assassination. One evening Hickman was sitting in his library, quietly reading a book, when a bullet whistled through the air and lodged itself into the wall paneling three inches above his head. Hickman raced out of the house to search the grounds but was unable to find the culprit. He retired for the night, with the intention of notifying the police in the morning. Sometime during the night, the would-be assassin returned, entered the library, and removed the bullet from the wall. Neither bullet nor man were ever found.
Today, Ravensworth is a private residence and remains virtually unchanged. Still a splendid house, it is a reminder of a bygone era of ease and elegance.
Cobourg, over the years, has been home to several famous people. The first mayor, William Weller, established the widely known Weller Stage Line, operated from Montreal and Hamilton. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States, spent his summers at Cobourg; Marie Dressler, a movie star perhaps best-known as Tugboat Annie, was born here. Others who once lived in Cobourg and went on to find fame elsewhere were James Cockburn, one of the Fathers of Confederation; Beatrice Lillie and Katharine Cornell, both famous actresses; and Paul Kane, the world-famous artist.
Cobourg may never have become a city, but the image of prosperity exemplified by Victoria Hall and other beautiful and unique period homes still remains. Thanks to those who persevered â the first settlers when they traced bleeding feet and lived in swampy land â we are able to enjoy the beauty carved out of this Ontario wilderness.
Cochrane
Â
Francis Cochrane was the Ontario minister of lands, forests, and mines in the early 1900s. The townsite at the terminal point for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was named in his honour.
The townsite itself was not laid out until 1907; prior to that, the area had been touched only by Natives, trappers, and the natural kingdom. In November 1907 a public sale of lots was held for prospective settlers. The lots measured 20 by 36 metres (66 by 120 feet), surrounded by 17 avenues 30 metres (100 feet) wide, running north and south, and narrower ones running east and west.
As you can well imagine, there were no long lineups to purchase these lots, as they were quite small for the standards of the time. The plans changed somewhat when lots were not properly cleared, and those not sold at the auction were allowed to keep their blankets of virgin forest. The close proximity of lots meant homes were built so close together that fire was a major threat to the community. As a matter of fact, Cochrane suffered a rash of fires in a span of six years.
A few months after its incorporation in 1910, Cochraneâs core was destroyed in a burning blaze and promptly rebuilt. Later, in July 1911, at the height of the Porcupine gold rush, gale-force winds turned scattered bush fires into one massive firestorm that devastated several towns and mining camps in the area, including Cochrane and Timmins. The 3,000 residents of Cochrane rebuilt their town, hoping to never see the likes of such a fire again. Hopes aside, tragedy struck again, in July 1916. They called it âThe Great Fire of 1916.â High winds once again turned separate fires, which were already burning in the tinder-dry woods along the railway lines, into one vast conflagration that scorched 500,000 acres. Numerous settlements, including Matheson and Cochrane, were affected, and many lives were lost.
Cochrane has survived a rash of fires and, as pictured, many heavy winters.
Archives of Ontario
One of the first buildings in Cochrane was shipped on railway flat cars from its original site in Chapleau. The year was 1909 and the building was an Anglican Church. The church was set among the pine trees north of what was later known as Bishopthorpe. By 1914 there was also a Catholic Church and a Baptist Church.
The town underwent some changes after the fire of 1916.
Today, Ravensworth is a private residence and remains virtually unchanged. Still a splendid house, it is a reminder of a bygone era of ease and elegance.
Cobourg, over the years, has been home to several famous people. The first mayor, William Weller, established the widely known Weller Stage Line, operated from Montreal and Hamilton. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States, spent his summers at Cobourg; Marie Dressler, a movie star perhaps best-known as Tugboat Annie, was born here. Others who once lived in Cobourg and went on to find fame elsewhere were James Cockburn, one of the Fathers of Confederation; Beatrice Lillie and Katharine Cornell, both famous actresses; and Paul Kane, the world-famous artist.
Cobourg may never have become a city, but the image of prosperity exemplified by Victoria Hall and other beautiful and unique period homes still remains. Thanks to those who persevered â the first settlers when they traced bleeding feet and lived in swampy land â we are able to enjoy the beauty carved out of this Ontario wilderness.
Cochrane
Â
Francis Cochrane was the Ontario minister of lands, forests, and mines in the early 1900s. The townsite at the terminal point for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was named in his honour.
The townsite itself was not laid out until 1907; prior to that, the area had been touched only by Natives, trappers, and the natural kingdom. In November 1907 a public sale of lots was held for prospective settlers. The lots measured 20 by 36 metres (66 by 120 feet), surrounded by 17 avenues 30 metres (100 feet) wide, running north and south, and narrower ones running east and west.
As you can well imagine, there were no long lineups to purchase these lots, as they were quite small for the standards of the time. The plans changed somewhat when lots were not properly cleared, and those not sold at the auction were allowed to keep their blankets of virgin forest. The close proximity of lots meant homes were built so close together that fire was a major threat to the community. As a matter of fact, Cochrane suffered a rash of fires in a span of six years.
A few months after its incorporation in 1910, Cochraneâs core was destroyed in a burning blaze and promptly rebuilt. Later, in July 1911, at the height of the Porcupine gold rush, gale-force winds turned scattered bush fires into one massive firestorm that devastated several towns and mining camps in the area, including Cochrane and Timmins. The 3,000 residents of Cochrane rebuilt their town, hoping to never see the likes of such a fire again. Hopes aside, tragedy struck again, in July 1916. They called it âThe Great Fire of 1916.â High winds once again turned separate fires, which were already burning in the tinder-dry woods along the railway lines, into one vast conflagration that scorched 500,000 acres. Numerous settlements, including Matheson and Cochrane, were affected, and many lives were lost.
Cochrane has survived a rash of fires and, as pictured, many heavy winters.
Archives of Ontario
One of the first buildings in Cochrane was shipped on railway flat cars from its original site in Chapleau. The year was 1909 and the building was an Anglican Church. The church was set among the pine trees north of what was later known as Bishopthorpe. By 1914 there was also a Catholic Church and a Baptist Church.
The town underwent some changes after the fire of 1916.
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