CORWHIN

 

When settlement began in the Corwhin community, the area was cut off from the west by the swamps associated with Mill Creek, and as a result the community looked east to the nearby border of Puslinch, and Halton, which was settled earlier,  and to a lesser extent to its neighbors to the north, in Arkell, and south, in Badenoch, where settlers were also coming in. Andrew McRobbie, who was a Township Councillor 1853-55, was the first man to ride through the Aberfoyle swamp on horseback, after which the council built the road to Corwhin.

 

           EARLY CORWHIN

That explains why the early village of Corwhin began at the town line of Puslinch and Nassagaweya  in Halton County at the intersection with present day County Road 34  It consisted of a church, Post Office, store  and  blacksmith shop.

The creation of the Nassagaweya  Methodist Church on the Nassagaweya-Puslinch townline. which stood a little to the west of the buildings on the Kitching farm, (in Halton,  at the end of County road 34, where the road veers to connect to a Halton road.). The Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion circuit was formed about 1845, and included this parish until 1875, when the Nassagaweya Methodist circuit took over, until church union in 1925.  Ebenezer and Aberfoyle Methodist Churches were later included in this circuit.   The Church closed in 1923, and was torn down about 1925.  The Church foundations were still visible until a house was built nearby on the site.

Sheds for horses were built on Puslinch side, and there was a blacksmith shop on the south corner. The Littles were the blacksmiths. John, born on March 31, 1855,  at an early age went to North Bruce to learn the blacksmith trade After this, he worked at Aberfoyle and Morriston until 1877 and then opened his first shop at Corwhin  In the fall of 1881, they moved to Conn near Mount Forest, where he and his brother Christopher established a splendid business in all lines of blacksmith and carriage building which they conducted successfully until the autumn of 1886, when John decided to study for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church, after having spent almost 16 years as a blacksmith. John called off for dances during his time in the community.   Bob Little’s brother had two boys, Dr. Lou, ( father of author Jean Little) and Billie who was postmaster in Guelph.  Bob Little was a great mimic, and very entertaining.

Post Office records indicate Duncan Campbell, who was instrumental in securing a Post Office at Corwhin,  held the Post Master’s job 1876-1886. The Campbells also operated the adjoining store.  

Corwhin Methodist Church - off site link

 

    CORWHIN and the GUELPH JUNCTION RAILWAY

The hamlet located at the town line lasted till about1887 when the Guelph Junction railway went through, and changed everything. A renewed hamlet replaced the old,  close to transportation. At that time the Post Office and store was moved to the point where the railway    crossed  County Road  34.

In 1884 some Guelph citizens formed the Guelph Junction Railway Co., (later bought out by the City of Guelph) to tie in with the main line CPR, (which had taken over the Credit Valley Railway.) Ten miles of the roadbed wound it's way from Guelph, between Farnham and Arkell, through Corwhin station, into Moffat; it was completed in 1888 from Guelph to Guelph Junction in Nassagawaya, west of Campbellville. In 1888 the train was steam-powered, but later a battery car was intro­duced and the locals called it "Sparkey".  For 25¢ per round trip, one could travel between Guelph and Guelph Junction on any of "Sparkey's"  numerous daily runs. One account of a ride on the line suggests the writer was never so scared in his life as when he rode from Corwhin to Guelph the first time.  "Old Tom Quirk was the engineer," he said, "and it was just too bad for anyone or anything that got in his way.”  The train swayed and jerked, and I thought it would leave the tracks for sure when it went around a bend.  I was glad when we reached the station at Allan's Bridge, just seven minutes after we left Corwhin!"

The  Station House, occupied by the Campbell’s on the east side of the tracks, was between Faber's house and the tracks, on R conc 10, lot 21. Mrs. Campbell was a sedate lady. Post master Archie McKenzie succeeded Campbell until 1892. Mrs. Anne Campbell had the job from then until 1912, when rural mail delivery began. The station house also contained a store, as did the Trousdale home across the tracks, kept by  Mrs. Bob Trousdale. There is a memory of Billie Trousdale keeping the post office as well.  The CPR also built a house for the section  foreman.

An early photo of the store at Corwhin reveals prominently  the first small railway station, with signage announcing that you have just arrived at “Corwin” One wonders if this was a spelling error or was the “h” added later ^[1]? The station platform had many milk or cream cans, attesting to the use made of the Guelph Junction RR in the early days.

Other facilities in the station yard including the Weigh Scales, which were on the far side of the station house, the stock yards at the far end, with the coal yard on the north east side.  A carload of coal would be unloaded from the train, and sold to local customers. Farmers shipped their cattle from there. Carloads of salt were brought in and farmers would get their season's supply in bags. and carloads of grain were also available There was great rail service, At one tine there were 14 passenger trains - 7 each way, providing good service for local people. There were also quite a few freight  trains.

Occasionally the railway created problems for the property owners through whose farms it passed. A poem, written by a friend of the McKenzies, original settlers, has been passed down through the years to successive owners.   "Chief Christie" refers to Christie McKenzie, a spinster daughter of the settlers and an active worker in church and community affairs.  She was born  October 6, 1865 and kept house for her two unmarried brothers.  The other names refer to friends and Corwhin neighbours).

