Augusta, Ontario

Augusta Township is located within the St. Lawrence Lowlands region; its southernmost boundary is the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River. Much of the area is situated on top of large layers of limestone and grey sandstone, which formed between 500 and 75 million years ago during the Paleozoic era and the Ordovician period. There is not much known about the period directly following the Ordovician period except that there were long periods of erosion followed by marine invasions. The last glaciation occurred around one million years ago which was responsible for many of the present-day landscape features. During this glaciation the entire area of what would become Augusta was covered in a sheet of ice around two to three miles in thickness. This ice sheet melted around 12,000 years ago as a result of climatic changes. A few thousand years after it melted the Ottawa—St. Lawrence Valley was flooded by an arm of the Atlantic Ocean to a depth of around ; geologists refer to this flooding as the Champlain Sea. The retreat of the Champlain Sea around 9,500 years ago left excessive stone surfaces in many areas. The bedrock and boulder clay in the eastern portion of the township are covered by beds of sand which are likely glacial-fluvial in origin; before the forest could take root many dunes were formed just north of the town of Prescott. The area has many pockets of clay and peat around the banks of the South Nation River and the South Kemptville Creek. Topography The township of Augusta is situated at the confluence of three distinct physiographic regions: the Glengarry till plain, the Smiths Falls limestone plain and the Edwardsburgh sand plain. The limestone plain accounts for around 50% of the townships total area. This area is level with a thin covering of soil, less than a foot in depth resulting in limestone outcroppings. The limestone plain supports a hardwood forest with the sugar maple being the most dominant species. Oak and pine are also common in this region as well as elm, ash, soft maple and cedar in the poorly drained areas. This land was not ideal for farming and has remained largely untouched; most of the plain is still covered in peat deposits and forest. The Edwardsburgh sand plain extends into the township from the east. The water table is generally situated close to the surface in this plain resulting in shallow bogs. Most of the area has been cleared, however elm, ash, beech, oak, and soft maple once grew in this region. Today, the area has been somewhat reforested with pine trees, such as in Limerick Forest. The front of the township is covered by the Glengarry till plain, which forms a drainage divide between the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa basins. This till can be described as loamy in texture and stoney. Well drained sections of the Glengarry till plain are suitable for grain crop production. The soils along the Nation River contain mostly plant matter due to the poor drainage and are therefore of limited use. Another effect of the poor drainage in the region is the formation of large swamps which are common in the township and frequently drained. The soils in the entire township vary greatly due to the fact the township is situated within a variety of physiographical regions; the two most common soils in Augusta are Podzolic and Gleysolic. Podzolic soils are low in fertility and acidic while the Gleysolic soils are high in agricultural value. Climate The climate of Augusta Township is determined by its latitude, however it is influenced heavily by frontal systems which are the result of air masses coming out of the north and south. Westerly winds are the most prevalent wind system affecting the township. Augusta's climate can be described as humid continental with an average temperature range; ranges in temperature go from the average low of to the average high of . The total average amount of precipitation for the year in the township of Augusta is around annually. The climate has changed drastically since 1850. From 1550 until 1850 the area was in the grip of a minor ice age; average temperatures were much cooler and there was more precipitation. By 1885, a warming trend began which lasted until the middle of the twentieth century. == History ==

The township of Augusta was not fully settled until the late 1700s and into the early 1800s, when the Loyalists received their land grants throughout the area and began building homesteads. Most of the residents living in the township today are direct descendants of these Loyalists. Just prior to this in the mid-to-late 1700s, the French had occupied some of the land in the region, including Pointe au Baril in Maitland, Ontario. Before European settlement, many cultures of native individuals briefly occupied the entire region. Prehistoric era The earliest human activity around the region encompassing Augusta township according to archaeologists can be traced back to around 11,000 years ago. During this era, known as the Paleo-Indian period, retreating glaciers exposed inhabitable land for the first time. The cultures which are believed to have inhabited this region during this time are the Clovis people and the Plano people. These cultures left behind very little evidence of their existence; their impact on the area was relatively small as population density was very low. No human remains have survived from this time period meaning we cannot determine the Clovis or Plano's physical appearances. The Clovis arrowheads found near the township vary greatly in construction, reflecting