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 Mason Cogswell's Wagonyard Mason Cogswell (1818-1893) operated a wagonyard at this corner c.1850. Wagon and barrel making were two main industries associated with a milling-agricultural village. It was not uncommon to see wagons lined up past this point until after dark, waiting their turn at Thorne's Mill in the valley to the north. Mason Cogswell is buried in the Thornhill Cemetery with his wife and six children, two of whom died before their second birthday and four who died between the ages of twenty and twenty-four, likely victims of the epidemics of cholera and small pox that swept through the village, the worst being in the winter of 1874. Weigh Scales Weigh scales near this location, in the early part of this century, were usually operated by the nearby postmaster or storekeeper. Farmers on their way to Toronto could weigh their produce or hay prior to sale in the city markets. Toronto's considerable horse population required a large supply of hay and grain. The short weighing stop afforded rest for the driver as well as an opportunity for small children to snatch a fistful of hay or grain for their rabbits or other pets. |
