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Schomberg is an unincorporated village in the northwestern corner of King Township in York County (now in the municipality of King in York Region) in Ontario, Canada. Situated north of the Oak Ridges Moraine and south of the Holland River. It had a population of about 2500 in 2009. [edit] History
Brownsville was founded by Irish settlers who had immigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania in the United States. It was named for its founder, businessman Thomas Brown (born 13 May 1802), who was one of twelve siblings born in Pennsylvania, and one of four who emigrated to Upper Canada. About 1830, his farmer brother John R. Brown (born 3 June 1811) settled on lot 26, concession 8, establishing the rural community. Thomas built the community's only flour mill in 1836, stimulating development. The mill was eventually bought by their brother Garrett, who also established the first bank in the community. For postal service, residents used the post office in the nearby community of Lloydtown. In 1861, the community applied for a post office, but was rejected because another post office with the name Brownsville was already in operation in York County. (That community is now part of Woodbridge in Vaughan.) In 1862, the community was renamed Schomberg, a name suggested by Thomas Roberts Ferguson, and its post office was established. The name was likely for The 3rd Duke of Schomberg and 1st Duke of Leinster, K.G. (1641–1719), a general under King William III of England. On 6 June 1890, the town was one of many flooded as a result of a storm in the eastern United States and Canada. The flood destroyed buildings, leaving many residents homeless and businesses ruined, and swept away two mill dams. It also carried one building downstream, where it came to rest on a farm. In Ontario, the storm also caused flooding in Barrie, Brooklin, Greenwood, and Orangeville. On 25 March 1899, the community was established as a police village. In 1902, the Traders Bank of Canada (now part of the Royal Bank of Canada) established the first commercial bank in Schomberg, and in January 1920 the Imperial Bank of Canada (now part of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) established a branch. For some time in the early 20th century, the town was the terminus of the Schomberg and Aurora Railway that connected to the Toronto and York Radial Railway on Yonge Street, some distance to the east. The railway was constructed to bring shoppers and day-trippers from Toronto to the town, but was never very popular. Opened for traffic in 1902, it was electrified in 1916 and closed in 1927. The rails were removed the next year, but the right of way can still be seen to the east of the town. Urbanization of the community occurred primarily in the southwestern part, with small developments. In the 1950s and 1960s, housing was developed near the centre, and in the 1990s in the Roselena Drive area. Two developments in the 2010s added 147 detached homes, 52 semi-detached homes, 29 townhouses, and a 127-unit six-storey condominium. [edit] ClimateSchomberg has a continental climate moderated by the Great Lakes and influenced by warm, moist air masses from the south, and cold, dry air from the north. The Oak Ridges Moraine affects levels of precipitation: as an air mass arrives from Lake Ontario and reaches the elevated ground surface of the moraine, it rises causing precipitation. [edit] Research TipsThe 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. [edit] Early RecordsCivil 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. [edit] Vital Records after 1869Birth, 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.
[edit] Land Records and WillsInformation 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. [edit] CensusesThe 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. [edit] Hard-to-Find Places
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