centuries of progression and a rapidly changing environment. Earlier arrows were shorter while later Clovis arrows were longer and more spear-like; this is indicative of a mass migration of larger animals into the area. From 5000 to 1000 BC during the time known as the Archaic period, the entire region of Eastern Ontario was dominated by the Laurentian Archaic people, who were direct descendants of the Plano culture. When the European settlers arrived, the native populations began to decline steadily before all but disappearing from the township. There is some archaeological evidence to suggest survivors of European settlement were absorbed by the Hurons situated along the Trent River system. French period The eighteenth century saw a period of French occupancy in what was to become Augusta Township. The township is conveniently situated along the St. Lawrence River, which was a common trade route at the time; in order to travel from present-day Montreal to Fort Frontenac (now Kingston) one would have to pass through present day Augusta. The French traded with the native populations at various trading posts along the St. Lawrence; valuable furs were exported back to France. The French eventually established a shipyard with the intention of building ships capable of navigating the rapids of the river. The shipyard was located at what the French referred to as Pointe au Baril, which is present day Maitland, Ontario, and had a sheltered bay ideal for their purposes as well as a thick forest of oak and pine that could be harvested for ship building. For protection against the British, the French also established a star-shaped fort at Pointe au Baril. Two ships were built at the French shipyard, Iroquoise and Outouaise, both of which were constructed and launched around 1759. The following year, the French settlement as well as the ships were captured by General Amherst, and the French were forced to leave the settlement. After this, Pointe au Baril was left abandoned for two decades; no attempt was made to colonize the area and the workmen who lived within the fort were weary of both the natives and the British. Upon the arrival of the Loyalists, only one building remained from French occupation, a single log building which had once been the officers quarters. The building was converted into the township's first schoolhouse. Loyalists During the American Revolutionary War, residents of the American colonies were politically divided; many Americans were displeased with the British and striving for their independence from British rule. During this period of political unrest, those who sided with the British were viewed as traitors or rebels, and their opposition was met with violence. Individuals were forced to take sides, as even neutral parties were deemed rebels. Those who remained loyal to the crown were called Loyalists. During and after the war, the Loyalists were essentially pushed out of present-day America for their opposing views and left destitute with nowhere to go; they then turned to the British for relief. Initially, the Loyalists were hopeful that Britain would be able to successfully negotiate with the rebelling colonies, and that their land, homes, and possessions would be returned to them. No such negotiations ever occurred and with the end of the war military payouts were dwindling. New laws were passed in New York state which allowed the Loyalists' property to be officially seized, and threats were made on the lives of Loyalists who may try to return. The Loyalists had no other option but to rely on the British and return to present-day Augusta and the neighbouring townships. Britain's solution to the widespread poverty and homelessness was to provide the Loyalists with land grants which could be used to build new settlements and start over. These grants were also looked at as a reward for the men's loyalty to the crown. Originally, areas of Quebec were considered for division and distribution to the Loyalists; Quebec feared that the Loyalists would affect the area negatively, and could bring diseases such as measles into their community therefore the idea was abandoned. Major Samuel Holland, surveyor-general of Quebec was put in charge of surveying lands west of Quebec and assess their suitability for settlement. In 1783, Holland declared the land to be more than adequate for Loyalist settlements. The only remaining obstacle in the way of the Loyalists' land grants was the native population of Augusta; Britain would have to consider their land ownership when dividing the land. A man named Sir John Johnson was instructed to inquire as to which lands belonged to the native communities, and to purchase any land that they claimed as theirs. Captain Justus Sherwood, who remained in the area, was employed to provide a detailed survey of Augusta and the surrounding townships. By 1784, the Loyalists were becoming increasingly restless and began to petition the government for relief from their dire situation; they were scheduled to be settled for the Spring of 1784. The long waiting period to be settled was due in part to the fact the government knew they would need to provide the Loyalists with some tools and supplies in order for them to sustain themselves. The government intended to provide each settler with some seeds and livestock to begin farming, as well as a few essential tools such as axes, knives and hoes. Carpentry and blacksmithing tools were also to be distributed to be shared amongst groups of settlers. The land grants were to be granted based on military position and rank. By the spring