Old Place Names

History has always been one of my passions. Digging up the obscure or seemingly lost is like a journey, and many in our age of technology figure what isn't on the Internet must not exist. Through the stories I've been told, and the old (now-outdated) maps I own or have perused, discovering the once names of places is exciting. I have written about how my hometown of Trout Creek was formerly known as Melbourne (and Barkerton), and now I'll share some other locales with alternate or all but forgotten monikers.
In 1970, Gurd Township was annexed by Nipissing Township (and depending on who you talk to, it can still be a touchy subject some 40 plus years later). The name Gurd has long been cast aside, save for my revival by placing 'Gurd Township Roads Department' magnetic decals on my pick-up in protest of the shoddy and neglectful work Lingenfelters Road (albeit all the roads in the former Gurd) received a few years ago, and the subsequent work my father and I had to do to make the road a pleasant drive once again. I have also had decals created saying 'GURD', resembling the European country decals many may be familiar with. My fathers families origins in this country lie in Gurd, and I will keep remembering it, and keep it alive, much to the chagrin of some northern councilors.
Granite Hill Road, just south of Lingenfelters Road off of Hwy 522 was once known as Westphalia Road, owing to the numerous German immigrants from that area of the old country. It can be paired with Alsace Road, named for the same geographic area of what was then German territory, when those early pioneers emigrated from there. Just prior to the First World War and with rising anti-German sentiment, Westphalia Road was changed to Granite Hill Road, giving prominence to the large hill the road climbs after crossing the Black Creek. I've seen the name written on a few pictures taken along the road, but besides that, no other record exist (as is much of the case for Gurd Twp).
Before and for some time after Nipissing annexed Gurd, the names of the roads in the township (save for a few) were numbered: Lingenfelters Road was named the 3rd Concession Road, given where it starts on Hwy 522, but to be more exact, it's southern terminus was once at the Granite Hill Road (of note, nearly all of the present road is found in the 4th Concession); Black Creek Road North and Black Creek Road South are rather unimaginative names, as the Black Creek flows under the North portion of the road within the first stretch of it, and from there after it is lined by the farms and overgrown fields. Perhaps it was named so because the Black Creek in a way influences and/or dominates much of the actual topography of the area surrounding the road from a hydrology point of view, as it does form the principle water course of the areas watershed (it is a tertiary river, the secondary being the South, the primary being the French). Black Creek Road North was more commonly known as Hurrells Sideroad and Black Creek Road South as Lavignes Sideroad, before Nipissing so named them after the waterway. While the Black Creek is unnamed by the province at the point where it crosses Hwy 522 nearer to Lingenfelters Road (a place known locally as The Twin Bridges [two single lane bailey bridges once crossed the creek here]) like it has so many other creeks and streams are across the province, perhaps in so doing, the township not naming Hurrells and Lavignes has kept the name alive. Prior to the renaming of the roads, if memory serves me correctly, they were signed as the 30th Sideroad (between lots 30 and 31).
Ponderosa Road, so named after an episode of Bonanza (or some other old time Western classic) was filmed at the ranch style farm at its western end. However, it is the now eastern portion, and once middle portion of Barrett Road, named after the ghost town Barrett settlement that can be found near its eastern terminus with Butterfield Road. Barrett Road was one of the two main routes that ran between Commanda and Trout Creek (the other being Granite Hill [Westphalia] Road), the stage coach running each of them on alternate days and in alternate directions. There was even a swing bridge where it crossed the South River.
For every hill, valley, dip, corner, bend, and flat, along Lingenfelters Road there is a name, some 17 in total (more if you count the un-assumed portion), which seems excessive for a road only 1.5 km in length. One has to be a local, very local, in order to have a familiarity with these names. I believe it was the German sociologist Max Weber who said (and I am paraphrasing) it is impossible for the urbanite to know his neighbours like country folk do. None of this should come as a shock, but the same can be said about local geography. Having someone local describe where something is to an outsider isn't always the best idea if they are too familiar and absorbed in their surroundings (this just happened to me the other day with a road worker trying to explain where refuge can be found if caught in a blizzard on a desolate highway spanning over a hundred kilometres). But I digress. Growing up where I did, and having my fathers first hand knowledge passed down to me (I am still learning in my late twenties), I have a keen understanding of every hump and hollow in the bush, and it's the names of places that guide me, and when informing my father where I have been, it is these names that I use (of note, while my mother is familiar with the names, she did not grow up with them and so attaching a specific area or place to a name is harder, given her own local knowledge lies elsewhere). Aside from myself, and to an extent my brother, there aren't many others of our generation that know of all of these places. The old names are how I understand the geography, and to an extent my history, even if they have no significance or actuality today (i.e., the actual pine stump that 'the Pine Stump' is named for, has long been removed).
I am sure that other such locales have names attached to them so intimately as well, but I am unaware. The further I get from my childhood home, the fewer place names I know (going back to Weber's theory and elaborating on it, this holds true for everyone). That does not necessarily mean that they do not exist, but as obvious as it is, the more unfamiliar one is with an area, the less they know about it.
I am always keen when in a new area to ask what certain places of interest to me are called, as I have had the pleasure to work with others who are intimately connected with their surroundings as well. While working in Callander, I asked about a small island near the towns main park, and I was informed that it is locally known as Spider Monkey Island (origin unknown).
At a community function, I overheard a seemingly newcomer talk about how the locals referred to places by the names of the former owners, and scoffed at their use of a seemingly defunct name as being a completely arbitrary practice. As time goes on and a family occupies a certain house or farm, it is only natural that that place become known by their name. And why wouldn't it continue on being known as such? After all, it has only been known as such for 'x' amount of years, and to all of a sudden change the name that it is referred to would most likely confuse most. I do agree however that the name should eventually change, but then again I knew the newcomer to be an urbanite, and as such was most likely not aware of or did not have familiarity with local names (not a rule or a stereotype, but urban areas are not known to have as many names for each and every geographic aspect, instead going by neighbourhoods and streets as locators. Example: a small hillock that a street passes over in a city may not have a name, however, I'd place the odds on a similar feature in the country having a name, even if there are numerous hillocks to be found).
For whatever reason, many of the lakes in the Almaguin Highlands once long ago had original names, often they were actual names instead of the all too familiar adjectives and nouns used now (Clear, Loon, Trout, etc). Many were named after, again, the early pioneers and settlers of the area, but perhaps, owing to what the aforementioned newcomer said, as the people moved on, the name should change. I just think some of the names, if going to change, could have been a little bit more creative (why Deete Lake was ever changed to Deer Lake, I'll probably never know).