THE SUNDAY DRIVES 

 

SPRINGBROOK

Home of settlers -McKennas, Greens, Burkitts and Simpsons

Excerpt from Gerald Boyce’s Book, “Historical Hastings”

“The largest unincorporated village in the township of Rawdon is Springbrook. The earliest settlers were the McKenna and Rupert families. At one time, the settlement boasted two hotels, a grain elevator, a cheese factory, a carriage shop, a blacksmith shop, and three general stores. By 1869, Springbrook formed a part of the Marmora Mission of the Wesleyan Methodist Church; however, in 1882, a church was built at a cost of $581. The community also possessed a combined saw mill, grist mill, shingle mill, and cheese box factory, owned by John Morgan. Springbrook may have taken its name from the cheese factory, which had been built before 1887 on a spring and a brook, or it may have been named by Mrs. McKenna. Early cheesemakers were troubled by patrons putting water in the milk, since farmers were paid by the weight; inspectors and tests were used to check this. The Springbrook cheese factory produced up to 200,000 pounds of cheese a year. In the present century, cheesemaker R. Wesley Thompson was among the first to produce whey butter in Ontario, if not in Canada.”

Excerpt from “A Backward Glance”

2017 Formerly McKeown’s garage

Springbrook FREE Methodist church, 1919-1936 aka The gospel church on Gospel Rd.

Methodist (UNITED) CHURCH TODAY

 

McKeown’s Garage

1892 school (ss20) today on County Road #14

in the 50’s?

excerpt from “A Backward Glance” (1977) This is now a vacant lot. McKeown’s garage building is visible to the right, and the brick blacksmith shop behind McKeowns.

Much of Springbrook’s activities revolved around three general stores: The largest was up the hill on the west side of Countyr Road 14, south of the intersection. The second on the south east corner, most lately known as Rollins Store, and the third on the south-west corner, known as the Bateman General store from 1918 to 1944

The Bateman store (SW corner) was a general store, post office, ice-cream parlour and bank.

 

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO LINK TO OTHER SUNDAY DRIVES


Shanick 1926, teacher Miss Fry, Minnie Revoy, Ben Revoy

Shanick 1926, teacher Miss Fry, Minnie Revoy, Ben Revoy

 
Cordova 1930

Cordova 1930

 
sT. MARK'S ANGLICAN CHURCH

sT. MARK'S ANGLICAN CHURCH

 
Blairton Mine Manager's house

Blairton Mine Manager's house

 

MALONE

 

STANWOOD

 

READ MORE!!!!

A BACKWARD GLANCE

A History of Rawdon Township This book was a Youth Canada Works Project in 1977, and contains a chapter on Springbrook which we include here. Just click on the photo below.

so much more to learn! Click here to read it all.

so much more to learn! Click here to read it all.

Note from Mariel Rollins of Springbrook: The Bateman store was my grandparents store. My parents operated that store after my grandfathers death, my grandmother having passed several years prior. In 1944, Mom & Dad bought the larger Nerrie store across the street, where they lived, until we bought the store & moved there in 1972.

Photos by Wayne VanVolkenburg

Bella Gainforth wrot:e: I remember the Mumby's store which was later the Rollin's store .My uncle Emerson and Aunt Ruby owned the barber shop and the candy store which was on the north east corner and the McKneow garage on the north west corner.

left - Mumby & Rollins store (SE corner ) and right, the Bateman store (SW corner)

Kayla McAlister writes: I believe my great-grandparents, William Eber Green and Mary Elizabeth Quackenbush, lived in this house south of Springbrook:  (4537 Stirling-Marmora Rd.) It would have belonged to William's parents before that, John Allen Green and Jane 'Jennie' Gault.

CLICK HERE FOR FAMILY TREE , including Green, Mason, Neal, Barlow, Quackenbush, McGee, and others.