Ghost Towns of Ontario: Part II Quiz

Answer: Indiana

During its prime, this little community housed up to 300 residents. The town also consisted of two taverns, a grist mill, a distillery, a pail factory, and a post office. This town's decline was a direct result of the building of the national railway across Canada during the 1850s as a railroad was never built through Indiana.

Even more bizarre then its decline into a ghost town is the fact that David Thompson, the founder, has no known descendants. The last known descendant, David, passed on in the early 1990s having no children and did not leave a will. Ruthven Mansion was declared a National Historic Site in Canada in 1998.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/indiana.shtml

Answer: Cheltenham Brick Works

During the 19th Century, brick was one of the main resources for the construction of housing and large facilities. Cheltenham Brick Works was, as its name suggests, a factory town housing a brick company. The Interprovincial Brick Company was established in 1914 and became a large success. During its high times, the Interprovincial Brick Company could produce as many as 90000 bricks at a single time.

With the production of many other building materials following the Second World War however, this town met its decline. In 1958, Interprovincial Brick Works officially shut its doors and with no other economic resources in sight, this town instantly became a ghost town. All that remains of this community are the cement remains of the large kilns from this large factory. They can only be seen from a distance as they are fenced off and inaccessible to the public.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/chelten.shtml

Answer: Magpie

Right from the beginning, Magpie Mines would unfortunately be a mining community with problems. In anticipation that the minerals that had been discovered would be easily profitable, it was discovered that the minerals were not hematite deposits, but instead, siderite ore, which was extremely difficult to profit from as it contained high traces of sulphur. In 1913, the mine closed for a year in order for engineers to redesign the milling process in order to remove the sulphur from the minerals.

In 1914, the mine would open again, however, six months later it would shut down operations again due to decline in the economy. In 1915, however, the mine would reopen once again as the First World War was on the rise and mining allowed for the production of primary goods that could be used in the war.

During the latter part of the war, the mine would have to cut back its operations to just one shift per day as the need for materials were no longer in demand. By 1922, this mining operation had closed down for good never to be opened again. This community that once housed over 600 residents would become a permanent part of Ontario's history when the ore smelter was finally removed for good in 1926.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/magpie.shtml

Answer: Fossmill

In 1902, a gentleman by the name of Bill Foster would purchase property to start a sawmill in Powassan township. Originally known as "Foster's Mill", Fossmill would see a great expansion in the size and profit of the community in 1924. The once small sawmill that began production in the early 1900s was replaced by a larger mill in 1924, and would have a business area consisting of a post office, blacksmith shop, company store with a gas pump, a hotel, and in the distance, a machine shop and garage that was used to maintain the two logging railway locomotives.

By 1925, the town was given government approval to build a Catholic church and a schoolhouse (known as Chisholm Secondary School #4b). In 1929, many forest fires tragically burned through much of this communities quality resources. Fire was said to have been caused when sparks from one of the locomotives in one event while a cigarette is suspected to have caused another fire (and thought to have been criminally set). These fires would consume much of the mill's resources including homes, rail docks, trolleys, the equipment yard, and millions of feet of sawed lumber.

With the Great Depression beginning in October of 1929, the Fasset Lumber Company was still producing a limited amount of lumber for this community when tragedy struck one final time. In 1934, the mill itself would catch fire and would burn to the ground in an estimated 45 minutes. This town would be permanently doomed, and with a new mill opening up in the town of Kiosk, most of the residents opted to move away in the hopes that their future would be successful in a new town. The last permanent residents of Fossmill moved in 1952, their houses demolished immediately leaving no remains to this once busy community.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/fossmill.shtml

Answer: Khartum

Khartum was once a small lumbering town that was founded during the early 20th Century. The first post office was opened in 1903 along with a general store. The name was changed from "Lett" to Khartum in 1908.

