much has been writ- ten, was appointed Warden of the Forests by Galt. He was 6'3" tall and spoke with a broad Scottish accent often accompanied by a hearty laugh. In 1832 Dr. Dunlop and his brother, Captain Robert Dunlop,: took up a block of land on top of the hill overlooking the Great Meadow, the Maitland Maitland RiVer and Lake Huron. They built a solid oak log house in the fern of the letter H. On the front hung a brass plate marked Mr. Dunlop. He was born in 1792 and died in 1848. He and members of his family are buriedin the Tomb adjacent to his home. Attracted by the presence of men like Galt and Dunlop, people of good family and education began emigrating to Col- borne. They were English and Scotch in equal proportion with one -twelfth being Irish. Michael Fisher), is said to be the first settler, arriving about 1830. While looking for a suitable place in the densely wooded land, he discovered the creek that empties into the Maitland River near Benmiller, and tracing the creek to its source was more than pleased to find a nionster, spr- .. ing. He took up 5,465 acrea. In 1831 1ebuUt.. a log shanty and later a fine stone house. Others soon, followed -- Mr. Hydman, a Scottish barrister.; the Lizars, an. &lin- . burgh family; Major Strickland whose sister wrote of pioneer days; Ben Miller, an Englishman to name only a few. Ben Miller utilized some of the water power on the Fisher Creek (Sharpe's) and establish- ed a flour mill. The picturesque village bears his name. The Clarks arrived from Banffshire° in nized as date of township's birth . I A., • RE. 1.01 I 4 IFt=g4ii Isom COLBORNE TOWNSHIP 1984 Gomm. 0. ft CONCESSJON SI j • . . the early 1830's and were the first to bring purebred stock into, the Township. The Youngs from Glasgow took up extensive holdings. Mr. John Morris opened the'fikst tavern, a log building called The Crown & Anchor, at Gairbraid, the Village laid out by Dunlop, in 1854. The first marriage was that of Louisa McColl and Captain Robert. Dunlop. Reverend Campbell preached the • • Ii— first•• ' sermon in, the Township at a service held in the Dunlop home. The first church was build in 1855 one mile south of Carlow, known as Zion'. The first salt well in North America was discovered in the Hamlet of Saltford in 1866. The first bridge was built across the Maitland River at Sanford the seine ,year Dissatisfaction with the Canada Corn:,. . puny began early. A group of residents formed the Colborne Clique, inclui:ng the Hyrichnaris, Lizars, Kippens, Lawsons, Clarks and others. Dunlopabandoned the Company in 1838 and joined the group. They charged the Company had promised roads,, harbours and schools which were never built, mil a great deal of bitterness ensued. The first member for Parliament for Huron was Robert Dunlop, 18354841. On his ,death the Colborne Clique nominated William Dunlop to succeed him and the Company put up James McGill Strachan. Dunlop won the hotly contested election. No major settlements developed in the township but by 1879 there were five villages. Of these the most important was Smith's Hill, named for David Smith who had surveyed most of the township. Later it became Carlow and was designated a .post office in 1854. Two years earlier the present brick building, then a hotel, replaced the wooden structure that had burned. To the east of the hotel an open sh- ed and stable were built with a ballroom over the' stable. Ownership of the hotel changed' hands several times until 1917 when Mrs. Jonathon Miller sold it to the , township for a new township hall. Carlow tishercefoelrbroemd etotoawsntshheip. municipal centre for • Benmiller beeame a post office in 1855. A villageof great scenic qualities, it has seen its woollen mill and chopping mill con- verted to a rustic hotel, dining -room and convention centre. It has hosted the Prime Minister of Canada, the Premier of On- tario, the Ontario Lieutenant -Governor, • the Hon. Pauline McGibbon, and many guests far -away places. . Sanford has had many name changes. It was once called Bridge End Place, then Maitlandville :and its present' Sanford as - well as having been nicknamed Slabtown. Its story hinges around the salt industry. IVIffiburn, now Dunlop, also attained post office status. There is a plait' of sub- division for this area but was never developed.. The early settlers ,were An- thony Allen and Hillary Horton about 1833' . The old tavern, which housed Club 21 dur- ing the SecondWorld War, was moved to • Have a great ce e ration! From all of us at your one-stop. Decorating Information Centre! Ding Noiiatin Over 20 years in the carpet and home decorating business. Joanne Nieman A dr"apery consultant, Seven years experience in interior decorating. Cathy Sager Interio decorator. Our wallcovering specialist, Eight years experience in home, decorating. . Bill Fowles Jenny Langendoen Onstaff carpeting and hard -surface Bookkeeper flooring installation craftsman. 1 44 56 .61VG STREET CLINTO1V • Just' opposit the Post Office 4824528 ' 11