Southern Part of Simcoe's Oldest Township Reviewed
Abstract
Southern Part of Simcoe's Oldest Township Reviewed (By Mrs. J. A. S. Mills, Dunkerron) To relate the story of that part of West Gwillimbury bounded on the north by concession line 5, on the west by the townline between it and Tecumseth Township, now called Highway No. 27, and on the south and east by the west branch of the Holland River, one must go back to the first white man, Etienne Brule in 1610-- French agent and interpreter among the Hurons for Champlain. This district was then one of the favorite resorts of the aborigines, according to one old map bearing the legend, "Indian Fields", at this point. The ancient Indian trail from Lake Ontario, beginning at the mouth of the Humber River and ending at the west branch of the Holland River, near the end of the 6th concession line of King Township, was the shortest route between the south and north waterways. It was called The Toronto Carrying Place or Portage, and was a trunk line of communications with distant regions. Many were the Indian tribes who used it. Among others the Hurons and Iroquois, as well as missionaries, fur traders, courier-de-bois, French, Dutch and English. So we are told of famous persons who passed this way: Brule killed and eaten by the Hurons in 1633 after his betrayal of the French and the English; Champlain; De Brebeuf, on his return from a winter spent near London, Ont. when he broke his arm from a fall on the ice of Lake Simcoe; Hennepin and La Salle in 1680-81; Frobisher and McTavish, members and traders of the North West Company; St. John Rosseau, Chevalier Phillipe de Rochblave and Surveyor Augustus Jones; Alexander Henry, 1764; and Lieutenant-Governor John Grave Simcoe. Governor Simcoe came with an exploration party, 1793, on his way to Georgian Bay, travelling the Carrying Place route to the west branch of the Holland River, called by the Indians Micacaguean Creek, and after about a mile and a half, reaching what has been called locally, "The Forks", he ascended the smaller river, the north branch of the Holland River, about a quarter of a mile. He there camped on an eminence for the night of the 28th of September. As a representative of the British Crown, he was hospitably greeted and entertained by the first recorded host of this district, "The Great Sail" of the Mississaugas, who with his family was encamped further up this river. Gifts were exchanged. To the "Great Father" the Indians gave ducks, beaver's meat and a beaver's tail. In return they were presented with some rum and tobacco. In the Governor's party were two men, Givins and Macdonnell who had a good knowledge of the Indian language and acted as interpretors, so that "Old Sail" was able to advise him to return to Toronto by way of the eastern branch of the Holland to avoid again crossing the swamp. This he later did on his return from Matchedash Bay. He divided his party and left Macdonnell at the campsite of the 28th in charge of those caring for the soldier who had cut his foot with an axe. Again "Great Sail" received them kindly and shot ducks for them. "The camping ground where Simcoe and his party spent the night of the 28th of September, 1793, as indicated by Lieutenant Pilkington's map, was at a point on the east bank of the north branch of the Holland River, about which there can be no uncertainty, for the north branch is the only stream of any size on the north side. It is exactly a quarter of a mile from the main bed of the Holland to the point where the north branch issues from the hills on either side as shown on the Military Defence Map. This should prove then that the spot where Simcoe encamped was the rising ground which has always been known locally as the "Indian Burying Ground". It is bare of trees and within the memory of old inhabitants always has been. A magnificent view of the country round about is to be had from this perfect camping ground. The Toronto Carrying Place comes to an end on the south side of the march directly opposite and can be plainly seen from this vantage point. At lot 7, con. 3, West Gwillimbury tradition states that "Great Sails" camp was to be found. On the farms around, Indian relics, arrow heads, skinning knives, etc., have often been turned up by the plough. This north branch was the natural outlet of all this region and since it is only a short distance across country to the Nottawasaga River Valley, it was an important link in the trail system of the Indians, The Petun nation used it on their way to their homes around Georgian Bay. As late as 1900, Indian of the Ojibways camped int he woods on lot 2, concession 3 at certain times of the year, making baskets and ornaments and selling them round about. One resident recalls