In addition to the main population centres of
Cardinal,
Johnstown, and
Spencerville, the township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal is dotted with many rural hamlets and communities, including Brouseville, New Wexford, Crystal Rock, Ventnor, Hyndman, Mainsville, Groveton, Campbell's Corners, McCarley's Corners, The Island, McReynolds, Pittston, Van Allens, Glen Smail, and
Shanly. Most of these hamlets date back to the early 1800s, and are tiny and only ever had a few farms and less than twenty businesses. Each hamlet usually had its own schoolhouse, cheese factory, and churches; many had their own general stores, burial grounds, as well as grist or saw mills.
Brouseville Brouseville, Ontario is a small rural hamlet located approximately north of Cardinal. The central location of the hamlet is the intersection of Brouseville Road and
County Road 22. Brouseville extends easterly to the township boundary, and Kain Road is considered to be the southern boundary of the community. Brouseville, formerly known as Bolton's Corners, was renamed in 1872 after Dr. William H. Brouse, a local travelling physician. Brouse took over the South Grenville seat in the 1872 federal election which prompted residents to change the name in his honour. Brouseville was settled many years later than neighbouring settlements of similar size; until the mid-1800s, the community consisted of solely homesteads or farms established by a handful of families. At this time, the community was called Bolton's Corners after the Bolton family, a notably large family who were amongst the first to settle here. By the 1860s, Brouseville became a thriving community with many businesses in operation typical of the era; Brouseville had a hotel, a jewellery store, four grocery stores, a pump shop, a blacksmith, as well as a carriage repair shop in operation. Sporting events became popular with the creation of an outdoor "arena", operated and maintained by locals. Brouseville organized its own hockey team, as well as a soccer and softball team, which competed against the teams of neighbouring communities. These events were highly organized and results were reported by local media. A notable piece of architecture belonging to the hamlet was an
octagon house that once stood on Byers Road. The house was believed to have been built by a "Mr. Wright" in 1873, following the fad of octagonal houses built in the United States. The house remained abandoned for many years after it was purchased by the Land Bank. Numerous efforts were made to have the distinctive house designated a heritage building to preserve it, however the outcry was largely ignored. On October 31, 1995, the house was destroyed by fire and later completely demolished. In the early 1900s, Brouseville established its first school, fairly late into its settlement. Prior to this, students had to travel long distances to neighbouring communities. Residents of the community demanded their own school section but were met with opposition from neighbouring schools, which relied on the revenue provided by Brouseville taxpayers. In 1905, Brouseville was finally designated its own school section, #6; the school was dubbed S.S. No. 6 Brouseville School. In the early 1900s, Crystal Rock sustained all its early businesses and trades apart from the limekilns. The last lime was produced here in 1904 and sold to Canada Starch Company (CASCO) in Cardinal. lived in Crystal Rock for most of her life. In the 1970s she turned her home in Crystal Rock into the Crystal Rock Art Room, which was a gallery for her original works. At the time of her death she had self-published three books including an autobiography and two local histories, one of which was about Crystal Rock. It was published in 1994 and titled
Crystal Rock History (Its Rocky Twists and Turns). One of Cameron's paintings was presented to Queen
Elizabeth II by the Town of Prescott in the 1980s during her visit to
Fort Wellington.
