COOKSTOWN HISTORY & HERITAGE
In the mid-nineteenth century, a tiny hamlet called Perry's Corners sprang up out of the bush. After spending some time as Dixon's Corners, the village settled on Cooke's Town in 1847. Thomas Cooke's stately home still stands on the west side of Highway 27, just south of Highway 89.
Cookstown was home to Emily Murphy, the woman known as Janey Canuck, who served as Canada's first female Police Magistrate in the British Empire and a judge in the Alberta Juvenile Court. Murphy was part of the Famous Five, who took the issue of women's rights to the highest courts in Canada and England, securing their status as legal persons in 1929.
Cookstown's post office holds the record for the longest continuous operation by a single family: the Colemans provided local service for one hundred years between 1873 and 1973.
A railroad line running through the west end of town allowed the growing village to flourish until the 1960s; lately it has been converted into a piece of the Trans-Canada Trail, bringing hikers and bikers from across Canada through town. Today, new business ventures have the town bustling once again, with modern growth balanced against a strong respect for our history.
Come enjoy our small-town hospitality and join in our yearly events. The Wing Ding has been running for Over 30 years and is the Largest Community yard sale in Ontario.
We're waiting for you to visit!
Cookstown is now a Heritage Conservation District, to find out what this means Click Here
Cookstown has a Community Improvement Plan, Click Here for more information on FINANCIAL incentives
Cookstown Heritage Action Team (CHAT) is a committee of the Chamber of Commerce and was formed to promote the Cookstown Heritage District.
Did You Know?
Our History From 1956…
"In the spring of 1956, Alliston decided to build a curling rink and asked the Cookstown curlers to invest $8,000 to $10,000 towards building it.
A meeting was held in the old Orange Hall, above Charlie Watson’s (west of the Masonic Hall). It was decided to build our own rink.
"In the spring of 1956, Alliston decided to build a curling rink and asked the Cookstown curlers to invest $8,000 to $10,000 towards building it.
A meeting was held in the old Orange Hall, above Charlie Watson’s (west of the Masonic Hall). It was decided to build our own rink.
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Ernie Letts, from Beeton, dug out the building site and sand was hauled from Harry Ross’ pit for drainage, etc. Jack Donnell poured the footings and Lionel Dawney did the block work. It took 10,500 blocks.
In December, snow was hauled from Sharp’s Hill and blown in between the pipes by Sam French’s blower. It was like a snowstorm. The next year the ice surface was cemented. The first men’s curling schedule started on January 7, 1957." |
Read more about this story on the Cookstown Curling Clubs website http://cookstowncurlingclub.ca
Reference: http://cookstowncurlingclub.ca/our-history-cookstown/
Reference: http://cookstowncurlingclub.ca/our-history-cookstown/