visiting them with his parents of a Sunday evening, and watching their skilled hands at work. Following the opening of Yonge Street in 1796, as planned by Governor Simcoe, the west branch of the Holland River lost its importance to travelers to and from the lakes, but it was the route by which the Selkirk Settlers from the Red River in Manitoba came from Holland Landing after a stay of three years there. They disembarked at the 3rd concession line of West Gwillimbury where it ends in the channel of the river, north branch, and proceeded to claim homesteads close by in what has always been called the Scotch Settlement. Their choice of land proved to be excellent. Since the removal of most of the forest cover, the soils here are said to be among the best fine-textured in the province. There is a greater concentration of winter wheat in the area of West Gwillimbury and Tecumseth than in any other locality except the clay plains of Kent and Essex. The township of West Gwillimbury had just been surveyed in the summer of 1819 by George and Samuel Lount, son of Gabriel Lount, contractor. What price per acre the newcomers gave for their land we do not know, but Hunter's History of Simcoe County quotes the average price of vacant lands offered for sale in 1825 as being six shillings per acre. The three Gwillimbury townships, East, West and North, were named after Governor Simcoe's wife, nee Gwillim. Many of the lots in this survey were held at first by the Canada Company and other land speculators but by about 1830, concession one, two and three had been settled upon by families from Northern Ireland, chiefly of County Fermanagh, as follows: Con. 1, lot 1, E1/2, George Deavitt; Con. 1, lot 2, John Brandon; Con. 2, lot 1, N1/2, Asa Rogers; Con. 2, lot 1, S1/2, Samuel L. Hughes; Con. 2, lot 3, W1/2, Thomas Brandon; Con. 2, lot 3, E1/2, James Brandon; Con. 2, lot 4, W1/2, Alex. Creighton; Con. 2, lot 4, E1/2 Francis McCutcheon; Con. 2, lot 5, N1/2, Matthew Brandon; Con. 3, lot 1, N1/2, John Davis; Con. 3, lot 1, S1/2, Christopher Corbett; Con. 3, lot 2, Isaac Kiteley; Con. 3, lot 3, Asa Rogers; Con. 3, lot 4, N1/2, Joseph Corbett; Con. 3, lot 4, S1/2, James Mills Sr.; Con. 3, lot 5, N1/2, Mary Jane McKneeman, widow; Con. 3, lot 5, S1/2, William Stinson and Elizabeth, his wife; Con. 3, lot 6, H. J. Boulton and Alex. Gibbs; Con. 3, lot 7, W1/2, Hector Grant, Con. 3, lot 7, E1/2, Donald Bannerman. The families of Stinson, Brandon, Creighton, McCutcheon, Deavitt and Mills from Co. Fermanagh were members of the Established Church of Ireland and for over twenty years were far from a place of worship, the nearest being at Lloydtown in King Township, at St. John's in Tecumseth, or at Middleton on the Bradford Road, West Gwillimbury. Travel was by horseback over very indifferent roads until these were gravelled and buggies could pass. But once, on his pastoral tour of Simcoe County, Bishop Strachan conducted a service int he home of Thomas Brandon Sr. at which about forty persons were present. During this time and later, travelling Methodist circuit-riders were entertained overnight in this same home and others int he neighbourhood. By 1865, a small parcel of lot 1, Con. 3, was deeded by John Davis for five shillings to three trustees, Wm. Walker, George Stinson and James Mills Sr., and their successors in office for a Wesleyan Methodist Church. This was for many years known as Corbett's, named for the father-in-law of John Davis, Christopher Corbett. Throughout all the years and many changes this church has flourished. The hamlet here, consisting of one blacksmith shop, three dwelling houses, two churches and one school, retained the name of Corbett's Corners until a post office was established in a small house at the corner of lot 1, Con. 2 and a postmaster appointed, Mr. Mollison at the yearly salary of twenty dollars. The changing of the name to Dunkerron came about in this way. The wife of the then Reeve of Tecumseth Township, John McManus, suggested "Lansdowne" after the Governor General of that time. On applying to Ottawa it was learned that an office of that name already existed, whereupon Lord Lansdowne set forth "Dunkerron", the name of his estate in Ireland, which was accepted. The first log building used for day school and a Union Sunday School lay alongside the road allowance together with a shed fro horses, but the position of the next church, a frame one, can be traced in the grass int he lines of the foundation. Around it lie int he graveyard the remains of the first pioneers to establish this community and whose descendants built the third church, the present brick one, in 1883. The frame one was removed and converted into a farm house next door to the east. On a slight knoll, across