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["Culross" is the name of a
royal burgh and district in Perthshire, Scotland, and also is said to be
the name of an estate of the Earl of Elgin, the Governor-General at the
time the survey of this township was made.]
Extract from the Report of
County Valuators, 1901.
''We found the greater
portion of this township first-class soil and well improved, good
buildings, good fences, and in a good state of cultivation. Land is
selling at good prices, and is well adapted for all kinds of farming,
being well watered and having first-class roads. There is, however, a very
rough strip of about two miles and a half along the western boundary,
which reduces the average rate per acre very considerably, while being
very hilly it grows fair crops. Having Teeswater in the centre, with C. P.
E. connections, and having Wingham and Mildmay with the G. T. E., within
easy reach of southern and eastern borders, the people of Culross enjoy a
choice of markets, an advantage no other municipality in the county has
got. The north-west part of the township has been considerably improved
since the last valuation, in clearing and draining low lands. Some large
drains were being constructed when your valuators were there last fall.
The rate per acre for this township is $32.90, of which the village
property amounts to 79 cents per acre."
The township of Culross,
like its neighbors to the north, east and west, namely, the townships of
Greenock, Carrick and Kinloss, was classed among those known as Crown
lands. The survey of this township took place in 1852, and was made by G.
McPhilips. Of all the townships comprised in the original county of Bruce,
Culross was the latest in being settled. This may be accounted for by the
fact that no leading road entered it. The lands in Culross were opened for
sale at the time of the "big land sale," [See Appendix K.] September,
1854. Settlers entered the township in this its first year of settlement,
and were fairly numerous, considering they were only squatters. At this
time it was part of the united townships of Greenock and Culross, and the
amount of assessment for the year 1854 was £2,923. Among the early
settlers were the following: Andrew Zettle, Alexander and Archibald
McIntyre, Matthew Hadwin, Thomas Maloney, Charles Irwin, P. B. Brown,
James Reid, Charles and James Turner, Michael Brennan, Dougal Campbell, H.
Davis, Henry Haldenby, Anthony Shoemaker, Wm. Roame, Alexander Forsyth,
Ira Fulford, John McKague and others whose names the author has not been
able to obtain. As an illustration of what the early settlers in Culross
passed through, the experience of James Reid is here given. Mr. Reid,
being stirred up by a request of the author for an account of his entrance
and residence in Culross, wrote a letter in March, 1902, which was
published in the Teeswater News. Somewhat abridged, it is here given:
"I landed in Culross about
the 13th of September, 1854. There were very few shanties in the township,
then an unbroken forest, and I was guided by the surveyor's blaze. The
lots were all numbered with a sharp iron on a short post put in the
ground. I took up the two lots that I am now on, on the 7th concession.
Culross was mostly settled with Scotch, Irish and English, the north-east
corner with Germans. The "Big Land Sale" was held on the 27th Sept., 1854.
A lot of us left here on Monday morning, the 25th, and got to Southampton
on Tuesday afternoon. We found it a little place with about two or three
hundred of a population, three hotels, and not much accommodation for such
a mass of people; but the weather was all that could be desired. A. McNabb
was the Crown Lands Agent. The office was a log building about 16 x 18
feet, with a small window in the back, which was open to permit the buyers
to hand in their letters, with £7 10s. enclosed, along with the number of
their lots, concession and township. £7 10s. was the first instalment.
Owing to the crowd it was almost impossible to get to the office window,
so Mr. McNabb got two men to carry in these letters from the people. The
two men were John Shennan, from Balaclava, Carrick, and Mr. M. McLean, the
postmaster at Walkerton. The crowding still continued so great that Mr.
McNabb saw a better plan might be adopted, which was as follows: Two
constables, whom he had to keep order, told the people to all move back
from the office, then two hours would be given to each township at a time,
until all the county was attended to. The work went on well and was
finished on Saturday afternoon. It took all the week for the sale of the
lots, except some inferior lands in the townships which were sold in after
years. When the sale was over the people went to their several townships
to put up shanties to prepare for the winter, many of these being put up
in October following. The next thing was to get something to live on all
winter, and to get roads opened through the forest. In those days flour
and pork were very high in price, owing to the Russian War. Flour was $10
per barrel and pork $10 and $11 per hundred lbs. Many of us in Culross
carried the first flour we used on our backs 16 or 17 miles, but when the
snow came we got a man and oxen to bring what we needed. Then, for work
through the winter, you would hear axes going and trees falling, everyone
anxious to get the forest cut down and to hew out a home. The timber in
those days was of no value. In the fall of 1855 we in Culross had no mail
service nearer than Mr. Ritchie's, who kept the post office on the Durham
line near Enniskillen, so a few of us met where Teeswater village is now
and forwarded an application to the Postmaster-General for mail service,
which we soon got, the post-office being named Teeswater after the river.
