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[It is but fitting that
Huron, the name of the noble lake, the shore of which forms the western
boundary of the county of Bruce, should be conferred upon one of its
townships.]
Extract from the Report of
County Valuators, 1901.
"This township possesses a
very large proportion of first-class land, and farm property is changing
hands readily at good figures. The reputation of Huron stands high as an
agricultural district; goods roads, good fences and level land, little or
no stone, it is fast becoming an ideal township. The chief drawbacks are
scarcity of wood and water, although a large number have overcome the
latter want by drilling deep wells and pumping by wind power. There are
two light streaks across the township, the quality of which is very poor,
which our figures will bear out. The Lake Range affects this township
somewhat, but not to any very great extent, as the good land comes much
closer to the lake shore than in the townships to the north. The rate per
acre for Huron, including the village of Ripley, is $37.31, Ripley making
a sum equal to $2.25 of this amount per acre."
In the second chapter of
this history is related an account of the entrance of the first surveyor
into the township of Huron, A. P. Wilkinson, P.L.S., in the year 1847. The
survey made by him was confined to the first concession of the Lake Range,
or concession A, as it is sometimes called. The remaining portion of the
township, lying back of this range and north of the first concession, was
surveyed in the summer of 1851 by E. R. Jones, P.L.S. [The report of E. R.
Jones of the survey of the township sums up the area as follows: Lands,
exclusive of roads, 58,484 acres; lands included in road allowances, 1,392
acres. Total, 59,876 acres.]
The lands in the township
of Huron were among those known as School Lands, and were among those
offered for sale [See Appendix J.] July 30th, 1852. A number of squatters
had entered the township prior to the date of this sale. The names of
several of these are mentioned as among the very earliest pioneers of the
county in the second chapter of this book. The author has had an
opportunity of examining the field notes of the survey of this township
made by E. E. Jones, and has placed in a footnote what he has found
relating to settlers at that time in the township of Huron. The extract
[Footnote 1] is long, and the author's excuse for inserting it is because
it is perfectly authoritative as to the names of the actual first settlers
on the Lake Range and iheir date of settlement. The point made clear by
these field notes of the surveyors is that the settlement of the township
was at first confined almost exclusively to the Lake Shore Range. It is
not difficult to arrive at the reason why this should have been so, which
was its accessibility in summer by water and in winter on the ice. Then
the smooth, wide beach provided a highway on which one could travel north
or south with but little difficulty.
[Footnote 1:
 ]
One settlement, however,
was made as early as October, 1849, back in the township, these brave
pioneers being Malcolm McRae and his son "Big" Duncan, Alex. McRae and his
two sons, "Red" Duncan and Donald-Buie, Finlay McLellan and their
families. The land they took up was on the first concession five miles
back from the lake. Of all the pioneers of Huron, Louis Bellemore is
credited with being the earliest, he having in the year 1848 settled on
lot 19, Lake Range, at the mouth of the Pine River. Here he had a tavern
patronized by land-seekers, they being about the only species of
travellers that ventured into the wilds of the county at that time.
Bellemore sold out his squatter's rights to David Walden in the following
year, when he moved north to lot 36, where he again opened a tavern,
referred to in Chapter III. Among other of the earliest settlers on the
lake shore might be mentioned the name of James Keys, who had squatted on
lots 22 and 23. He was the first to fall a victim to the perils attending
pioneer life in the settlement. His death came about in this wise: In
August, 1851, he was engaged in taking a raft laden with supplies to
Penetangore, his sole companion being his stepdaughter, afterwards Mrs.
Henry Teskey. He fell into the water, and although quickly pulled out, he
could not be resuscitated. His widow sold the squatter's rights to John
Hunter. There was also one Joseph Lindsay who met with the sad fate that
has overtaken many a backwoodsman, being killed by the fall of a tree
which he was engaged in felling. In the Pine River cemetery, on a
tombstone more than half covered with drifting sand, there can yet be made
out the words, "Joseph Lindsay—1853." His widow sold out her rights as a
squatter in 1853 to Thomas Welsh.
