Talk:Stroud, Ontario

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Stroud, the area we now know as the corner of Highway 11 (Yonge St) and the 10th line of Innisfil was first settled by David Myers who purchased 100 acres on the North East corner on July 29, 1833. This land was legally known as the South half of lot 16, Con. 10 Innisfil and was purchased from Alexander Gunn of West Gwillimbury for £ 200. David Myers first moved from Onondaga County, New York to Markham about 1829 / 1830, where he met and married a school teacher, Melinda. About 1831 / 1832, David and the expecting Melinda were moved to Innisfil by George F. Warnica's, where Melinda died and it is suspected that their first son, Leonard, died also. They were buried on George F. H. Warnica's property, on lot 12 in Painswick, just south of the thirteenth line and just east of the old mill pond dam. Other unknown people were also buried there but its exact location is not known today as the subdivisions invade their resting place. David later married Sarah and had two more children, Adam Myers and Ann Elizabeth Myers. It is not known what happened to Sarah Myers but the children born to David after this, listed their mother as Mary Ann. It is therefore suspected that David either remarried or that Sarah and Mary Ann are the same person? This marriage is not documented and it is uncertain, due to Sarah out living David by thirteen years. David and Mary Ann and had six more children, Matilda, Emilia, Uriah, Adeline, Caroline and Calburn. The descendants of those children are still a mystery with exception of Ann Elizabeth Myers who married Henry Reynolds and had two children, Mary and Henry. Uriah who we know died of cerebral effusion on December 8, 1891 and Adam Myers who grew up working in a saw mill in Craigvale and later purchased the S.W. 1/4 acre from his father's farm, by agreement in 1862 and by deed in 1870. Here he opened a tavern where the Stroud donut shop now stands. Adam courted a lady from Penetanguishene named Mary Hudson and married her at the Wesleyan (St. James) parsonage in Victoria (Stroud) February 08, 1867. More can be found about the Myers at MYERS. On March 31, 1875, Adam Myers sold his tavern to William Webb for $1,200.00 and appears to have retired to Craigvale. It is unclear as to where Adam and Mary moved as the lot description shows the north half of lot 17 west of the train tracks. All of the north half of lot 17 is east of the tracks and suspect the location could be the south half of lot 17? Some time in the 1840s, Myers Corner's name was changed to Victoria and again in 1880, it was changed to the present name of Stroud. The first school Stroud (then Myers Corners) was opened in 1838 in a log building at the corner of the lOth Line and the Penetang Road. The first teacher was William Booth, a retired soldier, who had come to Canada with the 68th Regiment in 1818. Other early teachers were: William Neely, John Chantler (who was later inspector or superintendent) and Samuel Ross. In January, 1853, Robert Orchard, a former pupil, took charge, continuing to teach until within three weeks of his death in November, 1865. As a tribute to his memory, his pupils placed a stone at his grave, inscribed "Our Teacher". A few extracts from his journal at the time of the building of the frame school in 1860- may be of interest: July 14, 1860: "No school on Saturday any more; made out half-yearly report; names on register 156; average attendance 63." July 19: "Trustees and local superintendent (J. Chantler) visited school. Trustees decided to build a new schoolhouse." July 31: "I wrote the specifications for the new school." Aug. 1: "The trustees met and continued their former acts." Aug. 6: "Brother William brought a model of the new school." Aug. 13 : "Trustees met John Leonard; got the building of the schoolhouse for the sum of $380." Oct. 22: "The Leonards commenced work on the new school and laid the foundations." Dec. 20: "The Leonard's finished the school." Dec, 21: "Trustees took possession of the school. No lessons." Dec. 24: "First day teaching in the new school. Gave the children their Christmas treat." The number of holidays at that period was ten in harvest time and eight legal holidays. School had also been held on alternate Saturdays with night classes at times. The salary was $360. The original site of the present school was given by John Dyer Sr., owner of the adjoining farm, in 1860, with the proviso that, if, at any time it was not used for school purposes, it should revert to the farm. The equipment of the building consisted of one long desk at each side, and back-less benches for seats. Later these were exchanged for heavy wooden desks, each accommodating two pupils. The teacher had a large wooden cable. There was a large cupboard and a box stove. The lighting was fairly good, there being three large windows on each side. At intervals on the wall, brackets were placed to hold candlesticks as the building was often used for religious services, lectures, etc. In 1928, since the old frame school was found to be very inadequate for the accommodation of the pupils, a fine new, imposing, two-story school was erected, at a cost of over $21,000. In 1860, when the frame school was built, the trustees were James Cross, William Daniel Warnica. and J. J. Dodson. In 1928 when the new two-story school was built the Trustee were R. A. Sutherland, S. Broley and H. Pratt.