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Early Settlement Villages Churches 1842 Government Highways 1850 Council Hotel Licences Officials  |
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Highways
On November 8th, a meeting of overseers of highways was held in Stratford to report on their several divisions. These reports tell a strange story of those old days, and present such conditions, on even our main traveled roads, as to the people of Downie are now unknown. Mr. William Dunn, who was overseer in division No. 5, must have been a son of the Emerald Isle, his report displaying a quiet humor, when he says: "That I consider that the road is passable enough, considerably circumstances, except a bridge that is required to be built across the Avon, and although we have petitioned to have the same done by the district, yet we are willing to withdraw the same, and do the work ourselves without any public expense." Mr. Edward Donkin, No. 4 division, says: "I have to report that the road in my division is impassable; although we have expended our statute labor to the best advantage, we are now compelled to abandon the road and take by-roads through the bush."
Mr. Matthew Nelson, division No. 6, reports "That the road in my division is totally impassable; although we had a number of men working extra statute labour yesterday, yet the road is not fit to be traveled by teams of any description. My division comprises the south part of the line of road from Stratford to Embro, in the township of Zorra. Although intended for a public road, it is avoided by all travelers except those on foot. Although we have a grist mill in Stratford, within seven miles of the most remote settler, yet we are compelled to go to Embro, a distance of eleven miles, or run the risk of having our oxen killed on crossways, besides having to unload our teams, and carry our grists over logs across the river on our backs to where we can load again, on account of the flood carrying off all the bridges."
Mr. Arad Priest reports "That the road in his division, which is a part of the leading road from Stratford to Embro, thence to Woodstock, is not fit to be traveled on by teams. Although we have had fourteen men yesterday working extra statute labour, yet I have seen this day a yoke of oxen break through in several places that were going to mill. There is one crossway in my division, which is nearly a mile long, besides several others, all of which are totally out of repair. On the whole line of road from Stratford to the Zorra line, a distance of about seven miles, five of which I consider to be crossways, most of which have been swept away."
Mr. Samuel Monteith reports "That the road in my division, which commences at Stratford, running south as far as the turn in the Zorra road, on which there are thirteen crossways within a distance of one mile, which have been carried away by the river, leaving the road impassable for teams, although our statute labour has been laid out to the best advantage."
These reports present a phase of life unknown in Downie today. When we consider that in a distance of seven miles there were five miles of corduroy, or, as in Mr. Monteith's division, where there were thirteen sections of corduroy in a distance of one mile, the condition of a settler who resided far away in the woods must have been not only lonely but deplorable indeed.
During the ten years that local government was managed by district councils, very little was expended in improvement of highways in Perth County. In May, 1847, Mr. James Simpson, district councillor, obtained a grant of £41 15s., 0d., proceeds of wild land tax. This was supplemented by a further grant of £2, 10s., 0d., or a total of £44, 5s. This amount, excepting 17s., 8 1/2d., as remuneration to the township clerk, constituted the whole expenditure on roads for that year. There was also expended £4, 6s., 8d., on the boundary line between Downie and South Easthope, the first appropriation for any town line. This account was audited by Arad Priest, James Clyne, and William Smith, wardens, and found correct. Another statement of account is dated in January, 1849, amounting to £5, 1s., 3d. This appropriation was all expended on roads excepting 2s. for clerk's salary. On January 7th, 1850, a final audit under the Act of 1841 took place, when it was found Downie had 6s., 9d. to her credit. With her finances in this flourishing condition, she now entered on her career of prosperity under those liberal and very practical conditions of the new Municipal Act.
On November 8th, a meeting of overseers of highways was held in Stratford to report on their several divisions. These reports tell a strange story of those old days, and present such conditions, on even our main traveled roads, as to the people of Downie are now unknown. Mr. William Dunn, who was overseer in division No. 5, must have been a son of the Emerald Isle, his report displaying a quiet humor, when he says: "That I consider that the road is passable enough, considerably circumstances, except a bridge that is required to be built across the Avon, and although we have petitioned to have the same done by the district, yet we are willing to withdraw the same, and do the work ourselves without any public expense." Mr. Edward Donkin, No. 4 division, says: "I have to report that the road in my division is impassable; although we have expended our statute labor to the best advantage, we are now compelled to abandon the road and take by-roads through the bush."
Mr. Matthew Nelson, division No. 6, reports "That the road in my division is totally impassable; although we had a number of men working extra statute labour yesterday, yet the road is not fit to be traveled by teams of any description. My division comprises the south part of the line of road from Stratford to Embro, in the township of Zorra. Although intended for a public road, it is avoided by all travelers except those on foot. Although we have a grist mill in Stratford, within seven miles of the most remote settler, yet we are compelled to go to Embro, a distance of eleven miles, or run the risk of having our oxen killed on crossways, besides having to unload our teams, and carry our grists over logs across the river on our backs to where we can load again, on account of the flood carrying off all the bridges."
Mr. Arad Priest reports "That the road in his division, which is a part of the leading road from Stratford to Embro, thence to Woodstock, is not fit to be traveled on by teams. Although we have had fourteen men yesterday working extra statute labour, yet I have seen this day a yoke of oxen break through in several places that were going to mill. There is one crossway in my division, which is nearly a mile long, besides several others, all of which are totally out of repair. On the whole line of road from Stratford to the Zorra line, a distance of about seven miles, five of which I consider to be crossways, most of which have been swept away."
Mr. Samuel Monteith reports "That the road in my division, which commences at Stratford, running south as far as the turn in the Zorra road, on which there are thirteen crossways within a distance of one mile, which have been carried away by the river, leaving the road impassable for teams, although our statute labour has been laid out to the best advantage."
These reports present a phase of life unknown in Downie today. When we consider that in a distance of seven miles there were five miles of corduroy, or, as in Mr. Monteith's division, where there were thirteen sections of corduroy in a distance of one mile, the condition of a settler who resided far away in the woods must have been not only lonely but deplorable indeed.
During the ten years that local government was managed by district councils, very little was expended in improvement of highways in Perth County. In May, 1847, Mr. James Simpson, district councillor, obtained a grant of £41 15s., 0d., proceeds of wild land tax. This was supplemented by a further grant of £2, 10s., 0d., or a total of £44, 5s. This amount, excepting 17s., 8 1/2d., as remuneration to the township clerk, constituted the whole expenditure on roads for that year. There was also expended £4, 6s., 8d., on the boundary line between Downie and South Easthope, the first appropriation for any town line. This account was audited by Arad Priest, James Clyne, and William Smith, wardens, and found correct. Another statement of account is dated in January, 1849, amounting to £5, 1s., 3d. This appropriation was all expended on roads excepting 2s. for clerk's salary. On January 7th, 1850, a final audit under the Act of 1841 took place, when it was found Downie had 6s., 9d. to her credit. With her finances in this flourishing condition, she now entered on her career of prosperity under those liberal and very practical conditions of the new Municipal Act.
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