Flesherton, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Flesherton is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands
, in Grey County
, Ontario
, Canada
, located at the junction of Highway 10
and Grey County Road 4 (formerly Highway 4
). Although the area initially showed a high rate of growth in the 1850s and its founder believed that it would become an important centre of economic activity, growth stagnated when an all-important rail link bypassed it, and the community never grew larger than a small village. The self-proclaimed "Gateway to the Beaver Valley" recently lost its autonomy as a village when it was amalgamated with the surrounding Artemesia Township.
, recently arrived from England and looking to make his fortune in the wilds of Canada West, surveyed a portion of the township of Artemesia, which lay in the south-east corner of what would shortly become Grey County. The north-south Toronto-Sydenham road and the east-west Durham Road, which both ran through the township, were completed shortly after the survey was finished, opening the area to settlement. The intersection of the two roads, which lay in a small valley, was named Artemesia Corners. As was usual for the time, Flesher was paid for his work in property within the survey area. He chose the valley containing Artemesia Corners and laid out a portion in village lots.
Aaron Munshaw, a man involved in the Upper Canada Rebellion
of 1838 who had recently returned from 10 years of exile with William Lyon Mackenzie
, was looking to lead a quieter life; he arrived as the first settler and built a small tavern on the southeast corner of the intersection of the two roads. Munshaw's father, Aaron Sr., also moved to the area, becoming one of the first farmers in the district. In 1864, as the village grew, the younger Munshaw built a larger inn and stagecoach stop that incorporated some parts of the original hotel. This building, operated as a hotel by the Munshaw family until the 1960s, is now known as Munshaw House and still stands on the original spot.
Throughout the 1850s, more settlers, mainly Scottish immigrants, claimed lots and began to clear the land.
that flowed through the bottom of the valley. He continued to be a prominent local figure, acting at various times as postmaster, magistrate, druggist, and even doctor, as well as warden of Grey County
(1855–1857, 1861–1862, 1865 and 1867), and reeve of the village (1854–1865 and 1866–1878). He organized a Masonic Lodge, and was a vocal booster of the village, convincing other businesses to settle in the area, including a woolen (fulling
) mill owned by his son William Henry in 1863. Flesher also became captain of the local militia, No. 6 Company of the 31st Grey Regiment, and travelled with the regiment to train at Niagara-on-the-Lake
during the Fenian Raids
of 1866. In recognition of his contributions, the name of the settlement was changed first to Flesher's Corners, and then, when a more "village-like" name was seen as desirable, to Flesherton.
The Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Grey for 1865-66 listed 27 prominent businessmen in the village and pointed out that much development had occurred recently:
In 1872, Flesher was elected to the House of Commons
as MP for the riding of Grey East
, and he was re-elected in 1874.
About this time, a mini-land boom ensued as speculators bet that the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway would pass through Flesherton. However, due to Flesherton's location in a valley, the railroad was routed around the edge of the valley 2 km (1.3 mi) to the west through the hamlet of Ceylon. The first train arrived in 1873 to much local celebration, but a serious blow had been dealt to the aspirations of the village.
Methodist circuit riders
had been visiting the area since 1850, usually using someone's house or the parlour of the Munshaw Hotel for worship. By 1864, there were two wood-frame churches, a Methodist and a Wesleyan. In 1876, W.K. Flesher donated some of his land for construction of a permanent Methodist church. The red brick church was finished a year later, and dedicated on 18 November 1877 by Egerton Ryerson
, provincial Minister of Education. Two years later, in 1879, the local Presbyterians erected Chalmers Presbyterian Church where the Toronto-Sydenham Road crossed the Boyne River. In 1886, Baptists built Cedar Springs Baptist Church at the east end of the village.
In 1881, A.R. Fawcett published the first issue of the Flesherton Advance newspaper. In 1888, Fawcett sold the paper to Willard Thurston. Thurston, and eventually his son Frank, continued to publish the Advance until 1961.
