Cumnock, Ontario | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated rural community | |
 Highway 6 in Cumnock | |
  Cumnock, Ontario  Cumnock, Ontario | |
| Coordinates:43°45′35″N80°27′25″W / 43.75972°N 80.45694°W /43.75972; -80.45694 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Wellington |
| Township | Centre Wellington |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNBC Code | FAUXS[1] |
Cumnock is an unincorporated rural community inCentre Wellington Township,Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.[1][2] Cumnock was part of Nichol Township until 1999.[3][4]
The settlement is located onHighway 6, 9 km (5.6 mi) northwest ofFergus.
Once a thriving rural community, little remains of the original settlement.
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James Samson, a Scottish immigrant, purchased 7,367 acres (2,981 ha) of land in the area in 1852. Samson built a general store and tavern along the Owen Sound Road (now Highway 6), and named the settlement after his hometown ofCumnock, Scotland.[6][7] A post office was established in Samson's store in 1855, with Samson as postmaster.[8]
In 1855, Richard Gluyas laid out Gluyasville a short distance north of Cumnock. Gluyasville was eventually absorbed by Cumnock.[7]
TheWellington, Grey and Bruce Railway built a line through Cumnock in 1871, and a station was built there.[9][10] That same year, Cumnock was noted as having a saw mill, a wagon maker, and two hotels (the British Hotel and the Red Lion).[10] The Red Lion Hotel was owned by Scottish immigrant John Muir, who "went back to Scotland several times to bring back wives to Cumnock".[6]
The Cumnock Methodist Church was built in 1877.[11]
Cumnock was noted as having a cheese factory in 1880.[12]
At its peak, Cumnock had a population of 200, though by 1908, the settlement had one hotel, two stores, two churches, and a population of 86.[6][13]
The post office closed in 1915, and the Methodist church closed in 1924.[8][11]
An author writing in 1933 described the northern boundary of Nichol Township "where Cumnock used to be",[14] and by 1969, Cumnock was no longer listed on provincial maps.[6]
The railroad line through Cumnock was eventually taken over byCanadian National Railway, and was abandoned in 1983.[9][10]
In 1964, the County of Wellington purchased two parcels of forested land at Cumnock for recreational use. Located within the westernmost parcel is the Cumnock Tract, a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) walking trail.[15]