The vicinity of the mouth
of Pine River is said to have been, before man had marred it, one of the
most beautiful spots to be found along the lake shore. The river's banks
were timbered almost to the water's edge. To the north of the river was a
grove of red pines that grew as if planted in an open park. What to-day is
drifting sands was at that time covered with a carpet of vegetable mould
studded with pine needles and patches of green moss, soft and enjoyable to
walk upon. A sleigh track was cut through the woods of Ashfield in the
winter of 1849-50, and the lake shore road through Huron was cut out in
1853, a substantial timber bridge at the same time being placed across
Pine River. Thomas Blair was the contractor for the work done in this
last-mentioned year. What a lovely drive it was along that road. On one
hand, as seen through the openings in the evergreens, was the seemingly
limitless expanse of the waters of Lake Huron beating with rhythmical flow
on the hard, sandy beach. On the other hand was the dark verdure of the
evergreens, through which the road had been cut, and which filled the air
with a resinous perfume mixed at times with that of a Balm of Gilead tree.
In addition to this there was always that cool, exhilarating freshness of
the breeze that had passed over the miles and miles of waters of Lake
Huron. In some places deep sand made the road heavy, but this provided an
excuse to slow up and be satiated with the beauty nature had so freely
supplied. This road lost much of the travel which at one time passed over
it when the Goderich road, extending north from Amberley, was opened.
As is elsewhere pointed
out, the settlers who first peopled the county of Bruce were, as a whole,
of numerous and varied vocations, and in regard to nationality they were
pretty thoroughly mixed up. This heterogeneity served a good purpose in
the making of the county. Huron Township received at one time, in the fall
of 1852, a large group of settlers, sufficient if so allocated to have
taken up every lot on three concessions, who differed in every respect
from the foregoing. This was the Lewis settlement. It consisted of one
hundred and nine families who took up land in the centre of the township.
These were all from the Island of Lewis, and had been evicted from their
croftings by their landlord, Sir James Matheson. Laboring under the
disadvantage of being able to speak English but imperfectly —Gaelic being
their mother tongue, many, indeed, could speak no other—and whose calling
was that of sailors or fishermen, they were utterly ignorant of how to set
to work to clear up a bush farm, and lacked also the necessary experience
how to work it after it had been cleared. In addition to this, being
settled close together they had consequently no opportunity to study the
object lesson which a native Canadian backwoodsman in his daily task of
chopping, logging and ploughing would have set before them. Is it any
wonder, then, when all these circumstances are considered, that the
progress of the Lewis settlement was at the first slow.
The author has been favored
by Mr. Angus Martyn, of Ripley, a son of one of the Highlanders from
Lewis, with a short account of the movement which brought this large
number of families to settle in Huron. The following is Mr. Martyn's
account: "The Highlanders from Lewis, Rosshire, Scotland, who settled in
Huron emigrated to this country in 1851. Two shiploads left Stornoway, in
Lewis, in that year. They were nine weeks and four days in crossing the
Atlantic. They came on sailing vessels and landed at Quebec on the 4th
August, 1851. They then went by boat to Port St. Francis, where the party
of emigrants divided, the majority going to the county of Compton, Lower
Canada, and the remainder went on the same boat to Montreal, from there by
another boat to Hamilton, touching at Toronto. From August to December
they remained in Hamilton, the men working on the Great Western Railway,
which was then in course of construction. Smallpox broke out among them in
Hamilton and carried off many. In December they scattered, going to Guelph,
Stratford, Galt and Goderich. All met in Goderich in the summer of 1852.
Some more emigrants from Lewis came to Canada in 1852 and joined the
others at Goderich in the fall of that year, when all moved to Huron
Township in the county of Bruce. There were one hundred and nine families
in all. The names of the heads of the families are given in a footnote.
[Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 8th concession of Huron : Roderick McDonald,
John McDonald, Donald McDonald, (Yarrie) John Martyn, Donald Martyn,
Malcolm McDonald, John McDonald, Allan McLay, Murdoch McLennan, Roderick
McLennan, John McDonald, Malcolm; McDonald, Angus Murray, Donald McDonald,
Murdoch McLean, John McLeod, Charles McDonald, Donald Matheson, Donald
McLeod, Murdoch Matheson, John McDonald, Malcolm McLennan, Sr., Malcolm
McLennan,. Jr., Donald McLennan. (The McLennans came from Cape Breton.)
Names of the head3 of
families who settled on the 7th concession of Huron: Donald Smith, Angus
Smith, Malcolm McLean, William McDonald, Christina Smith (widow), Murdoch
McLeod (Shepherd), Malcolm McIver, Angus McIver, Angus McDonald, Donald
McDonald (Councillor), John McIver, James McIver, Donald McDonald, Allan
McDonald, Donald McDonald, Norman McLean, John McLean, Angus McDonald,
Alexander McDonald, Donald McDonald, Allan McLay, Angus McDonald, and John
McDonald (Keeper), and Angus Graham.
Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 9th and 10th concessions: Malcolm Campbell,
Malcolm Smith, William Smith, Murdoch McLeod, John McLeod, Malcolm McIver
(Elder), William McLeod (10) Donald McLeod, Malcolm McIver, Angus
McFarlane (10), Kenneth McDonald, Alexander McKenzie (10).
Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 11th concession : Donald McGregor, John
McGregor, and Murdoch McGregor.
Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 5th concession: Angus McDonald, John McDonald
(Dorrie), Angus McKay, John McKay* Angus McDonald, Murdoch McFarlane,
Donald McLeod, Edward McLeod Malcolm McLeod, Donald McIver, Angus
McArthur, Murdoch Martin and John McDonald.
Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 6th concession: John McKay, Malcolm McKay,
John McKay, Norman McKay Angus McKay, Murdoch McKay, Duncan McLeod,
Malcolm McLeod John Murray Donald McLeod, John McLeod (Elder), Donald
McGregor, Malcolm McGregor, Donald McLeod, John McArthur, Neil McArthur,
Murdoch Mc-Ritehie (from Cape Breton), John McLean, Malcolm McDonald Angus
McDonald, Murdoch McLeod, John McLeod, Angus McKay (Og), and John McKay.
Names of the heads of
families who settled on the 4th concession of the township of Huron :
Norman Smith, Murdoch McDonald, Donald McDonald (Sly), Malcolm Smith,
Duncan McLennan and his five sons, Donald, Neil, John, Sr., Alexander and
John, Jr., and John McLeod and son John.]
A process of evicting by
the proprietor of the island of Lewis was the cause of the emigration of
this large number from one locality. To smooth over the heartlessness of
eviction the proprietor of the island offered a free passage to any part
of Canada to any one who was willing to emigrate, and at the same time
offered to purchase their horses, cattle and sheep if they could not
otherwise get sale for them. The men among the passengers were all
fishermen, as accustomed to the sea as the crews of the vessels on which
they crossed the Atlantic, and so during a severe storm were able to
render valuable aid in weathering the gale. One of the ships lost two of
her masts during this storm and to ease her fifty tons of pig iron were
cast overboard. During the first year of the settlement in Huron these
hardy pioneers had to get their supplies, flour, etc., in Goderich, from
which place they brought them on their backs, along the lake shore to the
foot of the eighth concession, and thence home through the bush."
If these Highlanders came
into the bush lacking in the knowledge possessed by an experienced
backwoodsman, they were not lacking in physical strength and powers of
endurance. It is related of one, who having purchased a hundredweight of
flour at Kincardine, proceeded to carry it on his back the long fourteen
miles to his shanty. He could have carried it in a bag, but on a barrel
being offered him as a present, he placed the flour therein, and solely
that he might have the barrel for use at home, shouldered it with the
enclosed flour. Awkward as this was to carry he reached home in due time.
When asked if he were tired after such exertion, he said, "Heugh no, but
she'll be a little pit sore about the back."
After the group of names
already mentioned of men who are to be classed as the earliest of the
pioneers of Huron, there are many who settled there at a date early enough
to enable them to experience a full share of the hardships of backwoods
life, early enough to have the call made on them to put forth all the
strength of their manhood to maintain their families and at the same time
hew out for them a home out of the tangled woods which covered the
township. Of this second group there was John and Archibald Campbell, with
their sister (now Mrs. Joseph Barker of Kincardine), Cowan Keyes, Thomas
Welsh, William Welsh, [The author desires to express his thanks to Mr.
