If you looked after 10 acres of apple orchard
for 10 years, you would be set for life.
This old rule of thumb
was used by early settlers to the Town-
ship when starvation and poverty was a main concern. Early settlers to
Canada were encouraged to plant orchards with the Hudson Bay Com-
pany providing seeds and seedlings to emigrants as early as 1670.
Farmers would grow several varieties, some that matured in the summer,
some in the fall, and some that were suited for keeping over the winter.
Drying apples was a popular method of preserving the fruit, so to have
it available for eating and cooking throughout the long Canadian win-
ters. Drying was done by paring, coring and slicing the apple into quar-
ters which could then be strung on a string and hung to dry.
The apple industry in the Town of The Blue Mountains was a natural
progression as early settlers soon realized the soil and temperature
were ideal for large scale production. The climate in Georgian Bay is
especially suited to growing apples because of the weather being mod-
erated by the Bay on one side and the Escarpment on the other. The
sandy loam soil and sloping terrain provides excellent drainage for
apple production. These factors combined with the valleys on either
side of the Beaver River, protect crops from early frosts and extreme
cold temperatures.
The first farmer to classify his land as orchard was RichardMcGuire on
lot 35, concession 11, in 1835. In 1863 Andrew Dinsmore began his
orchard business which is still being operated by descendants today.
Apple packing became a subsidiary industry in 1888 when Stephen
Hurd invested in 800 barrels and began packing apples for local farm-
ers which were packed in storage for sale over the winter. Apples
grown for production in the early 19
th
century were initially shipped by
steamer ship until the development of the railroad. The railroad soon
became the main mode of transportation for the apple industry and
many storage facilities were erected along this rail line in the Thornbury-
Clarksburg area. 1890 saw the first fruit storage house by the tracks
erected byMr. Snetsinger. In 1894, Henry Pedwell and Alfred Ingersoll
began an apple packing company called the United Cooperatives,
also located on Highway 26. This company was contracted by the
farmers to pick their crops, where today, the farmer hires his own help
to pick and supply the harvests. During this time, apples were packed
into large barrels resulting in many cooper businesses to arise and
prosper in the Township.
*
Dinsmore Orchard
early days
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21
Fall 2012
Escarpment Magazine