Glen Smail Glen Smail, Ontario is a rural community located approximately south of Spencerville along
County Road 44 near its intersection with Glen Smail Road. The settlement was first called Cowdrey's Hill followed by Hunter's Settlement before receiving the name Glen Smail; Cowdrey, Hunter and Smail were all surnames of the first prominent settlers in succession. Settled mainly by Scottish immigrants, Glen Smail began as an agricultural community with most residents supporting themselves through family farms. By the 1850s, some pioneer businesses and trades began to operate from the village. This included a general store which sold food items, alcohol and other necessities and a steam-powered sawmill. The sawmill was notably the only of its kind during the mid-1800s in the township and could operate year-round. A
lime kiln was also built, which provided area farmers with a supplemental income. During the 1880s, the sawmill was closed and sold off, being converted into a cheese factory. Local farmers sold their milk to the factory, and packaging was made by the local cooperage. By 1906, the factory was called William Edgar Cheese Factory. The cheese factory closed by the 1920s, and the building was moved to Shanly to become a general store. The hamlet is located along the Saint Lawrence River banks, and
Ontario Highway 2. By the time Prescott became an established town and the
War of 1812 had ended, The King's Highway (Ontario Highway 2) had become a rapidly improving, main corridor between Montreal and Kingston. This showed much potential for the people who held the land at the outskirts of Prescott. The
Battle of the Windmill, a skirmish with American rebels in 1838, was fought in the hamlet. The battle was named for a windmill built as well as the promontory and converted as a lighthouse in 1873. Eventually, by the 1850s, the railway had advanced through Prescott and the surrounding area, which generated further interest amongst the landowners to form a community. Originally, the community was called Riddell's Settlement, as the Riddell family headed six households and owned much of the land here. The community was eventually renamed after William Pitt, who was the first postmaster and built the first general store here in the 1800s. Although much of the land of Pittston was surveyed and distributed as land grants by 1799, the land changed hands many times before being settled by 1840. The village was arguably at its height during the mid-to-late 1800s, at which time several businesses were in operation and family farms were thriving. The village of Pittston was settled as an agricultural community, with most of its residents running family farms as their main source of income. Eventually, by the mid-1800s the community became home to some pioneer trades and businesses. During the mid-1800s, the village was home to a sawmill, a gristmill, two general stores, and a blacksmith shop. When the township was divided by school sections, Pittston was section number ten with its school being accordingly named S.S. No. 10 Pittston School. The first school building in Pittston was constructed around 1841. This schoolhouse was built from log and reportedly "lacked the bare necessities". During the 1850s, a new stone school was built to replace the log structure. In 1908, the stone schoolhouse was condemned and dismantled. A replacement was constructed on Pittston Road, west of the intersection of Shanly Road, at a cost of $5000. The third school was constructed of red brick with a belfry. The new school was divided into multiple rooms and had a basement for storage. The school closed in 1964 when one-room common schools were phased out, and was converted into a home.
Prescott Junction (Junctionville) Prescott Junction was a planned town located east of Prescott, about a kilometre north of New Wexford. The town had triangular boundaries, which at the time were the
Grand Trunk Railway line, the
Bytown and Prescott Railway line as well as Reynolds Street, a now non-existent road. In 1868, the land was surveyed and divided into 17 lots to become a new townsite. The town was originally called Junctionville, however this name was only used briefly; by 1871 newspapers and business directories were referring to the village as Prescott Junction. By the 1870s the town was thriving, with many businesses and homes having been constructed. Businesses in operation included two hotel and taverns called Beaufort's Inn and the Ottawa Hotel, a
Montreal Telegraph Company office, a Grand Trunk Railway station and a Canadian Express Company office. There were enough houses to accommodate around 50 individuals. In 1884, the Grand Trunk Railway closed its station at Prescott Junction, and eventually the
Canadian Pacific Railway took control of the area's railways. The town then became used as coal storage yards and ultimately dissolved. By the late-1900s, there was little evidence of Prescott Junction's existence. All of the structures were burned or demolished, with only some foundations remaining. Much of the area where the village once stood is now entirely overgrown, while some land has been incorporated into the Prescott Golf Course. The most noticeable piece of architecture left over from the town was a wooden footbridge which crossed over the former Bytown and Prescott Railway line, referred to by locals as Hangman's Bridge. The ominous name led some to associate the bridge with actual hangings, however there is no evidence of any hangings associated with the bridge ever occurring. It is likely that the bridge got its name from the fact its simple wood construction vaguely resembled a gallows. The bridge was demolished around the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Rooney's Corners Rooney's Corners was the name given to a small community near Cedar Grove Road and Rooney Road; what was the communities centre is now the junction of the 401,
