The Double Trunk Maple Tree

Glanbrook Heritage Society

North Glanford

From material in “Glanford Recollections and Reflections” by Sandy Smith

The settlement once known as North Glanford had no clearly defined boundaries, but seemed to extend along both sides of the Hamilton-Port Dover Road, from Twenty Road to the Terryberry Inn, a mile south of Dickenson Road. In terms of numbers, it was a small community, with very little business activity. It was probably shown on early county maps because the North Glanford post office was located here. All of the traditional settlers’ cabins have long since disappeared, or been altered beyond recognition. Only a handful of buildings built before the turn of the century still remain.

Lot 5, Con. 2, on the southwest corner of Twenty Road and Hwy. 6, was granted by the Crown in 1798 to Sam Ryckman, who sold it to Jacob Hess in 1812. The records at the Hamilton Registry Office show sixty-six transactions involving all or parts of Lot 5 prior to 1864. In 1873, Stephen King sold the north portion of the lot, some eighty acres, to Samuel Pearson, who built the brick house near the corner. In more recent years, the farm was owned by Wm. Baldwin, whose son, Roy, still lives on the property in a home just south of the old farmhouse, now demolished. Mr. King retained a one acre lot on the south end of the property, where he had built a brick cottage and blacksmith shop. The cottage remained standing until the 1950's, when it was demolished to make way for the widening of Hwy. 6.

Although little is known of its history, a small hotel once existed immediately south of the blacksmith shop. Known originally as the Old Homestead and later as the Rose Hill Tavern, it was owned by Mr. David Mason, who sold it to John Hartnett (Hartnell).

Part of the land between the Pearson holdings and Talbot Lane was acquired by Thomas and Augustine French in the 1870’s, and in more recent years, by Bateman French, then his son, Robert. The property is now the location of the Hamilton Street Railway’s new bus depot. The old frame farmhouse was demolished to make way for the new depot.

Only two houses existed before the turn of the century on Talbot Lane, which runs west from Hwy. 6. One of these, believed to have been built in 1870 by Adolphus Lowden, is still standing. Immediately south of Talbot Lane are four frame houses, said to have been built in the 1860's. One of these houses (2292 Hwy. 6) was built in 1863 by Edward Dickenson on his arrival from England. A stonemason by trade, he ran a small grocery shop, as well as the post office, after it was moved here from the Terryberry Inn. The post office was located in the residence at No. 2292 until 1915. The fourth of these houses to the south, No. 2300, was purchased by George Logan, a retired Glanford farmer, and later by Walter Smuck. A descendant of one of Glanford’s pioneer families, Mr. Smuck and his wife, Gladys, lived here for many years.

A short distance south of this, the house that is now 2332 Hwy. 6 was purchased by John Dickenson from Mr. Sam Mann. Originally a small four-room cottage, it was later remodelled and enlarged by Mr. Dickenson. The brick house at the back of the property was built by Mr. Dickenson to serve as his barn. Further south on Hwy. 6, at the northwest corner of Dickenson Road, Sam Coulson built a small frame cottage, which he rented to David Fagan, said to have been an illiterate Irishman. At that time, the discovery of oil in Ontario had created a great deal of publicity throughout the province. Apparently, in order to gain some of this publicity, Mr. Fagan poured coal oil in the well and announced that he had discovered oil. A short time later, the hoax was discovered and, although it was some time before the water was fit to drink again, the same well regained its use.

In 1844, the Congregational Church purchased one-half acre of land from Samuel Hess, on the north side of Dickenson Road, just west of Hwy. 6. The following year, the Mud Church was built at the entrance to the present North Glanford cemetery. The church served the community until the 1860’s when it was abandoned.

Lot 5, Con. 3 was granted in 1798 to Ananias McWilliams, who sold it in 1801 to Sam Tickner. After several changes in ownership, Edward Dickenson Jr. purchased the north forty-seven acres from James Miracle in 1881 and built a fine brick home. After the turn of the century, it was purchased by Lyle Smith, whose wife, Sadie, had one of the finest collection of antiques in the area. The property was owned by her son, Harold Smith until 2005, when the land was sold and the buildings demolished..

Lot 6, Con. 2, on the southeast corner of Twenty Road and Hwy. 6, was granted in 1818 to Francis Hartwell. In 1854, he sold the north half to Richard Springer, who built the beautiful stone house now on the property. In 1868, he sold it to David Young, who sold the north twenty-six acres to John Dickenson in 1883. This area was the site of the Dickenson brickyard for a number of years. This twenty-six acres was sold in 1908 to A. Goodale, while the remainder, including the stone house, passed from David Young to Robert Smith, to George Coon, to Wm. Fletcher, to his son, Don, then to his son, Peter, the present owner.

In 1874, the Glanford School Board purchased one acre near the southwest corner of the Young property, and built S. S. No.1 School. It was later replaced with a modern school, which closed in the 1970’s.

After several changes in ownership, the south half of Lot 6, Con. 2, was sold to Asa Choate in the 1860's. He built the distinctive one-story brick house still standing on the site. The glassed cupola on the cottage-style roof has made it a local landmark ever since. The land is now used as a sod farm.

Lot 6, Con. 3 was granted to Moses King in 1803. The north half was sold to Edward Peer in 1807, and in 1817, to Jacob Terryberry. This was a part of several hundred acres that he eventually acquired in the area. Realizing the potential business from travellers on the Hamilton-Port Dover Road and employees at his lumbering and sawmill operations, he engaged Edward Dickenson Jr. to build a large brick hotel in 1856. The hotel soon did a thriving business and was known even in surrounding townships as a boisterous place. Township council met here for some fifty years and it also served as the North Glanford post office when it was first established. Many objections were raised by the local minister and his church members at having to walk through the bar to collect their mail; as a result, the post office was moved to John Dickenson’s store.

The inn was closed sometime before the turn of the century and sold to John Dickenson, along with the ninety-four acres of land, in 1870. In 1908, the second story and the north end of the inn were dismantled, and the remainder was converted to a home. In 1956, the house was torn down to make way for the widening of the highway.