Ghost Towns of Central Ontario

During my travels throughout Central Ontario, I came across a very perplexing setting. On Hwy. 41 east of Bancroft, I passed a Ministry of Transportation sign welcoming me to Khartum. 500 meters later, on the opposite side of the hwy., was the same sign for travelers going west. This was definitely a conundrum for me. I hadn't passed a single store, mailbox or building. A house was the only structure with a driveway other than the road tarmac and ever ending forests. What did I miss or better yet, where was Khartum? Upon investigation, it turns out, Khartum is one of Ontario's' "Ghost Towns".

At the turn of the 1900s, a pioneer by the name of Charles Laviolette opened a post office at a small lumber mill site near Bancroft and the area took the name "Lett". Very little is known about this town as growth has covered most of the original setting. In honor of the Ottawa river men who accompanied the Egyptian Nile Expedition to the African Country of Sudan and its' capital Khartum, "Lett" was changed to "Khartum" in 1908. As with most lumber mills of that era, uncut timber was becoming scarce along with its' demand and the populace of Khartum eventually deserted the town. The post office continued to operate until 1948 which that year saw its' demise. Almost 60 years later there are few remains. A scarcity of cellar holes and foundations are all that survived, and these are difficult to find. And I almost forgot, there is that lonely house and it's short driveway.

Another ghost town, but on a grander scale than Khartum, is "Muskoka Mills" near Penetanguishene. In 1868, Messrs. L. Hotchkiss and J. Houghson purchased a 75 mile section of repossessed property and erected a timber, lumber and shingle factory on the land giving employment to over 100 men. Officially, in 1875, the Muskoka Mills Lumber Company was created with a capital of $150,000 dollars and a reserve of $100,000 dollars. With the construction of a 720 meter long dock, steam boats were able to utilize this wharf to unload supplies and load the millions of board feet of lumber and raw timber. Some of these early steamers were the "Ontario", the "Chippewa" and the "Wales": The "Wales" was a 110 foot steam boat later abandoned and left submerged in 15 feet of water near Longuissa Bay. With an eventual compliment of over 200 employees, the site saw a school house, company homes, a store and guest homes assembled.

In 1884, the mill was in violation of law and was charged with pollution by dumping sawdust into the river affecting fish stock, despite the fact, the firm had an operational sawdust burner. With the turn of the century coming, in 1895, a decline in the timber industry dramatically altered the mills' course making for its' ultimate destiny inevitable. That year, the Muskoka Mills Lumber Company closed its' doors forever. Over the years, fires have destroyed the remaining structures. It is hypothesized, the compressed and concentrated underground remains of sawdust was the impetus for these fires leaving only wood pilings and dock remains to be explored by the adventurist.

Why any individual would venture into the forest, find a large and fast running waterfall and build a smelter, is any ones' guess. But in 1801, that is exactly what happened at "Furnace Falls" near Fortescue in the Haliburton Highlands. Charles Sutherland erected Upper Canada's (as "Ontario" was called at that time) first iron smelter in 1801. His location was at the base of an unnamed falls and due to the iron blast furnace being located here, the name "Furnace Falls" was adopted. Forthcoming was a iron forge constructed by a Mr. J. Schofield producing the first iron in Upper Canada. The iron was of poor quality and in conjunction with a devastating fire in 1811, the forge and smelter were destroyed and never rebuilt. Thus ended a brave and entrepreneurial first attempt at forging iron in Ontario. Take Hwy. 503 east from Kinmount to the White Lake Rd. exit. Travel approximately 1.0 kilometers to the fork in the road and the former towns location. The falls itself is the only remaining reminder of the forge and smelter.

Due to interest and popularity for its' Irish descendants, Uffington was a vibrant lumber and farming community. Dating back to the 1880s, the settlers were lured to this location by the attraction of arable farmland and good crops, making for a comfortable and prosperous life. Two stores were built a mile apart and between these establishments, the pioneers built their town. To provide the townsfolk with amenities, a hotel called the Peterkin Hotel was built as was a town hall, a blacksmith shop an agricultural society and a post office.

As the majority of the terrain in Central Ontario is rocky, hilly, inconsistent and mostly unsuitable for agricultural purposes, the lands surrounding Uffington supported farming for a very short period of time. Discouraged and with little option, the settlers moved away in search of better land. Time has taken its toll on Uffington. The farmlands are overgrown, the original structures are in a state of decomposition or have collapsed and only one church remains in use. There are several newly built homes at Uffington besides several of the older homesteads. Take Hwy. 118 east from Bracebridge and turn at Hawn Rd. Travel south to the intersection of the Peterson Rd. and Uffington Rd.

