Heritage

These 1953 views of horse-drawn hay wagons crossing through a field boundary on the Peel Plain are evocative of an earlier agricultural landscape, now largely lost to mechanization and changing agricultural practices. The cedar rail and boulder fence shown here was typical of those erected in the 19^th century by early colonial settlers as they cleared land for agricultural use.

Feeding the birds, circa 1910. Residents of this area have long been appreciative of the local bird life! Over 40 species of birds have been observed during migratory season at the storm water management pond on Kennedy Road.

Crossing the Humber River, circa 1900. The wooden pony truss bridge in this scene was a style commonly used on rural roads at the turn of the 20^th Century. Photo courtesy of the Albion Bolton Historical Society, boltonhistory.com

The Bolton Citizens Band, circa 1930. Established in the 1850s, the band played a significant role in community life until the Second World War, when many of its members went off to fight. Photo courtesy of the Albion Bolton Historical Society, boltonhistory.com

Bolton Library on opening day, May 28, 1967. Built during Canada’s centennial year, this library was subsequently demolished to allow for the widening of Highway 50. Note the pictures of the Fathers of Confederation used to decorate the bookshelves on opening day.

Raising the flag at Caledon Town Hall, July 1, 1988. As shown by the open field on the north side of Old Church Road, these Canada Day celebrations predate the recent residential expansion in Caledon East.

Looking east across Airport Road in Caledon East during the Highland Games Parade, 1959. Note the feed mill in the background, which was lost to fire in March 1980.

The Caledon East train station, c.1905. The Grand Trunk Railway built this station on the north side of the tracks in 1903 prior to converting the original 1877 station into a freight shed. Rail service ended in the 1960s. The abandoned railway right-of-way was purchased by the Town of Caledon in the late 1980s and redeveloped as the Caledon Trailway.

Palgrave’s Elm Tree Hotel, c.1930. Built in 1892 and originally known as the ‘Commercial Hotel’, the Elm Tree was the last of five hotels that once operated in the village. In 1958, it was converted into residential apartments. Since 1997, the main floor has housed a dental practice and other commercial uses. Photo courtesy of the Albion Bolton Historical Society, boltonhistory.com

Coulterville Camp, circa 1932.  In the late 1920s, the Coulter family established a fishing and tourist camp on their farm, which backed onto the Credit River. The family operation offered seasonal events, including large annual community ‘garden’ parties, until 1957. Attendees came from across Ontario, as well as the northern United States.

Originally surveyed in 1818 and 1819, the townships of Albion, Caledon and Chinguacousy were opened for settlement in 1820. Early settlement developed around water-powered mill sites on the Credit and Humber rivers and at various crossroads.

The arrival of the Toronto Grey and Bruce, Hamilton and North Western and Credit Valley railways in the 1870s spurred further settlement in the region. Development was also influenced by the Peel Plain, Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. While some historic hamlets have disappeared over time, Caledon’s present communities continue to reflect early settlement patterns.

Caledon’s cemeteries provide a link to our community roots. If you are interested in local history or family genealogy, you may enjoy exploring the past through our cemeteries. Dating back to the 1830s, our grave markers and inscriptions provide a glimpse into the lives and events of former residents.

Cemeteries in Caledon

There are 25 pioneer cemeteries in Caledon. Explore each of the cemeteries to learn more about the history of community:

Bolton cemeteries

The following cemeteries are located in Bolton:

• Albion Presbyterian cemetery located in Bolton at 12992 Coleraine Dr.
• Bolton Anglican Cairn located in Bolton at 166 Centennial Dr.
• Bolton Congregational Cairn located in Bolton at 107 Queen St. N.
• Bolton Methodist cemetery located in Bolton at 166 Centennial Dr.
• Coventry Primitive Methodist cemetery located in Bolton at 9950 Columbia Way
• Dacre cemetery located in Bolton at 16434 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
• Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bolton at 14686 Albion Vaughan Rd.
• Mount Pleasant located in Bolton at 16381 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
• Plummer cemetery located in Bolton at 2 Plummer Rd.

