September 13, 2010:

Now, here is a bit of the Scottish Lowlands transported to Eastern, Ontario, Canada beginning
in the 1820's. Take a drive to Lanark Village. The Clyde River runs through it. Also, visit the large cemetery at
Hopetown and then turn east to Middleville.

This area of Ontario was at the centre of the Canadian textile industry in the 1800's. Settled 
almost exclusively by weavers from the area south of Glasgow, Scotland, who organized themselves
into "Emigration Societies", the terrain of low hills, rocky outcrops and fast-running rivers and 
streams was ideal for raising sheep and establishing textile mills. Not to mention the early timber industry.

The emigration and settlement of this area is described in The Lanark Society Settlers, 1820-21, 
by Carol Bennett, Juniper Books, 1991, ISBN 0-919137-24-5.

Map Source: McGill University Digital Atlas Project
Excerpt from Lanark County Map in 1879
The concession numbers are at the bottom of the map. The lot numbers are at the left side.

     

Geographic Names: Lanark Village, Middleville, Hopetown, Clydesville
Surnames: Baird, Campbell, Affleck, Reid, Heron / Herron, Stewart, Croft, Clyde River, Horn (Horn Lake)


Photo Source: Lanark Legacy by Howard Morton Brown, page 181
Borrowman Collection at Library and Archives Canada




September 14, 2010:

In th year 1900, the village of Middleville was a frontier village, located in a rocky and rugged landscape. The
photo is taken from the north side of the village which located in a valley. If you follow the road over
the hill to the south, Lanark is the nearest village. Almonte is the closest town towards the east.

Main Street, Middleville, Ontario, c. 1900
Photo Appears in Lanark Legacy, by Howard Morton Brown, page II







 September 16, 2010:

If you need gas or supplies or need a bite to eat on this trip, stop in at 
B&T's Hopetown General Store and Cafe. 
5531 Highway 511, Hopetown, Ontario




The Middleville Pioneer Cemetery

   

Millstone for grinding Barley, donated to the Middleville Museum
by John and Jane Taylor