Shanly is an unincorporated place and Compact Rural Community in the township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in easternOntario, Canada.[1][3][4] The village is about one hour south of Ottawa and around 7 miles north-west of Cardinal. Shanly is centred around the intersection of County Road 22, also known as Shanly Road, and County Road 21. Formerly these roads were the Nine Mile Road and the Seventh Concession, respectively.[5] The community was settled during the 1800s, primarily as an agricultural community, and was at its height during the latter half of the 19th century, when many farms and a few businesses and factories were in operation.[5] As of the 2000s, the rural area surrounding the main intersection consists of mostly residential properties and a few family farms.[5] The village is also home to a few businesses and two churches.[5]
The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, commonly known as Leeds Grenville, is a county in Ontario, Canada, in the Eastern Ontario subregion of Southern Ontario. It fronts on the Saint Lawrence River and the international boundary between Canada and the United States. The county seat is Brockville. The county was formed by the union of the historical counties of Leeds and Grenville in 1850.
Eastern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River. It shares water boundaries with Quebec to the north and New York State to the east and south, as well as a small land boundary with the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region of Quebec to the east.
Ontario is one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada and is in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province accounting for 38.3 percent of the country's population, and is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest jurisdiction in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included. It is home to the nation's capital city, Ottawa, and the nation's most populous city, Toronto, which is also Ontario's provincial capital.
In the 1840s, the village that would later become Shanly was called Moore's Settlement, however the meaning of this name is allegedly lost to time.[5] From the 1800s until the 1970s, County Road 22 ran north from Cardinal and ended at the intersection of County Road 21, continuing north again to the west of this junction; early into settlement, the junction was commonly referred to as simply "the Corner" by locals. By the 1860s the community was renamed to Wallace's Corner, Wallace being the surname of a large local family who were one of the first to settle here in 1827.[5] The village was renamed Shanly in 1885 after Walter Shanly, a prominent local political figure who was responsible for establishing the community's post office.[5][6]
Walter Shanly was a Canadian civil engineer, author, businessman, and politician. He was known for his work on railways and canals, although overshadowed by his brother, Francis Shanly.
History
The land which currently makes up the village changed hands many times during the beginning of the 19th century before being settled. Some families, including the Wallace family, first established permanent homesteads here during the 1820s. For the first half of the 1800s the community consisted primarily of family farms and homes, and residents sustained themselves almost entirely through agricultural means.[5] By the 1830s, the settlement had grown large enough in population to require its own schoolhouse. Shanly continued to grow in population, and by mid-century had established a post office and a Wesleyan-Methodist church.[5] The post office was established on February 1, 1865, with a man named William Clark as the first postmaster.[7]
In the mid-1800s the Loyal Orange Institution, a Protestant fraternal organization, had a group based in Shanly known collectively as the Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1227.[5] The Orange Lodge constructed a hall in 1869, calling the building Dufferin Lodge. The two-storey frame structure consisted of an upper-level meeting hall and a lower-level drive shed.[5] This hall was replaced in 1889, when new hall was constructed for their meetings in a new location.[6] In 1949, the Orange Lodge tore down the hall after purchasing the Workman's Hall from the Shanly United Church (formerly the Wesleyan-Methodist), which was used for meeting into the 1990s.[5][6]
By the mid-to-late 1800s, the population of Shanly had reached around 160 individuals.[8] By the 1880s, the village was home to numerous pioneer industries and businesses including a blacksmith, a harness shop, a cooperage, a carpentry and woodworking shop, a tin shop, a hay and grain dealer, and a grocery store which adjoined the post office.[5][8] Additionally, the village was home to a second church by the late-1800s, which was of Anglican denomination.[9] Most of the residents during the end of the century still sought an income through agriculture, with some residents being listed in business directories as employed as builders.[9]
During the late-1800s, Shanly was home to two cheese factories.[5][6] The first factory was constructed on the east-side of County Road 22 around forty rods north from the village's main intersection, and was operated by two local men. The cheese from the first factory was shipped to Brockville for sale. It is unclear when exactly the first cheese factory was constructed or closed. The structure was demolished sometime after its closure.[5][6] The second cheese factory was constructed east of the intersection, and was built around 1890. The second factory was called the Shanly Cheese Factory and operated for over 50 years. According to a statement from 1910, the factory had produced 21,337 pounds of cheese in the month of September.[5] In 1901, the Shanly Cheese Factory received recognition at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York for its quality product.[5] The second factory was originally owned by multiple shareholders before being sold off to an individual named Thomas Johnston at an unknown date. Johnston owned the cheese factory until its closure. In August 1952, the Shanly Cheese Factory was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt.[5][6]
The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied 350 acres (0.55 sq mi) of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood Avenue and northward to Great Arrow Avenue. It is remembered today primarily for being the location of the assassination of President William McKinley. The exposition was illuminated at night. Thomas A. Edison, Inc. filmed it during the day and a pan of it at night.
