Place:Hawkestone, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Hawkestone is a "locality" in the former Oro Township, Simcoe County and since 1994 located in the municipality or Township of Oro-Medonte in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. It was formerly known as Hodges' Landing.

First Nations had long established encampments and trails on the bank of Hawkestone Creek, Ridge Road and throughout the Township of Oro-Medonte. In the 1830s Richard Hodges established a landing for settlers, mainly from the British Isles, who after arriving by lake steamer, on Lake Simcoe, followed these trails to their settlement in search of independence and land ownership.

Hodges' wharf, where the steamer docked, and his large house called St. Helen's (1844) were the focus of activity. There remains evidence of two underground tunnels from the lake to Hodges' cellar and a hidden stair case from the cellar to the top floor. Some children who died on route to their parents' settlement were buried on the property. In 1940, the property was sold by Hodges' granddaughter for $2500 to the Canadian Council for Girl Guides.

A thriving community of a tavern, hotel, store and the first post office was located near the lake east of the creek. The first postmaster was Charles Bell. Two dams and 3 mills sawed logs and ground grains. It is thought that the first mill was established by John Williamson who subsequently built the large brick house on the North-East corner of the Ridge Road and Line #11 South. In 1856 a new wharf was constructed and the name was changed from Hodges' Landing to Hawkestone.

During 1871 the railroad reached Hawkestone. An extensive "station" evolved with a freight shed, stockyards and a massive water tower to supply the requirements of the steam locomotives. Many types of products were shipped out and supplies shipped in. The last Canadian National train passed through in September 1996. In 1998 the railway land through the township was acquired by the council for a shared-use recreational trail stretching from The City of Barrie to the City of Orillia, sections are used in the winter season by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

After the railway went through Hawkestone, the village developed north of the station. It was made up of numerous taverns, hotels, stores (including Priddle's Store and T.A. Stone's Store which survives today as the Hawkestone General Store), gas stations, ice houses, weigh scales, 2 banks, a fire hall also known as Metcalfe's Hall, and a complement of trades - tailor, harness maker and blacksmith. During this period the hub of activities in Hawkestone shifted from the lake front to the rail front as a result of change in modes of transportation.

In 1959 the Ukrainian National Federation (UNF) purchased the "Pugsly Farm" property located on the East half of LOT 23 and Lot 24 in Hawketsone. The 200+ Acres were developed into a large Recreation Area and Children's Camp where Members of the the UNF and their families have spent their summers on the shores of Lake Simcoe. A portion of the property was subdivided into 100 half acre lots, and sold to members of the UNF who built summer homes and cottages adjacent to the UNF. The entire property was named "Sokil", which is the Ukrainian word for "Hawk" in reference to the village of Hawkestone where the community was established. Today the private subdivision is maintained by the "Sokil Property Owners Association" which manages the non-municipal water system, roads and other related issues. The UNF still maintains the Recreation Area and Children's Camp, where three children's summer camps run throughout the summer, as well as weekend overnight camping area, seasonal cabin rentals and a seasonal trailer park. St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic chapel also conducts services each Sunday throughout the summer season.

Research Tips

The primary source for basic documents (vital statistics, land records, wills) for people who lived in the Province of Ontario is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A 2C5.

Early Records

Civil registration did not begin in the province until 1869. Before then there may be church records of baptisms and burials. For the most part these are still held by the denomination who recorded them. Copies of marriage records made pre-1869 had to be sent by individual clergymen to the registrar of the county in which the marriage took place. These marriage records are available through Ontario Archives, on micorfilm through LDS libraries, and on paid and unpaid websites, but because they were copied at the registrars' offices, they cannot be considered a primary source.

Vital Records after 1869

Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1915 are now available [October 2014]; dates for marriages and deaths are later. Birth and death registration was not universally carried out in the early years after its adoption. Deaths were more apt to be reported than births for several years. The more rural the area, the less likely it would be that these happenings were reported to the authorities.
Images and indexes of civil registrations for the "viewable" years can be found on paid websites, and indexes only on FamilySearch. The FamilySearch Wiki on Ontario Vital Records explains how these records are organized and their availability.
In September 2014 Ancestry.ca announced that its paid website has been subjected to a "houseclean" of its Ontario BMD database, adding data that had been omitted and making many corrections. Its provision now includes

• Births, with 2,172,124 records covering 1869-1913.
• Marriages, with 3,393,369 records for 1801-1928 including Ontario county, district and Roman Catholic origins as well as province-wide civil registration.
• Deaths, with 2,190,030 records comprising Ontario civil registrations of deaths, 1869-1938 and registrations of Ontario overseas deaths for 1939-1947.

Land Records and Wills

Information on how to access land records and wills is best sought on the Archives of Ontario website. An ancestor's land holding might be found on Canadian County Atlas Digital Project if he was in occupancy circa 1878.

Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents (APOLROD). A list of Land Registry Offices for all Counties of Ontario.

Censuses

The original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada, known to Canadians as "LAC". Copies of original microfilms are online at the LAC website for all censuses up to 1921. Each census database is preceded with an explanation of the geographical area covered, the amount of material retained (some census division material has been lost), the questions on the census form, and whether there is a name index. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited.
Other websites, some paid and some free, also provide Canadian census originals and/or indexes online. One can also view censuses on microfilm at the LAC, at the Archives of Ontario (see address above), or at large libraries throughout Canada.

Hard-to-Find Places

• National Resources Canada's Index of Geographical Names: Query by Name. This database includes even the smallest places all over Canada and provides geographical co-ordinates and maps which extend out from the "found place". Correct spelling of a place is essential.
• Archives of Ontario have a web page titled "The Changing Face of Ontario" (which is very hard to find without this link). This provides maps of Ontario and its divisions in the 19th century (pre Confederation in 1867) and also includes links to series of historical maps of the individual counties as they were between 1867 and the 1970s when a huge reorganization of municipalities began. The Districts of Northern Ontario and Maps of Southern and Central Ontario circa 1951 show the townships of each county.

E-books, Books and Newspapers

• The Internet Archive, particularly texts from Canadian universities, can contain interesting material
• Our Roots is a Canadian website similar to The Internet Archive
• Global Genealogy is an online bookshop specializing in Ontario material who will ship anywhere in the world.
• The Ancestor Hunt is a blog listing old Ontario newspapers that are available online, both free and pay websites. This is a very extensive list.
  
  

Websites with more local information on Simcoe County

• Simcoe County Museum
• Simcoe Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Has a Settlers' Database, amongst other things.
• The Simcoe GenWeb site. Everything you might want to know about 19th century Simcoe County and more! This is a huge site with information on each of the new municipalites and links to the earlier townships that were amalgamated into each one. Names and histories of settlers, cemetery listings, and all sorts of things.
• Barrie Public Library houses the library of the Simcoe Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.
• Simcoe County Archives. Has an online database of its holdings. The place to visit for an "in depth" investigation.
• Simcoe County Settlers Database
• Hunter, A.F. (1909). History of Simcoe County. Reproduced online.
• Barrie Heritage provides a lot of material on the City of Barrie.