Pioneers of Hastings County

Exerpts from the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the

Counties of Hastings and Prince Edward

1878

Prepared by Linda Herman

Trenton

The village is situated at the confluence of the river Trent with the Bay of Quinte and was incorporated in 1853. It originally formed part of the Township of Murray, in the County of Northumberland, but since its incorporation it has been connected with the County of Hastings for municipal and judicial purposes. It is 12 miles from Belleville; 8 miles from Frankford; 10 miles from Brighton; and about 5 miles from Carrying Place. A large covered bridge erected across the Trent River connected the east and west sections of the village. In 1878, the number of ratepayers was 599 and the total population was 2, 522.

The first permanent settler of Port Trent, as it was then called, was James Smith an U.E.L. from Schoharie C., New York, who settled on the west bank of the river in 1790 and erected a log house at the base of Bunker Hill, traces of which still exist. The property was transferred to Henry Ripson, also a U.E.L., who built the first grist-mill on the Trent. In 1808 Adam Henry Myers, father of Col. Adam Henry Myers, settled in Port Trent and purchased the Ripson property, where he engaged in the lumbering and mercantile business. John Bleeker, a son in-law of Capt. John Walter Myers, of Sidney, and a U.E.L., also settled here in 1790. He settled on the west side of the river and built a log house at a point now known as Bleeker’s grove. He later erected a frame building which his widow moved after his death in 1807 to the site of the present garden of J.W. Ryan, where she kept an inn. In 1817, Sheldon Hawley settled at Port Trent, on the east side of the river and engaged in mercantile pursuits, David Johns, who purchased the remainder of the Smith estate, also came about this period. John V. Murphy settled here in 1802. The Hon. Robt. Charles Wilkins, of Carrying Place owned property in the village at this time. A. H. Myers, Denis McAulay, William Robertson and James Ford, who is said to have been the first school teacher on the Front of Sidney, on the west side of the river, were the pioneer merchants of the settlement. The Hon. and Rev. Dr. Stachan, first Lord Bishop of Toronto , was prominently associated with the early settlement. In 1803, he purchased the broken front of the gore of Sidney, which he surveyed and laid out in town lots, naming the plot Annwood, the maiden name of his wife. The name, together with the lots, were subsequently merged with Trenton. He generously presented the Church of England authorities with land upon which St. George’s now stands. Building sites were rapidly taken up by parties drawn by the advantages offered for manufacturing and by the centralization of the lumber trade.

At this time Trenton included: two steam saw-mills, two grist-mills, one brewery, one paper-mill, one foundry, three sash and door factories, four carriage-houses, one marble manufacturing establisment, one stove and barrel factory, one carding and fulling mill, one tannery, one tin and copper manufactory, one pump factory, one plaster mill and upon a tributary of the Trent were two grist-mills. There were also several blacksmith’s shops and two grain elevators. The ;mercatile business was represented by anumber of first-class dry-goods, hardware, and grocery stores and also a number of general stores, boot and shoe stores, flour and feed, crockery and glass, and stationery. There were also several good hotels.

Besides these industries there were five places of worship: St George’s Church of England, built of stone, with a tower, Rev Wm Bleasdell M.A.., D.C.L., Senior Canon of St George’s Cathedral, Kingston, rector. The Roman Catholic Church with a new Separate School, brick, Rev Henry Brittargh, Pastor. Canada Methodist, frame, with a tall imposing spire; Rev Peter Addison, resident minister. Presbyterian; J.L. Stewart B.A. Episcopal Methosidst , Rev D.O. Crossby, Pastor.

Educational interest were represented by one excellent high school, two common schools, and one separate school. Daily average attendance about 300.

There were a number of benevolent societies: St Mark’s Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, No.26; Trent Lodge, No 38; Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 160; one lodge of Good Templars; and one St Andrew’s Society

Since the incorporation f the village in 1853, the following named gentlemen have respectively officiated in the capacity of Reeve: First Reeve, Alexander McAulay; 1854 E. W. Myers; 1855, Sheldon Hawley and A. C. Thompson; 1856, D.R. Murphy 1857, E. W. Myers; 1858, G.H. Gordon; 1859, J.S. Peterson; 1860, J. Cummings; 1861, Robert Francis and D.R. Murphy; 1862, -1872, William Shea; 1873, Charles Francis; 1874-5 William Jeffs; 1878, Charles Francis. Jeremiah Simmons, Town Clerk, Clerk 9^th Division Court and Registrar of Vital Statistics. R. Loughead, Town Treasurer.

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