As with most of the other communities in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, organized team sports were a crucial part of the community's social scene in the late-1800s and into the early 20th century.[5] Shanly was home to a rugby team during this time, with their own designated and maintained rugby field located on a local family's property.[5] Tournaments or matches were played against teams from neighbouring communities or townships which drew crowds from throughout the area, and were considered significant community events. The results of the matches were widely reported in newspapers from Edwardsburgh/Cardinal and the nearby townships.[5][6]
At the start of the 1900s Shanly remained a stable community in terms of its population and active businesses, however the post office closed in 1913 and the Anglican church closed in 1921.[5][7] The last wave of immigration occurred immediately following World War II, when several Dutch families came to the area.[5] By the mid-twentieth century the village began to experience a decline in prosperity. Around this time the pioneer industries, such as the cooperage, harness shop and blacksmith, became obsolete and ceased operation along with the cheese factories.[5] For half a century, from around 1920 until 1972, absolutely no new houses were constructed in Shanly.[5] In 1964, a modern public elementary school was built to amalgamate the schoolhouses of the surrounding area which were being phased out.[5]
The general store, located at the main intersection, remained open until the 1970s. During the later years of its operation, around the 1930s onward, the store was damaged and then repaired several times when cars failing to stop at the intersection drove into the building.[5] In 1973, the general store and former post office were demolished when County Road 22 was rerouted, creating a four-way intersection with County Road 21 at the former junction.[5]
Education and schools
The first common school in the village of Shanly was built in 1836 and was known as Moore's School.[5] This school was a one-room schoolhouse serving elementary aged students. The building was an 18 by 20 foot long log structure. When Shanly was designated a school section it became section number thirteen.[5] In 1865, the log building was replaced by a newer stone schoolhouse, which was called S.S. #13 Wallace's Corners School.[5] The school was replaced a third time in 1900 with a frame structure. The school closed around the 1960s when one-room common schools were phased out in favour of larger, modern public elementary schools.[5]
In 1964 a modern, brick school was built in Shanly called North Edwardsburgh Public School. The rectangular building contained six classrooms as well as a gymnasium.[5] The school was built to accommodate around 134 pupils.[10] Originally operating as an elementary level school, by the 2000s North Edwardsburgh Public School only served primary students, junior and senior kindergarten through to grade three.[11] In 2008, the decision was made by the Upper Canada District School Board to close North Edwardsburgh Public School.[11] Ultimately, closing the school would cut costs and enrolment had declined in numerous public schools in the area, which led to area schools amalgamating. Pupils from North Edwardsburgh were moved to Centennial ’67 Public School in nearby Spencerville.[11] The building which was once North Edwardsburgh Public School still stands, having been converted after its closure into a retirement home.[12]
Churches and cemetery
Shanly is currently home to two churches, the Shanly United Church and the Shanliwood Community Church. Historically, Shanly was home to both an Anglican and Wesleyan-Methodist church, with the Wesleyan-Methodist church later becoming the Shanly United Church.[5]
Prior to 1860, the first log schoolhouse served as a meeting place for the Methodist congregation.[5] The first Wesleyan-Methodist church was a white frame building, measuring 26 by 36 feet, built on land belonging to Walter Shanly. Opening ceremonies for the first Wesleyan-Methodist church occurred on December 30, 1860.[5] By the 1890s, the frame structure had deteriorated and the congregation decided to replace the church at a new location, more central to the village. The new Methodist church was constructed of red brick and stone in 1893 with a 100-foot long shed accompanying it.[5][6] After a church union, the Wesleyan-Methodist church became the Shanly United Church.[13] In 1993, the church celebrated its centennial.[5] Since 1976, there has been an annual Christmas party held in the village on the Friday before December 25 in the basement of the Shanly United Church.[citation needed]
