Ghost Towns of North
Central Hastings
Wallace:
Little remains of what was once the terminus
of the Central Ontario Railway. Until the late
1950's, the C.N.R. ran a train every Wednesday
to Wallace which served the Polish settlement
and local lumber companies. To get there take
Hwy. 127 north out of Maynooth. Continue north
on 127 to the South Mackenzie Lake Road (on the
right). Stay on 127 for another 7.3 km, then turn
right onto a township road, and travel east 1.3
km to the boarded-up white frame building on the
left hand side. This was the community hall. Behind
it lies the pioneer Polish Cemetery. Beside it,
the foundations of the Roman Catholic church,
torn down in 1960, are clearly visible.
Maynooth Station
Not really a ghost town, the
hamlet is worth visiting to view the impressive,
but abandoned train station. This station is
unique in that it is a poured concrete structure.
McAlpine House operated as a combination boarding
house and hotel in the early 1900's. The building
has been lovingly restored, and retains the
pressed metal ceilings so popular ninety years
ago. Maynooth Station is 2 km north of Maynooth,
on the right hand of Hwy. 62.
Burgess
A village of 300 flourished here during the
corundum mining boom which lasted until a new
synthetic substitute "Carborundum" forced
the mine to close. You can reach the site via
the New Carlow Road which runs south east off
Hwy. 62 a few kilometres east of Maynooth . The
ore crushers peer through the birch trees while
across the road stands the log remains of a storage
building. Evidence of the former mining and milling
activities is scattered throughout the area.
Hybla
Take Hwy. 62 north from Bancroft about 11 km
to the Hybla Road (on the right). Follow the road
east about 2 km and you come to the Hybla Gospel
Tabernacle, a small, insulbrick building almost
hidden by trees and bushes, but close to the road
on it's north side. Continue on the Hybla Road
another 3.5 km and you come to a T in the road,
turn immediately left. 3 km down the road, on
the north (left hand side) side stands a white,
frame building, the Zion United Church. There
is also a cemetery. These two churches and a few
farms are all that remain of the pioneer community
of Hybla. Gone is the boarding house, store, ice
house, blacksmith's shop and stables. The small
train station is now the residence of the Woodcox
family.
Glanmire
Glanmire is 11 km north of Millbridge on the
Old Hastings Road. All that remains of this community
is the cemetery and the cement steps leading up
to the vanished church. The Old Hastings Road
is impassable beyond Glanmire.
Millbridge
Millbridge is the closest to the popular image
of a ghost town. Take Hwy. 62 north from Madoc
about 21 km to the Millbridge Road (on your left).
Built in 1860's, this is part of the Old Hastings
settlement road. The hapless settlers tried to
farm from the rocky soil have long since fled.
Take the road about 3 km to the empty St. Oswalds
Anglican Church, continue on down the main street
to the former store and hotel (both now residences)
the abandoned church, school, and community hall,
and the cellar holes.
Millbridge Station
Millbridge Station is worth a side trip to see
Hogan's Hotel, once the grandest building in the
two communities. Take the Stoney Settlement Road
east from Millbridge about 1 km east of Hwy. 62.
Little else remains of the hamlet, but the abandoned
rail bed is clearly visible.
Queensboro
Queensboro is a picturesque hamlet located 15
km to the north - east of Madoc. In the 1800's
it was a thriving village supporting two doctors,
two blacksmiths, two shoe-making establishments,
and two hotels. They are long gone as is the school,
post office, wagon factory, the flour and saw
mills, the bakery and the cheese factory. Only
one of the two general stores remains. To get
there travel east on Hwy. 7, about half a kilometre,
past Hwy. 62, to Country Road 12. Go left onto
this good paved highway and follow it for 6 km.
A small sign on the right indicates a turn off
to Queensboro. Follow this twisting Country Road
for 6 kilometres right into the village. As you
enter, notice the abandoned red brick church on
your left and just a little further on, the weathered
timbers of the old blacksmith shop. You can find
pieces of the concrete sidewalks which were laid
down in better times, almost 90 years earlier.
Cordova Mines
Just a 10 minute drive north-west
of Marmora on County road 3 lies a hamlet which
was once a thriving mining village. Both the gold
and iron mines have been closed since the 1940's.
The boarding house, butcher and barber shops,
garage, and pool hall have disappeared. Of the
two grocery stores, one is still in operation
but the largest is empty and boarded up; a bleak
reminder of better days.
Blairton
A hundred and twenty-five years ago, Blairton
was a thriving mining and railroad town with eleven
streets and some 500 souls . Drive west of Marmora
on Hwy. 7 for 7 kilometres to the Blairton Road
. Two kilometres to the north lies the town site.
At the intersection is the foundation of the former
store. A little further on Blairton Road, before
reaching Cole Road, a few mine era cabins still
survive. Opposite them are cellar holes of hotels
and stores. Take Cole Road west to the only two
story company house still standing.
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