In 1891, W.K. Flesher donated land for the construction of a public school, which was built for about $1000. This large three-room yellow brick building became Flesherton Public School and served as the village children's elementary school until 1968. The building was destroyed by fire in 2009.
The year 1891 was also when telephone service was extended to Flesherton, and a village telephone exchange employed local women as operators until the introduction of dial service in 1967.
In 1894, John Nuhn Sr. bought the woolen mill that W.K Flesher's son William Henry had been operating since 1863, and was successful enough that Nuhn soon operated a mail order business across Canada for blankets, yarn, underwear and girls' black wool stockings. His son, John Jr., took over the business in 1931, and rebuilt another mill and warehouse when the original burned down in 1934. The mill continued to operate until the younger Nuhn's death in 1954.
of 1886—were shipped up this line from Toronto to Owen Sound, and from there by boat to Lake Superior
. However, the economic boom did not extend to the nearby village down in the valley. Although the train station was relatively close, new businesses balked at moving to the village, since their goods to be shipped by rail would first have to be hauled out of the steep valley. Economic growth stagnated, and the population stayed below 1000.
, but local teetotalling businessmen raised funds in 1908 to build a hotel called Park House as a "dry" alternative. The hotel remained in business until the 1950s, and is now a private residence.
In 1912, five years after the death of William Flesher in 1907, Flesherton was incorporated as a village.
Two years later, in 1914, World War I
broke out in Europe. Eighty-four local men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
, a significant percentage of the small village's population. Several were decorated for bravery, and 19 volunteers—almost 1 in 4—were killed. In 1920, the children of William Flesher donated land beside the Boyne River, close to the site of Flesher's original grist mill, for a Memorial Park. A cenotaph was erected, with the names of those who had died on the front, and those who had survived on the back.
In 1920, the Toronto-Sydenham Road that ran through Flesherton was assumed by the province and became King's Highway 10
.
Likewise in the 1930s, the Durham Road as far as the centre of Flesherton was assumed by the province as the easternmost extension of King's Highway 4
. (In the 1970s, Highway 4 was extended from the centre of Flesherton eastward a further 12 km (5 mi) to the village of Singhampton. However, in 1998, the provincial government under Mike Harris
downloaded most of Highway 4 back onto municipal governments, the result being that Highway 4 is now known as Grey Road 4 as it passes through Flesherton.)
In 1921, Agnes Macphail
, who had been born in nearby Proton Township, was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada
for the Grey Southeast
riding
in the 1921 federal election
. She was the first female MP
in Canada. Macphail was re-elected in 1925
, 1926
, and 1930
.
In 1925, the United Church of Canada
was formed from an amalgamation of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches, and the following year, the Methodist church in Flesherton joined with Chalmers Presbyterian to form St. John's United Church. The combined congregations chose to retain the highly visible Methodist building, and sold the much smaller Presbyterian building.
In 1939, enlistment at the start of the Second World War was again popular with local men; the names of the seven men who did not return were added to the cenotaph following the war.
In 1968, Grey Highlands Secondary School
was built in Flesherton to serve a large cachement area formerly covered by three smaller high schools. The placement of this school in Flesherton was considered a controversial decision at the time, since the town of Markdale
, 10 km (6 mi) to the north, was larger and was already home to the local school board offices. The arrival of the new high school's teaching and support staff and their families raised the village's population from 480 to 700, the first significant growth in over 80 years. With the new secondary school in place, the former Flesherton High School was converted to Macphail Memorial Elementary School; this new elementary school in turn replaced all of the one- and two-room schoolhouses in the district, including the 77-year-old Flesherton Public School. This was also the year that Walter Walls, owner of the Dundalk Herald, bought the Flesherton Advance, closed the paper's Flesherton offices after 87 years of operation and moved publication 15 km (11 mi) south to Dundalk
. The Advance has been published in Dundalk since that time.
In 1969, a major fire in the downtown district destroyed several 19th-century buildings on the southwest corner of the main intersection.
