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Doors Open: Molesworth Introduction JOHN MITCHELL SETTLED with his family on Lot 53 Concession 1 of Grey Township, near the river. The main road (Hwy 86) had not yet been surveyed in 1852 when Molesworth was established at the east end of Grey Township on Lots 51 to 54 of Concession 1 Grey Township and neighbouring Wallace Township, Perth County. Mitchell held pre-exemption rights to all this property. He believed the road would come through along the river, so he built his store on Lot 52. He sold "the basics" to other settlers coming into the area. The store also held the post office for a few years. Mitchell was also a Justice of the Peace. A dam was built on the river, a tributary of the Maitland River. A sawmill was soon built to serve the area residents. Soon, other homes and businesses sprang up along the north part of Lots 51 and 52, and on the other side of the road in Wallace Township. The Province of Ontario Gazetteer & Directory of 1869 listed these names: Rev. J.W. Bell, Presbyterian Church; Thomas France, hotel keeper; John J. Gardner, blacksmith; N.M. Livingston, postmaster and general merchant; Samuel Lougheed, shoemaker; John Mitchell, sawmill proprietor; Rev. W.W. Smith, Congregational Church minister. The Molesworth Cheese and Butter Company was begun in the early 1870s. The first blacksmith shop, run by Allen McLean, was on Lot 50. There were two others: in the early 1890s, J. Meikeljohn's shop was east of the hotel and, in the 1910s, John Sangster had one on the Wallace side. The community was served by various tradespeople. Arch Ashton, James Elliott and C. Brinker were all tailors working in the 1890s. The Murray sisters were dressmakers prior to 1890. James Wright had a shoe shop in about 1895, and in 1899, Wesley Heath came from Ethel every Friday to cut hair and shave. The Mitchells had an apiary in 1883. In 1894, Charles Mitchell built a bee house on Lot 52 and by the late 1890s was known as the "bee king." He had 125 colonies located in the home yard. In 1917, Nelson, with the help of his wife, took over the apiary. The first school was built by Wes Dobson on part of Lot 52 purchased from John Mitchell, just west of the present store. U.S.S. #4 served students until 1949. In the 1850s, the Congregationalists were the first to have a settled minister. In 1863, the Presbyterians attained status as a congregation. Site Submissions Molesworth Convenience Location: Molesworth Year built: c. 1890 Alex M. Patterson built a store on the Grey Township side of the road in the 1890s. The post office was here in 1906 when Robert Mitchell ran the store. In the 1940s there was an egg-grading station at the back. The present store with living quarters above was built in 1950. more...
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