Caledon cemeteries

The following cemeteries are located in various areas of Caledon:

• Caesar’s cemetery located in Caledon at 14999 Dixie Rd.
• Crawford cemetery located in Caledon at 17584 Centreville Creek Rd.
• Glassford cemetery located Caledon at 19355 Willoughby Rd.
• Kidd Family Vault located in Caledon at 45 Simcoe St.
• Mayfield United Church cemetery located in Caledon at 12496 Dixie Rd.
• Melville White Church cemetery located in Caledon at 15962 Mississauga Rd.
• Snyder cemetery located in Caledon at 14493 Kennedy Rd.
• Speirs cemetery located in Caledon E. at 16433 The Gore Rd.

Albion cemeteries

The following cemeteries are located in Palgrave, Castlederg and Albion:

• Brigg’s cemetery located outside Bolton at 14968 Mt. Hope Rd.
• Monkman Primitive Methodist cemetery located in Castlederg at 15410 Mt. Hope Rd.
• Cedar Mills Methodist cemetery located in Palgrave at 3 Cedar Mains Dr.
• Cork cemetery (Norris farm) located in Albion at 13402 McLaughlin Rd.
• Castlederg United cemetery located in Palgrave at 15290 Mt. Hope Rd.
• St. Judes cemetery located in Albion at 17211 Horseshoe Hill Rd.

Terra Cotta cemeteries

The following cemeteries are located in Terra Cotta:

• Greenlaw cemetery located in Terra Cotta at 990 The Grange Side Rd.
• Macdonald cemetery located Terra Cotta at 15568 Creditview Rd.

Cemetery symbolism and markers

Melville White Church

Built in 1837, Melville White Church is the oldest standing structure in the Regional of Peel. The church is located in Terra Cotta at 15962 Mississauga Rd. Contact the Belfountain Heritage Society to learn more about renting the church as well as the history and restoration of the building.

St. Andrews Stone Church

Built in 1857, this stone church once served a Scottish Presbyterian congregation. The Church is located in Caledon East at 17621 St. Andrews Rd. and is now owned by the Town of Caledon. Contact the St. Andrews Stone Church for more information about renting the church as well as the history and restoration of the building.

Ghost hamlets are places that once housed a small community but were unable to sustain a large enough population to maintain village status. Many of these communities were built around general stores and churches and included residences, barns, drive sheds, hotels or other service buildings. Remnants of these structures are still visible today.

There are 21 ghost hamlets located in Caledon and the surrounding area. They tell a rich history of the area and include heritage cemeteries, buildings, barns and building foundations from communities that once flourished in the region.

History of ghost hamlets

During the period from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the First World War, southern Ontario went through a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. As a result, many people moved from rural areas to more urban centers, such as Toronto. 

 During the 19th century, the territory that would later become Canada began to industrialize. This was spurred on by the development of railways which increased trade between the colonies. By the 1850s, major east-west railway routes were already built across the southern part of Canada West (now Ontario). At this point, prospectors and railway promoters turned their attention to the resource-rich northern hinterlands and upper Great Lakes Region.

Several of these lines were constructed through Caledon in the 1870s, providing our local communities with direct access to urban markets. These new railway routes secured the economic fortunes of some communities, while causing the eventual demise of many communities that were by-passed. (Ghost Hamlets)

Toronto Grey Bruce Railway

The first railway to cross Caledon was the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, which extended from Toronto to Owen Sound by 1873. There were station stops in Bolton, Mono, Caledon, Alton and Melville and the line later become part of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) network.

In 1932, the section between Bolton and Orangeville was closed and the tracks were removed. You can still see remnants of the railway embankments cutting across the Caledon countryside. The most significant local event on this railway, was the 1907 Horseshoe Curve Train Wreck. Seven people were killed and 114 were injured during the wreck.

Hamilton and North Western Railway

The Hamilton and North Western Railway (HNWR) was built through Caledon in the late 1870s and reached Barrie and Collingwood by 1879. Later owned by the Grand Trunk and Canadian National Railway, the HNWR had stations at Terra Cotta, Cheltenham, Inglewood, Caledon East, Centreville and Palgrave. The railway closed in the 1960s and the 35km route that crossed Caledon was purchased by the town in 1989. This section has been converted into the Caledon Trailway.