Ontario Highway 16, and the aforementioned roads. Highway development dissected most of the land and the remainder was sold off to the government Land Bank around the 1970s. The community's name was taken from the surname of the owners of the general store, Edward and Rosanna Rooney. During the 1800s, Rooney's Corners was a thriving farming community with some pioneer industries in operation. The settlement had a limestone quarry and clay deposits which were both mined and a pottery business known as Mooney's Pottery was established. As most of the residents here sought an income through farming, a cheese factory was subsequently built relying on the local milk supply. The frame factory was known as Rooney's Cheese Factory. In 1848, a schoolhouse was located on a farm along Cedar Grove Road. When school sections were designated, the school was originally a union section with the neighbouring township of Augusta. By 1852, Rooney's Corners and the surrounding area had a large enough population to warrant their own school section. The area was labelled as section No. 20 with its school being accordingly named S.S. No. 20 Cedar Grove School. The school required yearly grants to stay open, and was eventually replaced in 1900 by a frame schoolhouse built further west. In addition to the common school, in 1855 plans were made to erect a Roman Catholic Separate School in the community. By 1856, a stone schoolhouse was constructed along Cedar Grove Road and designated Separate School #1; it is believed to have been the first separate school in the township. The first teacher was paid 36 pounds a year plus board to teach elementary-aged students basic school subjects such as spelling or grammar. In later years the school closed periodically due to lack of enrolment before being permanently closed around 1907. By 1871, a sawmill was established by the Chapman family on a small creek situated off of Cedar Grove Road. The mill, called Chapman's mill, also operated as a carding mill for a period of time, supplying the community with slab lumber and
shingles. In later years the mill was converted to operate on steam power. In the early 1900s, Wentworth Chapman was crippled in an accident at the mill involving escaped horses. Shortly after this, the mill ceased operations and later was destroyed by fire along with the Chapman family's farm. Until the 1990s, the chimney once belonging to Chapman's mill, which survived the fire, remained in its original location; it was a tall stone structure with a base. In the early 1900s, Rooney's Corners was essentially at a standstill. The schools and mill had closed, however around this time the general store, which lent the settlement its name, was established on County Road 44. The community saw some excitement in the 1920s, during
prohibition, when
bootlegging became a profitable endeavour; Rooney's Corners was located along a popular smuggling route. A ball diamond was laid out in a nearby cow pasture in the 1920s which held organized ball games against teams from nearby settlements and villages; the results of the games were often published in local newspapers. During the 1950s, many of the farms and houses which formed Rooney's Corners were expropriated by the
Provincial Highway Department to accommodate Highway 401. Within a short time, much of the community was demolished. In the 1970s, much of the remaining land around Rooney's Corners and Cedar Grove Road was purchased by the government Land Bank; houses and lots were either demolished or left abandoned. Around the 1980s, the cluster of houses along Fraser Road, all belonging to members of the Fraser family, became referred to as Fraserville; the designation was spurred due to the extensive Christmas light decorations put up each year by the family, which attracted local attention. Presently, there is little to no visible trace of the community's existence. Many of the buildings constructed by early settlers along Rooney and Cedar Grove roads have disappeared, including all of the former businesses, schools and many farms and houses. The name Rooney's Corners has more-or-less disappeared, no longer commonly ascribed to the area.
The Front The Front was the name given to the community situated between Cardinal and Johnstown on the First Concession of the township, along the Saint Lawrence River. The name was given to the community as this area of land was considered to be at the front of the township, and was often referred to as simply "The Front" by locals. Despite its location along the river, little settlement occurred before the late 1700s, when the Loyalists arrived. By 1792, much of the land along The Front was granted to disbanded Loyalist soldiers, who had been settling the area and clearing the land sporadically since it was surveyed 1784. The first settlers established small farms here, raising livestock or planting crops. As early as 1790, two gristmills and a sawmill were in operation along The Front, however by 1865, these mills were no longer mentioned in records and presumed closed. In the early 1800s, residents of The Front relied on the river for a means of employment. Businesses involving river transportation were profitable at this time, such as hauling boats through the Galops Rapids. Later into the century, construction projects such as the building of the Galop Canal provided work for the residents of The Front. In addition to the river, residents sustained themselves through various agricultural means; the area consisted of many farms and orchards which sold dairy, produce or other goods to local markets. Cheese factories dotted the area along The Front giving farmers a place to sell their milk production, and supplying cheese to local communities; The Front was serviced by the cheese factories of Rooney's Corners and Cardinal, as well as its own Perry Creek factory, located on Lot 23 on the First Concession. The Perry Creek factory was destroyed by fire in 1897, but was rebuilt within a month; the new factory operated until 1923. In 1826, a Presbyterian church was constructed in what is now considered part of Cardinal, however at the time was known as The Front Church. In 1827, the first Anglican church in the township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal was erected in The Front with an accompanying burial ground; the church operated until 1873, while the cemetery is still in use today. Around 1849, a Wesleyan-Methodist church was erected on Lot 10 of the First Concession, just west of Cardinal; this church operated for a short time, before the congregation amalgamated with the Episcopal Methodist church located in Cardinal to become a United church. Two other churches, more commonly associated with he villages of Johnstown and Cardinal, were considered as belonging to The Front when they were first constructed; the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, now considered