The Anglican church in Shanly was located on a triangular piece of land, locally referred to as the Flat Iron, east of the village intersection.[5] It is unclear when the church was established, however business directories from the late 1800s mention its existence.[9] The Anglican church closed in 1921 and the land was deeded back to family who owned it previously. It was used as a private dwelling for a period of time before being dismantled.[5] The brick from the Anglican church was used in the 1930s to modernize and repair the village's general store.[5]
Shanly has a graveyard as well, with graves dating nearly 200 years old. The Shanly Cemetery was erected in 1876, on land purchased from the Wallace family for $100 by a trio of village residents.[5] The cemetery was established as a multi-denominational cemetery. The first burial was that of Prudence Pitt, the infant daughter of a local couple.[5] In 1962, the stone gateposts at the entrance of the cemetery were erected in memory of T. Carl Reilly.[5] As of the 1990s, the cemetery was still in use, and is maintained by the Shanly Cemetery Board.[5][14]
The Shanliwood Community Church is a Baptist church located along County Road 21.[15] The church opened in 1996.[16] The building used to be a small restaurant, but it was bought and converted into a church, by an unknown man who built his house beside it.[citation needed]
Modern day
The current borders of Shanly are indefinite, although historically the western limit of Shanly's school district extended to lot 12 of County Road 21, with lots west of this belonging to Garryowen.[citation needed] Shanly is located in a rural area, and the main area of it is hardly more populous then the surrounding country side. Some believe Shanly is only a road, and the inhabitants of this road make up its population, while others believe Shanly includes the sprawling fields and forests that surround it.[citation needed]
By the mid-1900s all of Shanly's businesses and services from the previous century, aside from the Shanly United Church,[13] had ceased operations. In the 1990s a church was constructed for the area's Baptists.[16] Some years after Shanly's initial decline, a few new businesses were established during the late 1900s which are all reportedly still in operation as of the 2010s. During the 1970s, William Hooper Woodworking Inc. was established as a custom woodworking business and at an unknown date, Magnum Performance Canada, an automotive repair shop was opened.[17][5] When North Edwardsburgh Public School was closed around 2009, the building became a retirement home called BonLen Place. The building was converted from classrooms into one and two-bedroom apartments. The facility houses retired individuals who are able to live independently, without constant care or supervision.[12]
The agricultural industry of Shanly steadily declined throughout the 1900s as family farm operations became increasingly inactive or unprofitable due to improving infrastructure. As of the 2000s, the community consisted mostly of residential properties and very few farms. Despite this a few farms are still active, some of which have maintained operations for over a century. The most notable farming operation still operating in the village is possibly the Holmestead Farm, a family farm operated by the seventh generation of the Holmes family. The Holmes' moved to Shanly around the 1850s and established the farm on their land shortly after.[18] The farm is known for selling locally grown products to the area, grown without pesticides or chemicals. Holmestead Farm sells its commodities on location, which include grass-fed beef, pork, eggs, fresh produce and preserves.[18]
As of 2016, Shanly remains home to a maple sugar bush and restaurant called Hunter's Maple Products & Pancake House.[19][20] The business is owned and operated by the seventh generation of the Hunter family, who immigrated from Scotland to Shanly in 1821.[19] Although the Hunter's have produced maple sugar and syrup from the property since around the time of their settlement, the sugar bush didn't become a fully operational business until the 1970s.[19] Hunter's Maple Products sells a variety of maple products including maple syrup, candy, fudge and butter. The restaurant serves typical breakfast foods to pair with their maple products.[19]
Overall, little development or immigration has occurred in Shanly since the turn of the 20th century apart from the few aforementioned businesses established from 1970 onwards.[5] Some new, modern homes have been constructed in the surrounding area since the 1970s. These homes were built sporadically over a course of decades, during which time other homes were demolished, meaning the village remains sparsely occupied.[5]
Related Research Articles
Actons Corners is a community in the municipality of North Grenville, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in eastern Ontario, Canada. An unincorporated place and compact rural community, it is located on County Road 43 between Kemptville and Merrickville at the intersection with Actons Corners Road and County Road 25.