of 1784, supplies had been gathered and the land had been surveyed in detail and divided into lots to be drawn for. Batteaux and provisions were ready to be transported along with the Loyalist settlers to the new settlements. The area surrounding present-day Augusta Township was divided into two ranges of townships, the first of which being called the Royal Townships. There are seven Royal Townships, Augusta being the seventh and titled Royal Township Number Seven. Eventually, the townships were named, Augusta being named Princess Augusta after the third daughter of King George III. It was said that she was "not particularly thrilled" by the idea of this township, which was mostly empty wilderness, being named after her. In June 1784, the Loyalists finally embarked from Quebec down the St. Lawrence River to their new settlements; Edward Jessup's Corps were to be the first settlers of the new Royal Township. ==Communities==

The township comprises the communities of Algonquin, Bisseltown, Blue Church, Centre Augusta, Charleville, Domville, Garretton, Glenmore, Herron's Corners, Limerick Forest, Lords Mills, Maitland, Maynard, McLeanville, McRobert's Corner, North Augusta, Perrin's Corners, Riverview Heights, Roebuck, South Augusta, South Branch, Sparkle City, Stone's Corners and Throoptown. Prior to 1834, Prescott was considered a part of Augusta Township; the town became a police village in that year and severed its ties with Augusta. By 1849, Prescott officially became a separated town with its own mayor and council, which it remains today. is a small rural hamlet located north of Maitland. Its centre location is the intersection of Algonquin Road and County Road 15, however the area which is considered the community Algonquin stretches from the fourth to the seventh concessions. In the early 1800s, the village was referred to as Wright's Corners after the Wright family, who owned the majority of the land there at the time after receiving it as grants. The Wrights were a wealthy loyalist family, who were prolific within the community; they ran an inn, and were noted to have paid the teachers in Augusta their salaries, as well as workers from the Algonquin cheese factory. In the beginning of the 1800s, a military route was surveyed from Maitland to the Rideau water-way. This resulted in more traffic passing through the area of Algonquin, and allowed the village to prosper. Around this time an inn was established by the Wright family to accommodate overnight guests who were travelling by stagecoach. Mail was delivered three times a week from Maitland at this time. By the middle of the century many businesses had opened in Algonquin to accompany the inn. A grocery store, blacksmith, cooperage shop, butcher, wagon making business and a Methodist church are among those listed as being in operation at this time. Additionally, the community opened its own post office around this time. Late into the 1800s Algonquin was at its most prosperous time; cheese factories and sawmills were in full operation as well as the local businesses. Ontario, is a small community located along Bisselltown Road within Augusta Township. The village was established in 1785 when land was divided amongst the Loyalists; one of them, named David Bissell, and his eleven children settled the area after receiving the land through a land grant. The small community which grew around their homestead became known as Bisselltown. There is little information about what businesses may have existed in Bisselltown during the eighteenth and nineteenth century; due to its proximity to Algonquin it is possible residents simply travelled for services. According to a nineteenth-century map of the area, Bisselltown had an ashery, and a cheese factory was in operation here until 1891 when the building was moved to South Augusta. Bisselltown had its own cemetery located north of the community on Algonquin Road; many members of the Bissell family are buried there. The community of Bisselltown had a schoolhouse which served as a union school for pupils from both Augusta and the neighbouring township of Elizabethtown. According to a Walling's map from 1861, this log schoolhouse was located on the township border along what is now Algonquin Road. In Augusta, the school was known as S.S. #31 McKinley's School. In 1877, the log structure was replaced by a one-storey red brick building. By 1958, the school had closed due to lack of enrolment and the opening of Algonquin Public School. The building was converted into a private residence before it was destroyed by a fire. The date stone for the school survived and is located in the local historical society's archives. located at the corner of Blue Church Road and Ontario Highway 2 in Augusta Township. Upon the settlers first arrival in the late 1700s, the area of Blue Church was covered in a large stand of white pine trees. These trees were immediately harvested to be built into ships. In the late 1700s, the site of the Blue Church was already being used as a burial ground. Around 1784, Captain Justus Sherwood created a plan for a new town to be erected on the newly cleared land surrounding the burial ground; the town was to be called New Oswegatchie. In 1790, Augusta and its neighbouring townships decided to erect a church alongside the burial grounds which became known as the Blue Church. The small community consisted of mostly small stone family houses and few businesses; many homes which were once a part of the community of Blue Church were demolished by DuPont Canada. One notable home which was demolished was a