the townline in Tecumseth Township is another graveyard, no well cared for, all that is left of the centre for worship of the Society of Friends or Quakers. Their frame meeting house was sold and removed for use in Schomberg shortly after 1912. The Wesleyan Church finally merged with the Methodist Church in Canada and in 1925 it became the United Church of Canada. Beside the present building was a long shed once used for sheltering horses and buggies and sometimes garden party preparations, and in 1956 this was removed to a farm nearby and a tall board fence between the shed and church taken down. The last resting place of the first citizen, Christopher Corbett, lies unmarked in a spot beside the road and directly opposite the front door of the church together with that of his kinsman, Mark Davis, who was killed as a very young man, felling a tree, close to the spot where he lies. His memorial stone was placed farther to the north when improvements were being made. In January, 1853, the same John Davis and his wife, Maria, sold the first parcel of land for five shillings to James Mills Sr., Charles Wilson and Henry Nolan as trustees of the School Section No. 4 of the Township of West Gwillimbury. There have been at least three school buildings upon this lot, the last of two brick. The first of these was built in 1891 and burned down in 1898 and the last, built by Browning of Aurora, was closed and torn down after the Department of Highways purchased the land as part of a new four-lane roadway. A few of the maple trees planted so lovingly by teacher and pupils about 1900 still remain bu show signs of ravaging by the blight so prevalent in Southern Ontario. At first the settlers used the well-worn trails made by Indian feet and one of these ran along the high ridge of hills through the bush from Lloydtown to the mouth of the north branch of the Holland River. Some of the early houses faced south towards it and others north, and these last were more conveniently placed to the road of the new survey along the low land. Their dwellings were of logs but after about twenty years the fine pine trees on the hilltops were cut, dressed and seasoned and used to build the new homes which today still serve their owners well. About the year 1847, two houses were constructed of brick made in the neighbourhood, those of Thomas Brandon and Alex. Gibbs. The large house of the latter, which overlooks the marsh so picturesquely was planned to accommodate travellers, when it was supposed that the Capreol ship canal would follow the course of the Holland to Schomberg and then down the Humber River Valley. This project did not wholly expire until the late 1880's. A brick yard with shed and kilns was operated till 1903 by Quincy Bemrose at the bend in the river on concession line 4. Here also, were the three long wooden bridges over the same river on sideroad 5, one of which was washed from its foundations in the cloudburst of 1924. These were recently replaced by two large steel culverts and a fine concrete structure. On the sideroad between lines 4 and 5 was a very picturesque rural drive, but when the two bridges there needed repairs, the road allowance was closed and a new one opened further to the east. The winding, twisting river bed made an easy way for sleighs and cutters int he winter and the drifting in of snow on the regular thoroughfares often made its use quite necessary. It was also the source of winter fun, as the sturdy young folk of Dunkerron had a rink close to home and they often skated to Bradford and back in an afternoon. One of the older residents of that town recalls that in his youth he had seen canoes passing on their way to the "Burying Ground" with bodies of Ojibway Indians from the Snake Island Reserve. The river also provided ice for dairy purposes and good fishing from Sutherland' bridge on the 24th of May. Before the canal dam at Bradford barred the way, muskelunge, pike, pickerel and bass were plentiful. A great change came over the landscape when heavy machinery moved in to uproot tamarack trees and dredge a canal which drained the swamp close to the river. The bulrushes, large fish and wild fowl disappeared with the coming of the settlers from the Netherlands, the first of which were the Verkaik family, neat rows of green vegetables and shiny white houses took their place, until now we have the village of Springdale, with church, greenhouses, storage barns and an extensive processing plant, the last set up in 1964. Our part in the government of this fair township has been well and truly taken through the years by Deputy-Reeves Matthew Creighton Brandon (late 1870's) and Viola R. MacMillan (1963); Councillors, Matthew A. Brandon, John Grimsby and Peter Verkaik.