In 1974, village councillor Gilbert Little proposed a festival to promote local businesses and draw tourist traffic to the area. The result was the Split Rail Festival, named after the zig-zag fences built by pioneers using cedar rails. The festival was so successful that it became an annual September event that ran until 2008. At the same time, an increased interest in local history led to the construction of the South Grey Museum and Historical Library in a corner of Memorial Park in 1974.
In 1998, Flesherton was amalgamated with the Township of Artemesia by the Mike Harris
government. (In 2001, Artemesia itself was amalgamated with several other townships to form the municipality of Grey Highlands
).
In 2009, the old Flesherton Public School, built in 1891 and unused since 1968, was destroyed by fire.
, Ceylon, Eugenia
, Kimberley, Maxwell, Rock Mills and Feversham—are represented by the Flesherton and District Chamber of Commerce, which grew out of the Flesherton Service Club. The Chamber hosts the annual Community Awards since 1997, honouring business and community leaders, and supports the Walking Village Initiative - encouraging residents and visitors to enjoy the area on foot.
Grey Highlands, Ontario
Grey Highlands is a municipality in the southeast corner of Grey County, Ontario, Canada that was formed on January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the village of Markdale and the townships of Artemesia, Euphrasia and Osprey, which included the unincorporated hamlets of Eugenia Ceylon, Maxwell,...
, in Grey County
Grey County, Ontario
Grey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located at the junction of Highway 10
Highway 10 (Ontario)
King's Highway 10, commonly referred to as Highway 10 and historically as the Toronto–Sydenham Road, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
and Grey County Road 4 (formerly Highway 4
Highway 4 (Ontario)
King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. In its present form, it travels...
). Although the area initially showed a high rate of growth in the 1850s and its founder believed that it would become an important centre of economic activity, growth stagnated when an all-important rail link bypassed it, and the community never grew larger than a small village. The self-proclaimed "Gateway to the Beaver Valley" recently lost its autonomy as a village when it was amalgamated with the surrounding Artemesia Township.
Settlement
In 1850, 25-year-old William Kingston FlesherWilliam Kingston Flesher
William Kingston Flesher was surveyor and settler of southwestern Ontario, a militia officer, businessman and political figure...
, recently arrived from England and looking to make his fortune in the wilds of Canada West, surveyed a portion of the township of Artemesia, which lay in the south-east corner of what would shortly become Grey County. The north-south Toronto-Sydenham road and the east-west Durham Road, which both ran through the township, were completed shortly after the survey was finished, opening the area to settlement. The intersection of the two roads, which lay in a small valley, was named Artemesia Corners. As was usual for the time, Flesher was paid for his work in property within the survey area. He chose the valley containing Artemesia Corners and laid out a portion in village lots.
Aaron Munshaw, a man involved in the Upper Canada Rebellion
Upper Canada Rebellion
The Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
of 1838 who had recently returned from 10 years of exile with William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
, was looking to lead a quieter life; he arrived as the first settler and built a small tavern on the southeast corner of the intersection of the two roads. Munshaw's father, Aaron Sr., also moved to the area, becoming one of the first farmers in the district. In 1864, as the village grew, the younger Munshaw built a larger inn and stagecoach stop that incorporated some parts of the original hotel. This building, operated as a hotel by the Munshaw family until the 1960s, is now known as Munshaw House and still stands on the original spot.
Throughout the 1850s, more settlers, mainly Scottish immigrants, claimed lots and began to clear the land.
Boom times
W.K. Flesher continued to develop the valley economy, building first a saw mill, and then a grist mill on the Boyne RiverBoyne River (Ontario)
There are four rivers named Boyne River in Ontario, Canada.The Boyne River in Grey County flows from above the Niagara Escarpment through Flesherton to join the Beaver River at ; the Beaver River then flows to Georgian Bay...
that flowed through the bottom of the valley. He continued to be a prominent local figure, acting at various times as postmaster, magistrate, druggist, and even doctor, as well as warden of Grey County
Grey County, Ontario
Grey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...