Matthew Hadwin was the first postmaster. In the summer of '55 and '56 some
of the settlers had a little crop and a few cattle. Lumber was much needed
to put up buildings for what little crop there was and for the cattle. The
need was supplied by the late Peter B. Brown, who had taken up lots 14 and
15 on the 6th concession, which forms a part of Teeswater village now. P.
B. Brown was an enterprising man. The river crossed the front of his two
'lots, which gave him a fall of about 8 feet of water, so in the summer of
1855 he built a dam and in the fall he put up a sawmill. In the fall of
1856 he put up a grist mill, which was running in the winter of '56 and
'57. The settlers were busy with chopping and logging bees, clearing up
their farms and putting up log houses, log barns and also some frame
buildings. We were a happy people in those days, and all went on well for
years. Culross was, and is, famed as a grain-producing township. I have
known a yield of fifty bushels of fall wheat per acre and weighing
sixty-four lbs. per bushel, and of thirty bushels of spring wheat per acre
of sixty-two lbs. per bushel. Being far from market it became quite a task
in a stormy winter to get the grain marketed. Clinton, thirty-four miles
distant, was the nearest railway station, and it took two days for one
trip. Clinton was our market for years. The farmers became very anxious
for a nearer market as the quantity of produce increased, so we were well
pleased when in the winter of 1869 and '70 Messrs. Laidlaw, Baxter and
Dickey came up from Toronto to Teeswater to agitate in a movement for the
construction of a narrow gauge railway. Among other things these men made
us farmers believe was that we would realize five or six dollars a cord
for two foot wood in Toronto. The Company got a bonus of $43,000 from
Culross, although only three miles and three-quarters of the road lies
within the township, and I think the road was in operation in the year
'74, and it ran four or five years. The narrow gauge was not bad in
summer, but in a stormy winter it was no good. The little horse was as
nothing in a snow drift. One winter it was put in the engine house about
the end of January and stayed there until spring. As the narrow gauge
could not do the work required, the Company tried to get another bonus to
make the road one of standard broad gauge, but failed, and the road passed
into the hands of the Canada Pacific Railway Company. Culross and
Teeswater have had very good railway accommodation ever since."
As complemental to the
foregoing, another interesting narrative of one of the pioneers of Culross,
relating his experiences on entering the bush, is here inserted. It has
been furnished by Archibald McIntyre, of that township:
"We, the McIntyre family,
consisting of mother, we three brothers and three sisters, left
Hinchinbrook, Lower Canada, in the spring of 1854, when the last of the
Government Lands in the County of Bruce were to be opened up for sale. We
took our teams and waggon and some luggage with us, came up the St.
Lawrence, and landing in Hamilton off the steamer Arabian, thankful for
having passed in safety through a severe storm on the way up. An older
sister and her husband, who had come to Upper Canada some years
previously, were settled in Oneida Township, twenty-five miles out of
Hamilton. My oldest brother and myself left the family and stuff with them
and started for the bush. We tramped all the way, via Goderich, Kincardine,
Greenock, and into Culross until we struck the Teeswater River. As we
liked the timber and soil there we went no further. From an uncle in
Greenock we obtained axes, flour and tea, and set about underbrushing on
the lots on either side of the 15 side-line, in order to establish a claim
to those lots. We did not see the face of a soul after crossing the
stream, to us then nameless, but afterwards called Teeswater. We worked a
week and under-brushed quite a piece of land. We baked our scones on coals
spread over with ashes. I was cook, Alec was fisherman and fared well, but
as I never liked fish I had naught but tea with my scones. We slept
peacefully on brush, disturbed by neither man nor beast, until the bright
June mornings summoned our armed, winged enemies iv begin their stinging
attacks. It was beautiful weather, no rain all the time we were at work on
our supposed claim. Sufficient under-brushing done, we trudged back to
Oneida and worked among the farmers until near the end of September; then
we made a final start with our team and folk for a home in Culross. We
came by way of the Garafraxa road to Durham, and thence to my uncle's on
the Durham line. From Durham to Walkerton we were in constant fear that
our horses' limbs would be broken, the crossway road was so bad. However,
we got to Greenock in safety, and there we left our belongings until we
should prepare a habitation on our lots for their occupancy. We were
amazed at the rush of people looking for land at this time. Every lot
appeared to be taken. When we got to what we thought were our lots, we
found P. B. Brown and a Mr. Ford had shanties put up on them. We could
have held on to the lots, having done the first work on them, but gave way
in favor of Mr. Brown as he purposed putting up a grist mill, this being
such a necessity in the settlement. We took up our stakes and went south
to the second and third concessions and there took up the lots 21 and 22
