...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)

Agriculture became

the main form of

subsistence.

(Early Iroquoian Culture)

1100 A.D.

to 1350 A.D.

1350 A.D.

to 1650 A.D. Inverhuron area became disputed

territory, occupied by no one.

17th

Century

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......