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SOUTH EASTHOPE
From Belden's Atlas of Perth County - 1879
"The settlers of this township, excepting a few, are germans. On the Huron Road between Shakespeare and Stratford are several English-speaking families, mostly Scotch, such as Capling, Crerar, Robertson, Bell, Riddel, and McCallum. On the boundary line of Downie are Matheson, Hislop, Lupton, Dunsmore, O'Donnell, Flanigan and Jackson. Elsewhere nearly all are German.
"Settlement in South Easthope proceeded from East to West, a characteristic of the march of the backwoodsman everywhere in South Perth. On Christmas Day, 1829, Sebastian Fryvogel, as first settler in this county, located on Lot 14, Concession 1 ... To facilitate settlement, the Canada Company had erected several huts along this new road to Goderich, where travellers might obtain rest and entertainment. To induce occupation of these places, a bonus of £40 was offered to any person who would open and keep this house of entertainment for six months in South Easthope, as being more adjacent to an old settlement. Farther west a premium of £50 was offered and still farther west, one of £60."
[Hearsay has it that a stage road existed before 1829, running from Galt to Haysville to Punkeydoodles and westward along Pork Street.]
"Mr. Fryvogel was born in the Swiss Canton of Berne and emigrated to America in 1806. Settling in Pennsylvania, he remained there for several years. He came to Canada in 1827 and resided in Waterloo, where he met Van Egmond, who induced him to remove to South Easthope ... he died at his old home, in 1873. Those who followed him into the woods honored him with the highest offices in their gift. He was district councillor, reeve of the township, warden of Perth county, captain in the militia and one of our oldest magistrates. The whole conduct of this excellent man was honourable to himself and useful to the people, who had on so many occasions placed him in positions of trust.
"The second settler in South Easthope was Andrew Riddell, a Scotch man from Beriwckshire. He located on Lot 17, a short distance furtehr west than Mr. Fryvogel, and also became a prominent man. He was followed by Andrew Helmer, and a year or two later a number of Scotch from Perthshire settled along the Huron Road in both the Easthopes. John A. McCarthy settled in South Easthope in 1832. ... The trend of settlement extended slowly toward Woodstock, more rapidly west to Stratford, and southward along the Boundary Line of Downie toward Zorra. In 1842 the first school secetion was formed, South Easthope being divided into two school districts by the Council in Goderich. In 1842 the families McTavish, McEwen, McFarlane with a great many Germans had located; and previous to 1850 the township may have been said to be settled. In 1832 a number of German families had located near Mr. Fryfogel, and toward what is now Sebastopol, the first congregation of any denomination of professing Christians in this county being organized by the Lutherans at this point during that year.
SEBASTOPOL
"Sebastopol lies wholly in the township about 1/2 mile north of Tavistock. This village was founded at an early date by Henry Heyrock, who was its first settler and built its first house. In 1845 Mr. Henry Eckstein came to Sebastopol, also remianing in the village. This hamlet was named by its citizens during the Russian War of 1852-55 to commemorate that long and never-to-be-forgotten siege by the allied armies of a town of that name in the Crimea. It is now a pleasant country village though its greatness has been to some extent overshadowed by Tavistock, to which it now forms a suburb. There is a fine church and parsonage there, with several business places supplying goods to a fine agricultural country surrounding it."
The shell of Adam Wettlaufer's once busy cider mill still guards the cross-roads. This hamlet at Latitude 43° 20', Longitude 80° 50' in 1967 is again gaining a place on the map. Houses have gradually filled in both sides of Highway 59 north of the village boundary of Tavistock until the two form almost a continuous municipality, with sidewalk all the way and some of Tavistock's utilities crossing the line. Houses have likewise been built along "Hessenstrasse", i.e. Conc. IV & V, to make an overall total of some 24 residences. |
