cbe report final_hr - Haliburton County Community Cooperative Inc

who have settled here in the past and present years are proud of their heritage.
(Monmouth Township 1981)
• Essonville Anglican Church was built in 1888. It was the first church to be built in
the Township of Monmouth – artistic interior with stained glass windows. A
memorial service is held in the church each summer to commemorate those
pioneers of yesteryears.
• The first school in Esson ville was built in 1881 – 14 miles SE of Haliburton.
(Monmouth Township 1981)
Hotspur
In 1871 Monk Road (now Lee’s Road) was built from lake Simcoe to Hastings Boundary and
went through the area. The first settler was Thomas Clark who moved into Hotspur and
stared the Post Office in his home” (Monmouth Township 1981)
• A school was built for settlers kids and a new frame was built around 1900 and was
still standing in 1981 – is it still in 2010?? And is used as a summer house? Inside the
interior is covered with beautifully scrolled metallic walls, as was the fashion at the
turn of the century. When a new person moved into the community all would turn
out and help build a house and quite often by evening they would have a roof over
their head. Ladies on foot went along with baskets of food. These baskets were
made at home by weaving willow branches. Deer and moose were hunted. Sheep
wool for mitts socks, straw hats etc. (Monmouth Township 1981)
• Before railroad, Daniel Ireland came and built a large Hotel beside the Burnt River.
He had thought the railroad would follow the river but it turned north and missed
the hotel. The settlers enjoyed the hospitality of this house. There was a large hall
running its length and many dances were held, with no admission. Some family
members are buried there in the woods. (Monmouth Township 1981)
• Every summer at Bear Lake and the 24 th of May was a “the picnic”. Are there still
picnics at this site today?
• Sugar bush, run by Jim Mackness (Monmouth Township 1981)
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