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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-05-10, Page 25• • SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY,. MAY 14, 1979 (Second Section. Nig** •8,A] Harlock School built in 1875: S.S. NO. 6 Hullett, , • • , Leadbury•barn: signread "Leadbury Antiques 'and Collectables". (between Seaforth and Brussels, on the "Seaforth - Bryce C'ounty Turnpike.") Winthrop between Seaforth and Walton: Winthrop Feed Mill , • , Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles by Elaine Townshend about some of Huron County-ts postal villages. Anyone with the name and location of villages we may have rnissed is invited to call The Huron expositor. MCKKLOIR The first post office in the immediate Seaforth area was established in 1839 under the. name of McKillop with Adolphus,. Meyers as ,postniaster until Malcolm McDermid replaced him in 1853. The name was changed to Harpurhey in, 1855 and continued with McDermid as, . postmaster until the office in his store closed in October 1867. Harpurhey strati-, dled the McKillop/Tucketstnithlineand inmost historical accounts, Dr. William Chalk. first District Councillor and first Reeve Of Tuckersrnith, is credited with founding the hamiet Leadbury, halfway between Seaforth and Brusselsobtained a pest office in 1877 and received daily mail on the.same stage that passed through Winthrop. Charles Davis, • first postmaster owned all the business in the hamlet. including a store and a.hotel. A native of LoadbUry Englandhe named the settlement after his original home and carried on extensive exports of hortes. and cattle to Europe. A small barn beating the signs "Lead- , bury ntigues and Collectablesmarks the spot todaysand across the corner stands the old school, • . A post office 'pure and simple' Beechwood wasdek enbea in 1879 as a post office "pure and Simple" with weekly mail from Seaforth, seven miles away. John Reedy was the 'first postmaster in, 1877. The area served was largely an extension of the Irish Settlement originally found near Dublin, south-east of Beech-, wood, Although a general store and school Were loaded nearby, the chief function of, c)s t Summerhill Hall, 4 miles north of Clinton. The Hall was built around 1875 and is the only building left at 8urimerhill besides new houses. Card parties are still held in the Hall. • • Jarnestown: north of Brussels. on MorriS/Grey Township line Jamestown General Store, viewedfrom across a trench .of the Mailtand River. • Beechwood was as a distribution point for the mail. • wiNTHRop ' Winthrop, 5 miles north-east of Seaforth on the Seaforth and Bruce County turnpike was developed by Andrew Govenlock and his fartilly around 1834. The Govenlock s operated two large steam mills - grist and saw. Alex Murehie became first post masterin 1868, and Winthrop' received daily mail by stage both ways. By 1879, the , hamlet also contained a store, Dominion Telegraph Office, cheese factory, school and church. ' The frame church was built in 1875 and named after Professor Caven of Knox College who conducted the dedication service. A brick church was built in 1907 during the pastorate of Rev. David Carswell. The congregation provided brick4 gravelsandseating and glass; the total cost was $6.006. In 1900, a WOnlefe$ Assocation was formed with Mrs. Mils- ', grave as president, and in 1925, the congregation joined the United Church of Canada. Winthrop LOL began in. 1857 Winthrop Loyal Orange Lodge No, 813 began in 1857, and the first lodge hall built in 1862 was used for 41 years. In 1926, r meetin s were held in former g theCalder Cheese factory, .Major alterations were • made over the years; the stage \Vat lowered, and a band shell was added at the side. McKillop Municipal Telephone Sys- tem used the bottom part as a garage lb later yeats. •McKillop Township nomin, atiOn meetings were held in the hall. and it also served as a popular dance hall for McIntyre, and Thomas Johnston set up a• Small manufacturing plant for tin 'and copperware; Mr. Johnston became' post master in 1860. By 1879the hamlet contained the usual pioneer shops; the population statistics varied from 250 to 500. Henfryn, Ethel were railway stations Henfryn and Ethel, besides being post v4lageswere tailrOacl statiens. Henfryn's first postmaster was Edwin C.K. Davis in 1875. while Ethel's .postmaster was Jona 'than Carter in 1863. Although -a' south ex,„dsion of the Welland, Grey and Bruce Railway brought certain. advantages to the • hamlets, neither prospered as anticipated. In 1879, Henfryn was the more promising of the two having steam mills, taverns. stores and varions mechanics' shops. • MORRIS Jamestown, straddling the Morris/Grey line. was situated at the crossing of the middle branch of the Maitland, River, In 1875, James Lynn was postmaSter. By 1879. Jamestown showed prospectS of growth with a new store, hotel and blacksmith's shop, but its success did not continue, In 1855. William Harris founded a post • village and turned it Bodmin after his native, town, the county seat of Cornwall England, He built a grist mill and sawmill. first in the township, and later became Police Magistrate residing in Brussels, The grist mill was taken Over by William Nlitchell and the sawmill by James McGill. Dr. 1,J. Hawk et ran a general Store with Walter Smith as managet. several years. GREY Cranbrook. 