large stone house along Ontario Highway 2 just west of the Blue Church which was known as Barbara Heck House. This home was thought by locals and the church to be the house in which she died. Despite protests against its demolition, neither the church or the township had evidence to say she actually died in the house or that the house was historically significant, nor did they have the funding to restore the house. Barbara Heck house was taken apart stone by stone and placed into a barn in the hopes it could later be reassembled. In 1976 a fire broke out in the barn which destroyed the materials beyond repair. Walling's maps from the 1860s indicate there were many taverns in Centre Augusta, as well as a sawmill and a pot ashery. By the end of the century, the population had declined to 100 individuals however many businesses were still established within the community. According to the Dominion of Canada's business directories there was a blacksmith, a flour mill, a cheese factory, a shingle factory, two saw mills and a grocer; the post office also remained open. The Charleville Cheese Factory was constructed in 1881 and was located at the northeast corner of Charleville Road and the Fourth Concession. The building was constructed by a local resident named Rufus Earl who made the first batch of cheese there on May 1, 1881. The factory was set up for the cheesemaker to live on site. From 1881 until the end of the 1920s, the factory had changed hands many times. By the 1930s, the factory was producing both butter and cheese for the local market, however competition and a waning market lead to the factory's closure shortly after. After its closure, the building was sold and later demolished, however the boiler building was salvaged and turned into a private dwelling before it burned to the ground. The spot in which the factory once stood is now the location of a modern home. is a small hamlet located around north of the town of Prescott, along County Road 18. The name Domville was first used around the 1870s; prior to this, the community was first referred to as either Henry's Corners or Fell's Corners. Upon the post office being established, residents asked council to come up with a more palatable name for their hamlet; a Royalist named John Dumbrille put forth the name Frogmore, in reference to Frogmore house. This proposed name change offended the residents, who thought Dumbrille had selected the name in regards to the hamlet's proximity to a large swamp. Around 1876, there was still much dispute over the name of the hamlet; church records from that year referred to the hamlet at Nelsonville. Ultimately, the residents chose Dumbrille's second choice, Domville, which was the original spelling of his surname. Ontario, is a community located between Charleville and Algonquin, Ontario, and north of Lord's Mills. The community encompasses the area between DeJong Road and Glenmore Road, off of the Sixth Concession. The area was settled as a small agricultural community and was known for its market gardening; prior to 1800, there were already small farms and a sawmill located in the community. The community was, and occasionally still is, referred to as Slab Street due to the amount of lumber production which occurred there in the 1800s. During the 1800s, the community of Glenmore was fairly prosperous with many businesses operating out of the area. At its height, the community had two saw mills which produced more than enough materials and supplies for the community; there was also a blacksmith, a tannery, ashery, lime kiln, cheese factory and a carpenter's shop, as well as a millinery and dressmaking shop. Market gardening was a profitable profession for many early residents of the settlement. The area was locally known for its quality vegetables, specializing in onions, potatoes, cabbage, celery and cauliflower. Vegetables grown in Glenmore were recorded as being sold by the truckload in nearby cities such as Ottawa. According to a nineteenth-century map of Augusta, a family with the last name Herron occupied the land at this intersection and are likely responsible for the name of the community. It is unclear what businesses, if any, ever ran within the community however the Herron's Corners was its own school section with a small schoolhouse. By the mid-1800s, the community was a fairly thriving farming community. Most farmers grew hops which were sold to Prescott's breweries. It is said that homemade whiskey was a popular commodity in the area during this time, with many families selling it out of their homes. many arrowheads and pieces of pottery attributed to native cultures have been found in the community. When the area was first settled, the community was known as Ireland because of the number of Irish settlers living there. church, cemetery, general store, temperance hall, Orange Lodge, and school. which was established the same year the church was built in 1886. The first burial took place four years later in 1890. is a small village located northwest of Prescott along County Road 26. The origin of the village's name is obscure as there was no Maynard family located here at the time; local historians trace the name to a story from a Canadian series of school readers from c.1878 which mentioned a John Maynard, a naval officer who died attempting to steer a burning ship to shore. According to the reader, compiled by one J. E Cough, the ship caught fire on Lake Erie, passengers and crew crowded to one end of the ship while Maynard steered it safely to shore. The crew was saved, however Maynard did not survive; to