CHAPTER LVI.
Contents—Tenth township—Richmond—Origin—Quantity of land—Shores of Mohawk Bay—Village on south shore—Original land holders—Names—Napanee—The falls—The mill—Salmon River—Indian name—Source of Napanee River—Its course—Colebrook—Simcoe Falls—Name—Clarke’s Mills—Newburgh—Academy—The settlers—“Clarkville”—No records.
THE TENTH TOWNSHIP—RICHMOND.
This township is called after the Duke of Richmond, and contains about 50,000 acres.
At an early period, the shores of the Mohawk Bay were occupied by settlers. At first, upon the Fredericksburgh side, and shortly after upon the north shore. The facilities for erecting a flouring-mill at the falls, upon the river which empties into the Mohawk Bay, attracted the attention of Government so early as 1785, in which year the first mill was erected. The existence of this mill caused something of a village to spring up on the south shore. About the same time, the land upon the north shore of the bay and river, was taken up by the loyalists. We can find nothing to indicate the year in which this township was originally surveyed; but it was most probably done in the latter part of 1785, or in the spring of 1786, after the front of Thurlow had been surveyed. Upon the old chart of this township in the Crown Lands Department, may be seen the names of certain officers, as claimants of land near the mouth of the river. The names are in the main, now unknown, and it seems that the land passed into other hands. The second and third concessions seem to have been settled at a comparatively early date. We believe that some of the first settlers on Mohawk Bay, were, Alexander Nicholson, Woodcock, Peterson, Campbell, Richardson, Detlors.
Napanee, a name given to the river, and to the town upon its banks, is of Indian origin. Originally it was Appanee, which signifies, in the Mississauga language, flour, or the river where they make flour. This designation, it has been supposed, arose from the existence of the flouring-mill, built here at an early date (see first days of Upper Canada). The place was first visited by loyalists, in 1784. The beauty of the scenery, the waters of the river, tumbling over the rocks, down a distance of thirty feet, and sweeping down through a muddy bed, and widening into Mohawk Bay, and the surrounding hills clothed in nature’s rugged habiliments, would naturally attract the settler. Then, when Government placed a mill, at which the settlers could get their grain ground, a consideration of great importance, the land in the vicinity would be eagerly sought, upon which to settle. And, it can readily be inferred, that the more valuable lots in the township of Richmond were, at an early date, appropriated and settled upon.
Running across the back part of this township, from east to west, and continuing across the township of Tyendinagua, is the Salmon River. It takes its rise in Crow Lake, in the Township of Kenebec. It empties into the Bay Quinté, at the border line between this township and Thurlow. Near its mouth is the Village of Shannonville. The Indian name of the Salmon River was Gosippa.
The Napanee River, of which we have spoken, takes its rise in the townships of Hinchinbroke, Bedford, Loughborough, Portland, which are thickly strewn with beautiful lakes and streams, all connected so as to form a sort of net work. The Napanee then crosses the front part of Camden, and pursues its way along, forming the southern boundary of Richmond, to empty into the Mohawk Bay. Along the course of the stream are several villages, all possessed of more or less beauty. There is the village of Colebrook, having upward of 300 inhabitants; Simcoe Falls comes next, beautiful and picturesque, with some 250 of population. The village is named after the Falls, which are some forty feet high. The name is derived from Governor Simcoe, who at one time owned here 1000 acres of land. Four miles further down the stream is the pleasant village of Clark’s Mills, after a family name of which we have elsewhere spoken, as a distinguished U. E. Loyalist. Continuing down the river we come to Newburgh, a village picturesquely situated, and of considerable importance. Beside its grist-mills, saw-mills, factories, machine shop, foundry, and other machinery worked by the water; Newburgh has a very respectable academy. Perhaps there is no stream in Canada which possesses the same number of mill privileges as the Napanee. There are numerous rapids and several falls along its course, and the banks on either side are often strikingly beautiful. The original settlers along the stream were mostly the children of loyalists.
Napanee.—The settlement of Napanee is pretty fully given in the chapter upon the first flouring-mills. We there have stated that Sergeant Major Clark of the 84th regiment, was ordered to Napanee to act as superintendent of the works in connection with the building of the mill; second flouring-mill in Upper Canada. The mill was situated upon the Fredericksburgh side of the river. Upon an early map of the township, by P. V. Elmore, a village is marked here by the name of Clark ville.
Napanee was incorporated in the year 1854.
We regret our inability to procure the township record of Richmond.