The community of Ellesmere was located at the crossroads of Kennedy Road and the 2nd Concession Road (Ellesmere Road). Many older citizens looking back to Scarborough’s Sesquicentennial in 1946 may recall Kennedy and Ellesmere as dirt roads leading past market gardens and dairy farms. Kennedy Road was named after the pioneer family who settled on boths sides of the road near Agincourt. Ellesmere Road was named after the quiet little village, Ellesmere, which was formally established with a post office in 1853.
The name was borrowed from Ellesmere, England which is situated near the border of Wales, just south of Liverpool.
When pioneer settlers first arrived in Scarborough, many of the Crown grants were held by individuals who did not live on the land but were willing to sell. Entire farms could be bought for the equivalent of $13. and folklore from the old village tells of one area pioneer who traded his riding boots for a hundred acre farm at Ellesmere. The land around what is now the intersection of Kennedy Road and Ellesmere was rich and fertile with large stands of virgin timber, mostly pine and maple. Three families share in the historical development of the community: the Forfars, Glendinnings and the Loveless families. All arrived in the 1820’s and built fieldstone homes on their 100 acre properties.
Archibald Glendinning built his home on the south west corner of the Kennedy /Ellesmere intersection. He established the community’s first store in the front room of the house, and later became Ellesmere’s first postmaster. His fieldstone home, believed to have been built about 1830 survived for more than 150 years.
The Forfars occupied the north east corner of the same intersection. They ran the village blacksmith shop and, with the help of James Ley, also became famous throught Ontario for their fine waggons, cutters and sleighs. Early in the 20th century, David Forfar operated a butcher shop at Ellesmere.
Robert Loveless acquired the north west corner of the village intersection and was instrumental in establishing the Free Methodist Church in a small white frame building near the intersection. The church was built in 1877 but the congregation relocated to Armadale a few years later. The Loveless family members were notable dairy farmers and, at different agricultural fairs, won many prizes for their cattle.
Ellesmere Village was the site of School Section # 5 and until a large frame school was built in 1871 on Ellesmere Road west of Kennedy, the school children of the area used a brick school which was built in 1848 at Ellesmere and Midland. What happened to the old brick school and why the community replaced a brick school with one of wood-frame construction are unknown. Fire is always a concern with wooden buildings and it was, perhaps, not surprising that the 1871 frame school was gutted by fire in 1946.
Ellesmere was also known for its recreational activities. All three pioneer Ellesmere families were well represented on the local sports clubs, including the Ellesmere Central Football club which won the Ontario Championships in 1890. In addition, the Ellesmere Brass Band and the Maple Leaf Curling Club called the Ellesmere Arena their home. The large wood -frame structure was first erected in 1878, collapsed in 1881, but was rebuilt two years later and survived until 1913 when the huge structure was dismantled and moved to the Agincourt Fair Grounds.
As with other small communities, Ellesmere began to decline after the second railway went through Agincourt in 1884. From the 19th century community of Ellesmere today’s communities of Dorset Park, part of Wexford, and Maryvale developed. All of the major 19th century structures have been demolished and only the name Ellesmere remains to remind us of the history of this quiet, crossroad community.
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Ellesmere – Historical Image Gallery:
