COUNTY OF ONTARIO PA SHORT NOTES AS TO THE EARLY SETTLEMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE COUNTY AND BRIEF REFERENCES TO THE Pioneers and Some Ontario County Men WHO HAVE TAKEN A PROMINENT PART IN PROVINCIAL AND DOMINION AFFAIRS —BY— J, E. FAREWELL, LL.B., K, G., County Clerk and Solicitor. WHITBY: GAZETTE-CHRONICLE PRESS 1907. The following rough sketches relating to the history of the County were prepared at the request of the County Council. For much of the information the writer is indebted to notes kindly furnished by Municipal Clerks. As to the Township of Reach reference has been frequently made to a pamphlet written many years ago by the Rev. Mr. Monteith and first published in "The North Ontario Observer" and to the late W. H. Higgins' "Work on the Life and Times of Joseph Gould." The sketch of Oshawa was written principally by Dr. T. E. Kaiser, its present Mayor. It will doubtless be claimed that many of the incidents contained herein are incorrect as to names and dates. The writer is aware that in several instances such different statements have appeared in print. He has given them according to the best information obtainable. He regrets that he had not more space at his disposal and trusts that imperfect as these notes are they will cause others who have the time and means to give their attention to the important matter of collecting materials for a County History, and that steps will speedily be taken to establish a County Historical Society to continue the work. COUNTY OF ONTARIO. another expedition of French and Indians passed from Lake Huron to Niagara under instructions from the French Commandant at Que- bec to avoid Fort Rouille, now To- ronto, by taking this route. COUNTY OF ONTARIO. In the old French map is a trac- ing of a canal route between the Ontario, the Keystone County, is Holland and Rouge rivers. wedged in between Durham and Victoria on the east, York and The first school in the Province Simcoe on the west, and rock-rib- was established at Frenchman's bed Muskoka on the north, while Bay, in Pickering, in 1669-1670, by its southern shores are washed by Fenelon and Trouve, Sulpician mis- Lake Ontario. sionaries, who wintered there and The county was first visited by gathered the Indians into a school white men in the month of Aug- In 1778 Ontario county formed ust two hundred and ninety-one part of the District of Nassau. In years ago (1615). 1798 it became part of the Home District, the first registry office for Champlain, the French governor which was Niagara. and explorer, accompanied by Car- The first white settler was Ben- on and other Recollect missionaries jamin Wilson, who settled in East at that time, ascended the Ottawa Whitby, east of Oshawa harbor, in river, crossed to Lake Nipissing, 1778. Some of his descendants are descended the French river to Geor- still living in the county, namely gian Bay. Coasting along this he children of Benjamin and Nelson reached the Severn river and thence Pickell. through Lake Couchiching he came to the country of the Huron In- The first "Town meeting for dians. He agreed to join them in chusing the offisors and other re- an attack on the Iroquois, south- gulators for the Towns of Whitby west of Oswego, in New York and Pickering" was held in 1801. State. Passing through Lake Sim- The first meeting for the like pur- coe to the Talbot river, which sep- pose for the Township of Pickering arates Mara and Thorah Town- alone was held in 1811. In these ships, he reached Balsam Lake, days there were County Lieuten- thence down the waters of the ants who had power to appoint Trent to Lake Ontario. Afterwards Justices of the Peace and Militia communication with Lake Huron Officers. In 1804 the County Lieu- was made through Whitby and tenant for York County was the Reach Townships and through the Honorable David Wm. Smith, who Rouge river in Pickering Township in some way acquired the title to to the Holland river and Lake a great many parcels of land in the Simcoe. Through this latter route county. In 1851 this county was HISTORY OF THE united to York and Peel for judic- Township of Brock — Robert ial and municipal purposes. On the Sproule, reeve; Alexander Car- 14th of March, 1852, the Governor michael, deputy. General's proclamation forming Georgina—James O'Brien Bouch- the Provisional County of Ontario ier, reeve. was issued and Whitby named as Mara and Rama—James McPher- the County Town. On the 3rd of son, reeve. May, 1852, the reeves and deputies Pickering—W. H. Mitchell, reeve. met in the brick school house at Peter Taylor, deputy. Port Whitby, and organized the Reach and Scugog—Thomas Pax- provisional county. James