The Township of Wellesley is the rural, north-western township of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It encompasses 277.79 km2 (107.26 sq mi) and had a population of 11,260 in the Canada 2016 Census.
Springwater is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in Simcoe County near Barrie. It is the County seat of Simcoe.
Elizabethtown-Kitley is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Its southern border lies along the St. Lawrence River and it extends north into many rural hamlets and villages. The township was created on January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the former Township of Elizabethtown and Township of Kitley.
Grenville County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. The county was created in 1792, and named in honour of William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, who was Secretary of State in 1790. It consisted of five townships, which were settled primarily by United Empire Loyalists in the late 1700s after the Revolutionary War. Prior to being settled by Europeans, the area was home to many generations of native cultures. Grenville County merged with Leeds County in 1850 to create Leeds and Grenville County. The county covered an area of 272,261 acres (110,180 ha).
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal is a township in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville of eastern Ontario, Canada. Edwardsburgh township was first surveyed in 1783, and incorporated in 1850. The township was part of the historical Grenville County before it merged with Leeds County to form the United Counties in the 19th century.
Augusta Township is a township in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, located in eastern Ontario, Canada. Augusta is situated along the Saint Lawrence River, and extends back into rural hamlets. The township is located between the city of Brockville to the west, and the town of Prescott to the east.
Zorra is a township in Oxford County, situated in south-western Ontario, Canada. A predominantly rural municipality, Zorra was formed in 1975 through the amalgamation of East Nissouri, West Zorra and North Oxford townships. It is best known for the Highland Games weekend held each summer in Embro, celebrating the heritage of the Scottish pioneer families which grew from the 1830s to form nearly a quarter of the county's population.
East Zorra-Tavistock is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada, formed on 1 January 1975 through the amalgamation of the Township of East Zorra and the Village of Tavistock. It is part of Oxford County. The township had a population of 7,129 in the Canada 2016 Census.
Johnstown is a Compact rural community in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in eastern Ontario, Canada, part of the township municipality of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. It is located at the Canadian terminus of the Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge and at the southern termini of Highway 416 and Highway 16.
The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The preferred pronunciation of the town name is NOR-witch, which differs from the pronunciation NORR-ij used for the city of Norwich, England. The origin of Norwich, Ontario, is more likely Norwich in upper New York State, the area from which the pioneering families emigrated in the early 19th century, where the community was known as Norwichville.
Walsh is a medium-sized hamlet in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
Maitland, Ontario is a small village within Augusta township in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Canada. It is located along the St. Lawrence River approximately five kilometres east of the City of Brockville.
The village of Spencerville is a rural community located in Eastern Ontario, within Edwardsburgh/Cardinal township in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. The village lies about 80 kilometres southwest of downtown Ottawa on Highway 416. The South Nation River runs through the village.
North Augusta is a village located in the township of Augusta, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, in eastern Ontario, Canada. An unincorporated place and Police village, it had a population of approximately 550, at its height in the late 1800s. The community was originally called Bellamy's Mills after the Bellamy family who purchased a mill here around 1812. North Augusta is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the city of Brockville and 19 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Prescott. Kemptville Creek begins in the community.
Stone Mills is a lower tier township located north of Greater Napanee in Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada. According to the 2011 Canadian Census, the township has a population of 7,560
The Village of Monroe Historic District, also known as the Smith's Mill Historic District, is located in Monroe, New York, United States. It is an irregularly shaped 81-acre (33 ha) area containing 36 properties, primarily residential but with some churches and commercial buildings, in the center of the village, just east of its downtown. In 1998 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sabin is an unincorporated community in the Town of Sylvan, Richland County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located at the intersection of County Highway E and Robbson Drive.
Norfolk County in the Canadian province of Ontario consists of a long list of communities. Its four designated population centres are Simcoe, Port Dover, Delhi, and Waterford.
Elmbank is a ghost town in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
