Inverhuron Timeline

...through
the years....
Inverhuron Historical Timeline compiled by Lois Bradley, Inverhuron, 2011
3000 B.C.
to 1000 B.C.
 Early hunting and gathering
peoples; evidence of occupation
of Inverhuron has been found
back to 3000 B.C. (Archaic culture)
900 B.C.
to 500 B.C.
 Fishermen, farmers, gatherers
and hunters. (Early Woodland
Culture)
600 B.C.
to 1000 A.D.
 People came to the Little Sauble
River mouth to camp and fish in
the spring and summer months.
(Middle Woodland Culture)
1100 A.D.
to 1350 A.D.
 Agriculture became
the main form of
subsistence.
(Early Iroquoian Culture)
1350 A.D.
to 1650 A.D.
 Inverhuron area became disputed
territory, occupied by no one.
17 Century
th
 Area given the Gaelic name
Inbhir (Inverhuron), meaning
river mouth.
1692 Map of Great Lakes Area
1851
 Sauble Town Plot surveyed by the
government. Fur traders &
fishermen, Hodgins and Leduc,
already had clearings and
buildings.
1854
 William Gunn established a post
office, known as Inverhuron.
 Land sale in Southampton
enabled squatters to buy the
property that they inhabited.

1854
 First log school opened with
Miss Roach as teacher (first
school in Bruce Township).
 Re-established as SS # 1, Bruce,
in 1862.
1856
 Streets were laid out around the
harbour, north of the river.
 53 households, 144 people, 2
stores, 2 taverns, a saw mill, & 2
grist mills were assessed.
1856/7
 A 546 foot pier was extended
into 17 feet of water, costing
3,781 £ ($15,000).
 First library in Bruce County
established with 39 volumes.
1858
 Sandford Fleming
surveyed Inverhuron Bay
recommending that funds be
made available for a Harbour of
Refuge.
1859
 Inverhuron was dropped from
the contest for the County Town
of Bruce.
1860's
 Gravelled roads led to village.
 There were 2 hotels, a telegraph
office, carpenters, coopers,
cabinet maker, tailor, milliner,
weaver & a Justice of the Peace.
Early 1870's
 Wm. Gray built "Boss" Gray's
Castle.
 There were 3 grain warehouses,
2 lime kilns, fishing, a rock
quarry, and hemlock bark export.
1870's
 Inverhuron's heydays of
prosperity.
 Large grain export business.
 Population of up to 500.
 Brick school built in 1875.
1879
 Wm. "Boss" Gray mysteriously
left the area and never returned.
Gray's Castle
1882
 Fire destroyed the warehouses.
 Lime kilns shut down.
 1 sawmill, 1 flour mill, and 4 fish
dealers remained.
1887
 A second fire reduced the village
to rubble.
 Some farms remained.
 The school was spared in both
fires.
1887
 A railroad was planned from
Mount Forest, through
Walkerton to Inverhuron.
1891
 Part of John & Elizabeth Smith's
house on Cayley Street was
swept away by the raging Little
Sauble river, taking their 2 little
girls.
By 1901
 Blowing sand covered the
topsoil and Bruce County
evaluated the land as worthless.
 A lime kiln was built on Lake
Street south.

1907
 Delegations were sent to Ottawa
to press for a Harbour of Refuge
and a terminus for the proposed
Cargill, Glammis to Inverhuron
railway.
1906 to 1908
 First beach cottages were built.
1911
 Post Office closed except for the
summer months.
1913/14

 After Nov. 1913 Great Lakes
disasters, another harbour
delegation went to Ottawa
receiving encouragement, but
was superseded by WWI.
1918
 Giles` Store was built.
 ``The Oasis`` was operated by
the McKellar family from 1928,
replaced in 1947, later known as
the Beach Memory Store.
1922
 Grace Stevens and Margaret and
Florence McKay drowned.
Grace Stevens standing on ribs of "Boss" Gray's uncompleted ship.
Photo from Ghost Ports of South Bruce.
Early 1930's
 First archaeological research of
the area by Fritz Knechtel.
 Lime Kiln Lodge was started
after the lime kiln closed on Lake
Street South.

1930
 Inverhuron Dance Pavilion "Casa
Nova Gardens" was built.
1934
 Florence and Jowilla Todd
drowned.
1946
 Beach Association formed, later
becoming the Inverhuron
District Ratepayer's Association.
After 1950
 John L. McIntyre bequeathed
McIntyre Park to the community
for a playground and church
services; later donated to Bruce
Township.
Early 1950's
 Archaeological assessment of
the Inverhuron area by the Royal
Ontario Museum, producing
many artifacts and confirming
previous archaic findings.
1953
 SS # 1 closed when enrolment
declined to a very few students.
1957
 Ont. Dept. Of Lands and Forests
bought 540 acres for the
Inverhuron Provincial Park.
 By 1972, there were 331
campsites.
1958
 Federal Government bought
lands north of Inverhuron at
Douglas Point for Canada's first
commercial nuclear power
station.
1960
 Gray's castle burned.
 Keith Surridge opened the
Cottage Grocery on Albert Rd.
A restaurant was later added by
the Baker/Smith family.
1964
 Inverhuron Dance Pavilion
closed and was converted to
apartments.
1960/70's
 Population increased in support
of BNPD; many permanent
homes and 3 mobile home parks
were built and cottages were
winterized.
1969
 Heavy Water Plant
construction began at Douglas
Point site, lighting up
Inverhuron's night sky.
1973
 Ontario Hydro purchased
Inverhuron Provincial Park, to be
later replaced by MacGregor
Point Provincial Park.
1975
 Inverhuron Park
closed to overnight camping.
Hyde-A-Way campground was
also sold to Ontario Hydro and
ceased to operate.
1980/90's
 Year-round population declined
after end of Hydro construction.
 One diminished mobile home
park remained.
 School house was demolished.

1998
 Bruce Heavy Water Plant ceased
production, opening the way for
refurbishment of Inverhuron
Provincial Park.
2005
 Inverhuron Provincial Park
reopened to overnight camping,
initially with 125 campsites.
 162 campsites operating in 2011.
2011
 Celebrating 160 years since the
first European settlement of
Inverhuron.
 .....And all through the years,
the beautiful sunsets......