Click to Download the PDF
Download the Word Doc
President’s Message
As we watch the summer of 2024 disappear, we have to look forward to the upcoming fall season. And it’s coming fast, with the Georgina Historical Society’s Harvestfest being held on Saturday, September 21st. Your Harvestfest Committee has been busy over the summer, lining up musical acts for both the bandshell and the church. We will also have Eddy B. and Tootsie’s Messhall providing food, and a vendor’s market of interesting goods for sale. Of course, all of the buildings will be open, with volunteer greeters in each one. There’s lots of other things going on, so please plan to attend or volunteer, we always have a great day!
In other news, your Board of Directors has been hard at work trying to understand and comply with new regulations controlling not-for-profit organizations in Ontario. We hope that we have a handle on the changes, and will keep the membership apprised of progress as it comes together.
On another note, it’s exciting to think about the fiftieth anniversary of the Georgina Pioneer Village coming up this summer. Plans are already underway for celebrations, and the Georgina Historical Society will be right there. Originally put together by the GHS, it was turned over to the Town of Georgina in 2006. It’s incredible to think of the teamwork, logistics and forethought put into this project by a dedicated volunteer group. The prime driver of this accomplishment was of course Nena Marsden, but without the support of many hard-working people it never would have happened. Gavin Morton, a local contractor, was especially instrumental in pulling things together, doing whatever was required to make it happen. We are proud to say that we still have several of those dedicated folks as our members today.
That’s about it for now. Let’s enjoy the fall season, the cooler weather is always appreciated, and it’ll be summer again before we know it!
See you soon, Paul Brady,
President, Georgina Historical Society
Communities of Georgina – Udora
Udora is a small rural community on the border between Uxbridge Township in Durham Region and the Town of Georgina in York Region. Centred on the intersection of Ravenshoe and Victoria Roads, it has a population estimated to be around 1500 and is situated in the most south-eastern part of Georgina, split between York Region and Durham Region by Ravenshoe Road. The town was originally known as Snoddon Corners and was the location of the Snoddon Hotel. It was renamed in the early 1860s when it came time to select a name for the post office. With two rivers winding their way through Udora there are several small historical dams in and around the community three of which were used to control the water levels for the J. E. Peers Mill.
Growth in Udora was slow until the early 1950’s when the Independent Toronto Estonian Women’s Association purchased land in the north-west side of Udora. It was subsequently subdivided into 150 summer cottage lots for Estonians from Toronto and named Jõekääru, which means River Bend in English, and so named because Pefferlaw River runs through the grounds. Local street names in the grounds are also in their native Estonian. With the cottages also came the Estonian Children’s Camp, which is still active to date as an Estonian language immersion camp for part of the summer. Housing in Udora ranges from homes built in the 1800’s to cottages of the 50’s, and the latest addition, a small estate subdivision that overlooks the Pefferlaw river valley on the west side of the community.
In the centre of Udora (or downtown) on the main road (Victoria), there is a General Store doubling as a functioning post office . One of the last original General Stores in Ontario it is still in operation and distributing mail to the local residents. The 145 plus year old store has had only six family owners in all that time. Even today it is the hub of this small hamlet just a few kilometres north of Uxbridge, Ontario.
There are a number of other heritage buildings from the early days in Udora; the Udora United Church, which originally was built in 1850; two schools have repurposed and restored as residences (S.S # 1 from 1844-1906, and S.S. # 6) and there are a number of residences built in the nineteenth century that still remain in use.
(below: Former United Church)
(below: Restored Early Schoolhouses)
(below: Nineteenth Century Residences still in use in Udora)
West of Victoria lies The Udora Community Hall, opened in 1974, along with a baseball diamond, playground and basketball / tennis (badminton) court. It serves as the fair grounds to “Udora Family Fun Day”. In the winter, the court also hosts a small skate rink for kids. There is also a UPI full serve gas station and convenience store.
References:
https://mileshearn.com/2020/05/11/udora-ontario-and-a-red-maple-swamp-early-may-2020/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udora,_Ontario
https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Udora%2C_Ontario%2C_Ontario%2C_Canada
Article by By Kathy Clulow, March 16 2008
The following article was from a clipping made by our Past President, Tom Glover, from an issue of ‘Topic’ in 1979 written by Barbara Wood. It was the result of an interview with Ed Glover, a relative of Tom’s, who worked as a motorman on the Metropolitan Railway before it was shut down.
Remembers his life on the railroad
By Barbara Wood
Just 60 years ago in the spring of 1919, Edward Glover of Newmarket, now 91, started work as an electric trolley driver.
He recalls those days vividly. “I’d been working in a shell factory during the First World War, and after the wqar I had to find another job.”
After taking a break over Christmas, he started looking. And the search took him down to the Yonge Street Depot, west of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines. He spent the next three years driving trolley cars up and down Yonge Street mostly as far as the terminus at Hog’s Hollow.
“We had a control panel and speed was controlled by moving the controller up or down a notch. The emergency stop operated the brake, and blew a whistle.”
Glover stood up and controlled speed with a movable lever. When the car reached its destination, the control lever was removed, the board was locked, and transferred to the control panel at the other end of the car. While Glover did this, the conductor transferred the poles carrying electric power from the overhead cables to the trolley car. And off they went, in the direction they had come with the rear of the car now becoming the front.
Tin Lizzies on the road
As a professional driver, Glover remembers that traffic was just as bad in its own way then as it is now. With the development (of) the Ford “Tin Lizzie,” more and more people were taking to the road.