With an ever expanding population of over 10,000 prospectors, Eldorado was the place to be in the mid to late 1800s if you were looking for gold. In 1866, a prospector by the name of Marcus Powell was investigating the farmland of John Richardson when he fell into a cavern and saw what he thought was copper pyrite embedded in the cavern's walls. Further examination of his find proved not to be copper pyrite but gold. The news of his discovery spread rapidly around the world and individuals seeking their fortune descended on what is now called Eldorado. The definition of Eldorado is "a place or source of great wealth" and was categorical of this town. With such an influx, this necessitated for accommodations and conveniences. Thus, stores, boarding houses, hotels, bars, and yes, brothels along with other establishments were constructed. One could only imagine the complexity and vastness of Eldorado at this period. To guarantee no gold went uncovered, the prospectors fanned out to include an area of over 1200 square miles.

Due to fabrication by individuals and untrue reports by the treasure hunters, many of the mines ceased operations in 1870. Those with the dream of getting rich and finding that "pot of gold", left for home with dashed aspirations. A few deserted structures remain today as a testament to the gold rush that descended upon Eldorado. A plaque erected on the highway in Eldorado describes the history of the town and the gold rush phenomenon. Take Hwy. 62 south from Bancroft or north from Hwy. 7 to reach Eldorado.

On Hwy 69 just north of Parry Sound, is Nobel, an area which began as a farming community around 1880. Named after the scientist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, Nobel became a mystery of great proportions. In 1912, a man named F. Lankford surreptitiously started purchasing the surrounding properties. The exact purpose of the land purchases was a very closely held secret. Speculation was, he was starting a goat farm or a ranch. Little did the populace know that a major explosives industry was to be built. Lankford negotiated and purchased over 5000 acres of property which was in itself a feat due the legal and secretive constraints imposed upon him by a private and unidentified company. Finally revealed, the land purchases were to house a manufacturing corporation called Canadian Explosive Limited or C.X.L. Nobel was the perfect site for C.X.L. due to its' proximity to the mining operations in Sudbury, the railway system to Toronto for additional processing and distribution, the close advantage of shipping to other ports from Georgian Bay and the manpower available at nearby Parry Sound for manufacturing the explosives.

Construction of the plants began in 1913 to manufacture gelatin and dynamite. A small town was built in 1914 to accommodate employees and their families who would be the individuals to start up the dynamite production. The plant now employed around 150 workers. A change of venue saw the production of dynamite cease and the manufacturing of T.N.T., gun-cotton, shrapnel and munitions for the First World War. An explosion at the shrapnel plant killing seven workers forced the plants closure.

A plant was constructed on the other side of the highway producing cordite with C.X.L. running the operations but owned by British Cordite Limited. The war ended in 1918 and the cordite, TNT and gun-cotton plants stopped production and concentrated on the manufacture of gelatin and dynamite. 1922 saw the demand for explosives decline and a decision was made to concentrate on other products mainly plastics, paints and varnish. With its' restructuring in place, C.X.L. decided to change the name to Canadian Industries Limited or C.I.L.

Across the highway, in 1939, a new plant was built by the Defence Industries Limited or D.I.L. Employing over 4000 people, the plant manufactured gun-cotton, sulphuric acid, cordite, TNT, nitroglycerin, nitric acid and other dangerous and highly volatile products. The D.I.L. buildings were destroyed at the end of the war and the manufacturing of explosives returned to the C.I.L. plants. In 1946, the site previously occupied by D.I.L., became ideal for a new company to utilize and the A.V. Roe of Canada Limited seized that opportunity for the testing of their "Iroquois" jet engine. Available high voltage power and water made for a superlative location for the evaluation and progress of the engine. A. V. Roe absorbed Orenda Engines Limited and in 1959, a devastating decision was made by the Government of Canada and the then Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, announcing the cancellation and destruction of the most advanced jet aircraft in the world. The "Avro Arrow". Thrust for the "Arrow" was to be produced by the sophisticated and highly advanced "Iroquois". Immediate and permanent closure of the A. V. Roe and Orenda plants commenced. In 1984, C.I.L. at Nobel shut down. The train station built in 1907 was razed to the ground.

Although an interesting site to explore, the Arrows' testing grounds are filled with nostalgia and regret. The C.I.L.remains are on the west side of the highway. Look for the gate.

All across Central Ontario are towns that have vanished completely or have partially abandoned structures. Be careful when exploring these sites. Wells, mine openings and collapsed buildings can and will be dangerous to explore. Please take great caution and never investigate alone. Take a partner with you by using the "Buddy System".

For further information see the website Ontario Abandoned Places. Enjoy your visitations and treasure hunting in the "World of Cottage Country".

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