Kinghorn

Kinghorn is located at the intersection of Jane Street and King Road. It was a lively community in the late 1800s, but now it is a hamlet of a few houses.

The First Tannery in Kinghorn, 1847-1884. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham.

The first settlers were James and Mary Burns in 1842. They established a sawmill. In 1851, James Burns sold off several on-quarter acre lots. One of these lots was bought by Charles Kain in 1853, who opened the village tavern. The tavern was later sold to the Davis family who converted it into a double house.

In 1847, Elihu Pease bought land on which his son, Edward built a tannery. This business was bought by Andrew Davis in 1856 and re-named "Lowell Tannery". In 1871, Andrew's oldest son, E.J. became his partner in the business, which came to be known as Andrew Davis and Son. In 1884, Andrew retired and sold his part of the business to E.J. A fire destroyed the tannery in 1884, but it was rebuilt and production was doubled. In 1890, E.J.'s two oldest sons started working in the tannery. By 1903, more than 45 men were employed by the tannery, but a second fire destroyed the tannery that year. The company relocated to Newmarket, despite the urging of the King Township Council to remain in the community. The tannery property (27 acres) was sold to William Baldwin in 1904. Aubrey Davis, E.J's second oldest son, repurchased the land from William Baldwin in 1945 and called it "Memory Acres".

The moving of the tannery ended the community's main industry and the settlement began to decline. An Episcopal Methodist church was established in Kinghorn in 1848. The church closed its doors in 1890 and its members joined the Methodist Church in Springhill (now King City).

The Second Tannery in Kinghorn, 1884-1903. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham.

Kinghorn School: (school section #23)

Kinghorn School, 1937. Courtesy of King Township Museum

On April 6, 1860, James Burns sold to the trustees of School Section #23 the land for a school at a price of $80. David Johnston erected a one-room school building in 1861. Mr. D. McKay was the first principal. In 1867, Miss Elizabeth Tinline was hired as Mr. McKay's assistant. Miss Tinline became principal in 1874 remaining in that position until December 31, 1880 when she became principal at the Strange School (and Walter Rolling's teacher). Mr. G. Beynon taught in 1881, then Miss Norman in 1882 and 1883.

Mr. B. J. Morris taught in 1884, and Mr. F. E. Grant in 1885. Miss Reid taught from 1886 to June 1889. Mr. G. A. Clarke took over in September 1889 and stayed until 1892. Miss Alice Ferguson was hired in 1892 and stayed until December 31, 1894. Walter Rolling began teaching at Kinghorn in January 1895 and stayed until June 1936.

In January 1914, the state of the school was discussed at a special meeting of ratepayers. Mr. John Burns and Mr. James T. Burns felt that a new school should be erected on a new one-acre parcel of land. Others suggested that the present site be enlarged and the building improved. A poll was held on January 24, 1914 and it was decided to improve the current school house. The trustees tried to buy 2/3 of an acre of land from Mr. James T. Burns but he refused to sell, and the School Board had to expropriate the land. From 1915 to 1916, a new foundation was laid for the school and the building was moved about 30 feet. A new furnace was installed, the school was painted, and new toilets were erected behind the school house. Electricity was installed in 1937. In 1958 and 1963, additions were added onto the school house, but soon the school was closed when many of the township schools were merged into bigger schools. In 1979, the building was purchased by the Township of King as a museum site.



Laskay

Laskay is located on Weston Road, south of King Road.

Laskay, n.d. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham.

The settlement was named in the 1830s by one of the first settlers Joseph Baldwin, after his native village of Loskie, Yorkshire in England. He and David Reesor planned and developed Laskay which was divided into two parts, east and west. Joseph Baldwin settled and developed the east part of Laskay in 1832. He completed the work on the dam and sawmill, which had already been started.