on each concession. We built a good big shanty, and thither we brought our
folks. As the horses would be of no use in the bush we sold them in
Greenock and bought oxen. Coming in we had to make our own road, cutting
underbrush and small trees, and winding around large ones, avoiding
marshes and getting around about hills. Our ox team with waggon was the
first that forded the Tees-water River at that point, and the only team in
the neighborhood until springtime. Provisions were hard to get the first
winter. Many a back load was carried miles through the wilderness of woods
in those days. To buy boots for myself and Alec I walked to Goderich, a
distance of 30 miles, as we could get them no nearer. There were wolves,
but we did not see them. Only once did we hear a howling pack of wolves in
the settlement. That was one night the second winter we were in. Their
yells were hideous, and many a shanty door was barricaded until their
sound died away in the distance. The Highlanders were prominent in the
first settlement of Culross. McKinnon, McKay, McKenzie, McDonald and many
other representatives of the different clans were strongly in evidence;
but many of them not being so famous with the axe in the forest as their
ancestors were with the broadsword on the battlefield, they gave up and
sold their claims to newcomers from the older counties. P. B. Brown's mill
was erected as promised, grinding slowly, to be sure, but sufficient to
supply local need. Mr. Hadwin began in a small way to bring some
commodities to the village for sale, making it our trade centre. Among
those who came to our neighborhood and purchased from the first settlers
their claims were the Ballaghs, Colvins, McAllisters, McGregors, Caslick,
Straths, Marshalls and Allisons; mostly all these bought small farms. It
was thus that settlers came in throughout the township, making an
excellent community, who observed the Sabbath and also held meetings for
worship in private houses until churches and schools were built, the
history of which institutions I must leave to an abler pen than mine.
Notwithstanding the dangers of the felling of trees, great and small,
there were not many accidents and very few fatalities in the township.
Marriages were numerous and every household seemed happy, thus laying a
good foundation for the advancement and prosperity which Culross now
enjoys."
When the union of the
townships comprising the county of Bruce [See Appendix F.] was passed the
townships of Greenock and Culross were united, for municipal purposes, to
form one municipality. This union lasted for two years, George Cromar
being reeve during both years. On January 1st, 1856, the union was
dissolved, and the township of Culross from that date onward has existed
as a separate municipality. The first Council of the township consisted of
Peter B. Brown as reeve, Wm. McKenzie, Thomas Maloney, John Gilroy and
Alexander Boss as councillors. In a footnote are given the names of those
who have filled the office of reeve from 1856 to 1906. [Names of the
reeves of Culross: Peter B. Brown, 1856, '57, part of '58, '59; Wm.
McKague, part 1858; Thomas Maloney, 1860; Alex. McIntyre, 1861, '62, '63,
'64, '66, '67; F. H. Schoals, 1865, '68, '69, part of '70; A. Gibson, part
1870; George McKibbon, 1871, '72, '73, '74; William Scott, 1875 to 1889;
Jos. Moir, 1890, '91, '92; Joseph Welwood, 1893, '94, '95, '96; Henry
McKay, 1897, '98, '99, 1900, '01, '02; E. C. Kuntz, 1903, '04; Jas.
Donaldson, 1905, '06.] Robert Watson was elected clerk and treasurer. In a
footnote is a list of the names of his successors in these offices down to
the present time. [Robert Watson was elected clerk and treasurer, which
offices he filled for three years, when John Logan received the
appointment to both offices. In 1862 Thomas Fairbairn was made clerk,
which office he filled until 1873, when it passed into the hands of John
Marshall, who held it for the next thirteen years. Since then the position
has been held by B. E. Little, A. Gibson, George Wilson, and the present
township clerk, Charles Button, who has held the office since 1891. The
township treasurership was held by John Logan till 1872, then by Wm.
Colvin till 1886, then by Samuel Kirkland until his death, in 1893. He was
succeeded by Peter Clark, who also held the office until his death, in
1905. John Clark, his son, is now the holder of the office.] The Township
Council of Culross has always contained men of ability, and has ever been
economical in the trend of its legislation. A marked exception to this
characteristic was the submitting, in 1871, to the ratepayers for their
vote a by-law granting a bonus of $43,000 [$5,000 of this amount was a
sectional bonus raised by that part of the township afterwards
incorporated as the village of Teeswater. ] to the Toronto, Grey and Bruce
(narrow gauge) Railway. This action was taken from a recognition of the
great need of a local market for farm produce, and which could only be
secured by the entrance of a railway into the township. This by-law
carried. An effort was made on several occasions to have this large
indebtedness assumed, in whole or in part, by the county, but on every
occasion the County Council voted the proposition down. The township was
relieved of part of this liability by the village of Teeswater when it was
separated from the township on January 1st, 1875.