 

THE CORWHIN FIRE BRIGADE

Here's to the Corwhin Fire Brigade!

Brave men and maidens, undismayed,

Who, despite the heat of July (and the fire)

Successfully battled (and did not say "tire")

Till all was o'er, and a picture taken,

Then homeward they rode and (the Chief got a "shakin').

"Lieut" McLaren saw smoke near the track -

Informed "Chief" Christie and so she went back

And forthwith send in a general alarm,

Her voice (in high C) fairly pierced the whole farm.

Regardless of this Annie reached for the bell,

(with the aid of a quilting frame) rang it like-well!

Awfully hard - This brought the men back

From their work in the hayfield - to work, near the track

With the "hook and ladder" and "Jed" as a mascot,

Ahead of them were Lieuts. Mack and Hascott

Arrived on the spot, their well-handled work

Soon put out the blaze - each worked like a Turk.

The men plowed around, and, looking like Endor's witch,

Each girl quenched small fires with the aid of a switch.

Mishaps were few - (Helene tripped o'er her switches,

While John tore a hole in the knee of his breeches).

But aside from these things, not one bit of gloom

Settled on this brave crowd.  Their friend Peter Hume

Upon their return gave a blood-curdling yell,

Like an Apache Indian (of which you've heard tell)

To show his approval of the entire Brigade

And the gallant fight which, with fire, they had made

But oh! what a dinner they ate that day

Thank goodness! That fire seldom comes that way

Now I've sung their praises and wish them all well,

Years hence, in their own homes, each one may tell

To his wife or her "hub", how I lent my aid

In July 1903, to the Corwhin Brigade. Helene O. Hascott.

 

    CORWHIN BIBLE CLASS

Before a school was built in the section, Andrew McRobbie, an early settler, held a class for Bible Study, in a house on Lot 21, Concession 10, which was attended by young and old. When the first school was built, the class met there.  In 1860, Peter McLaren, the newly-appointed school teacher, was persuaded by  Mc­Robbie to take charge of the class  For the first several years, there was no division of classes, and he was the only teacher. No classes were held in the winter until the 1890's, when Sabbath evening classes were held..  Increasing attendance necessitated division into classes. McLaren took the older class of boys, and was assisted by Andrew McRobbie, Francis R Beattie, Miss Catherine McRobbie, Miss Ann McFarlane, and Miss Maggie McKeracher (now Mrs. John Douglas).  McLaren continued as superintendent and teacher until 1880, when he left the community.  Several young men who have entered the ministry received their early classical training from him. McLaren was known as “ Professor of Puslinch”, after ten of his students entered the ministry - Rev. Gilbert G. McRobbie, Rev. Francis .R. Beattie, DD.,  Rev. Daniel M. Beattie, BA.; Rev. William E. Beattie, BA.; Rev. Donald C Mc­Kenzie, MA; Rev. Robert Watt; Rev. P. J. McLaren, BA.; Rev. J. M. McLaren, BA; Rev.  John Little; Rev. R. T. Cockburn.

After McLaren retired, John Little and J A Cockburn took charge for about a year.  Early in 1882, J. A. Cockburn was appointed Superintendent and Bible Class teacher, and continued in that office for forty-four years. In 1899, average attendance was 40 out of the 60 names on the roll. The Bible Class closed after Church Union in 1925.

 

  THE YEARS BRING CHANGE

Although rural mail represented progress, it also had drawbacks as this memory reveals: “To receive the mail, the carrier took many weary steps. The mail for East Concession 8 and West Concession 9 was delivered from Puslinch, and picked up at Morriston.  When the carrier arrived at Corwhin, he picked up the mail for East Concession 9 and West Concession 10, delivering it on the return trip. East Concession 10 and the Townline still receive their mail from Moffat.”

In 1910 or 11 the senior Troudales purchased the second farm south of their store, and the Campbells took over their grocery store until they built their own store on the west side of the tracks which also housed the Corwhin Post Office. About this time a new RR station was built, also on the west side of the tracks. Teenagers relied on the  railway to go to high school at Guelph High School. There were sometiimes outings to Toronto. At an earlier time, train patrons were given the special service of disembarki­ng right at their homes. Guelph Junction RR discontinued passenger service in 1961, and in December 1962 the Corwhin Station building,  was moved away to a farm operated by John Yaremka, Provincial Secretary at that time.

Sheldon Trousdale lived at Corwhin for many years on his mother’s Laing family farm, now the Aberfoyle Country Club. His father was an Irish immigrant who worked on the railroad at Milton before he began operating the first store at Corwhin. Mrs. Trousdale’s family history goes back to Mary Ramsey, whom Mrs. Trousdale pointed out was the first child to be born in this area. By 1910-1911 Sheldon began farming. He had learned bee keeping from his uncle James Laing. By 1928, Sheldon had five yards of bees, as far removed as Breslau and Freelton, and in that year, his production exceeded 12 tons, which he sold for 10 cents per pound. For a time Sheldon served as president of the South Wellington CCF and he commented that if he got six people to attend a meeting he was well satisfied.