In 1845, he opened the town's first store, the Laskay Emporium, and in 1849, he built a grist mill. His son Henry started a carding and cloth finishing mill. In 1854, the post office was opened in the Emporium. (The Emporium was donated and moved to Black Creek Pioneer Village in 1960.) Joseph subdivided part of his farm into village lots. In this subdivision, there was the woolen mill, the store and post office, a tavern, a shoe shop, a photographic studio, and a cooper shop. Joseph also donated land for the Primitive Methodist Church. In 1897, the carding mill burned down and was not reconstructed; this stopped all future visions of expansion for the village.

Laskay Methodist Church, 1910. Courtesy of King Township Museum.

Laskay Hall, 2004. Courtesy of King Township Museum.

In 1856, David Ressor settled on the west side of Laskay. Industries in this area included a plaster mill, a sawmill, several shops, and a slaughterhouse. David also donated property for a Presbyterian Church and land for the Temperance Division where the Temperance Hall was built (this later became the property of the Laskay Women's Institute). In 1859, Garrett Blough opened an inn, which later became a blacksmith shop operated by Joseph O'Brien.

Over the years, as businesses disappeared from Laskay it turned into a small, quiet hamlet.



Strange

Strange is located on Weston Road, north of King Road. It was originally known as Williamstown. In 1840, William Wells decided he wanted to start a town in this area. His first store, opened in 1841, did good business. In 1880, Dr. Frederick William Strange, elected representative for the area, secured a post office for the town.

Strange, about 1920. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham.

In gratitude, the name of the settlement was changed from Williamstown to Strange. The store and attached residence were destroyed by fire in 1922. Mr. Rutherford, the store's next owner, built a new residence reserving one room to be used as a grocery store. The store finally closed in 1940.

Strange Post Office, 1908. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

By 1853, William Wells had abandoned his vision for a town at Strange, when the railway went through Springhill (King City) instead of his settlement. A Wesleyan Methodist Church was built in Strange but it closed in 1904 and the congregation moved to the Methodist Church in Laskay. In 1837, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was built of log construction in Strange. A new stone church was built in 1860. The church closed in 1958 and became a private residence.

Now Strange has no businesses or schools; it is only a picturesque area for the families that live there.



Strange School : (school section #4)

A school was constructed of logs around 1831 but it soon fell into disrepair. A new, two-storey ame school was built in 1851 then a brick school was built in 1871. The school was torn down and rebuilt again in 1941. Due to increased attendance, a new two-room school was built in 1958. The 1941 school was used as the Administrative Office the King Township school area. Both buildings were closed and sold in 1972 when many of the township schools were merged into bigger schools.

The school in Strange, called the Laskay School, 1912. Courtesy of King Township Museum.

Lloydtown

Lloydtown is located in the northwestern part of King Township, about a mile west of Schomberg.

Main Street Lloydtown, 1908. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

This hamlet was named after Jesse Lloyd (born in Pennsylvania in 1786) who settled in King Township in 1812. At first it was called Lloyd's town, then later changed to its present name. In 1826, Lloyd bought 60 acres on Lot 31 for a grist mill, The first in the area. The hamlet of Lloydtown grew around the mill. The mill was sold in 1832 and stopped production in 1902.

The first post office in King Township was opened in Lloydtown in 1831. By the mid-1800s, the hamlet also had a sawmill, a tannery, a foundry, a distillery, several stores, 3 hotels, 3 blacksmith shops, a woolen mill, and 2 churches. At this time, Lloydtown was more prosperous than neighboring Brownsville (now called Schomberg).

Lloydtown was famous for being a centre of conflict just before the Rebellion of Upper Canada in 1837. Jesse Lloyd assisted William Lyon Mackenzie in organizing an uprising of rebels to dislodge the Upper Canada government from power. In December 1837, the rebels were defeated and Jesse Lloyd was forced to flee to the United States with a price of ?500 on his head. Lloyd died of poor health a few years later never having returned.

Main Street Lloydtown, 1895. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

The decline of the hamlet began after a railway was constructed from Aurora to Schomberg. Starting in the early 1900s, many businesses and services moved to Schomberg. Today, Lloydtown is a quiet little hamlet without a store to be seen.