(1855–1857, 1861–1862, 1865 and 1867), and reeve of the village (1854–1865 and 1866–1878). He organized a Masonic Lodge, and was a vocal booster of the village, convincing other businesses to settle in the area, including a woolen (fulling
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
) mill owned by his son William Henry in 1863. Flesher also became captain of the local militia, No. 6 Company of the 31st Grey Regiment, and travelled with the regiment to train at Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
during the Fenian Raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
of 1866. In recognition of his contributions, the name of the settlement was changed first to Flesher's Corners, and then, when a more "village-like" name was seen as desirable, to Flesherton.
The Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Grey for 1865-66 listed 27 prominent businessmen in the village and pointed out that much development had occurred recently:
- "The Sawmill, the fulling mill, the stores, &c., are all the result of the last two or three years. The village has a post office, 3 stores, 2 taverns, several carpenters, a pump-maker, a blacksmith shop, a Sawmill, a carding and fulling mill, 2 churches, 2 resident clergymen, and a resident physician."
In 1872, Flesher was elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as MP for the riding of Grey East
Grey East
Grey East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, and he was re-elected in 1874.
About this time, a mini-land boom ensued as speculators bet that the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway would pass through Flesherton. However, due to Flesherton's location in a valley, the railroad was routed around the edge of the valley 2 km (1.3 mi) to the west through the hamlet of Ceylon. The first train arrived in 1873 to much local celebration, but a serious blow had been dealt to the aspirations of the village.
Methodist circuit riders
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
had been visiting the area since 1850, usually using someone's house or the parlour of the Munshaw Hotel for worship. By 1864, there were two wood-frame churches, a Methodist and a Wesleyan. In 1876, W.K. Flesher donated some of his land for construction of a permanent Methodist church. The red brick church was finished a year later, and dedicated on 18 November 1877 by Egerton Ryerson
Egerton Ryerson
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson was a Methodist minister, educator, politician, and public education advocate in early Ontario, Canada...
, provincial Minister of Education. Two years later, in 1879, the local Presbyterians erected Chalmers Presbyterian Church where the Toronto-Sydenham Road crossed the Boyne River. In 1886, Baptists built Cedar Springs Baptist Church at the east end of the village.
In 1881, A.R. Fawcett published the first issue of the Flesherton Advance newspaper. In 1888, Fawcett sold the paper to Willard Thurston. Thurston, and eventually his son Frank, continued to publish the Advance until 1961.
In 1891, W.K. Flesher donated land for the construction of a public school, which was built for about $1000. This large three-room yellow brick building became Flesherton Public School and served as the village children's elementary school until 1968. The building was destroyed by fire in 2009.
The year 1891 was also when telephone service was extended to Flesherton, and a village telephone exchange employed local women as operators until the introduction of dial service in 1967.
In 1894, John Nuhn Sr. bought the woolen mill that W.K Flesher's son William Henry had been operating since 1863, and was successful enough that Nuhn soon operated a mail order business across Canada for blankets, yarn, underwear and girls' black wool stockings. His son, John Jr., took over the business in 1931, and rebuilt another mill and warehouse when the original burned down in 1934. The mill continued to operate until the younger Nuhn's death in 1954.
Stagnation
By the mid-1880s, the nearby railway station in Ceylon was a busy place with three railyards, since goods travelling to western Canada—including troops sent to quell the Riel RebellionNorth-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
of 1886—were shipped up this line from Toronto to Owen Sound, and from there by boat to Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. However, the economic boom did not extend to the nearby village down in the valley. Although the train station was relatively close, new businesses balked at moving to the village, since their goods to be shipped by rail would first have to be hauled out of the steep valley. Economic growth stagnated, and the population stayed below 1000.
Twentieth century
At the turn of the 20th century, the Munshaw Hotel continued to serve alcohol despite the increasingly popular temperance movementTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, but local teetotalling businessmen raised funds in 1908 to build a hotel called Park House as a "dry" alternative. The hotel remained in business until the 1950s, and is now a private residence.