The only attempt made to
develop a village within the township of Culross that succeeded was in the
case of Teeswater. Other villages, such as Belmore and Formosa, are on the
boundary of the township, and are not wholly in Culross. Moscow (or
Cheviot P.O.) is different, being nearer the heart of the township. Here
Paul Ross [Afterwards a mayor of Walkerton.] tried to lay the foundations
of a village, having a survey made in the same year, 1856, as Teeswater
was surveyed. He early had a sawmill in operation, and in 1868 he had also
a grist mill. A tannery, established by Wm. Clark, was one of the
industries of the little burg. Mr. Boss made some money on gravel road
contracts, and, wishing to live nearer the county town, he in 1869
disposed of his Moscow property to Andrew McLean, who succeeded to the
title, "Emperor of Moscow," one that had been humorously bestowed on Mr.
Ross. A farewell supper to Mr. Ross, on his leaving Moscow, was given on
January 7th, 1870. The Moscow mills were destroyed by fire January 12th,
1880, and with that catastrophe the prospects of a town developing there
faded away. The water power at this point is still available, and may some
day be utilized to generate electric power.
The large area of lands in
the township of Greenock, and to a less extent in Culross, that approach
more or less the conditions of swamp lands, which condition would be
changed if the Teeswater River were only deepened for a part of its
course, has attracted attention for many years. The first survey made to
determine the best course to pursue was made in 1868, and is referred to
in Chapter XXX. Nothing, however, seems to have been done until about
1902, when the matter again came up. Andrew McLean addressed the County
Council, and tried, unsuccessfully, to get that body to take action. The
member for South Bruce, R. E. Truax, Esq., about the same time obtained
the promise of a grant towards the work from the Provincial Government.
The municipal councils of the two townships interested decided to take
action in so far as to find out the probable cost, and also benefit of
deepening the river, so in the winter of 1902-03, when the river was
frozen over, James Warren, C.E., under the direction of the township
councils, made the necessary surveys, and drew a profile of the bed of the
river from Chepstowe to the eighth concession of Culross. That part of his
report referring to the township of Culross is as follows:
"I have made an examination
of the Teeswater River from the boundary of Greenock to the 8th concession
of Culross, with the view of having the river deepened, and beg to report
as follows, viz.:—
"I find that the river runs
very dead in a good part of the way, but from the 8th to the 10th
concession the fall is enough to give a good current, there are no very
great obstacles in the way of deepening the channel, as most of the bottom
is mud, or muck, that can be easily removed.
"I would recommend that the
channel be deepened 30 inches at the 8th concession bridge, and continued
on as shewn on the profile, as prepared. I would have the channel 20 feet
wide so as to include the river in low water, and that would also help to
keep the channel clear better than if it was wider. The distance from the
south boundary of Greenock to the 8th concession of Culross is 9 1/4
miles.
"I would estimate the
probable cost of the work at $4,390. The total acreage of the lots
affected in whole or in part is 6,714 acres, of which I would place the
value at $101,650, and the total benefit of the lands affected at $5,455,
and the average cost of the work, counting the whole acreage of the lots
affected in whole or in part, would be 65 1/2 cents per acre nearly.
"Taking the scheme as a
whole in both the township of Greenock and Culross the work is quite
feasible, and would be of great value to the township, as it would thus
enable lands to be cultivated that cannot now be cleared up, owing to the
river not giving sufficient drainage for surface water. When these lands
are once cleared up, they will make excellent grass lands, and would also
be good for roots. When the land would become somewhat consolidated the
land would yield good crops of grain."
The above report, although
it showed that a most desirable improvement that would add wealth to the
municipality was perfectly feasible, was not acted upon, and the Teeswater
River flows on now as sluggishly as of yore.
Excepting in the rougher
lands towards its westerly boundary, there is no township in the county
that exhibits greater evidences of the prosperity of its farmers than does
Culross. Some of its farmers have obtained a provincial reputation in
their several specialties, such as Henry and Peter Arkell for their breed
of sheep.
The author would have made
this chapter on Culross longer if he could, but after many futile efforts
to obtain further facts and data about the settlement and history of the
township from those in the township who could supply the local coloring so
necessary, he gave it up, and closes the chapter. |