Lloydtown School: (school section #15)

Lloydtown School, n.d. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

The exact date that the school was built is not known but school records are available as far back as 1850. The school was located at the south end of the village next to the Methodist cemetery. A second school was built at the northern part of the village and opened in 1863.

Pottageville

Pottageville is located at the corner of the Lloydtown-Aurora Road and the Seventh Concession. This hamlet got its name from Edward Pottage, a bailiff and leading citizen of the area.

Home of Edward Pottage, n.d. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

Pottage owned 100 acres at this intersection from 1844 to 1879. This village had two sawmills, the Cedarville Mill and one operated by Alfred Lloyd. The Cedarville Mill was the first stationary sawmill in King Township. It did not cease operation until 1937. A post office opened in 1876. The post office opened and closed a few times over the next 40 years. In 1918, the post office finally closed when rural mail delivery began.

Over the years, Pottageville had a hotel, a blacksmith shop, a tannery, and a store. No industries stayed in the village and it is now a quiet hamlet on a busy road.



Pottageville School: (school section #13)

The Pottageville School was erected in 1856. A new school was built in 1962 due to increased attendance. The school was closed in 1971 and the children went to school in Kettleby.

Pottageville School, n.d. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

Aurora

Aurora, n.d. Courtesy of Aurora Museum

Aurora was once part of King Township. The original settlement started off at Concession 1, Lot 81 and 82, on both sides of Yonge Street. Two lots were in King Township and two lots were in Whitchurch. In 1804, this hamlet began to develop at Yonge and Wellington Streets. One of the first settlers was Richard Machell who was also the first merchant to start a business. Hence, the settlement was named Machell's Corners. On January 1, 1854, the hamlet changed its name to Aurora. On January 19, 1863, the Village of Aurora had its first council meeting. By establishing this village, it was removed from the jurisdiction of King Township and Whitchurch.

King City

What originally started as the hamlet of Springhill, is now known as King City. It is located north and south of King Road and east and west of Concession 4. The area was probably named Springhill due to the many natural springs in the area. In 1890, the Reeve of King Township, James Whiting Crossley, petitioned the township to incorporate the village and call it King City. The Northern Railway opened a station in Springhill in 1853 and the village began to grow around it. In 1963, the station was closed

Fourth Street (now Keele Street), King City, 1908. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

Main Street (now King Street), King City, 1908. Courtesy of Elizabeth McClure Gillham

In 1907, it was decided to install gas lighting in the village. A gas plant was built on the north side of King Road, west of the railway track. The gas was piped from the plant to the various gas-light standards in the village. Arthur Brown looked after the plant and was responsible for lighting the gas lamps on the village streets each night. Arthur remarked that he liked the job, but local kids use to follow him around blowing out the lamps after he lighted them. That kept him going in circles! Due to his job, he was known as "The Lamplighter". In 1924, the village obtained electric power.

In 1947, the installation of waterworks helped to grow and expand the village.

In 1893, the Mechanics Institute Library was established. Funds were raised by subscription and the Ontario government matched the amount raised. The approximately 800 library books were kept in the office of Bailiff Crossley. Membership was one dollar a year per family or 50 cents per person.

King City Library. Courtesy of King Township Public Library

The books were later moved to James McClement?s home, then to Frank Egan?s residence. The library was then discontinued because it was difficult to obtain a supervisor. In 1947, due to revived interest, the King Women?s Institute organized the opening of the King Memorial Library. The library has lived in many locations. In 1969 it amalgamated with the Ansnorveldt, Nobleton, and Schomberg Public Libraries to form the King Township Public Library that exists today.



King City School: (school section #2)

Until 1873, the closest schools for the children living in Springhill were either in Kinghorn or Eversley. In 1873, a school was built on the east half of Lot 7, Concession 4. A second elementary school was built in 1959, south of King Road, east of Keele Street. Then in 1966, a senior public school was built for grad seven and eight students. The King City Secondary School was built in 1961 on the south side of King Road.