Written by Beth Bowman for Northern Lights Magazine Volume 4, No. 2, 1992. Photography by Brian Baker. "If you were to go for a drive some day, you might pass through the community of Knock and never realize it unless you had noticed the sign on the front of the schoolhouse. Knock is a rural community just south of Barrie in Innisfil Township. In this year, when Canada celebrates its 125th birthday, our thoughts turn to the hardy pioneers who had the courage and foresight to cross the ocean, clear land, and settle here. The first ones came to this area in the 1830's and many strange tales might be told of their experiences. William Hunter chose this land because it was on a hillside and had a good water supply. He names it "Knock" after the birthplace of his father. Kock is the Gaelic word for "hill". Other early settlers here included the Harills, O'Connells, Bowmans, Cowans, Reynolds and Allens. Mary Wirght, well known in the community, lived in a house near the railway tracks. To keep would be intruders away, she kept her late husband's boots by her door. When there was a need for a school, William donated a quarter of an acre off the corner of his farm and a school was built in 1871 at a cost of $230. The first teacher's salary was $125. This community has been held together by the Knock Community Club organized in 1942 to help in the war effort. In May of this year they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. And if some day you take that drive through Knock and see tables and chairs set out on the lawn by the school, you will know that is it i preparation for the annual old fashioned picnic." Poor resolution is due to the acquisition being a photocopy, if you have an original copy of this document please contact the library.