Credit Valley Railway

The Credit Valley Railway ran from Toronto to St. Thomas, with branch lines to Orangeville and Elora. The branch line to Orangeville passed through Caledon and has station stops at Cheltenham, Inglewood, Forks of the Credit, Cataract, Alton and Melville. Two of the reasons behind the construction of the northern routes was for southern urban markets to be able access cordwood and quarried stone.

By 1958, the CPR stopped passenger service on the Orangeville and Elora lines and in 1987, the Cataract to Elora branch line was abandoned and later became the Elora-Cataract Trail.

Since 2000, the section of the original Credit Valley line between Orangeville and Streetsville has operated a shortline freight railway as well as the Credit Valley Explorer Excursion train which travels through the scenic Credit Valley.

Compulsory and free education was introduced in Ontario in 1871 for children up to the age of 12. Prior to that, children were not required to attend schools and many in rural areas only attended school for part of the year. Even though it was optional, many children attended school and school houses were built in Caledon beginning in the 1830s.

Historic schools in Caledon

Alton Public School was the longest operating school in the Region of Peel, first built in 1875 as a one-room schoolhouse. Over the years the school was updated with additions and renovations, but eventially closed its doors in 2013 upon the construction of a new, more modern facility next door. 

Four of Caledon’s former rural schoolhouses received heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act:

• Caledon – Silver Creek
• Caledon – Rosehill
• Chinguacousy – Sharpe’s
• Caledon – Moffat Schoolhouse

Early schoolhouses

Upper Canada (now Ontario), first passed education legislation in the early 1800s and began to offer partial funding to develop school houses. By the 1830s the first school houses began to appear in Caledon.

Rural schoolhouses were generally located about three miles apart because this was how far the sound of the school bell could travel. Bolton, Caledon East, Caledon Village and Alton each contained a multi-room village school.

Schoolhouse architecture

The original school houses in Caledon were made from logs. These were later replaced with wood-framed buildings made with brick or stone. By the late 19th century school-houses were designed according to the provincial architectural manuals promoted by Dr. Egerton Ryerson and Dr. John Hodgin. Schools were built with lots of natural light and were designed to reinforce right-handed writing. They were also supposed to remove distractions and inspire thought.

We are committed to preserving and promoting local history and heritage. As part of this commitment we have developed a variety of signs and plaques to mark historic places, events and people.

Suggest a plaque or sign

Contact us if you’d like to suggest a new heritage plaque or sign in our community.

Village heritage plaques

Throughout the villages of Caledon East, Bolton, Alton, Inglewood, Belfountain and Palgrave, we have erected heritage plaques. These hand-painted plaques provide information about the use, date of construction and ownership of buildings in the area.

Commemorative heritage plaques

Our commemorative heritage plaques highlight the history of a specific site or event. They provide images and text to explain the significance and teach the public about our local history.

Ghost hamlet road signs

Ghost hamlet road signs mark the location, names and settlement dates of many of Caledon’s abandoned ghost hamlets. Please visit the Ghost Hamlet Story Map for further information and the downloadable app.

Ontario Heritage Trust plaques

The Ontario Heritage Trust erects plaques throughout the province to commemorate our history. They typically highlight people, places and events that have contributed to the development of the province or connect with historic themes.

• 1859 George Tremaine Map of Peel County
• Fire insurance maps from early 20th century

1854 map of Bolton

A map of Bolton dating from 1854 was found during the demolition of an old house. This map is believed to be the oldest map of the Town.

1877 illustrated atlas of Peel

The digital library at McGill University contains an online illustrated atlas of the Region of Peel dating from 1877. 

The Albion-Bolton Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, researching, documenting and telling the history of the village of Bolton. They offer historic walking tours and maps as well as educational information such as archives, references and historical papers.

The Belfountain Heritage Society was formed in 1992 and is made up of residents of Belfountain and the nearby villages. The society works to restore, protect and provide heritage designations for buildings and properties in Belfountain with historic significance.

The Caledon East and District Historical Society was formed in 1984 and aims to promote and stimulate interest in the history of the people and places of Caledon East. They also collect, classify, edit and preserve historic information and share these resources with the wider public through meetings, publications, and presentations.

The Caledon Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes heritage conservation and education within Caledon. They provide a variety of historical resources and online archival material for public use.