Craigvale
History of Craigvale and Stroud
Railway History
First sod for the Great Northern Railway of Canada was turned by Lady
Elgin, wife of the Governor General of Canada, and the locomotive named
in her honour, "Lady Elgin". With the building of the railway
from Toronto to Aurora in the year 1851, to Belle Ewart and Allandale
in 1853, Craigvale rapidly developed as an important business centre.
The railway first passed through Craigvale in October, 1853. It was built
in sections to Aurora, to Holland Landing, to Allandale and finished 1855
to Penetang. The workmen lived in log shacks with their families near
their work. It was then called the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway,
being called for the lakes which it connected. The railway was built to
a six foot gauge. In the late 1870's the track was changed to standard
gauge of 4 ft. 8-1/2 inches.
The first station in this section was at Pratt's 12 Line, next at Craigvale.
The Craigvale railway station was moved to Bramley, on the 9th line, after
managing directors of the railway had a dispute with residents of Craigvale.
In 1878 the station and a large building containing office, freight shed
and grain sheds was moved back to Craigvale.
About this time the Northern Railway acquired the Hamilton and North
Western Railway and the joint lines were known as the Northern and North
Western Railway until 1888, when the lines became part of the Grand Trunk
Railway, and now comprise part of the Canadian National System.
The station at Craigvale was burned down about 1896, but was soon rebuilt.
The Craigvale Railway Station was renamed Stroud Station, then torn
down in 1964.
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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