to be in Cardinal, was constructed in 1875 and the Johnstown Methodist Church constructed in 1879. Two schools operated along The Front serving the community's students. According to an 1851 census, a schoolhouse was located west of Cardinal on property belonging to the McIlmoyle family. Little is known about the school, except for that it was purchased in 1853 and closed sometime before the end of the 1800s; it is likely after 1872 the schools in Cardinal began to serve the students from this schoolhouse. During the mid-1800s when school sections were divided, S.S. No. 3 North Channel School served many of the students from The Front. North Channel School opened in 1845, however little records exist regarding the early history of the school. The building was replaced in 1876 by a structure described as primitive and unattractive, having been left unpainted; the building was only around for a few months before being destroyed by arson. A new school was constructed as a replacement shortly after; the new school was described as meticulously kept and remained in operation until the mid-1900s. In the 1930s, a small coal business operated along Empire-Hannah Road. Coal was stockpiled here and sold locally; the small company was eventually bought out and the remaining coal was sent to Ottawa by train until stocks were depleted and the company folded. In the 1950s, the community saw a boom in prosperity with the construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and Highway 2 became a main commercial and tourist route. As tourists were common and workers from the construction project were seeking temporary accommodations, during this time, numerous tourist cabins or other roadside sleeping accommodations were in operating along The Front. Additionally, three service stations were located between Johnstown and Cardinal, selling fuel and repairing vehicles. A general store was opened to serve the workers as well as the tourists, which closed upon the Seaway's completion. By the mid-1900s, The Front was decreasingly dependent on agriculture and many large farms were subsequently divided into smaller lots for constructing family homes; many homes have been constructed along Highway 2 sporadically since this time. Presently, the community which was once referred to as The Front consists of a strip of mainly residential properties stretching for many kilometres from Johnstown to Cardinal along the highway. Many old homes, barns and former businesses built by the early settlers during the late 18th and early 19th centuries are still standing and occupied, however there are also many which have been demolished or replaced. The Front is a designation rarely used today to describe the area, having fallen into disuse some time ago.
The Second The Second was the name given to a small settlement located along what was the Second Concession of the township, now Froom and Scott roads. The concession line, instead of lying straight, ran parallel to the Saint Lawrence River shoreline leading to a break in the road and oddly shaped lots; the Second Concession was thus known locally as the "Broken Second". In the late 1700s, the land at The Second had been surveyed and divided into lots to be distributed as land grants to Loyalists or to be purchased by European immigrants; by 1792 some land here was occupied. Around 1795, a Loyalist named Thomas Gooseberry, one of only three black Loyalists from Jessup's Corps, was granted a lot of land here; Gooseberry did not settle here, as by 1801 his name was absent from census records. In the early 1800s, settlement at The Second increased as more families established homes and began clearing the land. The Second remained a small agricultural until the mid-1800s, consisting of farms and homes with no prominent businesses. By 1851, the community had significant growth in population but not in industry; agriculture was the most cited means of employment next to jobs on the river, such as ship captains. Only one pioneer tradesperson was operating a business during this time as a shoemaker. The farmers of The Second mostly established mixed-farming operations; field crops such as wheat, oats, hay, peas and potatoes were popular and common livestock included dairy cattle, swine, sheep and horses. Beekeeping and apple orchards were also common on local farms. In 1843, a school was constructed of logs along The Second. Little is known about this school; the log structure was replaced by a stone schoolhouse not long after its construction. When school sections were divided The Second was designated S.S. No. 5. The stone schoolhouse reportedly provided primitive accommodations, as it lacked a proper heating source and running water. The schoolhouse operated into the early 1900s when it too was replaced by a slightly more modern building. In 1949, a local named Andrew Wylie willed part of his land along the Second Concession for the construction of a new school. A brick school, called Wylie's School, was constructed in 1950 consisting of a single room and modern conveniences such as washrooms and electricity. Wylie's School closed in 1969. In 1855, the Grand Trunk Railway was established nearby in Cardinal which allowed the community farmers to conveniently distribute their goods to larger markets in cities like Montreal. Around the same time a cheese factory, supplied by local milk, was established and operated well into the 1900s. Although farming was still the main industry, women began to be self-employed as weavers or seamstresses during the mid-19th century. No new businesses were established in The Second through to 1900; the community relied heavily on the village of Cardinal for services as well as travelling salesmen. In the early 1900s, the community remained relatively unchanged from the previous century until the 1950s when the community began to feel a slow decline. Improved infrastructure lessened the communities dependency on agriculture and self-sustainability. At the end of the 1950s, the construction of Highway 401 disrupted the community; almost all of the farms along The Second had their northern sections severed off to accommodate the highway. Presently, The Second consists of mainly residential addresses and has no businesses currently in operation. Locally, the road and surrounding area is still often referred to as the "Broken Second" despite the community's steady decline.
