Ringwood, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Ringwood is a hamlet in York Region, Ontario
, Canada
, in the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville. The hamlet is centred at the intersection of Stouffville Road and Highway 48
, on the Little Rouge River, a tributary of the Rouge River
on the Oak Ridges Moraine
. The community originally straddled the townships of Markham and Whitchurch in the County of York. The hamlet was named Ringwood in 1856 by George Sylvester, postmaster and owner of a general store, after the town of Ringwood
, in Hampshire
, England
. It was first settled in the 1790s by George Fockler from Pennsylvania. The Little Rouge River runs along the eastern edge of the hamlet. In 1857, Ringwood had a population of 200. By 1972, the population had dropped to 172. Between 2008 and 2010, more than 250 homes were constructed in Ringwood's Cardinal Point subdivision north of Main Street. Construction on a new auto mall in Ringwood began in 2009, with Hyundai and Toyota dealerships opening in 2010.
Once a community distinct from Stouffville
, Ringwood has long functioned as the western gateway into Stouffville. Ringwood's landmark corner-store and post office at Main Street and Highway 48, which served as the entrance to Stouffville since 1851, was expropriated and demolished by the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville in 2008 in order to widen Main Street. Other Ringwood landmarks were demolished for the widening of Highway 48
in the 1950s. An important archeological site in Ringwood dating back to 1500 BC was destroyed with the expansion of Spring Lakes Golf Course in 1981. Immediately north of Ringwood an important late-sixteenth /early-seventeenth century Huron-Wendat ancestral village (the so-called Ratcliff or Baker Hill site
) was discovered on the brow of a hill overlooking the tributary of the Little Rouge River
which runs into Ringwood. Much of the site was destroyed by the expansion of a neighboring quarry.
In the 1830s both Ringwood and Stouffville were centres of radical opinion. In Stouffville, reformer William Lyon Mackenzie
hatched his plan for the Upper Canada Rebellion
(1837-1838); the meeting was chaired by a Ringwood farmer, Ludwig Wideman, who became the first casualty of the insurgency in Toronto at Montgomery's Tavern. Wideman is buried in the neighbouring hamlet of Dickson Hill
. Architectural reminders of Ringwood’s small contribution to Canadian institutions defined by justice and liberty have all but disappeared.
One of the few remaining markers of the hamlet's history--the 1887 brick schoolhouse (and later church)--has been abandoned and up for sale for many years. A 19th century brick farm house behind the new auto mall development was destroyed by arson in 2007. A last historic farm home and unmarked cemetery are located on the newly developed Auto Mall Blvd. at Millard Street on the Little Rouge River; it is currently boarded up (see picture). The home was constructed in 1849 by Samuel Brownsberger (1825-1921), "the last of the surviving Mennonite settlers who came to York county (from Pennsylvania) during the early part of the last century."
Ringwood is a Rouge River
watershed fisheries management zone. In the early nineteenth century, pioneer settlers speared large 50 pound salmon spawning on the upper tributaries of the Rouge as far north as Ringwood. Some of the Little Rouge River in Ringwood is still considered to provide high quality aquatic habitat. Today, the native target fish species that are being supported in the Little Rouge River in Ringwood include brook trout
, redside dace
, mottled sculpin
, American brook lamprey
, and rainbow darter
. Ringwood is home to the Ringwood Fish Culture Station, which is also responsible for stocking a large proportion of Lake Ontario
's stocking quota, including chinook salmon
, rainbow trout
, brown trout
and Atlantic salmon
. All stock is destined for Lake Ontario tributaries.
A 104 suite, five-story luxury condominium complex is planned to open in Ringwood (Stouffville) in 2012; it will back on to the Little Rouge Creek conservation area.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville. The hamlet is centred at the intersection of Stouffville Road and Highway 48
Ontario Highway 48
King's Highway 48, also known as Highway 48, is a provincially-maintained highway in southern Ontario that extends from Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, through Whitchurch-Stouffville, to Highway 12 south-east of Beaverton, Ontario. Prior to 1998, Highway 48 extended from Highway 401 in Toronto to...
, on the Little Rouge River, a tributary 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...
on the Oak Ridges Moraine
Oak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
. The community originally straddled the townships of Markham and Whitchurch in the County of York. The hamlet was named Ringwood in 1856 by George Sylvester, postmaster and owner of a general store, after the town of Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
, in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was first settled in the 1790s by George Fockler from Pennsylvania. The Little Rouge River runs along the eastern edge of the hamlet. In 1857, Ringwood had a population of 200. By 1972, the population had dropped to 172. Between 2008 and 2010, more than 250 homes were constructed in Ringwood's Cardinal Point subdivision north of Main Street. Construction on a new auto mall in Ringwood began in 2009, with Hyundai and Toyota dealerships opening in 2010.