quote the reader "...John Maynard dropped overboard, and his spirit took its flight to his God." Before being called Maynard, the village was referred to as both Heck's Settlement, after the family of Barbara Heck, and Chippenhook after the creek which ran through it. The eastern part of the village, near the intersection of Merwin Lane and County Road 26 was formerly its own small community called Brundage's Corners. general store as well as an inn, located at Brundage's Corners. This small stone church was a Methodist Episcopal church. In 1859, the church was rebuilt to accommodate a larger congregation using the stones from the old church, and new brick. This church is still in use today. The community presently consists of a few farms and houses but at one point, was a thriving pioneer hamlet with a few businesses such as an ashery, temperance hall, schoolhouse, and church. is the name given to the small community once located at the intersection of the Sixth Concession and Charleville Road. According to nineteenth-century maps, the community once had a temperance hall, cemetery, and a schoolhouse. Ontario, is a small hamlet located approximately north of the St. Lawrence River; its centre location being the intersection of County Roads 18 and 21. The official boundaries of the hamlet are within an approximately radius from this intersection. The hamlet is built around what was once the site of an Iroquoian village with a population of around 1,600 villagers. Initially, the hamlet was referred to as Heck's Corners, after the Heck family who established many businesses here in the 19th century. By 1866, postal records indicate the hamlet was officially named Roebuck. The population of Roebuck including the surrounding rural areas was around 300 individuals. refers to an area along County Road 26, in Augusta Township, near Bethel Road. The community was, at its height in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a few small businesses and farms then operating there. South Augusta was home to a schoolhouse, cheese factory, tannery, temperance hall, grocery store, post office, two churches, and a cemetery. According to nineteenth century maps the community had its own schoolhouse and temperance hall, however it mostly consisted of a few farms. South Branch was at one point during the 19th century, large enough to sustain its own school section. The school located here along South Branch Road was called S.S. # 18 South Branch School. The first schoolhouse was primitive, built in 1845 of grout, mortar cement and gravel and burned in 1881. A year later it was replaced by a brick structure with a frame porch and a small belfry. This school closed in 1963 and the building was later sold for $1 to the church in Garretton to be used as a parish hall. The area was named after the Stone family, a Loyalist family which first settled here. The community was a small agricultural community; many residents in the nineteenth century made a living selling hops or operation limekilns. At its height, the community had a temperance hall, schoolhouse and church. The village was named after the Throop family who settled there in the 1800s. During the nineteenth century, the population of the community was around 100 people. Today, Throoptown is a rural farming community consisting of residential homes and farms. In the 19th century, Throoptown was a thriving pioneer community. According to the Dominion of Canada Business directory, during this century Throoptown contained a feed mill, cheese factory, general store, post office, and a shoemaker; the village also had a church, a cemetery, and two schools. In 1840, an inn called the Throoptown Inn operated out of the community. The village also became its own school section at the time, with its schoolhouse being known as S.S. #15 Brown's School. Little records exist except for it being mentioned in a payment record and listed on a 19th-century map. No trace of the building exists today. Additionally, a Roman Catholic separate school operated in the area, the establishment of which was petitioned by the residents of Throoptown. Little is known about the school, and the building no longer stands. In 1845, a Roman Catholic church, called St. Michael's Church, was erected to serve Throoptown at the corner of Kyle Road. Land was purchased for the church from a local for around five pounds. The structure was built of local stone and plastered over in white sometime later with a square tower topped with a cross at its front. The church was rebuilt once, after a fire caused by lightning severely damaged the building in 1925. The church was rebuilt from mostly the same materials. The new church was renamed St. Theresa's, and a hall, which was formerly part of Wiser's distillery, was added to the grounds. In 1971, the church caught fire a second time and was completely destroyed and this time not rebuilt. The hall was sold around the same time and moved from the location. In close proximity to where the church was is St. Theresa's Roman Catholic cemetery, which was also formerly called St. Michael's. In 1846, when the land as purchased to become an official cemetery, it had already been used as a burial ground by the community and according to local histories was a native burial place. In 1852, a large cross was placed in the cemetery and remains there. The earliest legible stone in the cemetery belongs to James Delaney, who died in July 1843. This cemetery is still in use. == Demographics ==

