Scugog / Reach Twp. History

Reach Twp. History
The Township of Reach was surveyed by the late Major Samuel Wilmot, of Clarke Township, in the year 1809, and was designated Reach after a Colonel of that name. Several farms were deeded as early as 1811, but up until the year... (read more)

Town Hall 1873
More than 125 years after Port Perry's Town Hall opened for use, it remains one of the most important and imposing historical structures in the town. Discussions about construction of a new town hall began in 1871, but it wasn't... (read more)

The Scugog Bridge
Scugog Island as we know it today, was not always surrounded by a large body of water. In fact, for much of the early part of the 19th century, what is now referred to as Lake Scugog was little more than a shallow, murky river... (read more)

Post Office History
A system of letter carrying through Reach Township began at intervals as early as 1827, as mail was carried from the front (Whitby) by travellers on foot. Capt. George Leach, the first storekeeper in Reach, also became the first... (read more)

Mississaugas
The Mississagas, are an Algonquin tribe from near Sault Ste. Marie, who trace their lineage back to the Shawnees of Kentucky. Early in the 18th century, hunting parties of the Mississagas started drifting down over central and western... (read more)

1850 Tornado
It would be more satisfactory if one could mentally follow the path of the storm, and picture the tremendous sweep of the wind as it rushed across the country. But that is not possible. The eyes that saw that terrible scene are closed in death's sleep... (read more)

Steamboat Era
The story of transportation over the waters of Lake Scugog began hundreds of years ago when the Huron, then the Iroquois and finally the Mississaugas made their way around the broad meandering river which was later expanded to become Lake Scugog... (read more)

Railway Era
Those early times were palmy days for Prince Albert; but changes were coming. There were now three rival villages in Reach - Prince Albert, Port Perry and Manchester. Each place had its strong men who studied and fought to secure advantages... (read more)

Fire of 1883
Every Canadian settlement of significance has faced the fury of the flame. Town fires, it seems, are a prerequisite for acceptance into the status of "Major Canadian Settlement." Among the worst fires in Canada were those in... (read more)

Fire of 1884
As the warm days of May, 1884 arrived, Port Perry's resilient town folk had begun to put the terrible fire of November 1883 well into their past. By the end of the month, Thompson's new hotel was under construction, as was Jonathan... (read more)

Other Fires
Once again, on Oct. 22, 1891, residents of the town were awakened in the middle of the night by the dreadful clatter of the fire bell when a huge blaze was discovered underway in the heart of downtown. The flames had already made... (read more)

Ice Harvesting
The harvesting of ice blocks from lake Scugog, for both personal and commercial use, began in earnest during the 1870s and continued for more than 50 years. Locally, in 1879 John Watkis was reported to have been erecting a large... (read more)

1857 Grain Elevator
During this exciting period in Port Perry's history, one of the areas most prominent and successful grain buyers, George Currie, began construction on what would become a landmark on the waterfront for generations. In fact... (read more)

Union School 1873
Controversy surrounded the construction of a new combination High and Public School, or Union School, in Port Perry throughout the later part of 1872 and well into the following year, as the Ontario Government prepared legislation... (read more)