Laxton, Digby and Longford Township, Ontario
Encyclopedia
The united Townships of Laxton, Digby and Longford were a municipality
in the north of the former Victoria County
, now the city of Kawartha Lakes
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. In 1993, Canada's centre of population
fell in the area, despite the lack of any population centers with over 1000 residents.
The more current and geographically separate Longford Township is a unique situation in that the township is wholly owned by Longford Reserve Limited, and contains no permanent inhabitants.
The former Township of Longford, was surveyed in 1861 by Brookes Wright Gossage, as one of ten townships sold to the Canadian Land and Emigration Company
. Longford was the only one of the townships within Victoria County. In 1867 John Thomson purchased by auction the right to cut timber in the township, from the Canadian Land and Emigration Company, to supply timber
for his mill at Longford Mills, named for the township. Thomson later purchased the township outright from the Company.
The old Digby fire tower was situated on rocky outcropping straight north of the village of Uphill , where the old fire trail used to exist, along the former aligment of the Victoria Rd. The tower was de-commissioned in the late 1960s. The area now is mostly swamp, but can be accessed on a newer private road to the west.
The township is also home to a few ghost settlements from the bygone logging/ farming era of the 19th century. These include: Ragged Rapids and the eastern part of Uphill.
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
in the north of the former Victoria County
Victoria County, Ontario
The County of Victoria, or Victoria County, was a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was formed in 1854 as The United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, and gained independence in 1863. In 2001, the county was dissolved and reformed as the city of Kawartha Lakes...
, now the city of Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
in the Canadian
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...
province of 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....
. In 1993, Canada's centre of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...
fell in the area, despite the lack of any population centers with over 1000 residents.
The more current and geographically separate Longford Township is a unique situation in that the township is wholly owned by Longford Reserve Limited, and contains no permanent inhabitants.
The former Township of Longford, was surveyed in 1861 by Brookes Wright Gossage, as one of ten townships sold to the Canadian Land and Emigration Company
Canadian Land and Emigration Company
In 1859, the Crown Lands Department in Province of Canada advertised a block of land for sale in Haliburton County. The purpose for the sale of the land was to promote rapid settlement of the newly created townships in the district through private enterprise...
. Longford was the only one of the townships within Victoria County. In 1867 John Thomson purchased by auction the right to cut timber in the township, from the Canadian Land and Emigration Company, to supply timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
for his mill at Longford Mills, named for the township. Thomson later purchased the township outright from the Company.
The old Digby fire tower was situated on rocky outcropping straight north of the village of Uphill , where the old fire trail used to exist, along the former aligment of the Victoria Rd. The tower was de-commissioned in the late 1960s. The area now is mostly swamp, but can be accessed on a newer private road to the west.
The township is also home to a few ghost settlements from the bygone logging/ farming era of the 19th century. These include: Ragged Rapids and the eastern part of Uphill.
Communities
- NorlandNorland, OntarioNorland is a small rural community located within the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the Canadian province of Ontario.It is located in a scenic spot on the Gull River at the north end of Shadow Lake, the northernmost Kawartha lake...
- Sadowa
- Uphill