Synopses & Reviews
Until now the story of this trail, its beginnings, its purpose, and its significant place in Ontario's history, has been poorly defined.
The story of Scugog Carrying Place, the ancient aboriginal trails connecting Lake Ontario with Lakes Scugog and Simcoe and the Kawartha lakes is a multifaceted one. In tracing its documented history from the 1790s to the 1850s, author Grant Karcich unravels mysteries; explores the lifestyles of early First Nations; provides background on local archaeological sites; and introduces the intrepid early surveyors, fur traders, missionaries, colourful characters, and entrepreneurial immigrant settlers from both the newly formed United States and the United Kingdom. In their wake come the demon whiskey, devastating plagues, competing world views, saddlebag preachers, and ultimately the marginalization of the First Nations people.
The Scugog Trail assumes a significant role in the transition of the land, from forest to agriculture to villages, towns, and industrial centres. Long-forgotten cabins, cemeteries, and a cartographic mystery involving the infamous Cabane de Plomb add to the mystique. The trail bore witness to the development of communities, such as Oshawa, Harmony, Columbus, Prince Albert, Port Perry, Seagrave, Cannington, and Beaverton, whose stories also unfold. Scugog Carrying Place is a must read for history buffs, genealogists, archaeologists, and anyone with roots in this part of Ontario.
Synopsis
The story of the Scugog Carrying Place is a multifaceted one, but at the core of the story is the mystery of a forgotten cabin in the woods, the story of which has not been completely told until now. Included is an exploration of how our historical heritage is being sacrificed in the race to develop farmland into industrial land.
Synopsis
The story of the Scugog Carrying Place is a multifaceted one with a mystery at its core. It includes the history of the settlement of the Carrying Place stretching from Oshawa to Beaverton. It is a story about the archaeology of the region, of the transition of our country from forests, to an agricultural land, to an industrial region. But at the core of the account is the mystery of a forgotten cabin in the woods whose tale has not been totally told until now.
Included is an exploration of how our historical heritage is being sacrificed in the race to develop farmland into industrial land. The last vestiges of the Scugog Carrying Place are not protected from development. Also examined are the lands at the southern terminus of the Carrying Place, which in the past three years have had media coverage regarding industrial land development.
About the Author
Grant Karcich has written articles on Canadian history and books on genealogy, and has given presentations on local history over the last twenty-five years. Having grown up along the Scugog Carrying Place route, he has long wanted to bring the story of this forgotten trail back to life. He lives in Oshawa, Ontario.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS (Draft)- Scugog Carrying Place (G. Karcich)
List of Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction
One: Early Description
Two: Iroquoians and Mississauga on the Trail
(Topic covers 3 groups: Ontario Iroquoians, Iroquois & Mississiauga. Iroquoians is a broader term within which are included the Iroquois or Five Nations)
Three: The Search for Cabane de Plomb
Four: Yankees and Preachers
Five: British, Scottish and Irish Settlers
Six: The Growth of Communities
Seven: Death and Temperance
Eight: Gifford Hill and the Remains of the Trail
Appendix A:Cartography of the Scugog Carrying Place
Appendix B: Archaeological Sites
Appendix C: First Settlers along the Carrying Place
Appendix D: Mills and Distilleries
Appendix E: Life Expectancy Tables
Appendix F: Whitby Township, Lot 4, Broken Front Ownership
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author