Petherton, Ontario

Petherton is an unincorporated rural community in Wellington North Township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.[1][2] Petherton was located in Arthur Township until 1999.[3][4]

Petherton
Unincorporated rural community
Looking southwest over Four Mile Creek towards Highway 6 in Petherton
Petherton
Petherton
Coordinates: 43°52′07″N 80°35′43″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyWellington
TownshipWellington North
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
GNBC CodeFDOWL[1]

The settlement is located along Highway 6, 6.4 km (4.0 mi) northwest of Arthur.

Little remains of the once thriving community.

History

Petherton was established in 1860 when several Baptist families in the area built a log church and cemetery there. Known as the South Arthur Baptist Church and the Petherton Pioneer Cemetery, they were built on land donated by the Spark family. The church was dismantled in 1892 after a new church was built in nearby Kenilworth.[5][6]

A post office was established in 1869, and by the 1870s Petherton was a thriving agricultural centre, with two stores, two carriage makers, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, a carpenter, a chopping mill, a kiln for making bricks, and several houses.[7][5] The population was 155.[5]

The Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway established a line through Petherton in 1872, and a station was erected there. The railway has since been abandoned and the tracks removed.[8]

Decline

The post office closed in 1915.[7]

The cemetery fell into neglect, and was restored in 1977 by descendants of the pioneers buried there. Surviving grave markers were cemented into a cairn, and a historic plaque was placed there.[6]

References
  1. "Petherton". Natural Resources Canada. October 6, 2016.
  2. "Wellington North". Statistics Canada. November 2, 2016.
  3. "Restructuring Flashnews Municipal Restructuring Summary Table". Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  4. Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory, 1910 - 1911. Union Publishing. 1911. p. 833.
  5. "Petherton Pioneer Baptist Cemetery". Simply Explore Culture. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  6. "Petherton Pioneer Baptist Cemetery" (PDF). Ontario Genealogical Society. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  7. "Petherton". Library and Archives Canada. May 27, 2014.
  8. Brown, Ron (2011). In Search of the Grand Trunk: Ghost Rail Lines in Ontario. Dundurn. p. 138. ISBN 9781459717787.
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