Harwood in Northumberland County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Harwood

Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 7, 2025

1. Harwood Marker

Inscription. This area, purchased in 1828 by Robert Harwood, a Montreal merchant, did not begin to develop rapidly until the arrival of the Cobourg and Peterborough Railway in 1854, Harwood was surveyed in 1855, and the line, which transported passengers, lumber and goods to Peterborough, and later ore for the Marmora iron foundry, encouraged commercial development here. The nearby crib bridge, which carried the track across Rice Lake and on to Peterborough was, however, poorly engineered and constructed and was closed in 1862. Competition from the Port Hope-Peterborough railway was severe and service on the Cobourg Harwood line ceased in 1895 after the local lumber mills had closed. Today Harwood remains primarily a summer cottage community.

Erected by Erected by the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1828.

Location. 44° 8.44′ N, 78° 10.88′ W. Marker is in Harwood,

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Ontario, in Northumberland County. It is on Front Street 0.3 kilometers north of Rice Lake Scenic Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5453 Front Street, Harwood ON K0K 2H0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Kawarthas Northumberland Area

and in Eastern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mount Ararat (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); Gravesite of German Workers (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); Gore’s Landing Dock (approx. 4.7 kilometers away); Gore’s Landing (approx. 4.8 kilometers away); Alderville First Nation Cenotaph (approx. 10.2 kilometers away); a different marker also named Alderville First Nation Cenotaph (approx. 10.2 kilometers

Photographed by Tim Boyd, 67/2025

2. Harwood Marker

away); Alderville Indian Reserve 1837-1987 (approx. 10.5 kilometers away); Alderville Manual Labour School / L’École de Travaux Manuels D’Alderville (approx. 10.5 kilometers away).

Also see . . . The Cobourg - Peterborough Railway (Port Hope History).

The major obstacle in the route of the Cobourg & Peterborough Railway was Rice Lake, which lay athwart the path of this pioneer line; the C. & P. R. was incorporated in 1852, under the laws of the Province of Canada (16 Vic. Cap.40) to build between the towns mentioned in its title. Projected in 1852, the railway chose a path which involved a crossing of Rice Lake, the only appreciable body of water in the vicinity. The lake, about fifteen miles inland from Cobourg, on the shore of Lake Ontario, is about 18 miles long and less than three miles wide, at its widest point.

(Submitted on June 12, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

The Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad, with Harwood and the Rice Lake Bridge image. Click for full size.

June 12, 2025

3. The Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad, with Harwood and the Rice Lake Bridge

Tremaine’s Map of Upper Canada, 1862 (Source: University of Milwaukee, public domain)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 94 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 12, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.