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The natural beauty of our lush forests and the York River,
is what attracted the railway lines to venture this far north. The railway
gave the Bancroft Village and surrounding areas a shot of economic adrenalin,
making it the merchandising hub of North Hastings. An early C.O.R. timetable
claims its line is "the only direct route to the Gold Fields of North
Hastings".
The C.O.R. was originally known as the Prince Edward County Railway,
in 1873. It was on August 28, 1884 that the C.O.R. lines were complete
as far as Coe Hill. Iron mines were discovered by William Coe & Harry
Johnson. After the opening of the "Coe Hill Iron Mine" there
was a need for the railway. They would ship the iron out by train. Four
years later talk began that the C.O.R. should be extended to Bancroft.
In August of 1898, the first rails were laid and the train was on its
way.
In July of 1899, work on the railway lines commenced, and had to be redirected
due to the grades being to great on the original line survey. As the lines
continued their stretch to the Village of Bancroft, other accidents occurred.
While doing some blasting in February of 1900, Robert McGibbon lost his
life and left Robert Anderson fighting for his. Later in May of 1900,
more blasting caused a huge boulder to roll down the hills, crashing into
the home of James Siddon doing lots of damage.
Finally, after all the mishaps and tragedies the C.O.R. was complete
as far as Bancroft. The grand opening was held November 2, 1900, the first
passenger train had arrived. In July of 1903, it's recorded that "the
largest train load ever from Bancroft" was being shipped out.
The C.O.R. didn't stop in Bancroft. On November 7, 1907, the lines were
complete as far as Maynooth. By June of 1908, the train had made its way
to Lake St. Peter.
Over the years the area became rather dependant on the C.O.R. It was
1936 when the train stopped carrying the mail and much later in 1975 the
Bancroft Station closed. The trains were no longer necessary as it was
cheaper to ship supplies by truck.
Source:
Bancroft - A Bonanza of Memories
Nila Y. Reynolds |
