Beeton, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Beeton is a small town located in southern Simcoe County, Ontario
, Canada
between Tottenham
and Alliston
; all three were amalgamated in 1991 into the single Town of New Tecumseth
.
The region was first settled sometime before 1836 by a small group of pioneers led by William Hammill who arrived in 1827. Hammill was one of the two Home District
councillors for Tecumseth in 1842. In 1852 Robert Clark, a blacksmith, purchased a large portion of the land and opened a blacksmith and gunsmith shop. His practice of selling building lots to new settlers was largely responsible for the land being cleared to make way for the eponymous village Clarksville. Clarksville was later renamed Tecumseth when the Tecumseth post office was moved into the village. The name was changed again in 1878 when a second post office in Essex County also took the name Tecumseth. The rather odd choice of Beeton was adopted because the then-postmaster, D.A. Jones, practiced the bee trade in the region. In fact, Beeton's annual Honey and Garden Festival can probably be traced back to Jones.
"Fun Fact"
(when)The towns' name was being changed to Beetown, D.A Jones wrote down Beeton because he had an English background so he spelt Beetown - Beeton.)
Beeton was a stop on the Hamilton and North-Western Railway. The railway split just north of the townsite, at a location then known as Allimil, running northeast through Cookstown to Barrie
and northwest through Alliston
to Collingwood
. The line was later taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway
, eventually turning into Canadian National Railways. Canadian Pacific Railways constructed a second line just to the west of town, and the CNR right-of-way was closed in the 1970s. The portion of the CNR railway running from Beeton south to Tottenham
is now used for the South Simcoe Railway
, a heritage railway
.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
between Tottenham
Tottenham, Ontario
Tottenham is a community in the town of New Tecumseth, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It takes its name from its first postmaster, Alexander Totten. The Tottenham Conservation Area is a recreational facility in the village, which is also famous for its Bluegrass Festival...
and Alliston
Alliston, Ontario
Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth...
; all three were amalgamated in 1991 into the single Town of New Tecumseth
New Tecumseth, Ontario
New Tecumseth is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe. While it is not officially a part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is counted, in terms of the census, as being a part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area.-Communities:...
.
The region was first settled sometime before 1836 by a small group of pioneers led by William Hammill who arrived in 1827. Hammill was one of the two Home District
Home District
The Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Nassau District until 1792, it was composed of the areas along western Lake Ontario and...
councillors for Tecumseth in 1842. In 1852 Robert Clark, a blacksmith, purchased a large portion of the land and opened a blacksmith and gunsmith shop. His practice of selling building lots to new settlers was largely responsible for the land being cleared to make way for the eponymous village Clarksville. Clarksville was later renamed Tecumseth when the Tecumseth post office was moved into the village. The name was changed again in 1878 when a second post office in Essex County also took the name Tecumseth. The rather odd choice of Beeton was adopted because the then-postmaster, D.A. Jones, practiced the bee trade in the region. In fact, Beeton's annual Honey and Garden Festival can probably be traced back to Jones.
"Fun Fact"
(when)The towns' name was being changed to Beetown, D.A Jones wrote down Beeton because he had an English background so he spelt Beetown - Beeton.)
Beeton was a stop on the Hamilton and North-Western Railway. The railway split just north of the townsite, at a location then known as Allimil, running northeast through Cookstown to Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
and northwest through Alliston
Alliston, Ontario
Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth...
to Collingwood
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
. The line was later taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
, eventually turning into Canadian National Railways. Canadian Pacific Railways constructed a second line just to the west of town, and the CNR right-of-way was closed in the 1970s. The portion of the CNR railway running from Beeton south to Tottenham
Tottenham, Ontario
Tottenham is a community in the town of New Tecumseth, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It takes its name from its first postmaster, Alexander Totten. The Tottenham Conservation Area is a recreational facility in the village, which is also famous for its Bluegrass Festival...
is now used for the South Simcoe Railway
South Simcoe Railway
The South Simcoe Railway is a steam heritage railway in Tottenham, Ontario, north of Toronto. Operating excursions since 1993, it is the oldest operating steam heritage railway in Ontario and features the oldest operating steam locomotive in Canada....
, a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
.