Settler of township lots: Lot 25, Conc. 3, and Lot 25, Conc. 4, Stanhope

Location: Map point is the approximate location within this 100 acre Lot 25, Conc. 3 at the south/west corner of Hwy 118 and Line Road 25. See Thomas Jones Store

Land acquisition:

• Lots 25, Conc. 3 & 4, Stanhope: 1861 Lands Liable to Taxation: Township of Stanhope Patent Register -  99 & 49 acres to Thomas Jones.
• Lot 25, Conc. 3 was patented on October 31, 1861. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Image 437).
• Lot 25, Conc. 4 was patented on October 31, 1867. Ontario Land Parcel Register - Stanhope (Image 283).

Dates of residency:

• 1870 Peterborough County Directory, Stanhope: Thos. Jones, pt Lot 25, Conc. 5
• 1881 Census of Canada, Stanhope: Thos, farmer & Eliz Jones with 9 children at both lots
• 1883 Stanhope Voters List: Thomas Jones, owner, Lots 25, 25, Conc. 3, 4
• 1890 Stanhope Voters List: Thomas Jones, owner, Lots 25, 25, Conc. 3, 4
• 1891 Stanhope Voters List: at these locations
• 1899 Stanhope Directory: Lot 25, Conc. 4 Maple Lake
• 1901 Census of Canada, Stanhope:
• 1901 Stanhope Voters List: at these locations
• 1903 Business Directory, Stanhope: thomas Jones, Sr. Maple Lake, Lot 25, Conc. 4
• 1903 Stanhope Voters List: Thomas Jones Sr, farmer, Lots 25, 25, Conc. 3, 4
• 1911 Stanhope Voters List: Lot 25, Conc. 3.
• 1911 and 1918  Post Office Lists: Lot 25, Conc. 3.

Interesting facts:

Thomas Jones came to Stanhope before 1860. Source: In Quest of Yesterday by Nila Reynolds. Published by The Provisional County of Haliburton, Minden, Ontario 1973 pg. 313

Thomas Jones Store: This store was a general mercantile and the post office, too. In 1911, the Maple Lake post office changed its name to Mill Hill but changed it back in 1912.  This original location of the Maple Lake post office and farmhouse made the news in 1897 when William H. Sawyer died after sustaining a savage beating from two local men. One was reputed to be a jealous husband!

Indian site: On Maple Lake's south shore (Lot 25, Conc. 4) where Tom Jones Sr. of Devon built his first log cabin was a location much frequented. The rise of ground behind the Jones' home was known as " Indian Hill" and band members came annually to tap hard maples for their spring sugar making - their troughs and spiles were made from wood. Source: Dream of Excellence by Nila Reynolds. Published by Haliburton Highlands Guild of Fine Arts and Haliburton School of Fine Arts. 1976 pg. 8

Preceding landowner: The Crown was the preceding landowner of Lot 25, Conc. 3

Succeeding landowner:

• Lots 25, Conc. 3 & 4: 1915 Thomas J. W. Jones (son)

Link to Settlers of Algonquin Highlands family tree

Photo 1: Thomas Jones and Elizabeth May, Haliburton, ON. Source: Ancestry.ca

Photo 2: Alexander Niven's Insurance Survey notebook - Haliburton Highlands Museum.