Highway 19 (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
King's Highway 19, commonly referred to as Highway 19, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. Highway 19 currently runs from Tillsonburg
north to a point near Ingersoll
. The total length of Highway 19 is presently 18.8 km (11.7 mi), which is very similar to its original length in the 1930s (starting at Highway 2
in the north, and ending at Highway 3 in the south). The highway originally began as the Plank and Gravel Road, a toll road formed by the Ingersoll and Port Burwell Road Company.
. Prior to 1998, the began in Port Burwell
on the shores of Lake Erie
, while the northern terminus extended to Highway 86 east of Listowel.
George Tillson, his sons and his brother-in-law Benjamin Van Norman were the principal stockholders of the Ingersoll and Port Burwell
Road Company, which they formed along with approximately 200 shareholders in September 1849. Proceeding quickly, the company established eight toll booths along the new route, which became known as the Plank and Gravel Road due to the materials with which it was constructed.
However, the greed of toll road operators resulted in diminishing upkeep, which forced the province to enact legislature allowing counties to assume ownership of the roads. It took until 1907 for Oxford County to assume the toll road; the proprietors were compensated with $15,500.
The gradual implementation of various legislation over the following decade allowed many counties to vastly improve roads under their jurisdiction. By the time the Department of Highways (DHO) assumed the road from Highway 3 in Tillsonburg to Highway 2 in Ingersoll on March 12 1930 as King's Highway 19, it was gravelled
.
A year later, on May 27, 1931, the highway was extended north from Woodstock
to Shakespeare
. As a result of this, a concurrency
with Highway 2 was created between Ingersoll and Woodstock. Several months later, on July 1, the department assumed the remainder of the Ingersoll to Port Burwell Road, extending Highway 19 south of Tillsonburg.
As part of a depression
relief program, the DHO and Department of Labour undertook several projects in 1933 and 1934, one of which included the Stratford to Tralee Road. On July 4, 1934, the DHO assumed the road as part of Highway 19. To remedy the discontinuity, a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) concurrency with Highway 7
was established.
At this point, Highway 19 had grown from its original length of 15.6 miles (25.1 km) to 148.4 kilometres (92.2 mi).
The route remained unchanged until the early 1960s, when several highways were renumbered. Highway 19 between Woodstock and Shakespeare was redesignated as Highway 59, while Highway 100 between Thamesford and St. Marys
was redesignated as Highway 19. The concurrencies with Highway 2 and Highway 7 were relocated as a result of this renumbering; Highway 19 became concurrent with Highway 2 between Ingersoll and Thamesford, and with Highway 7 between St. Marys and Stratford. While the length of the route was reduced insignificantly as a result of this renumbering, it became more direct.
Between then and 1997, no changes were made to Highway 19. On April 1, 1997, the section from Highway 3 south to Port Burwell was transferred to Elgin County, Oxford County and Haldimand
–Norfolk
.
This was followed by a second round of transfers on January 1, 1998, which resulted in the section north of Highway 401 being decommissioned and assumed by Oxford County and Perth County
.
Today, the majority of the Port Burwell to Tillsonburg segment is designated as Elgin County Road 19. A short segment in Haldimand–Norfolk and Oxford County immediately south of Tillsonburg is still designated as Highway 19, but is both signed and maintained as a county road. The Ingersoll to St. Marys segment is now known as Oxford County Road 119, while the segment north of Stratford is designated as Perth County Road 119 through Brunner
, then Perth County Road 131 through Milverton.
The entirety of Highway 19 is located within Oxford County.
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...
province of Ontario
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....
. Highway 19 currently runs from Tillsonburg
Tillsonburg, Ontario
Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.Tillsonburg is a town of 14,822 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19 the closest route to Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario...
north to a point near Ingersoll
Ingersoll, Ontario
Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west....
. The total length of Highway 19 is presently 18.8 km (11.7 mi), which is very similar to its original length in the 1930s (starting at Highway 2
Ontario Highway 2
King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
in the north, and ending at Highway 3 in the south). The highway originally began as the Plank and Gravel Road, a toll road formed by the Ingersoll and Port Burwell Road Company.
Route description
Highway 19 travels through the following municipalities: Ostrander, Mount Elgin and Salford. The southern end begins at Highway 3 in Tillsonburg, while the northern end terminates 400 metres north of the centreline of Highway 401, south of Ingersoll's town limits. Highway 19 is entirely situated in Oxford CountyOxford County
Oxford County may refer to:*Oxford County, Ontario in Canada*Oxford County, Maine in the U.S.*Oxford County, New Zealand...
. Prior to 1998, the began in Port Burwell
Port Burwell, Ontario
Port Burwell is a community on the north shore of Lake Erie, in the municipality of Bayham in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada.It is situated at the mouth of Big Otter Creek.-History:...
on the shores of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, while the northern terminus extended to Highway 86 east of Listowel.
