Crieff

The village of Crieff, first known as Fraserville, was named for the family on whose farm the village began to grow. This was lot 26, front concession 1 of Puslinch, at the intersection of side road 25 and concession 1. The property was first settled by Alexander Fraser and his wife Mary, who emigrated from Loch Broom to this property, with his mother, Mrs. Murdock Fraser.

The Munro brothers, Murdock and Kenneth, were early settlers on the farm opposite Frasers and also operated a blacksmith shop across the concession. Across the side road, on the north west corner was the Stewart family. The McDonald family settled the south west corner.

Crieff School was located west of the village on lot 23. While it was an intricate part of the community, its history is also available.

In 1854 the West Puslinch Presbyterian Church moved east from its lot 15 location, and built a sanctuary to seat 400 people, on land donated by Alexander Fraser, Sr. Their minister was the Gaelic speaking Rev. Andrew Maclean, from Scotland. In 1862, Allan Stewart sold 4 acres to the congregation, and a manse was built, with Wm. Stratton Sr. being contractor. Allan Stewart also opened a store at the Crieff corner of this property. The first post office opened in that store, operated by his brother Hugh. 1863‑07‑01, until he left for Michigan in 1867. John McLean was postmaster in 1868, followed by Alex Fraser until 1872. James Riddick 1849-1937 and wife Janet Charters (1849-1909 were the second owners of lot 25 Front conc 1. They lived between the manse and the house on the corner next owned by the McKay family. The Riddick daughters married Scott brothers from the Gore, Mary Ann 1884-1970 m. John Scott and Janet Riddick married Matthew Scott.

The Frasers sold or granted lots for other buildings on the east corner. Opening on the side road, was a home for their daughter Christina and husband Alexander McIntosh. Close to the road, by their laneway, was the blacksmith shop of Christopher Moffat, later occupied by Wm. Patterson. William McDonald, the shoemaker, built the stone house adjacent.

The Kerracher hotel, which was licensed in 1862, occupied the corner position. While the local section of Credit Valley Railway was being built about 1877-78, the workmen boarded at the Kerracher hotel. A local raconteur said there would be 100 men around the Crieff corner in the evenings at that time.

About 1874, The Sons of Temperance No 369, Puslinch Star Division brought the former frame Crieff School to the Stewart farm across the side road from the hotel. (Hugh McDiarmid was W. Patriarch, and John McPherson Secretary; with 70 members).

East of the church was Becker’s store On one occasion a smoking customer was buying gunpowder from Henry Becker. As Becker measured it into a bag, a spark from the customer’s pipe ignited it. The resulting explosion caused both beards to be singed.. There is a note in township council minutes that Henry Becker, Crieff storekeeper, was exempted for his taxes in 1872 because his premises were destroyed by fire on July 26. He probably replaced it by the stone house which still exists. The Becker name continued at Crieff until after 1880.

Lewis Gregor from Morriston built his “ark” or “aerie” in the low spot on the south west corner, and he operated the post office from it,1873-1878 Mail came in tri-weekly via Galt, and Puslinch. The McDonald family then took over from Gregor. James, son of the pioneer John McDonald, began 1881-1896 followed by his three sons, Duncan, Kenneth and Daniel who operated the post office for the next decade. Then J.A. Hollinger took over in the fall of 1906, operating from his home in the former manse, until rural mail delivery began about 1913; then Hollinger became the mailman.

By 1871, the village population was 50. It was during that decade that Crieff had its greatest prominence. About 1882, the hotel caught fire, and the flames carried across to the Temperance Hall which also burned. As country shops bowed to competition from larger centres, these also closed. The advent of rural mail delivery closed the post office which was the last social village gathering place.

When the popular Gaelic speaking Rev. Andrew Maclean died in April, 1873, he was buried in Crieff cemetery on the west side of the church. When his widow died in 1916, their sons, John Bayne and Hugh took the body back to Crieff for burial. They were shocked at the neglected appearance of the cemetery. While considering a suitable memorial for their parents, J.B. Maclean decided to undertake the complete renovation of the church yard, and make arrangements for its permanent upkeep. In 1924 there was a service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the landscape improvements wrought by Olmstead Bros of New York. The next year, the congregation gave Maclean the deed for the empty manse as a measure of their appreciation. He refurbished the building as a summer residence, and gradually expanded the acreage to include three farms, and the two homes on the Crieff corner. A demonstration Ayrshire dairy farm, and a small museum in the house on the north west corner were two ambitious plans which brought many visitors to the village. World War II, and Maclean’s death in 1950 brought closure to both. His will, however, bequeathed the entire property, except for the Manse and its acreage, to Presbyterian Church in Canada. Beginning in 1975, Crieff Hills Community opened, centred on the former Crieff School, west of the village. His brother Hugh’s son inherited the Manse, and soon sold it to the Danish Community of Canada, which has developed the property, with apartments and duplex retirement living accommodation, a crematorium cemetery, and Danish restaurant facility.