Box Grove, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Box Grove (2006 Population
13,023 ) is an original community in Markham, Ontario
.
in 1867 when it was granted a post office. The origin of the name is unclear; it may be due to the activity at the box-making woodworking factory, a reference to the many boxwood trees around the hamlet, or linked to the hamlet of Box Grove in West Sussex
, England. In 1867 the hamlet had "a Church, a schoolhouse, two taverns, woolen mill, sawmill, a store, a blacksmith and two axe-makers shops capable of supplying the whole country with axes and augurs on short notice."
The hamlet was the centre of local and small-scale industrial activity. A saw mill, cotton mill
wool factory, and "shoddy mill" (for shredding old woolen fabrics for cheaper cloth and stuffing) along the banks of the Rouge River
appeared after 1815. The working hamlet had a cheese factory, hotel, and three taverns for a population of 150 (1880); some neighbouring Mennonites had a "pessimistic" view of worldly Sparta, and sought to avoid travel in the hamlet. A Temperance House was opened in the 1860s by Joseph Lathrop on 14th Avenue. By the end of the nineteenth century the mills had closed (victims of floods and fire), and the White Rose Hotel and Tavern also closed its doors by 1910. While industry disappeared in Box Grove, the hamlet remained. The Box Grove Church and Box Grove Schoolhouse, S.S. #18 (1870), are the only reminders of the once-vibrant hamlet (the Tomlinson family is buried in the church's graveyard). The area of the mills later became part of the IBM golf course (now Parkview Golf Course) and more recently a residential development.
A few prominent families were part of the Box Grove:
Today, Box Grove has undergone a transformation from protected agricultural to residential use. Box Grove is located in the area around Ninth Line (also known as Box Grove By-Pass) and 14th Avenue. Residential development began in the late 1990s and continues today.
The Box Grove Post Office was lost in the early 20th century and revived as a postal outlet inside the Rexall store at 9th Line and Copper Creek Drive.
(2A 14th Avenue). Highway 407 serves the area from the Ninth Line interchange; there are both westbound and eastbound on-ramps to Highway 407.
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
13,023 ) is an original community in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
.
History
First settled in 1815 by William Beebe, Sparta or Sparty-Wharf (later Box Grove) was registered as a hamlet in 1850. The name suggests that at an early date there was boat traffic on the Rouge River. The hamlet changed to its present name during Canada's ConfederationCanadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867 when it was granted a post office. The origin of the name is unclear; it may be due to the activity at the box-making woodworking factory, a reference to the many boxwood trees around the hamlet, or linked to the hamlet of Box Grove in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. In 1867 the hamlet had "a Church, a schoolhouse, two taverns, woolen mill, sawmill, a store, a blacksmith and two axe-makers shops capable of supplying the whole country with axes and augurs on short notice."
The hamlet was the centre of local and small-scale industrial activity. A saw mill, cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
wool factory, and "shoddy mill" (for shredding old woolen fabrics for cheaper cloth and stuffing) along the banks of the Rouge River
Rouge River (Ontario)
The Rouge River is a two river system. Little Rouge and Rouge River are in the east and the northeast parts of Toronto and begin in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville...
appeared after 1815. The working hamlet had a cheese factory, hotel, and three taverns for a population of 150 (1880); some neighbouring Mennonites had a "pessimistic" view of worldly Sparta, and sought to avoid travel in the hamlet. A Temperance House was opened in the 1860s by Joseph Lathrop on 14th Avenue. By the end of the nineteenth century the mills had closed (victims of floods and fire), and the White Rose Hotel and Tavern also closed its doors by 1910. While industry disappeared in Box Grove, the hamlet remained. The Box Grove Church and Box Grove Schoolhouse, S.S. #18 (1870), are the only reminders of the once-vibrant hamlet (the Tomlinson family is buried in the church's graveyard). The area of the mills later became part of the IBM golf course (now Parkview Golf Course) and more recently a residential development.
A few prominent families were part of the Box Grove:
- Burkholder - one of the last remaining MennoniteMennoniteThe Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
families in the area - Tomlinson - early settler and operator of the saw and woolen mills in the hamlet
- Raymer - John Raymer (d. 1874), and later his son Frank, operated a cheese factory. Abraham Raymer operated a sawmill farther down the Rouge.
- Rolph - soldier Captain William Rolph settled in the area
Today, Box Grove has undergone a transformation from protected agricultural to residential use. Box Grove is located in the area around Ninth Line (also known as Box Grove By-Pass) and 14th Avenue. Residential development began in the late 1990s and continues today.
The Box Grove Post Office was lost in the early 20th century and revived as a postal outlet inside the Rexall store at 9th Line and Copper Creek Drive.
Transportation
Most commuters in the area travel by car as there is limited bus service by York Region TransitYork Region Transit
York Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....
(2A 14th Avenue). Highway 407 serves the area from the Ninth Line interchange; there are both westbound and eastbound on-ramps to Highway 407.
Parks and recreation
- Box Grove Community Centre - 7651 9th Line, L6B 1A8, www.boxgrove.ca
- Box Grove Tennis Club - 2 courts adjacent to Box Grove Community Centre
- Markham Green Golf Course (accessible through the Legacy Community)
- Driving range - just north of Steeles Avenue and Box Grove By-Pass
- David Suzuki Public School - 45 Riverwalk Drive, www.davidsuzuki.ps.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
- Park adjacent to David Suzuki Public School - includes jungle gym, gazebo and soccer field
- Proposed park on Kentview Crescent