Elora in Centre Wellington in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
David Street Bridge
Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 24, 2025
1. David Street Bridge Marker
Inscription.
David Street Bridge. . Although it is one of the main tourist attractions in our area, human impact on this section of the gorge has not always been a story we are proud to tell. To early pioneers, trees were an obvious impediment to farming and a nuisance obstructing views and blocking out the sunlight. Thousands of trees were logged and the land cleared for farming. The challenging geography of the gorge did not stop the march of the axe, and much of it was logged for timber. The largely denuded gorge (shown in this photograph, circa 1885) became a community dumping ground for all kinds of refuse, including animal carcasses. Imagine the odor! In 1868, the garbage in the gorge caught fire and burned for an astonishing 10 days. As a result, dumping garbage gradually subsided. This was a wake up call! In the mid-1870s a group of progressive citizens decided to take action, The local horticultural society turned its collective energies to restoring this jewel. They planted trees and built steps and bridges to recapture the beauty of the Gorge. This cultural awakening gathered momentum and resulted in the formation of the Natural History Society. One of Elora's luminaries, David Boyle, initiated tree planting around the Elora Public School (now the Elora Centre for the Arts) along residential streets and in the Village's public spaces. Some of these trees still stand.
Although it is one of the main tourist attractions in our area, human impact on this section of the gorge has not always been a story we are proud to tell. To early pioneers, trees were an obvious impediment to farming and a nuisance obstructing views and blocking out the sunlight. Thousands of trees were logged and the land cleared for farming.
The challenging geography of the gorge did not stop the march of the axe, and much of it was logged for timber. The largely denuded gorge (shown in this photograph, circa 1885) became a community dumping ground for all kinds of refuse, including animal carcasses. Imagine the odor! In 1868, the garbage in the gorge caught fire and burned for an astonishing 10 days.
As a result, dumping garbage gradually subsided. This was a wake up call! In the mid-1870s a group of progressive citizens decided to take action, The local horticultural society turned its collective energies to restoring this jewel. They planted trees and built steps and bridges to recapture the beauty of the Gorge. This cultural awakening gathered momentum and resulted in the formation of the Natural History Society.
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One of Elora's luminaries, David Boyle, initiated tree planting around the Elora Public School (now the Elora Centre for the Arts) along residential streets and in the Village's public spaces. Some of these trees still stand.
Location. 43° 40.948′ N, 80° 26.061′ W. Marker is in Centre Wellington, Ontario, in Wellington County. It is in Elora. It can be reached from James Crescent. The marker is in Victoria Park, approx. 100 metres from the park entrance at James Crescemt. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 98 James Street, Centre Wellington ON N0B 1S0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 52 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 29, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
