Hamlets in Elizabethtown – Heritage Place Museum

November 16 2016

Spring Valley – A Hamlet in Elizabethtown

John Hamlets of Elizabethtown Hamlets in Elizabethtown, Leeds and Grenville, Spring Valley 1

Spring Valley (Niblock’s Corners)

elizabethtown-master-1861-62-map-5 — Location of Spring Valley on 1861-62 Map

Spring Valley is located 7 miles north of Brockville on Highway 29, or what once the Victoria Macadamized Road, the main road, and stage coach route, leading from Brockville to Perth.

Located at Spring Valley is a famous old inn “Toppler’s Tavern” built in 1808. The home was originally built for Col. Samuel Wright and was set on 700 acres of land. Col. Wright was a New Yorker who fought in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was rewarded with a grant of 700 acres of land in Elizabethtown covering Lot no 21 and 22 in the Fourth Concession.

When Col. Wright died the house passed into the hands of the Topper family and the rooms were divided off to cater to guests.

Topper’s Tavern proved highly popular with a hosts of Leeds travellers. The Inn served fine old English ale, beer and a variety of liquors ^{(Recorder and Times, Darling Collection Book 3)}

Spring Valley did not really coalesce into a village. Partly this was due to geography. It was not at the intersection of any concession, but rather it was between two parallel roads, the old bush trail and the realigned Highway 29. Along the highway Spring Valley stretches from the 4^th Concession road to Murray Road.

Originally known as Niblock’s Corners, after Absalom Niblock, a carriage maker, the community was renamed Spring Valley by the post office which was changing names all over the province. It was named in reference to he artesian spring that bubbles out of the ground and crosses the highway, the headwaters of the Lyn Creek. ^{(Elizabethtown: The Last of the Royal Townships by Alvyn Austin pub 2009)}

spring-valley-toppers-tavern-c1980-darling-bk3p197 — Topper’s Tavern c1985

spring-valley-wright-house-photo-alvyn-austin — Wright House (photo Alvyn Austin)

spring-valley-school-closes-1965-a-2 — Spring Valley School, now a library and community centre

spring-valley-calss-photo-c1937-sf111 — Spring Valley School Class of 1937

1-spring-valley — Spring Valley on current map of 2016

spring-valley-davidson — Advertisement from the Athen’s Reporter c1889

“Edna’s Scrapbook”

is a paperback book written by Edna B. Chant and was published in 1998. Edna Chant was a reported with the “Athens Reporter” for 23 years and she is the author of four books.

Her book, which is made up of news clippings from various sources, from which we have taken excerpts, gives us a glimpse into life in our area for over a hundred year period ending with stories from 1975.

While her book covers many areas of Leeds and Grenville we have only focused on the area within Elizabethtown-Kitley Township.

Spring Valley

Carl Ellis 7, and Fred 6, brothers, drowned in a quarry at Spring Valley in 1944.

November 16 2016

Row’s Corners – A Hamlet in Elizabethtown

John Hamlets of Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, Hamlets in Elizabethtown, Leeds and Grenville, Row's Corners 0

Row’s Corners

elizabethtown-master-1861-62-map-1 — Area of Row’s Corners on 1861-62 Map

While the United Empire Loyalists of 1784 opened up the St.Lawrence River areas of Elizabethtown and Augusta late in the 18^th Century, it was not until the early 1800’s the tide of immigration reached the ‘back40’s’ of these townships.

One of these early homesteaders was farmer Peter McEachron who proved up on a Crown Grant of 200 acres on Lot No. 6 of the 4^th Concession of Elizabethtown on February 10, 1803.

McEachron, whose name is misspelled in Land Registry books as “McCatherine”, must have also been a speculator for 14 months after taking possession, he sold the entire 200 acres to Nathan Clark, McEachron’s attorney. Daniel McEachron, probably a son engineered the deal.

The Clark Family was to remain in possession of all or parts of Lot No. 6 for over 100 years. On February 4, 1844, Nathan Clark sold the eastern quarter, 50 acres, to his son Robert C.Clark.

Robert’s will, December 11, 1858, split the property among his children, Robert Jr., W.C. Clark, Reuel Clark and Mirole Clark.

What was the Country Road Garden Centre occupied the centre 17 acre tract of the old homestead, while separate residences sit on many parts of the old farm. The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville own several parcels of land hacked off the homestead.

When McEachron accepted his 200 acre grant the land was overgrown with forests.

Indians, still seen in the neighbourhood when McEachron arrived, had used the area for years for hunting and fur trapping activities.

Spruce and pine, tamarack and cedar, chokecherry trees and sugar plum bushes predominated. McEachron spent the summer of 1803 clearing lumber off his land. The pine and spruce trees gave him logs for his cabin. The cedar provided him with fencing.

Hunting was good and McEachron and his neighbours lived off the land, bagging deer, wildfowl and fish.

rowes-cor-wb6 — Homestead at Rowe’s Corners

drive-in-1957 — Aerial view of Rowe’s Corners and the famous Drive-In c1957

brockville-drive-in-digital-file-mack-2 — Row’s Corners is probably best know to many of us for the nights we spent at the Drive In that was located there.

brockville-drive-in-digital-file-mack-1 — Brockville Drive In

pony-at-drive-in-theatre-1955 — Pony Night at he Drive In c1955

map-of-elizabethtown — Row’s Corners Map of 2016

rows-corners-1892 — Cole Bros advertisement in The Athens Reporter- 1892

“Edna’s Scrapbook”

is a paperback book written by Edna B. Chant and was published in 1998. Edna Chant was a reported with the “Athens Reporter” for 23 years and she is the author of four books.

While her book covers many areas of Leeds and Grenville we have only focused on the area within Elizabethtown-Kitley Township.

Row’s Corners

John McNish of Rows Corners aged 66 years, was killed when struck by lightning while working in a field on May 10, 1883

Excerpts from:

The Athen’s Reporter from Jan 31, 1889 to Dec 31, 1889

Rows Corners

Jan 15 1889

Messrs Cole Bros of Row’s Corners have rebuilt their carriage works recently destroyed by fire, and are now ready to transact business as usual. Their pluck and enterprise are commendable