Today, this community no longer exists except for a few burnt remains and two road signs that signify that a community once existed. The last post master resigned from the town in 1949 and no attempts have been made to rebuild this community ever since.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/khartum.shtml

Answer: Ball's Falls

This town was named after John and George Ball, two loyal British officers who were granted 1200 acres of land due to their loyal duties in the War of 1812.

With an anticipation that this location would be successful, these two gentlemen immediately started a sawmill business. John and George also built a woollen mill that would eventually become successful in the production of cashmeres, flannels, and kerseys.

Ball's Falls, like many others of the 1850s, declined in success when the railway was built through surrounding communities but not through Ball's Falls.

Today, the original grist mill and Ball homestead have been restored for tourists to view. Other buildings including an old barn and cellar hole have also been restored to preserve this historical Ontario settlement.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/ballsfal.shtml

Answer: Lemieux

In 1971, tragedy struck the town of St. Jean Vianny in the neighbouring province of Quebec. The culprit, a mudslide that buried the town after record amounts of rainfall. As it turned out, a rare type of soil, known as "Champlain Sea Soil" had turned into mush, separated, and formed a devastating mudslide.

The town of Lemieux was also subject to the unstable Champlain Sea Soil and after further investigation, the South Nation Conservation Authority (SNRCA) determined that the foundation of the town of Lemieux was too unstable for residents to live on.

Plaques have been set up to commemorate the tiny village that wasn't meant to be. Lemieux, a small lumber town with a post office and Catholic Church would officially become a ghost town in 1991 when the Canadian government forced all remaining residents to move away. Two years later, the residents of this once prosperous community had their lives spared (as a result of the evacuation) when the unstable soils of Lemieux collapsed leaving a crater down the original main street.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/lemieux.shtml

Answer: Hawtrey

The town of Hawtrey became a successful community during the building of two railways beginning in 1870. The Canada Southern Railway built a line through the south end of the town in 1870, and a few years later, the Port Dover and Huron Railway built a railway at the north end of the town. As a result, this community effectively split into two small villages, each building business around their respective railway lines.

During its most prosperous times, Hawtrey was very successful and consisted of two blacksmith shops, a hotel, a tavern, post office, sawmill, gospel hall, and a town hall. With both railways declaring bankruptcy during the 1920s however, the painted picture of Hawtrey became a dismal one. The store permanently closed in 1970, while all other businesses had already shut down with the closing of the railway. Today, Hawtrey supports a rural farming community. The store is one of the only remaining buildings of this town, but has been converted into a private dwelling.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/hawtrey.shtml

Answer: Corbyville

Corbyville came into existence when a young baker named Henry Corby emigrated to Canada from England in 1832. With his knowledge of the grain industry, he built and operated a grist mill beginning in 1857. His industry successfully produced alcohol until the First World War when alcohol could be produced for military purposes only. With the temperance movement quickly arriving and U.S. prohibition during the 1920s, Corby's was forced to merge with another Canadian alcohol manufacturer, Wiser's Distillery.

In 1950, the H. Corby Distillery reverted back to its original name and produced alcohol until the closure of the plant in 1991. H. Corby Distillery is still a producer of various brands of alcohol including Wiser's Deluxe, Polar Ice Vodka, and Canadian Club, however, it now operates out of various subsidiary plants and stores across Canada as its original plant has shut down.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/corbyvil.shtml

Answer: Newfoundout

The Opeongo Road was the most unsuccessful attempt by the Canadian government to try and colonize Ontario by road. The community of Newfoundout is no exception to this dismal plan. Between 1860-1890, thirteen families tried to sustain a living on a 6km stretch of winding road to try and earn a living in farming. Unfortunately, like many farming communities in this area, residents soon learned that the land was not suitable for farming, making survival quite difficult at times.

There were no schools, stores, or churches along this 6 km stretch of road leaving the farmers to rely on each other for support. A small post office, known as "Donohue" opened in 1914, and was one of the limited means of communication for these farmers. In 1948, this unofficial community was declared abandoned and is presently used only during the summer months for raising cattle by private farmers.

http://www.ghosttownpix.com/ontario/towns/newfound.shtml