Bexley

Gary Laplante and Audrey Holden (not shown) paid tribute to Bexley Township

Bexley was named after Nicholas Vansittart, Baron Bexley.
It was first surveyed in the 1830's.
Its Community Hall was opened in 1965.
The Township contracted Kitchenitis, a fatal disease, and will succumb to terminal amalgamation on December 31, 2000.

Farewell, Bexley

Bobcaygeon 1877 - 2000

Founded by Thomas Need who settled on 400 acres adjacent to Bobcaygeon Island in 1832.
The first lock in Bobcaygeon was built in 1834 and rebuilt in 1857 and 1921.
Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village on January 1, 1877. The first Town Hall cost $3000.
The Bobcaygeon Fair was established in 1858.
The newspaper The Independent was first published in 1870.
Bobcaygeon ceased to be, December 31, 2000
Rest in Peace.

Carden

Carden Township was named after an English sea captain by Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1830 to 1836.
It measures ten concessions from West to East, and 25 Lots from North to South.
The Connors, Dexters, Gillespies, Murtaghs, Quigleys and Richmonds were among its earliest pioneers.
Deceased, December 31, 2000, a victim of Amalgamation.
Rest in Peace.

Dalton

Dalton was named after Dr. John Dalton, an English scientist who did much to establish the atomic theory of the constitution of matter.
Gardiners, Montgomerys and Thompsons were among its earliest settlers.
Amalgamated out of this existence, December 31, 2000
Rest in Peace

Eldon 1850 - 2000

Don Money reads the eulogy

Eldon Township was named after John Scott, first Earl of Eldon, Lord Chancellor of England, 1801 to 1827.
Eldon is 100 square miles in area.
It was surveyed by Henry Ewing between 1826 and 1829.
Donald Cameron was the Township's first Superintendent of Settlement, leading 140 families from Scotland to Canada in 1821. In 1829 the first settlers came to Eldon Township.
Township meetings were held once a year in the beginning. The first Township Council was elected in 1850.
The first railway came to Eldon in 1871 from Port Hope.
Eldon Township will cease to be, December 31, 2000.
Rest in Peace.

Emily 1850 - 2000

Emily Township was named after Emily Charlotte, sister of the Duke of Richmond, the Governor-General of Canada from 1817 to 1819.
In 1818 it was the first Township in Victoria County to be surveyed, and has an area of 100 square miles.
The first log house was build in 1821.
Among its earliest settlers were the Peter Robinson settlers, numbering about 700 persons, who came from Ireland in 1821.
The first taxes (16 shillings) were collected in Emily in 1824.
The first Council was elected in 1850.
The last Council to serve Emily will cease to exist on December 31, 2000.
Rest in Peace, Emily.

Fenelon Township 1861 - 2000

Reeve Faye McGee eulogizes her beloved Fenelon Township and Victoria County

Fenelon Township was named after Francis Fenelon, the Archbishop of Cambrai, France.
It was first surveyed in 1822 and comprises 108 square miles.
The first settler was Angus McLean, who settled in the area about 1832.
Its last Council fought bravely against amalgamation.
Fenelon Township will cease to exist on December 31, 2000.
Rest in peace.

Fenelon Falls 1875 - 2000

Fenelon Falls was first known as Cameron's Falls.
It was incorporated as a Village in 1875, so just celebrated it's 125th anniversary.
The first lock in Fenelon Falls was opened for navigation in 1886.
The last locally elected Council to serve the Community will finish its term on December 31, 2000.
Rest in Peace

Laxton - Digby - Longford 1867 - 2000

Laxton was named after the Village of Laxton in Northamptonshire, England.
It is 45 square miles in size. The first settler was Augustine Angiers. Its only Village is Norland.
Longford was first surveyed in 1862. It was purchased in 1865 by the Canada Land and Emigration Company for 50 cents per acre.
45 men from Laxton, Digby and Longford served in the Canadian Corps in World War I
63 men and women served in Canada's Armed Forces in World War II.
The three Townships were amalgamated on January 1st, 1867.
They will cease to exist on December 31st, 2000, when the City of Kawartha Lakes comes into being.
Rest in Peace, Laxton, Digby and Longford.

