Settler of township lots: Lots 21, Conc. 3 & 4, Stanhope

Location: This is the Dawson Farm and St. Peter's Church property between Beech and Maple Lakes.

• Lot 21, Conc. 4 is the irregular, waterfront lot on the channel between Beech and Maple Lakes. Map point is the curve of St. Peter's Road.
• Lot 21, Conc. 3 is the 100 acre lot that extends from the above property through Hwy 118 along Redner Rd. to the west known as the Dawson Farm.

Land acquisition: 1891 Both lots from George Masson. Ontario Land Registry Parcel Register Book (Conc. 3 - Image 253; Conc. 4 - 253).

Other land: 

• Lot 1, Conc. A, Stanhope: 1872 from father Peter' Dawson's will Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Image 7).
• Lot 1, Conc. 1, Stanhope: 1864 Patent from The Crown. Ontario Land Registry Parcel Register Book (Image 18).
• Lots 18 & 19, Conc. 3, Stanhope: 1918 from Samuel Redner. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Images 316 & 333).
• Lot 23, Conc. 5, Stanhope: 1916 - 29 acres from Peter Frederick Dawson. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Image162),
• Lot 24, Conc. 5, Stanhope: 1916 -34 acres from Isaac Wesley Boice; 1923 passed down in Dawson family. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Image 178).

Dates of residency:

• 1881 Census of Canada, Stanhope:
• 1883 Stanhope Voters List: Richard Dawson, owner, Lots 21 & 21, Conc. 3 & 4
• 1890 Stanhope Voters List: Richard Dawson, owner, Lots 21 & 21, Conc. 3 & 4
• 1891 Stanhope Voters List
• 1893 Stanhope Directory: Carnarvon  Lot 21, Conc. 4
• 1899 Stanhope Directory: Lot 21, Conc. 4
• 1901 Stanhope Voters List
• 1901 Census of Canada, Stanhope
• 1903 Business Directory, Stanhope: Richard Dawson, Winston, Lot 21, Conc. 4
• 1903 Stanhope Voters List: Richard Dawson, owner, Lots 21 & 21, Conc. 3 & 4
• 1911 Stanhope Voters List
• 1911 Census of Canada, Stanhope: Lot 21, Conc. 3
• 1911 Stanhope Post Office List: Lot 21, Conc. 3
• 1918 Stanhope Post Office List: Lot 21, Conc. 3

Other residents:

• Edward William Page, Occupation - School teacher:
  - 1903 Stanhope Voters List: farmer
  - 1911 Stanhope Post Office List: Ed Page, Maple Lake Lot 21, Conc. 3
  - 1918 Edward William Page died at Lot 21, Conc. 3, Stanhope at age 79

Family land patents, between Hindon Lake and Kushog Lake, north of Hwy 118:

• Lot 1, Conc. 1: Peter Dawson (b. 1800) father
• Lot 2, Conc. 1: Stephen Dawson (b. 1852) son
• Lot 3, Conc. 1: Richard Henry Dawson (b. 1850) son
• Lot 4, Conc. 1: Sophia Jane Taylor-Richards (b. 1837) daughter

Interesting facts:

The Dawsons, like most other families who settled in the Bobcaygeon Road area, had first lived for a time in another part of Upper Canada, where they learned the skills which would enable them to survive in the Shield. Emigrating from England in 1839, the Peter Dawson family settled in Millbrook, Cavan Township, near the Sissons. Remaining early records show that by 1867 Peter Dawson owned four 100-acre lots in Stanhope Township, along the Bobcaygeon Road. At least two of the 13 Dawson children remained in Cavan to establish their own farms, while four Dawsons married Sissons and settled in Stanhope with the rest of the Dawson clan. When Peter died in 1874, his sons, John and Stephen, took over the farm. In 1890 Stephen bought out his brother, and sometime after 1900 he and his wife moved to Calgary. Another of Peter's sons, Richard Henry, inherited two lots near Maple Lake which are now surrounded by a large, sturdy stone fence. One descendant of an early settler said it was easier for his ancestors to farm rocks than it was to grow crops. One of the frame barns on Richard's farm has a beautiful wooden silo attached to it. (This was the only wooden silo in the Bobcaygeon Road area). Both of these farms were still owned by Dawsons in 1900, and some of Richard Dawson's descendants continue to live in the Highlands. Source: Discovering the Bobcaygeon Road by John McDonald.

This property is known as the Dawson farm. The original building burned down and has been replaced.

St. Peter's churchyard and cemetery were donated by M. R. Dawson, a son of Peter and Jane Dawson, Maple Lake pioneers from Cavan whose original log cabin could be seen in 1961 near the Dawson homestead. Source: In Quest of Yesterday by Nila Reynolds. Published by The Provisional County of Haliburton, Minden, Ontario 1973 pg. 323

The favourite sport in Stanhope’s early days was baseball. Each settlement boasted a nine, and no summer event, be it picnic, Dominion Day or the Twelfth of July, was complete without a contest between the leading teams. The Maple Lake ball team, which travelled by wagon as far as Minden for games, did most of their playing on a diamond in Melville’s field. One of their renowned athletics was Dick Dawson. Source: Ibid. pg. 310.

Preceding landowner: 1863 George Masson from The Crown (both lots)

Succeeding landowner:

• Lots 18 & 19, Conc. 3: 1923 Wallace Henry Dawson & William Stewart Dawson (sons)
• Lot 21, Conc. 3: remained in Dawson family for many years:
  - 1911 Stanhope Voters List: Richard Dawson
  - 1928 Stanhope Voters List: Wallace Dawson
• Lot 21, Conc. 4: 1894 St. Peter's Church & Cemetery (part); 1922 SS #5; Walter George Suter (part)

Link to Settlers of Algonquin Highlands family tree

Photo 1. Richard Henry Dawson. Location: Homestead at Maple Lake. Front L to R: Kneeling - Wesley and Stewart; Sitting - Richard Henry Dawson and Mary Beatty Dawson;  Rear L to R:  Wallace, Holly, Milton, Ray, Dora, Garnet, Lorne. Source: Ancestry.ca.

Photo 2: Richard DAWSON from Stanhope Museum.