Kinmount Gazette KINMOUNT GAZETTE THE KINMOUNT COMMITTEE FOR PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Side Roads of Kinmount: Crystal Lake, Part 1 March 2013 Volume 5: Issue 5 The Crystal Lake Road is the concession line pushing inland to settle on the good land behind Inside this issue: between concessions 10 (south side) and con- Concession A. Maple or hardwood ridges were cession 11 (north side) of Galway Township. the preferred land to clear for farming. Low FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS 2 The Crystal Lake Road today runs from High- lying ground was avoided as it was prone to THE MOLYNEAUX BRIDGE 3 way #121 (Bobcaygeon Colonization Road) spring flooding and had to be drained to dry east across the whole of Galway Township : properly. This meant extra work at a time when DOWNHILL DASH 5 35 lots or about 8 ½ miles as the crow flies. the earliest farmers were primarily concerned While the Crystal lake Road follows the con- with getting as much land cleared as quickly as GIRL GUIDE COOKIE TRADITION 6 cession road allowance as faithfully straight as possible. The poor drainage meant the pioneer possible until it hits Crystal Lake itself (lot 20), settler had to wait for the low ground to dry up KIDS CORNER 9 after that it meanders to avoid natural obstacles in the spring & sometimes the season started such as the Lake itself. Nevertheless it is likely too late for low, flat meadows. Grain crops THE HOT STOVE 10 the straightest/ longest concession road in the such as wheat & oats did not like wet ground. Kinmount area. Tame hay such as alfalfa & timothy likewise OUR FAMILY ALBUM 14 Crystal Lake was originally called Swamp often “drowned out” on wet, low flats. The KINMOUNT FAIR WINS AWARD 15 Lake. The lake itself is not at all swampy, but western section of the Crystal lake Road fea- DOROTHY’S DELIGHTS 15 direct access via the Crystal Lake Road was tured a lot of wet meadow “flats” and was thus blocked by several swamps and thus the name largely ignored by farmers in the first rush of EDITORIAL 19 Swamp Lake. However, only certain locals settlement. used the less glamourous title “swamp” be- The Crystal lake Road was slow to be devel- cause early (1860s) writers were already using oped for the above reasons. The first 3 lots Visit us in colour at the title Crystal Lake. north of the Road (concession 11) featured kinmount.ca The Crystal Lake Road begins at the conces- some suitable high ground, but the low-lying sion road allowance between lots 25 & 26 of flats handicapped road building and farm build- Concession A. The earliest settlers clung to the ing. At lot 3 (Mill Hill), the Road crosses the Bobcaygeon Road, but by 1860 settlers were Flats of the Union Creek, a low lying meadow continued on pg. 8 Kinmount Winterfest 2013 Thanks to Susan Dier & Yvette Brauer for sharing their photos. See more Winterfest photos on pages 5, 17 & 19. Kinmount Gazette Kinmount Committee for Planning and Economic Development Friends and Neighbours: Duoro Douro is the township in Pe- west corner around Lakefield Dummer Township as part of the local landmark that endures to terborough County immedi- was different in that it was restructuring in Peterborough this day. Towns General Store is ately east of Peterborough settled by English settlers and County. Lakefield Village was a tribute to bygone days when City on the east bank of the thanks to the influence of the amalgamated with Smith & General Stores were the life- Otonabee River. The outline Strickland Family was quite Ennismore Townships and fur- blood of many a small communi- of the township is irregular different from the Irish sec- ther left the Duoro orbit. ty. It still houses the post office thanks to the River, and Duo- tions to the south. The very Another feature of (South) Duo- and keeps alive the general store ro is a small township: rough- northwest corner was part of ro is Towns General Store. In tradition. ly ¾ the size of other town- Young’s Point. All 3 of these 1896, PG Towns assumed con- ships in the area. Duoro really communities clustered along trol of a local store and began a doesn’t contain any true vil- the River and were different lages. Its southern reaches are from the rest of rural Duoro. serviced by Peterborough In the 1850s, the Government City. To the northwest is the of Canada set up 2 post offices village of Lakefield, which for Duoro: North Duoro that like many other villages in became Lakefield and South our area, straddles a river Duoro that became itself! The (Otonabee) and is situated in name Duoro honours a river & two townships (Smith & Dou- valley in Portugal. During the ro). The west side looks to