Early Settlement

Early Settlement. Six Decades of Dramatic Change. , 1811: Samuel Wilmot surveyed the Penetanguishene Road , the “street of communication between Kempenfeldt Bay on Lake Simcoe and Pennetengushene [sic] Harbour...and one concession on each side thereof…” This was a defensive move by the British Government in anticipation of the 1812-14 War with the United States. , 1819: A British Order in Council created the County of Simcoe and opened the entire area to settlement. , 1820: James Chewett completed a new survey of Oro, Medonte and most of North Simcoe County. He created long strips of land about a mile wide (1.6 km) called concessions which meant the land could be sold or granted by the British Government. Each strip was divided into 200-acre (80-hectare) lots, then halved east and west to form 100-acre parcels, as shown on the map. In Oro, Chewett's survey numbered the lots from north to south. An example of a legal lot description is the west half of Lot 15, Concession 6, or in short form, (W 1/2, L 15, C6). , A concession line was a road allowance of one chain or 66', separating each concession. These ran north and south. A crossroad or sideroad ran east and west, usually every 5 lots. These were called, for example, “fifteen-sixteen sideroad” or sometimes given a name such as “The Old Barrie Road.” The surveyed land parcels were then allocated to pioneers by tickets of location. , 1820: The Men of Colour were located in and around Wilberforce Street, (Concession Line 1). Military grants were issued to British Half-pay Officers, Oliver, Monck, O'Brien, Ross, Adams, McVittee, Davis, Carthew, Hewson, Source: Story of Oro, between the Ridge Trail and Lake Simcoe. Some half-pay officers assumed duties such as locating settlers coming to the area. They were also a mild military presence in case of-further aggression from the United States. , 1826: Sale of Crown Land began at 4 shillings per acre, 10% cash discount or payment over 5 years. , 1831: There were 91 indigent settlers located by either Land Agents Col. E. G. O'Brien or Wellesley Richey. , 1832-1871: In the wake of severe poverty and extreme social unrest in Britain, waves of settlers filled the townships of Simcoe County. Most came from Scotland, England and Ireland. A few United Empire Loyalists located here as well. , 1853: The Northern Railway was completed from Toronto to Allandale. , 1865: The railway was completed to link Allandale and Barrie. , 1869: The Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway bought a right of way for a railway through Oro to link Barrie and Orillia. To accommodate the railway, Concession Line 1 was re-aligned along the north side of the newly built track. The bridge constructed to take the Ridge Road over the track was called Thunder Bridge. Whenever a vehicle drove over the heavy timbers forming the road-bed on the bridge, they moved a bit in the steel braces, causing a loud rumbling noise. , 1871: The railway from Toronto to Orillia was completed and a new era dawned in Oro-Medonte. , Acknowledgements:

. MNR aerials: Produced by the Township of Oro-Medonte under license with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (c) Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1953. Photo ref: R38-4417-239 and R38-4418-205. , . Township of Oro-Medonte, Parks and Recreation. , . We kindly acknowledge the generous financial support from the County of Simcoe. , . Township of Oro-Medonte Historical Association. , . Research and Production: Paul Marshall, Joanna McEwen &Tim Crawford. , . Map from Kith'n Kin, drawn by James C. Anderson, 1978. , . Graphic Design and Photo Restoration: Anton (Tony) Pickard