KAWARTHA LAKES-In the second half of the nineteenth century, railways were the fastest and most economical mode of long-distance transportation. Many commodities were only practical to produce and export by rail, and having this connection with the outside world was certain to boost a community’s prospects. The Victoria Railway reached Haliburton via Fenelon Falls and Kinmount in 1878. As it was being completed, there was speculation that iron ore might spur the development of the settlements east of Kinmount.
The Snowdon Iron Company had been established in 1874, hoping that the Toronto and Nipissing Railway (which actually ended in Coboconk) might be extended to their mines. In 1876, iron ore was cadged to Kinmount on the Monck Road, only to have a great lakes ship sink while on its way to Cleveland—dragging the company down with it. Then, W.S. Myles took over the venture, and began work on a railroad from Furnace Falls to Kendrick’s Creek (2.3 miles north of Kinmount) on the recently completed Victoria Railway. By 1879, he was out of money, and had yet to find the ‘motherlode’ that would make his investment worthwhile. Next Charles J. Pusey finished the railway to Furnace Falls, then to Devil’s Creek, which he renamed, Irondale. Kendrick’s or Kinmount Junction would be renamed Howland Junction for his business partner in 1919. The first eight cars of iron ore made rolled down the Victoria Railway in 1880.
Unfortunately, iron ore prices dropped and due to the high sulphur content, Irondale’s iron was more expensive to process. In 1887, a forest fire swept through Furnace Falls, burning the hamlet to the ground, including the inactive iron ore smelter and boarding house, which were not rebuilt. Then in 1891, the United States added a $0.75 per ton tariff on Canadian iron ore, effectively killing the industry.
Yet Charles Pusey was a resourceful entrepreneur, so he pursued government railway subsidies instead of attempting to rebuild his mining enterprises. In 1884, he renamed the Toronto-Nipissing Eastern Extension Railway the Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa—railways were typically given over-ambitious names to attract investors. Did anyone actually believe that it would ever reach Ottawa? There were many small communities between Kinmount and Bancroft that lacked a rail connection, and bit by bit, the IB&O developed, reaching Irondale in 1887, Wilberforce in 1893, Baptiste in 1897, Mud Creek in 1898 and finally York River Station in 1910—which created a connection with the Central Ontario Railway near Bancroft. In 1893, a train could reach Gooderham from Howland Junction in 1:20.
Serving small communities on the edge of the Canadian Shield, the IB&O would always be cash strapped. It was built as cheaply as possible, and much of its rolling stock was discarded by other railways. It incorporated grades that other lines would not find acceptable, and locomotives were not always able to ascend hills with all cars in tow. The service was definitely not express, but this link with the outside world was very important to these communities.
For a generation, Howland Junction was a happening place. Originally, it had a two-storey station house, where the second story provided accommodations for railway section crew working in the area. The turntable, which allowed locomotives to switch directions, was just north of the station. After Charles Pusey died in 1899, the railway was for sale, and was purchased by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) in 1909 (led by Sir William Mackenzie). Unfortunately, the CNorR went bankrupt in 1916, then the station house burnt the next year. It would be rebuilt on a much smaller scale and the government took over the railway as part of the Canadian National Railway.
The advent of the automobile and transport trucks spelled doom for railways all over North America. The symbolic ‘last train’ on the IB&O rolled through on March 31, 1960, then the line closed, and Howland Junction lost its reason for existence. Since then, parts of the IB&O right of way were sold off, while the Victoria Railway became a recreational corridor in the 1990s. The old train station is one of the few railway buildings that still stand on the line, with the concrete base of the turntable visible in the woods just to the north—a relic of the days when Howland Junction handled the freight and passengers of a district. Today it is a quiet residential neighbourhood, beside the beautiful vista where Kendrick’s Creek meets the Burnt River.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