Once a community distinct from Stouffville
Stouffville, Ontario
Stouffville is the primary urban area within the Town of Whitchurch–Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. It is centred at the intersection of Main Street, Mill Street and Market Street.-History:...
, Ringwood has long functioned as the western gateway into Stouffville. Ringwood's landmark corner-store and post office at Main Street and Highway 48, which served as the entrance to Stouffville since 1851, was expropriated and demolished by the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville in 2008 in order to widen Main Street. Other Ringwood landmarks were demolished for the widening of Highway 48
Ontario Highway 48
King's Highway 48, also known as Highway 48, is a provincially-maintained highway in southern Ontario that extends from Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, through Whitchurch-Stouffville, to Highway 12 south-east of Beaverton, Ontario. Prior to 1998, Highway 48 extended from Highway 401 in Toronto to...
in the 1950s. An important archeological site in Ringwood dating back to 1500 BC was destroyed with the expansion of Spring Lakes Golf Course in 1981. Immediately north of Ringwood an important late-sixteenth /early-seventeenth century Huron-Wendat ancestral village (the so-called Ratcliff or Baker Hill site
Ratcliff Site, Wendat (Huron) Ancestral Village
The Ratcliff or Baker Hill site is a 16th-century Huron-Wendat ancestral village located on one of the headwater tributaries of the Rouge River on the south side of the Oak Ridges Moraine in present-day Whitchurch–Stouffville, approximately 25 kilometers north of Toronto...
) was discovered on the brow of a hill overlooking the tributary of the Little 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...
which runs into Ringwood. Much of the site was destroyed by the expansion of a neighboring quarry.
In the 1830s both Ringwood and Stouffville were centres of radical opinion. In Stouffville, reformer William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
hatched his plan for the Upper Canada Rebellion
Upper Canada Rebellion
The Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
(1837-1838); the meeting was chaired by a Ringwood farmer, Ludwig Wideman, who became the first casualty of the insurgency in Toronto at Montgomery's Tavern. Wideman is buried in the neighbouring hamlet of Dickson Hill
Dickson Hill, Ontario
Dickson Hill is a small community in northeast Markham, Ontario and is located near Highway 48 and 19th Avenue, on the border to Whitchurch-Stouffville....
. Architectural reminders of Ringwood’s small contribution to Canadian institutions defined by justice and liberty have all but disappeared.
One of the few remaining markers of the hamlet's history--the 1887 brick schoolhouse (and later church)--has been abandoned and up for sale for many years. A 19th century brick farm house behind the new auto mall development was destroyed by arson in 2007. A last historic farm home and unmarked cemetery are located on the newly developed Auto Mall Blvd. at Millard Street on the Little Rouge River; it is currently boarded up (see picture). The home was constructed in 1849 by Samuel Brownsberger (1825-1921), "the last of the surviving Mennonite settlers who came to York county (from Pennsylvania) during the early part of the last century."
Ringwood is a 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...
watershed fisheries management zone. In the early nineteenth century, pioneer settlers speared large 50 pound salmon spawning on the upper tributaries of the Rouge as far north as Ringwood. Some of the Little Rouge River in Ringwood is still considered to provide high quality aquatic habitat. Today, the native target fish species that are being supported in the Little Rouge River in Ringwood include brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, redside dace
Redside dace
The redside dace is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family, found in the United States and Canada. It is unique among minnows, being the only species to routinely feed on flying insects by leaping from water. Thus, it acts as a conduit for energy transfers between terrestrial and...
, mottled sculpin
Sculpin
A Sculpin is a fish that belongs to the order Scorpaeniformes, suborder Cottoidei and superfamily Cottoidea, that contains 11 families, 149 genera, and 756 species...
, American brook lamprey
Lamprey
Lampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
, and rainbow darter
Rainbow darter
The rainbow darter is a native North American fish that can be found in small fast moving streams and small to medium-sized rivers...
. Ringwood is home to the Ringwood Fish Culture Station, which is also responsible for stocking a large proportion of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
's stocking quota, including chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
. All stock is destined for Lake Ontario tributaries.
A 104 suite, five-story luxury condominium complex is planned to open in Ringwood (Stouffville) in 2012; it will back on to the Little Rouge Creek conservation area.