Welsh for a number of facts regarding the settlement of Huron township,
which he has incorporated in this chapter and to recommend to all who can
do so the preservation of a series of letters on "The Settlement and the
Woods of Our County," written by Mr. Welsh, which appeared in the
Kincardine Review in the spring of 1904.] J. W. Gamble, John Hunter,
Thomas Henry, Alex. McCosh, and Archibald McDonald. All of these resided
on the Lake Range. Of those who settled back from the lake, a few names
only can be here mentioned. There were the Stanley and Collins families in
the north-east part of the township; Thomas Wilson and Robert Montgomery,
who filled municipal offices at different times; Ninian Hyslop, and John
S. McDonald. The last-mentioned settled on his lot in 1855, with no more
of this world's possessions than the ordinary settler. Being a man of
energy and ability, he soon came to the front, and, from being a township
councillor, became reeve of the township, then warden of the county, and
then represented the riding of Centre Bruce in Parliament from 1894 to
1898. Mr. McDonald had his own share of the hardships of the early days.
In speaking of them, he said:— [Extract from the Kincardine Review.] "We
used a wecht in cleaning our first grain. This wecht was made from
sheepskins, with the wool removed. The skin was tacked on to a wooden rim,
and was formed something like the end of a drum. We used this implement as
a scoop to lift the wheat from the bin, and allowed the grain to fall from
the wecht to a sheet laid on the ground, the wind cleaning the chaff from
the wheat as the latter fell. One day when we were about out of flour
there was no wind to clean the grain; about dusk, however, the wind came
up and I kept on cleaning, in the way I have described, by the light of
the moon until two o'clock in the morning. I did this after having
threshed with a flail all day. Before daylight I was off with the grist,
so prepared, to the Harris' Mill, beyond Dun-gannon, twenty miles away.
All the settlers from about here took grists to this mill. The grist was
usually carried on a jumper, and sometimes it would not consist of more
than three bags of wheat. The journey there was made in one day, and the
wheat was ground in the mill while the owner spent the night in the tavern
near by, the return journey being made the following day. This tavern was
a log cabin, and in going to bed upstairs we had to climb a ladder. The
roof was just a little above our heads, and in the morning the ceiling was
coated with frost from the air breathed by the men; our cowhide boots, in
which we had tramped through slush and water in going to the mill, and
which had been thoroughly soaked on our arrival, were frozen as stiff as
bricks, so that we could not get them on until after thawing them out by
the side of the stove."
There were many Highland
Scotch settled in Huron other than those from Lewis. The combination
resulted in the number of "Mac's" being in such excess, that nicknames had
to be used to designate the individual—such as little, big, red, black,
long, short, and other adjectives. It is said that in school section No. 5
the John McDonalds had to be separately designated by a letter of the
alphabet, as John A., John B., and so on, until John U. closed the list.
The Donald McDonalds were as numerous, and were similarly treated,
requiring all letters from "A" to "U" to distinguish one Donald from
another.
"Pine River" was the name
of the first post-office established in Huron. J. W. Gamble was the first
postmaster. This office was not located where the present "Pine River"
office is, but on the lake shore, near the mouth of the river, and was
opened in 1853. The mails were delivered by the Goderich and Kincardine
mail carrier, who passed to and fro each way thrice a week on horseback.
The author remembers on one occasion in the fifties travelling for
company's sake with the mail carrier, each on horseback, and both mere
lads. It was a warm summer morning as they left Pine River for Kincardine,
and the cool waters of the lake looked so tempting that the despatch
required in the conveyance of Her Majesty's mail was forgotten for half an
hour, while the two lads frolicked in the water.
The first sawmill in Huron
is said to have been built in 1855 at Pine River by William Blair, and was
run by his two sons, Thomas and George. The mill and water privileges were
purchased some five years later by John Hicks, who had previously filled
the position of head miller for William Sutton at Kincardine. Mr. Hicks on
coming into possession added a grist mill to the plant. These mills were
successfully run until a freshet, which occurred in 1868, destroyed both
dam and mills.
In 1856 Capt. Henry C.
Gamble, an Irish gentleman of some means, came to Pine River on a visit to
his brother, J. W. Gamble. The locality struck his fancy, and he decided
to remain and do his utmost to develop into a business centre the town
plot at the mouth of the river, surveyed in 1855, which consisted of parts
of lots 18 to 22 of the Lake Range. The survey was known as the Alma town
plot. Capt. Gamble obtained a transfer of the rights to the east half of
lots 16 and 17 adjoining the Alma survey, and here he proceeded to erect a
saw and grist mill. The government shortly after commenced the erection of
the lighthouse [The Point Clark, or Pine Point, lighthouse commenced to
show its light in 1859. It is a circular stone building, 87 feet high. The
height of the light above high-water is 93 feet, and is visible for
fifteen miles. The light is what is known as a revolving one, and shows a
white light every thirty seconds.] at Pine Point. The combination of this
work with Capt. Gamble's efforts made quite a stir for some time in the
neighborhood of "The Point." Shortly after the opening of the Goderich
Road the Pine River post-office was moved to its present more central
locality. The loss of the office was followed by the forwarding of a
petition asking for a post-office at "The Point," which was granted, and
in 1860 Lurgan post-office was there opened, but subsequently moved
further north. The name is that of a town in the north of Ireland, said to
be the native place of Capt. Gamble. The attempt to develop a town at Alma
or Lurgan proved to be a complete failure. After the sinking of a large
amount Capt. Gamble gave up the attempt and returned to the Old Country.