O'Brien ton, reeve; Abel W. Ewers, deputy. Bouchier, reeve of Georgina, having Scott—James Galloway, reeve. been appointed by commission to Thorah—Charles Robinson, reeve. act as presiding officer until the Uxbridge—Joseph Gould, reeve. election of a warden, so presided Whitby—James Rowe, reeve; until Joseph Gould, Uxbridge, was James Dryden, deputy. elected provisional warden. After- Oshawa — Thomas N. Gibbs, wards the meetings, until the final reeve. separation from York and Peel, William Powson of Manchester were held in the Free church, now was appointed clerk. the residence of James Shaw, Whitby. The proclamation dissolv- At the first meeting Mr. Taylor, ing the union of the counties and seconded by Mr. Dryden, moved erecting Ontario into an independ- that the council do now resolve it- ent county was issued December self into a committee of the whole 30th, 1853. to consider the propriety of provid- The County was organized in ing ways and means for the erec- January, 1854, with nine minor tion of the necessary county build- municipalities, represented by nine ings within the County of Ontario. reeves and four deputy reeves. The committee arose and reported There are now seventeen minor a resolution and upon the motion municipalities and three police vil- to receive the report, Mr. Mitchell, lages in the County. In 1891 they seconded by Mr. Gibbs, moved were represented by 17 reeves and that the report be not received but 18 deputies. Under the Coun- amended by striking out all after ty Councils Act the minor munici- the word "resolved" and the follow- palities were grouped into 7 divis- ing substituted: "That no appro- ions and represented by 14 mem- priation for the purpose of erecting bers. By recent statute the council count}- buildings be made by the will be composed of the reeves of council until the actual sentiments each municipality, and deputies for of the inhabitant ratepayers be as- every thousand ratepayers. certained by a regular poll yea and nay to the question whether The members of the first council the people of the County of On- were; tario desire the separation of the COUNTY OF ONTARIO. County of Ontario from the other At the third meeting the council portions of the United Counties, proceeded to strike out the name and also whether they approve of of James McPherson as Reeve of the denotement of the site of the Mara and Rama and did order the county town by the Government. name of Michael McDonagh to be substituted in lieu thereof and that The yeas and nays were taken. Michael McDonagh do take his seat as Reeve of the Township of Mara Yeas: Bouchier, Carmichael, Gal- and Rama, which the said Michael loway, Gibbs, Mitchell, McPherson, McDonagh straightway did, and Sproule—7. upon his motion, seconded by Mr. Ewers, William Paxton, jr., was Nays: Dryden, Ewers, Gould, appointed provisional treasurer of Paxton, Robinson, Rowe, Taylor the County. The council passed a resolution requesting the Government to ap- The provisional warden having point at once a Registrar for the voted with the Nays the amend- County of Ontario, and an associ- ment was lost. ate Judge for York, Ontario and Peel, to be resident within the The resolution to raise by way county of Ontario. of loan the sum of ,£6,000 for the purpose of erecting county build- William Henry Smith, in his ings was then put and carried up- book entitled "Canada West,"" on the same division, the provis- published in 1851, says: "Markham ional warden voting a second time was long regarded as the first to break the tie. The committee to township, not only in the county, strike standing committees was but in the Province. Other town- then balloted for, and resulted in ships, however, have been strug- the election of Messrs. Bouchier, gling in the race and first Dum- Gibbs, Gould, Mitchell and Pax- fries and now Whitby has surpass- ton. ed her." In 1825 the people of this county A motion that when the council were not troubled with customs or adjourns it adjourns to meet at the internal revenue officers. The near- Free church (the present residence est of these officials were' the Hon- of Mr. James Shaw) on the first orable William Allen of York and Wednesday in June next, was lost, M. F. Whitehead of Port Hope. and a motion to meet after the ad- journment of the Council of the The man who wished to commit United Counties of York, Ontario matrimony had to journey to An- and Peel was carried. drew Mercer at Toronto for a li- cense or be called in church three At this meeting there was no times publishing of the banns. quorum. To register a deed a like jour- HISTORY OF THE ney had to be made, Stephen Jar- at Port Hope and Whitby.