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Augusta had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The percentages of both working-aged individuals and children are below the national averages, however the percentage of senior residents is above the national average by almost 3%. The median age of 46 in the township is over 5% higher than both the provincial and national median ages. Race, ethnicity and language According to NHS data, in 2011 foreign-born immigrants accounted for only 8.5% of the total population, while 91.5% were Canadian-born. The percentage of foreign-born immigrants in Augusta is 20% lower than the provincial percentage of 28.5%. There were no non-permanent residents reported in the township. 8% of the immigrants accounted for were recent immigrants, having landed between 2006 and 2011; the most common country of origin being the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. In 2011, 92.8% spoke an official language (English and/or French) at home; the most frequently reported non-official language by recent immigrants was Tagalog. In 2011, an estimated 70 individuals, or 0.9% of the total population of Augusta were considered visible minorities; 25% below the provincial percentage. The largest minority group being of Filipino or South Asian descent. The most frequently cited ethnic origins of Augusta's populace were solely, or a combination of: Canadian, English and Irish. Labour and income In 2011, Augusta Township had a labour force of 4,140 individuals; 3,885 people were listed as employed while 250 were listed as unemployed. The employment rate was at 61.4% while the unemployment rate was 6.0%. Within the township, 11.2% of the workforce was aged 15–24, and 20.8% were aged 55 to 64. This compares with Ontario at 12.6% and 15.2% respectively. The majority of the workforce is aged 35–54 years, accounting for 49.2% of the workforce. Within the township of Augusta, the most common occupations were service support or other service occupations, technical occupations relating to natural or applied sciences, and administrative occupations. The top industries in Augusta according to the 2011 census were: manufacturing, health care and social assistance, and retail trade. In the year 2011, 0.4% of Augusta's commuters used some form of public transit to get to their workplace, which is a low number when compared to the rest of Ontario. 90.4% of the population of commuters used their own car or vehicle to get to work, and 5.7% reported being a passenger in a car or vehicle for their commute. The average commuting time for those working out of Augusta Township is 22.1 minutes, slightly lower than the provincial average. 82.5% reported working at their regular workplace, 9.5% reported working from home and 7.7% had no fixed work address. In the year 2010, 84.8% of Augusta's total income was market income, with 81.9% of that coming from employment income. 15.2% of the income was composed of government transfer payments, mostly from the Canadian Pension Plan. 21.6% of the population of Augusta Township reported having no income or an income of less than $12,025 per year. 50.1% of Augusta's population had a household income of $27,815 or higher. Religious demographics National Household Survey data from 2011 states that 84.7% of the population of Augusta associated themselves with a religion; leaving only 15.3% of the population unaffiliated with any religious denomination. The most common religion stated was with the United Church, second most common being both Anglican and Roman Catholic. In contrast, statistics for the rest of Ontario report that Roman Catholic is the most frequently reported religion in the Province; the United church being the second most frequent and Anglican the third. == Cemeteries ==

Augusta Township is home to many small cemeteries, many of which were erected in the 19th century; some are still currently in use. There are also many old, family burial grounds and tiny abandoned cemeteries in the township as well as known native burial grounds. Due to the age of some of the tombstones in the area, they cannot properly be transcribed. Early cemetery records obtained by the Grenville Historical Society have only given moderate insight into the area's first cemeteries that are unmarked, or completely destroyed/illegible. It is strongly believed that the township is home to many more family burial plots, which were never recorded, and the whereabouts remain unknown. requires all of the known cemeteries and burial ground in Augusta to receive minimum care, if not already being attended to by any person or organization. As a result of strict funding in regards to Cemetery Boards and care, most of the responsibility of preserving centuries-old burial grounds falls directly onto local volunteers. This plaque also marks the site of a 500-year-old burial ground which was excavated in the 20th century. When the remains were studied, it was determined the first set of 85 skeletons were villagers, due to the fact the skeletons were relatively intact, and nicely buried; some skeletons were even buried in pairs. The group of 35 skeletons was determined to be the bones of captives or enemies of the tribe, with only a slight possibility of the remains being those of Iroquoian people. This conclusion was made after archaeologists ruled at least 31 of the 34 skeletons recovered belonged to young men; in contrast to the former group of remains which contained a mixed demographic in regards to age and gender. The latter group of 35 skeletons were also found disarticulated or fragmented; and many proven to be victims of cannibalism. Private and family