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)
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