Historic Hills

Before rural mail delivery was established in the early 1900s, nearly every village and hamlet in these hills had a post office.

A booming mecca of down-home entertainment once brought thousands of happy visitors to the heart of Mulmur Township.

Angry crowds, a mishandled ballot box, cries of voter suppression and a legal challenge rocked the election for Orangeville’s reeve in 1909.

Collecting calendars was once a seasonal ritual on main street.

In 1930, a series of strange physical disturbances led a family to abandon their farm in Mulmur Township. Was a spirit at work? A poltergeist? Was it real?

In less than two decades automobiles grew from curiosity to commonplace in these hills.

Animus between Protestants and Catholics brewed among early settlers in Headwaters.

A century ago Alexander McLachlan was one of the best known citizens of these hills, widely admired, respected and praised for his poetry. Today hardly anyone has heard of him. How did this happen?

Settlers in the 19th century came here to farm, and to do that they had to clear the trees. Their success with that was thorough and dramatic. So was the impact on the landscape.

Facing a crisis was part of daily life for the settlers of these hills and they had no outside help to see them through. What they depended on instead was inner strength, creativity, resources at hand and good neighbours.

For 75 years Ontario students had to pass demanding provincial exams to get into high school. Preparation was rigorous and it was widely believed rural teachers weren’t up to the job.

Live entertainment flourished in these hills a century and more ago. Before new technologies like the cinema changed everything, the stages of our local town halls were filled with performances that appealed to every taste.