Lindsay 1857 - 2000

Stephen Morgan, Lindsay Councillor, remembers his town

Lindsay was founded by 3 Americans: William Purdy and his sons Jesse and Hazard, who were contracted in 1827 to build a dam on the Scugog River.
The 1825 survey of Ops Township reserved Lots 20 and 21 in the 5th Concession as a town site.
The town site was surveyed in 1834.
"Lindsay" was named after a surveyor's assistant, who died from an accidental gunshot wound.
Kent Street was cleared in 1840. The Town was incorporated in 1857. The first Town Council met on July 20th, 1857.
Art Truax was the last Mayor of Lindsay.
The Town will cease to exist on December 31, 2000.
Farewell, Lindsay.

Mariposa 1850 - 2000

Charles Olito says goodbye to Mariposa

Mariposa is the Spanish word for "butterfly". It is not known how it got this name.
The first Township Council in Mariposa was elected in 1850.
34 men from Mariposa Township died in World War I. 9 men died in World War II, fighting for freedom.
Mariposa Township itself will die in the year 2000.
Farewell, Mariposa. Rest in Peace.

Omemee 1874 - 2000

Omemee was first called "Williamstown". It became an incorporated Village in 1874, and the first Village Council meeting was held on January 16th, 1874.
The first school in Omemee was the Omemee Grammar School, built in 1858
71 residents of Omemee served in World War I, 19 were killed in action.
13 residents of Omemee were killed in World War II, and one was killed in Korea.
Upon its death on December 31, 2000, it will have been in existence for 126 years.
Rest in Peace.

Ops 1857 - 2000

Ops Township was named after the Roman goddess of plenty and fertility.
The Township reaches nine miles from west to east, and eleven miles north to south.
It was first settled in 1825.
The first Reeve of Ops was elected in 1857.
The first Town Hall was built in 1861 at the entrance to Riverside Cemetary.
The Township was deemed to be unworthy to exist, and will be terminated on December 31st in the year 2000.
Farewell, Friend.

Somerville

Somerville was named after Julia Somerville, wife of Sir Francis Bond Head.
The Township was surveyed in the 1830's.
It was first settled by pioneers in the 1860's.
Its villages are Kinmount, Burnt River, Rosedale, Fells' station and Bury's Green.
Somerville became the victim of foul play and was killed by Restructuring Order. It lingered valiantly until December 31, 2000
Rest in Peace

Sturgeon Point 1899 - 2000

Sturgeon Point began as a summer cottage resort area, then developed into a year-round community. It was incorporated as a Village in 1899. It has the distinction of being Ontario's smallest incorporated municipality.
The residents of Sturgeon Point are still trying to figure out how having "fewer politicians" will save them money, since their Village Council were all unpaid volunteers.
On December 31, 2000 Ontario's smallest incorporated village will become smaller yet, and vanish.
Good bye, Sturgeon Point.

Verulam 1850 - 2000

Verulam was possibly named after James Walter Grimstone, the Earl of Verulam.
The first survey was begun in 1823, and completed in 1831
Verulam Township covers 60,000 acres.
The Township was first settled in 1832.
It was incorporated as a Township on January 1st, 1850.
On it's death on December 31st, 2000, it will have existed for 150 years. It dies a victim of those with no appreciation of history.
Rest in Peace, Verulam.

Woodville 1884 - 2000

Woodville was known originally as Irish's Corners until the 1850's, when it became Woodville.
The first Town Hall was built in 1857.
It became a Police Village in 1878, and was incorporated as a village in 1884.
26 residents of Woodville died in World War I. 9 residents died in World War II
In the 1800's it flirted with the idea of changing its name to "Otago" but this was resisted by its residents with a sense of history.
Woodville will fade into history on December 31st, 2000.
Its last Reeve, Len Thornbury, is Chairman of the Transition Board which is creating the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Victoria County 1861 - 2000

Victoria County was originally part of the Newcastle District. As the population grew and more representation was required the districts were broken down into smaller areas. In 1854, Victoria was part of the United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, then in 1861 it separated from Peterborough.
The first Warden was Patrick McHugh, elected in 1863.
John Macklem, a leading advocate of the demise of Victoria County, was its last Warden.
Volunteers from Victoria County have fought in five wars:

• The Saskatchewan Rebellion of 1885
• The South African War 1899- 1901
• World War I
• World War II
• The Korean War

Farewell, Gentle Victoria.
Rest in Peace