Here's where you can learn a little Ontario history

The Founding of Actinolite

Photo by Alan L Brown - May, 2004

Plaque Location

The County of Hastings
The Municipality of Tweed
In Actinolite, on the grounds of a church
on Bridgewater Road just east of Highway 37

Coordinates: N 44 32.603 W 77 19.522

Plaque Text

In 1853 Billa Flint (1805-94) a lumberman, member of the legislative assembly and later of the senate, built sawmills here on the Skootamatta River. A village, at first named Troy but soon renamed Bridgewater, was laid out the same year. Extensive marble deposits were subsequently discovered here and this church, erected 1864-66 is believed to be the only one in Canada constructed of that material. The first resident minister's son, the eminent gynaecological surgeon, Thomas Stephen Cullen (1868-1953) was born in the adjacent parsonage. In 1883 the mining of actinolite, a mineral used in the manufacture of roofing material, was began nearby, and about 1895 the village received its present name.

More
Information

More
Settlements

Here are the comments for this page.

Posted February 14, 2011
Does anyone have photos of the school? My brother, sister and myself went to the two-room school from 1954 until they moved us to the new 3-room school down the hill. Miss McNaughton taught grades 1-4, and Mrs. Keller taught 5-8. I remember the wood stove in the middle of each classroom, the frost on the windows in the winter, the well outside for drinking water, the ceramic water jug with spigot and our cups lined up beside it the back of the class, the indoor/outdoor toilet, the bell we took turns ringing to call everyone back to class, the baseball field across the road, the wooden desks with inkwell, our tiny library, the swings, the townhall next door, walking down to the beaver dam at lunch hour, the bus ride to school. I think our driver's name was Ken Dellne. We celebrated the 100th anniversary of the school when we were there and they took a photo of my little sister Lorraine for the Toronto Star. Wish every child could have the experience we had!

Posted January 22, 2011
I was looking for a picture of the 2 room school just across the road. I attended that school in the early 60's with my brother and sister. Augusta McNaughton was my teacher.

Here's where you can write a comment for this page.

Note: If you wish to ask me a question, please use the email link in the menu.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours
(usually much sooner).