SPRINGBROOK

Home of settlers -McKennas, Greens, Burkitts and Simpsons

Excerpt from Gerald Boyce’s Book, “Historical Hastings”

“The largest unincorporated village in the township of Rawdon is Springbrook. The earliest settlers were the McKenna and Rupert families. At one time, the settlement boasted two hotels, a grain elevator, a cheese factory, a carriage shop, a blacksmith shop, and three general stores. By 1869, Springbrook formed a part of the Marmora Mission of the Wesleyan Methodist Church; however, in 1882, a church was built at a cost of $581. The community also possessed a combined saw mill, grist mill, shingle mill, and cheese box factory, owned by John Morgan. Springbrook may have taken its name from the cheese factory, which had been built before 1887 on a spring and a brook, or it may have been named by Mrs. McKenna. Early cheesemakers were troubled by patrons putting water in the milk, since farmers were paid by the weight; inspectors and tests were used to check this. The Springbrook cheese factory produced up to 200,000 pounds of cheese a year. In the present century, cheesemaker R. Wesley Thompson was among the first to produce whey butter in Ontario, if not in Canada.”

Excerpt from “A Backward Glance”

Much of Springbrook’s activities revolved around three general stores: The largest was up the hill on the west side of Countyr Road 14, south of the intersection. The second on the south east corner, most lately known as Rollins Store, and the third on the south-west corner, known as the Bateman General store from 1918 to 1944

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO LINK TO OTHER SUNDAY DRIVES

SHANICK

CORDOVA MINES AND VANSICKLE

BONARLAW

BLAIRTON

MALONE

STANWOOD

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A BACKWARD GLANCE

A History of Rawdon Township This book was a Youth Canada Works Project in 1977, and contains a chapter on Springbrook which we include here. Just click on the photo below.

Note from Mariel Rollins of Springbrook: The Bateman store was my grandparents store. My parents operated that store after my grandfathers death, my grandmother having passed several years prior. In 1944, Mom & Dad bought the larger Nerrie store across the street, where they lived, until we bought the store & moved there in 1972.

Photos by Wayne VanVolkenburg

Bella Gainforth wrot:e: I remember the Mumby's store which was later the Rollin's store .My uncle Emerson and Aunt Ruby owned the barber shop and the candy store which was on the north east corner and the McKneow garage on the north west corner.