the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) village of Warsaw in Dummer The Duke of Wellington led Township. The north bounda- the British Army in several ry ends at Stoney Lake. campaigns in the valley and Some early settlers in Duoro the name was transferred to the clustered along the River. But newly survey township in his the real impetus for settlement honour. was the arrival of the Peter St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Robinson Emigration in 1825. Church in South Duoro was Duoro received 60 families of made a parish in 1846. A small Irish settlers; mostly congre- frame church was built and a gating in the centre and south- cemetery consecrated. All ern portions of the township. those settlers who had died in The Irish were not big on vil- the previous 20 years and had lages, preferring to live on been buried on their home- farms will cross-road hamlets steads were disinterred and as their local focus. The only moved to the new cemetery. such cross roads hamlet in The present magnificent stone Duoro was South Duoro, lo- church was consecrated in cated on the corners of lots 5 1893. & 6 between concessions IV When Duoro was created a & V. The hamlet grew up municipality (1850), a town around the usual Irish institu- hall was built at the 5 Corners tions: a church, cemetery, on the Peterborough to War- parish hall, school and a cou- saw Road west of South Duo- ple of stores with a black- ro. This important road junc- smith. tion rivalled South Duoro for a Duoro was always more of a while; containing a tavern, township rather than a series school and cheese factory, but of communities. The south- it didn’t have that all important west corner of the township church! The old town hall was was just across the River from closed in 1965 and moved to Peterborough City and was Lang Pioneer Village. A new called Ashburn or the Scotch municipal office was opened in Village. It was always a sub- the hamlet of South Duoro, urb of Peterborough and was further cementing its status as From Top: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; P.G. Towns General officially amalgamated into the township seat. In 1999 Store, est. 1908 continues today in downtown Duoro. the city by 1900. The north- Duoro was amalgamated with Page 2 Kinmount Gazette Kinmount Committee for Planning and Economic Development The Molyneaux Bridge The following article appeared in demanded a wider type and so to- the Lindsay Post, October 25, 1950 day not only the township, but the “Union Creek Pioneer Recalls county also can be justly proud of How Mother Crossed Stream On this piece of engineering. Fallen Tree During Flood” Coming from Peterborough for the “An interesting event in the Town- ceremony were Messers Norman ship of Galway was the official Wilson, Warden of the County, opening of the new “Molyneaux Ross Harrison , Chairman of the Bridge” on the Union Creek where Roads Committee, and the mem- it crosses the lower road to Crystal bers of the committee James Lake. Gifford, Stewart Clyesdale, Wm Reeve Peter Pearson referred to this Grant, Dick Stewart, Jack Keene splendid modern structure as a (engineer) and Ross Heron from the Kinmount Agricultural Society striking indication of the progress Kirkfield Stone Crusher. and contrast since the 1860s when Officially opening the bridge was John Molyneaux Sr. began clearing Wm Grant of Peterborough with Arena ice dependent upon weather the farms along the Union Creek at John Maguire cutting the ribbon For recorded information please call this place. Charlie Molyneaux is the and Mrs Duncan Molyneaux break- third generation of this name on this ing the champagne bottle for the 705-488-3106 land. christening. Mr John Maguire, a 92-year-old The school children were guests of resident of the immediate farm re- the Galway Council and were enter- lated interesting incidents of the life tained with games and races and of these early pioneers. Portraying treats. their courageous spirit, he told of Later the party was taken to the his mother walking from Fenelon (Galway) Parish Hall where some Falls one day late in the fall and 80 guests enjoyed a chicken dinner when she came to where this newly highlighted by delicious homemade erected bridge stands, she found the bread and buns made by Mrs Peter rising floods had washed away the Pearson and her helpers. After log bridge. Earlier in the evening, dinner speeches, sing songs led by Mr Molyneaux had fallen a cedar Mr Kay and Mr Jack Currelly of tree across the creek. Undaunted, Peterborough and dancing to music she bravely walked this shaky, supplied by Mrs Gladys Allen and narrow suspension, a feat one Mrs Austin Jackson rounded out a would hesitate to do now.