cemeteries There are many known private, family cemeteries located within the township of Augusta. These cemeteries are mostly located on private property and were mostly once small family plots from a time when it was common to bury family on the property. Most of these cemeteries are not accessible to the public and are abandoned. Durham Cemetery is located on the first concession, Lot 36 on property which was received as a Crown Grant by a Loyalist name Daniel Durham. Only one stone from this burial site exists, however it is located elsewhere. Allegedly, the burial ground was converted into a pig sty by a later property owner and the other tombstones lost. The individuals buried in this cemetery are mostly members of the Durham family. Fell Cemetery is an old burying ground located near Domville, at the intersection of Maple Avenue and County Road 18. One tombstone has been recovered from the property, the inscription simply reading "B. Fell D 11 A 1819"; it is unknown whether or not any other tombstones ever existed here, however fieldstones once marked the place of the graves. It is presumed the rest of the individuals buried here are members of the Fell family, as the property was a Crown Grant to a man named Frederick Fell in 1804. The Jones Burying Ground is located on property once belonging to Solomon Jones and his descendants. At least four broken, marble tombstones were recovered on the Jones' properties by archaeologists which are now preserved at the Homewood Museum. Kingston Cemetery is located at the intersection of Charleville Road and the Sixth Concession on property which once belonged to the Kingston family in the mid-1800s. Kingston Cemetery consists of only four tombstones, each a member of the Kingston family. The Mosher Burying Ground is a small family cemetery located north of the bottom section of Merwin Lane, where it splits of towards the west. Little is known about the origins of the cemetery; no tombstones were present, just fieldstones marking the graves. These stones were later moved when the road was widened leaving no trace of the cemetery. Locals referred to the burial ground and surrounding area as "Spook Hill" due to local lore about paranormal sightings in the area. McGuin Cemetery is located on private property along the Sixth Concession on Lot 19. The property was originally a grant to Edward Jackson and was sold several times before becoming the property of the McGuin family in 1872. The first burial took place in 1812, making it one of the earlier pioneer cemeteries in the area. The last known burial took place here in 1949 and the cemetery has since been largely abandoned. There is a small private cemetery located just north of Garretton along Cooper Road called Reynolds' Cemetery. Around five different family names can be found in this cemetery; the last burial took place here in 1971. == Education ==

History The earliest known school established in Augusta was the Johnstown Grammar School which stood in Maitland. It was a simple log-structure, built around 1788, and was probably the only school in the area at that time. Aside from the general apathy surrounding schools at the time, financial restrictions also hindered the establishment of a formal education system; even when a primitive schoolhouse managed to be built, there was little or no money for teachers' salaries or the appropriate texts and classroom instruments. These early schoolhouses were simple, log structures, built by volunteer farm labourers and made mostly with what they could find for free; these structures lacked basic necessities, such as toilets and floors, and often had holes which were patched with moss and dirt. The sections were to be determined based upon the locations in which approximately 20 pupils could easily congregate. Although the Act provided some improvement for the area, there was no financial aid for building materials or classroom materials thus the grants provided little encouragement for the settlers to establish schools. It was not until the mid-1800s that substantial progress was made in regards to education in Augusta Township. By 1844, the township had been successfully divided into 22 school sections, as well as 5 part-sections, which were union sections with neighbouring townships with pupils from multiple townships. the original structure took to years to build with construction beginning in 1918. Present day Present day, only one elementary school exists within the boundaries of Augusta township: Maynard Public School located within Maynard, Ontario. Elementary students can either attend school in Maynard or be transported to Prescott or Brockville to attend the elementary schools there. There are no secondary schools within the township; however, secondary schools located in Prescott and Brockville service students living in Augusta Township. In 2011, 51.8% of the 5,365 adults over 25 years of age living in Augusta had completed some form of post-secondary education. Of these individuals: 16.9% had obtained a university degree or certificate, 29.4% had obtained college diploma and 11.8% had obtained a trades certificate. A total of 26.1% of adults had achieved a high school education as their highest level of education, and an additional 15.8% of adults had completed neither their secondary nor post-secondary education. The most common field of study amongst adults in the township is health-related professions. == Notable people ==

• Barbara Heck (1734–1804), early Methodist • Samuel Bass (1807–1853), abolitionist who helped Solomon Northup regain freedom ==See also==