History
The history of Highway 19 dates back to 1849, when the Baldwin Act and the Act to Authorize Formation of Joint Stock Companies were passed.George Tillson, his sons and his brother-in-law Benjamin Van Norman were the principal stockholders of the Ingersoll and Port Burwell
Port Burwell, Ontario
Port Burwell is a community on the north shore of Lake Erie, in the municipality of Bayham in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada.It is situated at the mouth of Big Otter Creek.-History:...
Road Company, which they formed along with approximately 200 shareholders in September 1849. Proceeding quickly, the company established eight toll booths along the new route, which became known as the Plank and Gravel Road due to the materials with which it was constructed.
However, the greed of toll road operators resulted in diminishing upkeep, which forced the province to enact legislature allowing counties to assume ownership of the roads. It took until 1907 for Oxford County to assume the toll road; the proprietors were compensated with $15,500.
The gradual implementation of various legislation over the following decade allowed many counties to vastly improve roads under their jurisdiction. By the time the Department of Highways (DHO) assumed the road from Highway 3 in Tillsonburg to Highway 2 in Ingersoll on March 12 1930 as King's Highway 19, it was gravelled
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
.
A year later, on May 27, 1931, the highway was extended north from Woodstock
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
to Shakespeare
Shakespeare, Ontario
Shakespeare is a village and designated place within the municipality of Perth East in Perth County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 750 in 2006. Shakespeare is located on the Highway 7/8, just east of Stratford and west of Kitchener.-History:Shakespeare was founded in 1832 by David Bell, and...
. As a result of this, a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with Highway 2 was created between Ingersoll and Woodstock. Several months later, on July 1, the department assumed the remainder of the Ingersoll to Port Burwell Road, extending Highway 19 south of Tillsonburg.
As part of a depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
relief program, the DHO and Department of Labour undertook several projects in 1933 and 1934, one of which included the Stratford to Tralee Road. On July 4, 1934, the DHO assumed the road as part of Highway 19. To remedy the discontinuity, a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) concurrency with Highway 7
Ontario Highway 7
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
was established.
At this point, Highway 19 had grown from its original length of 15.6 miles (25.1 km) to 148.4 kilometres (92.2 mi).
The route remained unchanged until the early 1960s, when several highways were renumbered. Highway 19 between Woodstock and Shakespeare was redesignated as Highway 59, while Highway 100 between Thamesford and St. Marys
St. Marys, Ontario
St. Marys is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Thames River southwest of Stratford in Perth County, and surrounded by the Township of Perth South. The town is also known by its nickname, "The Stone Town", due to the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area, giving...
was redesignated as Highway 19. The concurrencies with Highway 2 and Highway 7 were relocated as a result of this renumbering; Highway 19 became concurrent with Highway 2 between Ingersoll and Thamesford, and with Highway 7 between St. Marys and Stratford. While the length of the route was reduced insignificantly as a result of this renumbering, it became more direct.
Between then and 1997, no changes were made to Highway 19. On April 1, 1997, the section from Highway 3 south to Port Burwell was transferred to Elgin County, Oxford County and Haldimand
Haldimand County
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....
–Norfolk
Norfolk County
Norfolk County may refer to one of several counties:*Norfolk, a county in England*Norfolk County, Massachusetts*Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada*Norfolk County, Virginia,...
.
This was followed by a second round of transfers on January 1, 1998, which resulted in the section north of Highway 401 being decommissioned and assumed by Oxford County and Perth County
Perth County, Ontario
Perth County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Stratford and is located in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. It encompasses , 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land...
.
Today, the majority of the Port Burwell to Tillsonburg segment is designated as Elgin County Road 19. A short segment in Haldimand–Norfolk and Oxford County immediately south of Tillsonburg is still designated as Highway 19, but is both signed and maintained as a county road. The Ingersoll to St. Marys segment is now known as Oxford County Road 119, while the segment north of Stratford is designated as Perth County Road 119 through Brunner
Brunner, Ontario
Brunner is a community in the Township of Perth East, Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It lies north of Stratford on Perth County Road 119. Topping is the nearest community, east, and Milverton is north. The Stratford and Huron Railway, later part of Canadian National Railway, passes through the...
, then Perth County Road 131 through Milverton.
Major intersections
The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 19. In addition, it includes some minor junctions that are noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.The entirety of Highway 19 is located within Oxford County.
| Location | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tillsonburg | 0.0 | ||
| 5.5 | Tillsonburg town limits | ||
| Mount Elgin | 14.4 | ||
| Ingersoll Ingersoll, Ontario Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west.... |
24.3 | Highway ends at north end of interchange Interchange (road) In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which... |