Newton Robinson is located in the southern part of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada, at the tenth concession of Techumseth and

Bradford West Gwillimbury Bradford West Gwillimbury is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area on the Holland River. West Gwillimbury takes its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, née ''Gwillim''. The former ...

.Ellis, B. M. (1987). Newton Robinson United Church And The Community 1841-1987. Bradford: Bradford Instant Printing Inc.. It is approximately an hour's drive from

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

History

During the 1820s Newton Robinson was called Latimer's Corners after the innkeeper, and later Springfield. The present name derives from Newton, one of the Newtowns in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and Robinson for William Benjamin Robinson, the area's political representative from 1828 to 1858. During the 1880s, Newton Robinson was busy because of the train tracks that went through it. As people eventually started emerging there, a cheese factory, a sawmill and a number of small businesses had their openings. On January 14, 1886, the Newton Robinson Column had said: "Our town, like yourself, had the spirit of progression about its pants pockets. The latest edition dditionis a tonsorial artist, who reports business booming, and as the place where they dispense the fish of all fish, the oyster, at 10 cents a plate (cheap and wholesome is their motto)"."Progression of the Town. (1886, January 14). The Beeton World, p. 2. In 1893, the railroads closed and were redirected to Alliston Beeton in Bradford. This caused the shutdown of the sawmill and general store because of the low business.

Notable structures

There are several structures in Newton Robinson that have a historical significance.

The old school

The school opened in 1923 and closed in 1962. The school yard is now separated into two separate yards, but is still defined by the large beech trees bordering the perimeter of the old school yard. There are two front doors, one for the girls and the other for the boys.

The church

The Methodist church opened for its first Sunday service on October 23, 1887. it was built to replace the log

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

that was first opened in 1841. It is situated on two thirds of an acre with a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

on either side of it. During this time, the church was the central point of Newton Robinson residents; it was used as a meeting point, for celebratory events as well as for religious purposes.

The general store

Past: The store was used a

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...

as well as the main general store. The train station would bring visitors in from distances. The easy transportation for visitors was one of the main reasons the town was prospering. Farmer's would sell crops and trade good with the store. Once the train station was relocated, the general store soon went out of business. Present: The store is now currently owned by Jacquie and is called El Lugar Con Pottery. She sells imported

Mexican Pottery Ceramics in Mexico date back thousands of years before the Pre-Columbian period, when ceramic arts and pottery crafts developed with the first advanced civilizations and cultures of Mesoamerica. With one exception, pre-Hispanic wares were not gl ...

along with baked goods and ice cream in what used to be the general store. She rents the

out as a residence.

Notable people

William Earl Rowe William Earl Rowe, (May 13, 1894 – February 9, 1984), was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1963 to 1968. Background Rowe was born in Hull, Iowa, United States, of Canadian pare ...

, member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. *

Bob Pulford Robert Jesse Pulford (born March 31, 1936) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. He later served as head coach of the Kings before spe ...

, professional hockey player.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newton Robinson Communities in Simcoe County