Tucked away in a corner of Bruce Corner, is the historic town of Cargill, named after its founder, Henry Cargill.
In a write-up at the site of the town’s first school, built by Cargill, it tells the story of how the entrepreneur arrived in 1879 and became the largest and most prosperous employer in Bruce County, “… harvesting and milling vast stands of old-growth trees from the Greenock Swamp.”
Cargill was not only an entrepreneur, he was a visionary. He recognized that, as his business grew and employed more people, families began to grow – young families with young children. So, he built the first schoolhouse and brought in the first teacher. In addition, the school became the Sunday church until the population outgrew both. He then built a new two-story school.
Today, Cargill is fast becoming a hub of activity where the arts are flourishing, historic buildings are being restored and young families are once again calling it home.
On June 12th, a new mural, supported by a ‘Spruce the Bruce’ grant, was officially unveiled with a ribbon cutting by the ‘Friends of Historic Cargill’. The mural is a poem, ‘Cargill’, written by former resident Lillian Crawford Sweet in 1924 about her childhood and growing up in Cargill, and was read aloud by published poet Jennifer Frankum.
Led by Kevin McKague, owner of Mill Pond Gallery and Cafe, the ‘Friends’ group is focused on downtown community revitalization, historical preservation and sharing Cargill’s story with visitors from near and far.
“When I first saw the poem in an old newspaper clipping,” said McKague, “I thought what a great capturing of the spirit of Cargill and our love for the arts.”
Among the dignitaries present for the unveiling was Brockton Mayor and former Warden of Bruce County, Chris Peabody. “I always wanted to promote a strong rural Brockton and surrounding communities to keep schools and hospitals going and growing. My father was an artist so I really want to thank the McKagues and the Friends of Cargill for their vision for the arts. It’s important to create a community where people want to move to and live and it makes Bruce County an even better place.”
McKague added that Cargill is starting to be noticed beyond Bruce County. “We are excited to have just been designated as the first ‘International Book Town’ in the Western Hemisphere for featuring local publishers and book events, joining others in places like New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria and Wales. The goal of the International Association of Book Towns is to revitalize rural economies and promote sustainable tourism … and we are just getting started here in Cargill.”
“We are currently in the process of restoring the original school house and developing a children’s play area, thanks to Jake and Chris Oberle of Hanover who are restoring our historic buildings. We are also working on an interpretive plaque to be installed by the river, improving the Rail Trail and restoring the train station. We are bringing all these things to life and, as I said, … this is just the start in Cargill,” said McKague
