Historian gave talk to appreciative audience
Popular Newspaper columnist Stephen Thorning spoke to close to 40 people who attended the storytelling event held Oct. 23 at the Old Town Hall Theatre here.
He finds much of his information from old Newspaper articles that also shed light on the feelings of the community.
Chopping out Elora Road created a two-and-a-half-year project that attracted settlers to the area. Shady sales and law practices became evident and speculators tried to corner the market and drive up land prices. The pioneer spirit prevailed, and soon squatters, genuine settlers, and adventure seekers cleared their parcel of land, built a shanty or log cabin, planted crops or raised livestock to trade and barter for food and necessities.
The 1861 census offered a glimpse into the ages of the homesteaders and the state of improvement of their farms. A handful of residents can follow their ancestry to the early settlers and have the deeds and stories to provide them with historical reference to their claim.
Unmanageable roads and transportation were an expensive problem that improved with the arrival of the train routes. One could almost imagine roads and the prospect of the safe arrival of delicate cargoes of crockery and crystal. Driving cattle from Minto to the markets in Guelph resembled a wild west adventure that followed the Elora Road from sun up until sundown.
Thorning touched on each of the three communities and their days of flourishing businesses and populations. A general store, post office, saw mill, flour mill, and hotel were deemed to be the first five businesses to build a community.
He shared the nuances of each settlement and the individuals who added their special stamp to characterize each town or village. Each offered their own unique services and celebrations.
Thorning hopes to include more stories regarding Minto in future columns.