When the municipality of the united townships in the county of Bruce was
dissolved, [See Appendix F.] at the end of 1853, and six municipalities
formed out of it, the township of Huron was found to have a sufficiently
large population and an aggregate assessment large enough to be able to
assume the responsibility of separate municipal existence, unlike most of
the other townships in the county, which had to unite in partnerships of
twos and threes. The affairs of the young municipality in 1854, the first
year of its existence, were in the hands of a Township Council composed of
William Blair, Robt. Huston, William Wilson and Samuel Wright, over which
John Hunter, as reeve, presided; J. W. Gamble acted as clerk and John
Campbell as treasurer. In a footnote [Names of the reeves of the township
of Huron from 1854 to 1906 inclusive: John Hunter, 1854. '63; Ninian
Hyslop, 1855; Malcolm McLennan, 1856, '57; John Good, 1858, '59, '67; Robt.
Johnston, 1860 '62 '64 '65, '66, '68, '69, '70, '77; John McLay, 1861;
John Stewart, 1871 '72 '73' '74; Thomas Yemen, 1875, '76; David Henderson,
1878, '79, '80,' '81' '82' '83; John Ballantyne, 1884, '85, '86, '87; John
S. McDonald, 1888, '89, '90, '91; Robert Thompson, 1892, '93, '94, '95,
'96; Richard Robertson, 1897, '98, '99, 1900, '02; G. H. Humphreys, 1901;
James Brown, 1903, '04, '05, '06.] there is given the names of all who
have had the honor of the reeveship conferred upon them. In the year 1855
there appears in the minutes of the United Counties Council, January
session, in the "Report on the Validity of the Election of Councillors,'
the following re "Certificate of the township clerk of Huron to the effect
that Ninian Hyslop was duly elected town reeve. We find no evidence that
the oath of qualification has been taken, nor is there any reason why this
oath should be omitted." On the report being presented to the County
Council the following motion to enable Mr. Hyslop to take his seat was
carried, "That the affidavit of the clerk of the township of Huron to the
effect that there were no parties rated in the township of Huron to a
sufficient amount (£100) to enable them to take the oath of qualification
is satisfactory." [Mr. Joseph Barker, who succeeded Mr. Gamble, in
1855, to the office of township clerk, wrote to the author in regard to
this incident as follows: " The council-elect for 1855 were all fresh men,
and the clerk, J. W. Gamble, felt sore and refused to give Ninian Hyslop
the certificate required to enable him to take his seat ; because of such
refusal the Council bounced Mr. Gamble and appointed the writer as clerk,
and requested me to go with the reeve-elect to Goderich and explain the
reason why Mr. Hyslop could not get his certificate from Mr. Gamble. The
Counties Council, after hearing my statement, decided, by resolution, that
Mr. Hyslop might take his seat on my giving certificate, which was done."]
The above incident is recorded to show the impoverished circumstances of
the first settlers in the township. In a wealthy community such as now
resides in Huron, it seems incredible that there was a time in the history
of the township when there was not one ratepayer who had enough of worldly
goods to be assessed for four hundred dollars.
The post-office at Ripley
was established in 1856 at lot 4, concession 8, township of Huron. The
first postmaster was M. MacLennan, [Malcolm MacLennan was long connected
with the township of Huron. He was reeve of the township in 1856, '57, was
a member of the Township Council for two other years, and filled the
office of township clerk for ten years. He came, in July, 1852, from Cape
Breton, with his father, _ to Goderich. In the following year they took up
land on the 8th concession of Huron. It was not until January, 1856, he
settled on this lot, having followed school-teaching in the interim. He
was the third person who filled the position of teacher of the Kincardine
Public School—this was in 1854. Mr. MacLennan some years ago moved to
Algoma, where he still resides. A post-office there bears his name.] He
had the office for two years, and was succeeded by Thomas Harris, the
office being then located at his house on lot 2, concession 8, Kinloss.
