Banda, a village of considerable importance

Banda, that unmarked ghost town south of Avening, has the advantage of two townships remembering its history. Banda sat, and still sits, on the townline of Mulmur and Nottawasaga townships. Nottawasaga, now, as we know, is part of Clearview Township.

In 1934 Nottawasaga celebrated 100 years of its existence and published Nottawasaga: Outburst of the Iroquois. In it we may read the memories of a Banda pioneer. Sadly, no name is noted and neither is the name of the interviewer. The story is less about Banda than the surrounding area. However, this helps us understand how the early settlers saw life.

A village of considerable importance, various small industries and mills in operation, old names recalled

It was in the spring of 1845 with my grandfather Duff, I first saw the south end of Nottawasaga Township. The first clearing we made was on Lot 2, Con. 4 on the east end of the lot, or where the Third Line now runs. Our log cabin was the best that axes and pioneer skill could fashion, the floor being made with split basswood logs. Land, or rather forest, for such it was, was sold for $2.50 per acre. When we located, there were no neighbours nearer than 15 miles south and 10 miles to the north. Settlers, however, soon came in, among others, the Wilcoxes, Woods, Thompsons, Beatty and the Clemengers. It was in 1845 that Mr. Webster and Mr. Nalty came in and erected a water wheel on the river where the village of Creemore now stands. They built a saw mill and a little later put in stones that ground wheat into flour. Creemore flats were then covered with bush and the river was a much larger stream than it is today.

The government offered a grant of land to the first church erected and Mr. Webster, who was a good churchman, donated the lumber and volunteers did the work of erecting St. Luke’s Anglican Church in 1855, on the hill south of the village (now the site of the cemetery). Clergy came and preached frequently. Among the first was Rev. Mr. Osler, who came over from Bond Head on horse back; also Dr. Langtry, who afterwards went to Collingwood.

Along with others, I spent many years in the falling of trees and clearing land to make cultivable fields which they afterwards became. Changes of property occurred frequently and I bought and sold farms often along the Third Line, or generally known as the Banda Settlement.

Oxen were the beast of burden in those early days and $50 was the ruling price for a yoke. My grandfather owned three cows, which were brought into the bush settlement, and for a few years it was a great problem to find pasture for them. As a boy, I often drove those cows five miles to the flats (now Glencairn) to graze.

The settlement grew and Tory Hill Orange Lodge was organized. The meeting place was at John Matchett’s house on the Fourth. The first celebration of the battle of the Boyne held in the township, which I attended, was about 1850 and took place at the Galloway homestead, where Bayview school now stands north of Creemore. Two lodges, Bowmore, now called Duntroon, and Tory Hill were present. Mr. Galloway, proud of the honour done him by having so many guests, had dinner provided for everyone. Such was the hospitality shown in those days.

(To be continued…)

Helen Blackburn is a retired teacher, avid gardener and a long-time contributor to The Creemore Echo. She writes about local history.