Cumnock, Ontario
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Cumnock, Ontario
|settlement_type = Unincorporated rural community
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|image_skyline = Cumnock, Ontario.jpg
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|image_caption = Highway 6 in Cumnock
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|pushpin_map = Canada#Ontario
|pushpin_label_position = top
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|coordinates = {{coord|43|45|35|N|80|27|25|W|region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}
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|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Canada
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name1 = Ontario
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Wellington
|subdivision_type3 = Township
|subdivision_name3 = Centre Wellington
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|timezone = Eastern (EST)
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST =-4
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|blank1_name = GNBC Code
|blank1_info = FAUXS{{cite web | title = Cumnock | publisher = Natural Resources Canada | date = October 6, 2016 | url = http://www4.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/FAUXS}}
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Cumnock is an unincorporated rural community in Centre Wellington Township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.{{cite web | title = Centre Wellington | publisher = Statistics Canada | date = November 2, 2016 | url = http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3VD.pl?CLV=4&CPV=3523025&CST=01012011&CVD=116949&Function=getVD&MLV=4&TVD=116940}} Cumnock was part of Nichol Township until 1999.{{cite web | title = Restructuring Flashnews Municipal Restructuring Summary Table | publisher = Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs | url = http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Asset1969.aspx | accessdate = May 22, 2017 | archive-date = April 19, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170419105235/http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Asset1969.aspx | url-status = dead }}{{cite book | title = The Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory | publisher = Robertson & Cook | year = 1869 | url = https://archive.org/details/provinceontario00mcevgoog | pages = [https://archive.org/details/provinceontario00mcevgoog/page/n152 126]}}
The settlement is located on Highway 6, {{convert|9|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of Fergus.
Once a thriving rural community, little remains of the original settlement.
History
File:General store - Cumnock, Ontario (circa 1890).jpg
James Samson, a Scottish immigrant, purchased {{convert|7367|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of land in the area in 1852. Samson built a general store and tavern along the Owen Sound Road (now Highway 6), and named the settlement after his hometown of Cumnock, Scotland.{{cite news | date = October 7, 2010 | title = Local Resident Compiles the History of Cumnock | url = https://www.southwesternontario.ca/news-story/5979009-local-resident-compiles-the-history-of-cumnock/ | work = Arthur Enterprise News}}{{cite journal | last = Rosenthal | first = Max | date = February 1965 | title = Early Post Offices of the Fergus District | url = http://bnatopics.org/journals/1965/BNA%20Topics,%20Vol.%2022,%20No.%202,%20February%201965,%20Whole%20No.%20230.pdf | journal = BNA Topics | publisher = British North America Philatelic Society | volume = 22 | issue = 2 | pages = 37–39 | access-date = 2017-05-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170703002214/http://bnatopics.org/journals/1965/BNA%20Topics,%20Vol.%2022,%20No.%202,%20February%201965,%20Whole%20No.%20230.pdf | archive-date = 2017-07-03 | url-status = dead }} A post office was established in Samson's store in 1855, with Samson as postmaster.{{cite web | title = Cumnock | publisher = Library and Archives Canada | date = May 27, 2014 | url = http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/postal-heritage-philately/post-offices-postmasters/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9037&}}
In 1855, Richard Gluyas laid out Gluyasville a short distance north of Cumnock. Gluyasville was eventually absorbed by Cumnock.
The Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway built a line through Cumnock in 1871, and a station was built there.{{cite web | title = The Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway | publisher = Trainweb | date = December 30, 1997 | url = http://www.trainweb.org/ontariorailways/railwgb.htm}}{{cite book | title = Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Wellington, for 1871-2 | publisher = A. O. Loomis & Co. | year = 1871 | url = http://www.ourroots.ca/page.aspx?id=3915059&qryID=eced58ce-1150-4d67-879c-6122f49e85c5 | pages = 72}} That same year, Cumnock was noted as having a saw mill, a wagon maker, and two hotels (the British Hotel and the Red Lion). The Red Lion Hotel was owned by Scottish immigrant John Muir, who "went back to Scotland several times to bring back wives to Cumnock".
The Cumnock Methodist Church was built in 1877.{{cite web | last = Russell | first = Ken | title = Cumnock Methodist Church | publisher = Rootsweb | date = July 12, 2002 | url = http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~methodists/cumnock.htm}}
Cumnock was noted as having a cheese factory in 1880.{{cite book | title = Report of the Commissioners [and Appendices A to S] | publisher = Ontario Agricultural Commission | year = 1880 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xghJAAAAMAAJ&pg=PP1 | pages = 632 | volume = 2}}
=Decline=
At its peak, Cumnock had a population of 200, though by 1908, the settlement had one hotel, two stores, two churches, and a population of 86.{{cite book | title = Lovell's Gazetteer of the Dominion of Canada | publisher = John Lovell & Son | year = 1908 | url = http://www.electriccanadian.com/gazetteer/005LetterC.pdf | pages = 418}}
The post office closed in 1915, and the Methodist church closed in 1924.
An author writing in 1933 described the northern boundary of Nichol Township "where Cumnock used to be",{{cite book | last = Templin | first = Hugh | title = Fergus: The Story of a Little Town | publisher = Fergus News-Record | year = 1933 | url = http://ourroots.ca/page.aspx?id=610129&qryID=e1964c74-960b-42a2-a282-c72c3ceab57e | pages = 27 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and by 1969, Cumnock was no longer listed on provincial maps.
The railroad line through Cumnock was eventually taken over by Canadian National Railway, and was abandoned in 1983.
Cumnock Tract
In 1964, the County of Wellington purchased two parcels of forested land at Cumnock for recreational use. Located within the westernmost parcel is the Cumnock Tract, a {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} walking trail.{{cite web | title = Wellington Walks 2013 | publisher = County of Wellington | date = 2013 | url = http://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/resources/wellingtonwalks2013final.pdf}}
Notable people
- James Ross, farmer and member of the House of Commons of Canada.{{cite book | last = Day | first = Frank | title = Here and There in Eramosa | publisher = Leaman | year = 1953 | url = http://ourroots.ca/toc.aspx?id=6211&qryID=31476479-7458-47a4-ba5c-ce58abaa635b | pages = 194 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Wellington County}}
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