'near the 'centre Of Grey Township, was often referred to as "The Plot" because it was laid out as a town in the original Crown Land survey, Reports Of `,•: the exact year Of settlement vary; some elarm James Tuck was the first settler around 1854. He built a hotel ailed the Mcintreal Hotite, which was the firsf tavern in the township, In 1854, Andrew Geven- lodc was the first postmasur in 1855, William Tanner Opened a store and beeante the postmaster, •A sawmill was established by Robert Sunshine?. Morris Township contained several Other post offiees of convenience that never became significant settlements MorriS- dale was the first with postmaster, Donald Scott, in 1854; Sunshine With, postmaster W.F. Cornell, 1874; and Bushfield with postmaster James Holland, 1866. Bandon was Hullett's first, post office • The •first post office 'established in • Hullett Township, outside of Clinton and Auburn, was Bandon, three miles south east of Londesboro; John Warwick was the . first postmaster in 1855. The hamlet also contained a store, a hotel and a nearby school. Water power from a branch of the Maitland supported a sawmill and a grist mill, but a weak spot in the dam caused flooding ' in 1890, which left the mills Useless. Within fifteen years. Bandon was deserted. • ICINEIURN The second post office was Constante, also known as Kinburn, with John Lawson as postmaster in 1857. By 1879, the settlement contained a school, a ethdi .jij 11 is Woo d w Orkin g sh OP; the Shop. stable • and house burned in 1940. Dr ,Robert Cooper served the commit nity in the 1880 A sawmill was ope.rated by Sig, Cole ttround 1890. • • Harloek was located a few milenorth of Constance, In 1872, Thomas Neilan$ drew mail from ..Seaforth to Constance. Eizindon and Harloek t hive. times a week. His yearly salary was 5275 for drawingthe mail and 525 for keeping the post office. Daily mail Stai-ted in .1897, f.ind William McIntosh • took the route from .Seaforth to Constance 'arid HarloCk, The Harlock p6st office was Itcpt in various stores. and came into effect )(round' 1912. o st church, two stores, several blacksmith shops and a tavern. The Canadian Order of Forrester s was founded in the mid 1880s A Ladies Court - Court Constantine No. L1842 - was formed in 1958. Kinburn had cheese factory • By 1894. the hamlet also had a cheese Motley,. a Tertiperanee SOeict and a new • brick Methodist Church. A few Presbyter- ian families' held services in the'Temper- allee Hall sith ministers, Rev, James Hamilton 'of Londeshoro and BUM'S. 'cluirehet and BOP'. Peter Musgrave of Duff's and Winthrop churches, alter- nating: the Services %%ere aiSeotitinued in the 'early 1900's. • Cheesemaker John Murray and his lIsSiStatit. Peter Papineau. curtailed their business itt 1898. Williani Hughill made buggies and cutters. among other things. An appple dryer and a lime kiln Samuel Reid was the first blacksmith' and Mrs, Young the first storekeeper in the 1870s and '80s,. Around 1910, Bert and • Wallace, Allen built an evaporator for drying apPles; it ran for One ,season, hirnccl and was not rebuilt. In 1872, Robert Knox Started a sawmill. which he ' ran for twenty yearS, and Harry Allen had a lime kiln on his farm. • • HAIILOCK Harlocles log Sehool was the first in the area. A now two.rooni schoolhouse was erected by 'Cooper and McKenzie of °intern It Measured, 50* by 28' and cost. 51.248. A large sliding door between the • two rooms allow ed one room to be closed when the, number of students dwindled. ” r Two teachers v+ ere employed: o‘o of the earliest Ones recorded were Mr, Cadsley and Dr, Shaw of Clinton. The school was •used until the new, building opened it • Londesboro. , Joseph ArmStrotig surveyed part 'of his ,rant on the Base tine into town lots and called it Stimer's Hill, because Ms wire's atiden natne s,ts Somer. Over the years, the spelling changed to Stinitner Hill and Stlitimerhill. The first pOStmaster was 00rg M, •K elty. itt 1887. Ily 1900, the ItaCIS around the settlement were almost , all COntin mitts 'gravel. • A school wit; loeated nearby. and in • 1855, St. Peter's Anglican Church was built; major renovations in 1910 were financed chiefly by the Ladies' Guild. A large Orange Lodge boasted a fine fife and drum band in 1902 tinder Master R.I. Draper. Around 1875, a Bible Christian Church was founded.'but the con'„-egation gradually decreased. After the church 'closed, the rprangemen used the building for lodge roeins as late as 1950. Summerhill • • Red Cross in 1940, Summerhill Red Cross Group formed in 1940 with, president Mrs Goldwyn Smith. The ladies met in their homes to make stogiem supplies and quilts .and to knit socks„ -gloves. athans and layettes for war ifucCS'After the war, thc name was changed to Summerhill Litdies Club. The group is still ztette with 'aPPkiximatelY thirty members under the feaderShip Mrs. Thilman Westerhout. They hold card parties and hobo teas in their homes, and each spring they sponsor a bake sale and euchre 1)arty, By 1 967:tili store and'hall were the only building S left in SuMmerhill. The Storc. owned, by Ro VOddei. was torn doWn and a private residence built in its place. The Hall is still ative in 1979 with four trustees iticharge.of the building. Card ,parties are held every seCoild Friday during the t: Winter. and couples from the community take turns being responsible for the events. Suntmerhill, like Most of the other pioneer pOSII villages. has almost disap pared, but the community spirit char- ticte.ristic of the trossrOads conimunities remains. Some post offices, dosed when rural mail 'delivery cattle IMO effect; others failed because they were bypassed by railways and main highways. • A few harillets were deStrOyed by natural dig., asterS, while others gave Way to largOto etre indUsttiouS teiviais and villages. Most physical evidence of the erossroads• CentritunitleS of the tato 1800s and early 1900s has disappeared, but the post Wlages live on itt poples* memoriet, itt the presenre of a corner stork of a hall. or Just in community'spirit. • liallY•1110•011161,11.1•001•100•1110111.00•11. ,,r42,.••••••