In 1912, five years after the death of William Flesher in 1907, Flesherton was incorporated as a village.
Two years later, in 1914, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in Europe. Eighty-four local men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
, a significant percentage of the small village's population. Several were decorated for bravery, and 19 volunteers—almost 1 in 4—were killed. In 1920, the children of William Flesher donated land beside the Boyne River, close to the site of Flesher's original grist mill, for a Memorial Park. A cenotaph was erected, with the names of those who had died on the front, and those who had survived on the back.
In 1920, the Toronto-Sydenham Road that ran through Flesherton was assumed by the province and became King's Highway 10
Highway 10 (Ontario)
King's Highway 10, commonly referred to as Highway 10 and historically as the Toronto–Sydenham Road, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
.
Likewise in the 1930s, the Durham Road as far as the centre of Flesherton was assumed by the province as the easternmost extension of King's Highway 4
Highway 4 (Ontario)
King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. In its present form, it travels...
. (In the 1970s, Highway 4 was extended from the centre of Flesherton eastward a further 12 km (5 mi) to the village of Singhampton. However, in 1998, the provincial government under Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
downloaded most of Highway 4 back onto municipal governments, the result being that Highway 4 is now known as Grey Road 4 as it passes through Flesherton.)
In 1921, Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
, who had been born in nearby Proton Township, was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
for the Grey Southeast
Grey Southeast
Grey Southeast was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1935. It was located in the province of Ontario...
riding
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
in the 1921 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
. She was the first female MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Canada. Macphail was re-elected in 1925
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
, 1926
Canadian federal election, 1926
The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The election was called following an event known as the King-Byng Affair...
, and 1930
Canadian federal election, 1930
The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament of Canada...
.
In 1925, the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
was formed from an amalgamation of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches, and the following year, the Methodist church in Flesherton joined with Chalmers Presbyterian to form St. John's United Church. The combined congregations chose to retain the highly visible Methodist building, and sold the much smaller Presbyterian building.
In 1939, enlistment at the start of the Second World War was again popular with local men; the names of the seven men who did not return were added to the cenotaph following the war.
In 1968, Grey Highlands Secondary School
Grey Highlands Secondary School
Grey Highlands Secondary School is a Grade 9-12 high school located in Flesherton, Ontario, in rural Grey County. It was built in 1967 as part of a province-wide upgrade of educational facilities. Unlike typical rural high schools of the time that were designed only to graduate matriculation...
was built in Flesherton to serve a large cachement area formerly covered by three smaller high schools. The placement of this school in Flesherton was considered a controversial decision at the time, since the town of Markdale
Markdale, Ontario
Markdale is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Canada.Markdale was first settled in 1846 and originally called East Glenelg, after a nearby township. In 1864, it was renamed Cornabus after the Islay, Scotland hometown of then-postmaster Donald MacDuffie...
, 10 km (6 mi) to the north, was larger and was already home to the local school board offices. The arrival of the new high school's teaching and support staff and their families raised the village's population from 480 to 700, the first significant growth in over 80 years. With the new secondary school in place, the former Flesherton High School was converted to Macphail Memorial Elementary School; this new elementary school in turn replaced all of the one- and two-room schoolhouses in the district, including the 77-year-old Flesherton Public School. This was also the year that Walter Walls, owner of the Dundalk Herald, bought the Flesherton Advance, closed the paper's Flesherton offices after 87 years of operation and moved publication 15 km (11 mi) south to Dundalk
Dundalk, Ontario
Dundalk Originally called McDowell's Corners, Dundalk was incorporated as a village in 1887, and on January 1, 2000, was amalgamated with the Township of Proton and the Township of Egremont to form the Township of Southgate, located in the southeast corner of Grey County. The mayor of Southgate is...
. The Advance has been published in Dundalk since that time.
In 1969, a major fire in the downtown district destroyed several 19th-century buildings on the southwest corner of the main intersection.