Spencerville West Spencerville West was the name given to the community located slightly north-west of Spencerville; the community extended west from the abandoned CPR tracks (one mile west of Spencerville) to the township border and encompassed the western ends of Dukelow and Goodin road. The designation of the community Spencerville West was first used by Spencerville United Church groups to more accurately define its congregation. The land in the area was settled by the mid–19th century, as the South Nation River branches off through the centre of the community, making ideal farm land. By the late nineteenth century, the community consisted of many mixed-farming operations and a few businesses. A cheese factory was constructed around this time, which operated for a period of time as a joint business of the Ventnor factory ran by Millar and Ferguson. This cheese factory was in operation from 1874 until 1948 when it was closed and dismantled. Additionally, there was two orchards in operation, a cooperage, many small sugar bushes and an
icehouse which sold cut ice blocks to farmers. The most notable sugar bush was that of the Drummond family, whose vast farm land was locally designated as Drummond's Hill during the 19th century. The Drummond family were prominent community figures who settled here before 1803; their
sugar bush has sold maple sugar and syrup from the same property since around 1817. On the north side of County Road 21 along Keeler's Creek was a sawmill first operated by the Keeler family. The water-powered mill operated until the early 1920s when it was left abandoned, falling later into ruins. Early into the settlement of the community, a church was erected by Methodists on property belonging to and donated by the Drummond family. This church was served by the same ministers as the Spencerville churches, and some in its congregation were from the neighbouring township of Augusta. In addition to the church, a Sunday school was built around 1815 next to the church called Union Sunday School or Union Sabbath School. The Sunday school was of brick construction and served the area Protestants. In 1876, the church was rebuilt out of brick as well; at this time, the church was known as Drummond's Methodist Church. Most of the building supplies for the church were donated, and labour was supplied by local volunteers. The church and school closed in the early 1900s and were later demolished with financial difficulties being cited as the reason. Today, a stone monument reading "Drummond’s Union Sabbath School, 1815–1913" stands on the site of the former church and school. When school sections were introduced in the mid-19th century, Spencerville West became a union school section with Augusta township, as the village of Roebuck in located on the other side of the township border. In Edwardsburgh this section was known as S.S. No. 19 (S.S. No. 25 in Augusta), with its schoolhouse being named accordingly, S.S. No. 19 Edwardsburgh/Roebuck School. It is unclear when the first S.S. No. 19 was built, however the first structure was replaced by a new one in 1870. The school served on average around 100 pupils from ages five to twenty years. Later, in 1896, an additional room was added and in 1960, washrooms were added. In the mid-1960s the school closed as transportation to larger, modern schools became available. In the early 1900s, a sawmill was built on the south side of County Road 21 in the community by the McGuire family who operated this sawmill into the late 1900s. In the 1930s, a small general store was open for a brief period to serve the community of Spencerville West which sold dry goods and groceries as well as animal feed. The store was destroyed by fire in 1941 then rebuilt a year later. The store was later converted into a private dwelling before being demolished sometime in the mid-1900s to widen the road. Presently, Spencerville West consists mainly of farms and residential properties and it is not a listed community on most contemporary maps. The Drummond family still reside here operating their sugar bush and a small restaurant;
maple syrup and sugar is sold and patrons are served dishes which can typically be served with maple syrup such as pancakes. == Demographics ==