John Brown was the next postmaster, and the office was moved to lot 12,
concession 7, Huron. The next move of the post-office was a permanent one.
Donald McDonald, the next postmaster, resided on lot 15, concession 7, and
there the village bearing the name of the post-office developed. The
successor in office to Mr. McDonald was Paul D. McInnes. On the death of
the latter the office was given to his widow "Ripley" ["Ripley" is the
name of a town in Derbyshire, England.] was the name conferred upon this
post-office in 1856, and was retained until 1874, the year Paul D. McInnes
was appointed postmaster. He, wishing to have a name somewhat consonant
with the native land of the majority of the population, agitated for a
change of name, which was granted, and "Dingwall" became the name of the
post-office. But as the railway station was called Ripley, and as this
name had been associated for so many years with the post-office, it was
found necessary to revert to the old name and in 1880 the post-office
again bore the name of Ripley, which it has retained. When the railway
company made Ripley a station, business soon focussed there. The year
1874, which witnessed the opening of the railway, also witnessed the
erection of a number of buildings at Ripley. In the following year a
visitor reported the village as having both a grist and a sawmill, six
stores and a Presbyterian church. Shortly after this the town hall was
built, and also three grain storehouses required by grain buyers, whose
efforts made Ripley a good grain market. As the village developed the
desire was felt by the inhabitants to have complete control over local
improvements. To obtain this the County Council was petitioned to create
Ripley into a police village, which was granted. The first Board of
Trustees were elected in January, 1898. For years the banking of the
village, and largely of the township, was done with a firm of private
bankers, S. T. Jackson & Co. This business was purchased in 1903 by the
Bank of Hamilton, who retained Mr. Jackson as its agent. In 1904.the
Trader's Bank, on the outlook for a good opening for an agency, selected
Ripley and opened an office there, thus giving the village banking
accommodation not possessed by many places of larger size. A printing
press for job work was started in the village by H. P. Chapman about 1889.
In 1892 he commenced the issue of a newspaper called The Enquirer, which
name was changed some two years later to that of The Ripley Express, a
newspaper that still flourishes.
The two Presbyterian
churches at Ripley had as a common origin the first efforts to hold
religious services when the settlement was but young. In 1855 a catechist
labored in Huron holding services in the Gaelic language. These were held
in private houses or barns, according to circumstances. In time the
catechists were succeeded by students and probationers, and efforts were
then made to organize a congregation and erect a church. These efforts
were so successful that in 1858 a church was built on lot 14 on the 6th
concession. It was built of hewed logs, and was supposed to seat four
hundred persons. The congregation which worshipped there was one in a
union charge, the other congregation being in the township of Ash-field.
It was some years before a minister was regularly settled over these two
congregations, the first being the Rev. Alexander Grant. The total stipend
paid him was but $700, half of which was paid by each congregation.
Services were held in each church on alternate Sundays. As the
congregations grew it was decided to make of each a separate charge. This
was in 1875. Rev. Mr. Grant continued with the Ashfield congregation,
leaving the Huron congregation to seek a new minister. In trying to decide
who this should be a split in the congregation occurred. The majority
decided to build a church at Ripley. This they did, erecting a frame
building (subsequently veneered with brick) calculated to seat about four
hundred and fifty worshippers. This congregation was known as that of Knox
Church, while the old church and congregation bore the name of the Huron
Church. The Rev. Adam McKay was the minister called to Knox Church. His
successors have been the Rev. Alexander Sutherland, the Rev. C. Sinclair,
the Rev. P. J. Maxwell, and the Rev. W. A. Bremner. The Huron church
called the Rev. A. F. McQueen, who remained in charge until 1893. The Rev.
R. McLeod is his successor. This congregation in 1886 built a new church
in Ripley, a commodious building of brick, with a seating capacity for
five hundred, the cost being about $4,500. Before the congregation
deserted their old church, services used to be held at Ripley, in the town
hall, on Sunday afternoons, in the English language. Services in both
Gaelic and English are still conducted in Huron church. In Knox Church
only English is used.
The sturdy type of settlers
who cleared and settled the township of Huron have been succeeded by a
generation who well maintain the standard of their forbears. Those of them
who have sought a wider field of action have as a rule been successful,
and have made for themselves a name, while they who remain on the old
homesteads may be depended upon to keep their native township in the front
rank of the municipalities of the county of Bruce. |
