Taken for the book Memory Wanders written by Janet Morton Cree.
Ailsa
Craig is located north-west of London on Highway No.7 in the
county of Middlesex. The first name, after the railroad went
through was Craig's Station. There was another place of the same
name so the name was changed to Ailsa Craig.
Prior to the year 1793, and for some time subsequent to the date,
Middlesex County was an unbroken wilderness--its solitude being
disturbed only by the Indian, or an occasional trader led
hitherto in quest of furs, which could be obtained from the
Indians in exchange for beads or trinkets.
The Canada Company was incorporated in London, England in 1826.
Nearly two and one half million acres of land were bought very
cheaply from the province of Lower Canada--made up of what now is
chiefly Quebec and the Maritimes. Over one million acres of this
land which proved very fertile and still is, lay between the head
of Lake Ontario and across to Huron. John Galt advised many of
the finest settlers to take up land in this area.
A Little later than 1832, the Canada Company built the Goderich
road through a part of London, and on through Biddulph,
McGilivray and a part of the county of Huron to Goderich. This
assisted in opening up the townships of East and West Williams,
Biddulph and McGillivray for settlement.
Mr. David Craig and an Irishman named Risk were the first
settlers in this spot, a forest in 1835. In 1836, Big Bow, and
Indian Chief with some fifty warriors with squaws and children
squatted on what is now Lot 25, north of the C. N. R. railway.
Among the first settlers were George Shipley, John Morton, James
Morton, Asa Goodhue, John Fisher and Asa Lynn.
The village of Ailsa Craig began to be settled about 1858 when
the Grand Trunk Railway--now the Canadian National Railway, was
begun. David Craig and W. G. Shipley surveyed and sold lots, and
a settlement immediately began and increased rapidly. What is the
Main Street today on No.7 Highway was the dividing line between
the properties of these two men. Mr. Graig's land was on the
north side. The deed to the Craig property is dated 1864 at
Goderich. The property was later bought by George Morton in 1905.
The village was settled first near where the C.N.R. crosses the
river Aux Sables (to the sands). It was incorporated as a village
in 1874.
David Craig, a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, gave the village its
name, recalling the name of the celebrated rock which stands at
the mouth of the Clyde River in Scotland, and which, as a lad,
Mr. Craig could see from his Scottish birthplace. The first time
Ailsa actually appears in a written document is in a charter
dated 1404. Geologists have been puzzled to classify the rock. It
is unique--partakes of the qualities of both granite and
greenstone, which fits it for curling stones. In 1877 forty four
new buildings were erected.
Railroads:
In 1858 the Grand Trunk Railway was ready
for business. Along its line grew up thriving villages. Ailsa
Craig, one of them. Toronto and Sarnia were the terminals. Lucan
was the station to the east, and Parkhill was west. In 1876 the
London Huron Bruce railway crossed the Grand Trunk railroad at
Lucan crossing. Anyone wishing to get to London or places north,
boarded a passenger train at Ailsa Craig, went nine miles to
Lucan, waited an hour, then boarded a train going west which
stopped at Lucan crossing. I can hear the brakeman calling
out--"Lucan crossing, Lucan crossing--change here for
London, Ilderton, Exeter, Hensall, Wingham." After we passed
the Entrance to High School examinations we to make a choice
between attending Parkhill or Lucan High Schools. We Lucan and
boarded a train at 7:20am--returning at 5:45pm. There were
old-fashion winters then between 1900-1920. Often we would find
when we went into Lucan station that the fire was out. There was
nothing to do but to start the mile march through the deep snow
to the High School. No snow plows made a path for us so early in
the morning. On account of advances in means of transportation,
the London Huron Bruce had all their passenger service cut in
1956. The same happened on this line at the same time. On each
line there is a freight train going one direction one day and the
opposite the next. The Station Agents were J. Thibeaudeau, D. J.
White, J. A. Hodgins, William Given, J. H. Smith, Wilmer Craig,
W. J. Masters, F. J. Crouch and Mr. Williams. The station was
torn down in 1970.
If you would like more information on the history of Ailsa Craig or would like to purchase the book, contact Tanya at the Ailsa Craig Municipal Office, (519) 293-3401.
Another
book of historical interest the
Parkhill and District Centennial
Book