Craigvale
History of Craigvale and Stroud
The 1850's
One hundred years ago, (1851-1951) the area was covered with an almost
unbroken forest. Forest that had no value, it was an enemy to be destroyed
so that the fertile earth beneath might be uncovered to the sun and made
to produce food for the needs of man. In the front of the battle were
a few settlers; men and women of courage; faith and resourcefulness; of
brain and brawn. Their equipment was simple and scant... an axe and saw,
a yoke of oxen, more rarely a team of horses, a crude wooden plough, iron
sheathed, a butterfly harrow, a scythe, a reaping hook, rapidly being
displaced by a newfangled Yankee contraption called a cradle, a rake,
a fork, a spade, a hoe. In the house a spinning wheel. The only channels
of communication were the public roads, and these were scant and poor.
The pioneer farms were mostly self sustained. What few products there
were for sale, found a market in nearby Barrie, little more than a village,
but mostly in distant Toronto, reached in winter, when snow made for better
roads, by a three day journey there and back.
A sawmill was run at Craigvale in the 1850's by a Mr Craig who also
kept the post office for a time, giving Craigvale its name.
Mr Gilbert who owned the Wright farm in Craigvale in the early 1850's
ran a sawmill on the south side of the road through the village. Later
it was run by Stephen Maneer, and he built Mrs Fred Wright's house.
Samuel Maneer's son, Samuel, born 1826, as a young man went to the United
States to learn the blacksmithing trade, working in Buffalo, Cleveland,
Louisville, Ky, etc. Samuel returned to Canada. On 1 Jun 1859 he married
Rebecca Wilson. He operated a blacksmith shop at Conc. 9, east side of
tracks (Leonard Beach Rd/then later, Victoria Road in Craigvale). He built
and repaired wagons. It was also a paint shop, and he made barrels for
the flour mill. After 1890 he dealt in farm implements, binder twine and
other farm supplies.
This section contains material collected by Jeanne Groce about the history
of Stroud and Craigvale. It contains "information collected from libraries,
books, newspapers, the Centennial History of Innisfil, Historical Revue,
word of mouth, and anywhere else I could find it." Reference to the source
of the material is given where possible. |
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