In 1974, village councillor Gilbert Little proposed a festival to promote local businesses and draw tourist traffic to the area. The result was the Split Rail Festival, named after the zig-zag fences built by pioneers using cedar rails. The festival was so successful that it became an annual September event that ran until 2008. At the same time, an increased interest in local history led to the construction of the South Grey Museum and Historical Library in a corner of Memorial Park in 1974.
In 1998, Flesherton was amalgamated with the Township of Artemesia by the Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
government. (In 2001, Artemesia itself was amalgamated with several other townships to form the municipality of Grey Highlands
Grey Highlands, Ontario
Grey Highlands is a municipality in the southeast corner of Grey County, Ontario, Canada that was formed on January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the village of Markdale and the townships of Artemesia, Euphrasia and Osprey, which included the unincorporated hamlets of Eugenia Ceylon, Maxwell,...
).
Twenty-first century
In 2006, the old Macphail Memorial Elementary School (originally Flesherton High School) was torn down and a new school with the same name was constructed close to the same spot.In 2009, the old Flesherton Public School, built in 1891 and unused since 1968, was destroyed by fire.
The current community
In addition to two schools, Flesherton also has an arena and community centre, post office, several parks, a hiking area known as The Flesherton Hills (100 acres located behind the High School), a swimming pond, the South Grey Museum, a Canadian Legion Hall, a public library, two churches, and a cemetery and crematorium. Businesses include art galleries—the area has become home to many artists and musicians—several antiques and collectibles shops, restaurants, a hardware store, real estate offices, several auto sales and service businesses, a funeral home, and a branch of a national bank. Businesses in the area—including those in the villages of PricevillePriceville, Ontario
Priceville is a small village in the southwest corner of the Municipality of Grey Highlands Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Priceville is located on Grey Road 4, east of Durham and southwest of Flesherton...
, Ceylon, Eugenia
Eugenia, Ontario
Eugenia is a small community just north of Flesherton, Ontario and 1½ hours north of Toronto, Ontario. It is in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, part of Grey County. Eugenia is best known for its hidden lake called "Lake Eugenia" and Eugenia Falls....
, Kimberley, Maxwell, Rock Mills and Feversham—are represented by the Flesherton and District Chamber of Commerce, which grew out of the Flesherton Service Club. The Chamber hosts the annual Community Awards since 1997, honouring business and community leaders, and supports the Walking Village Initiative - encouraging residents and visitors to enjoy the area on foot.
Notable people
- Agnes MacphailAgnes MacphailAgnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
, the first woman elected to the House of Commons, was born in nearby Proton Township, and served as MP of the local district for over a decade. The elementary school in Flesherton is named after her.
- Oliver SchroerOliver SchroerOliver Schroer was a Canadian fiddler, composer, and music producer.-Early life:Oliver Schroer grew up in Vandeleur, Ontario, a small crossroads near Markdale in rural Grey County. He attended Grey Highlands Secondary School in Flesherton, where he played French horn in the school band. He also...
, award-winning fiddler and recording artist, was raised in nearby Vandeleur and attended Grey Highlands Secondary School.
- Matt GallowayMatt GallowayMatt Galloway is a Canadian radio personality, who is host of Metro Morning at CBLA-FM in Toronto. Galloway succeeded Andy Barrie as host of Metro Morning effective March 1, 2010....
, CBC RadioCBC RadioCBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
personality, was raised in nearby Kimberley and attended Grey Highlands Secondary School.
- Chris NeilChris NeilChris Neil is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Neil currently plays right wing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League .-Early years:Neil started out playing minor hockey in the town of Flesherton, Ontario...
, hockey player (NHL: Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, 2001- ), was raised on a farm just outside Flesherton.
External links
- Flesherton & District website
- The Flesherton Hills website
- Read the Flesherton Advance from 1882-1951 online
- The South Grey Museum & Historical Library
Resources
- Split Rail Country: A History of Artemesia Volume I now online
- Split Rail Country: A History of Artemesia Volume II 1985-2000 is presently being written