“Had to use the emergency brake once – a young fellow sitting slap bang in the middle of the trolley tracks (was) tinkering with his motor bike.”
Pedestrians provided hazards all their own.
“One evening it was very foggy, andf a man was walking south along the tracks so we couldn’t go by him. Well, we didn’t. We caught him in the cow-catcher, threw him over a ditch and broke his nose.”
Not that other drivers had it all their own way.
“Going up hills I’d often have to try and get up a bit of speed to climb the incline. Put the speed up too fast and the car would jerk and the passengers sitting behind he driver on th long seats, well, they’d all come sliding off and fall in a heap.” He twinkled mischievously at the memory.
Was paid $80 per month
Glover, who still farms a small holding, left the trolleys in 1922. “We were paid $80 a month. Wasn’t as good as some, but it was steady.”
Then (as now) a job with a public transport operation involved shit work. But some days were pleasant.
“Some of the big churches would hire two, maybe three cars and go up to Bond Lake for an all-day picnic. We’d take them up, go back on regular duty, then go back to pick them up in the evening. They always gave us supper and ice cream.”
He still has some photographs taken during his trolley driving days. “I often wonder where some of these people are now,” he mused. “I’d like it very much to get in touch with someone from my time working on the trolley cars.”
Where in Georgina?
Our previous mystery location was identified correctly by our President Paul Brady. Thanks Paul! It’s finally solved…it was the Orchard Beach General Store! We have a new mystery location below …where is it, and what is it?
Our Pioneer Ancestors
BELHAVEN. A village in North Gwillimbury township, York County, 50 miles north of Toronto, the county seat, and 5 south-west of Sutton on the S br, M divT Ry, its nearest railway point. Nearest bank at Newmarket. It contains Methodist church, and common school, and ships live stock, grain and produce. It is on the daily stage route from Newmarket to Sutton. Population, 150. Telegraph, GNW. Mail daily. Neil Morton, postmaster.
Collanly Joseph, carpenter.
Connell Jesse, blacksmith.
Cowieson George, blacksmith.
Cromin John, dentist.
Defoe Albert, waggonmaker.
Davidson, Joseph D, Live Stock.
Draper Elemel, auctioneer and commission merchant.
Mann John P, implement agent.
Morton Friend, money lender.
Morton Neil, General Store, Conveyancer, Commissioner, Issuer of Marriage Licenses and Telegraph Agent.
Morton Silas E, general store.
Pollock John, hotel.
Sennett Henry, township clerk and accountant.
Winch Steven, live stock.
From Polk’s 1886-87 Directory page 127
News
Work has started at the Mann Cemetery. Courtney Rennie at the Town of Georgina, the person looking after this project, was contacted and asked if she would be interested in speaking to us at our October general meeting. She has accepted our invitation; thanks Courtney, we’re looking forward to seeing you.
Paul and Kim Brady I, with assistance from Tom and Bonnie Glover, attended the Georgina Farmers Market on August 4 and again on August 18 with the GHS tent and an exhibit of a selection of vintage pictures and artifacts from the Georgina Pioneer Village collection, and it went very well. A special shout out to Natalia Zammitti and her crew for making room for us, we really appreciate it.
Bonnie Park/Lorne Park has been approved by the Georgina Town council for approval to receive its Heritage Designation. We have also been assured that the Jackson’s Point Wharf Marine Railway will be brought forward for Heritage Designation this fall. We are especially excited to see this historic site receive its due recognition, and will be bringing updates on this as the process unfolds.
We had some GHS members visiting from Florida, Karen Steele and her sister Diana, here one day last summer to re-acquaint themselves with the area, seeking out family connections. We visited the Mann Cemetery, the Morton house on the Bethel Sideroad, Eildon Hall, and St. George’s Church. What a great tour, with beautiful weather and interesting conversation.
Dan Buchanan, author and historian, will be our speaker at the Annual General Meeting, being held at the Sutton Legion on Thursday November 21. Save the date, you won’t want to miss this meeting. Dan will be telling the story of the wreck of the schooner HMS Speedy in 1804, an incident that shook Upper Canada. There’ll be more details in the next newsletter.
Don’t forget our general meeting on September 17 at the schoolhouse in the Village. There is some very important legal business that we must discuss. We were required to review our Constitution due to some changes in the regulation of not-for-profit incorporation by the provincial government. This review was completed in your Boards last meeting on September 9th and must be presented to you the membership for discussion and ratification before we sent it off to the government. Following that, Kim Brady will be presenting a history of the Georgina Historical Society and the Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives, it should be an entertaining evening.
Help! – We could still use more volunteers for our Harvestfest event in the Georgina Pioneer Village on Saturday September 21st (one week from this Saturday). Please contact Kim Brady if you can help us out.
Events
Tuesday, September 17th – General meeting, Georgina Pioneer Village schoolhouse, 7:00 PM,meet and greet at 6:30
Saturday, September 21st – Harvestfest at Georgina Pioneer Village 10:00 AM to 4: PM
Monday, October 7th – Board meeting, Quilter’s Cabin at the Pioneer Village 2:00 PM
October 19th – Family Fright Fiesta at the Village
October 25th (a Wednesday) and October 28th (Saturday) – Two Dark Nights; 2 sessions per night; from 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, November 21st – Our Annual General Meeting and dinner, Sutton Legion; more details to follow.
November 30th – Georgina Pioneer Village; Old-fashioned Christmas and Festival of Lights; new lighting is expected to be added to the Schoolhouse and Santa will make an early appearance at the Train Station.
Some Historical Trivia
