‘A thrilling experience to ride a fast sleigh down Ten Hill’
Recently a friend and I were talking about how sad it is that Creemore children don’t have a nearby hill for tobogganing or skiing.
The hills either have too many trees or too many houses. Gone are the days of the Neck Breaker, a knobby hill just at the base of Ten Hill. At one time Creemore young people spent their schools-out hours until dark taking wild and crazy rides down the steep hill. And gone are the days of the challenging rides down Ten Hill.
Murray Skinkle’s display on Wellington Street reminds us of those days. The road used to be hard packed snow from all the horses and sleighs that used the road. Sadly, when cars used it more, sand and gravel ruined the sleigh ride days.
What follows is written by GA Royal (George) who grew up on the farm at the north west corner of Collingwood Street and County Road 9. His story is an imaginary trip along that road, remembering his youth around 1900.
“It was near Wideman’s gate that the village came into view, almost below us, like a precious jewel in a wonderful setting. Ah, Creemore, that village of wonderful memories, lying there in its valley between Ten Hill, from which we look down upon it, and, across the valley, Tory Hill, and the beautiful winding river still flowing along so smoothly through its environments.
“Were I an artist, with the gift to paint beautiful scenes, I should like to paint a picture of Creemore, from Ten Hill, and I would entitle it with its Gaelic name, ‘The Village of the Great Heart.’
“It was near Wideman’s gate that we used to start our handsleigh races each winter, and at which many of the boys of the village used to compete. As I remember it, this event took place in February, or very early March each year – and nearly every boy possessing a handsleigh would be on hand with his ballast boys to add weight for speed.
“Our sleigh was a slow one and usually trailed the rest, but once it was my good fortune to be invited by Bunny Melville to fill up space and add weight to his big sleigh. His was one of the fastest and that year we won. I never forgot the honour and still have a nice warm feeling toward Bunny, whom I haven’t seen in nearly half a century.
“It was indeed a thrilling experience to ride a fast sleigh down Ten Hill, on a fast track made smooth and hard as ice by the big wood sleighs and especially making the two turns successfully, the first one to avoid the Gulley, and the second to enter the straight away down Mill Street. Often times we would almost reach the corner (he doesn’t say which corner) before coming to a complete stop, and of course, distance counted as well as speed. Many were the upsets rounding the turns, particularly the lower one, when the surface sometimes would be pure ice due to early spring thaws. However, so far as I can remember no bones were broken.
“Some day soon I want to drive over this road and experience once again the thrill of seeing the village suddenly burst into view right at one’s feet, so to speak. Ah, ‘Breathes there a man with soul so dead,’ etc. etc.” (Sept. 4, 1952.)
Helen Blackburn is a retired teacher, avid gardener and a long-time contributor to The Creemore Echo. She writes about local history.
