Originally Published in Heritage Happenings, June 1982
These articles are reprinted as they were originally published. No attempt has been made to correct or update the content. If the topic interests you, we encourage you to do further research and/or reach out to us for any updates or corrections which may have been done since the original publication date.

During the early years of settlement in the township, many small communities sprang up. Most of these have now disappeared from the map: “lost” villages such as Bakersville; some have been absorbed by urban development and changing county boundaries such as Port Flamboro and Aldershot; while some, such as Mountsberg, have remained virtually unchanged.

Mountsberg

A post village in the township of Flamboro East, situated on the Twelve Mile Creek, 16 miles from Hamilton. It contains one store, two saw mills, an edge tool and agricultural implement manufactory. At this village there is a Roman Catholic School, under the charge of Miss Freel.

Port Flamboro

A landing on Burlington Bay, five miles from Hamilton and one mile from Waterdown Station on the Great Western Railway. It is in the township of East Flamboro’. There is no post office here; the post office nearest is Aldershott at the station. Large quantities of grain, lumber and cordwood are shipped from this port.

• Brown, Alex., forwarding, commission merchant, and postmaster Aldershott
• Mullin, Henry, laborer
• Shouldis, Thomas, prop. Victoria Hotel
• Welch, John, captain, steam ferry “Princess”

Aldershott (Waterdown Station)

A post village and station on the Toronto branch of the Great Western Railway, in the township of East Flamboro’, 4 miles from Hamilton, and 35 miles from Toronto. It contains a hotel, and a post office, with a daily mail. Large quantities of grain, flour and lumber are shipped from here annually. Population 50.

• Applegarth, Clarkson, flour and grist mill proprietor
• Brown, Alexander, J.P., postmaster and forwarder, etc.
• Freely, William, section superintendent G.W.R.
• Ireland, James, farmer
• McMahon, Daniel, blacksmith
• Oliver, Hamilton, hotel proprietor, boot and shoe maker, and assistant postmaster
• Proudfoot, Wm., barrister, attorney, solicitor, etc.
• Rossie, John, station master, G.W.R.

Bakersville

A small village of the township of Flamboro’ East, situated on the Grindstone Creek, and on the gravel road leading from Carlisle to Waterdown, four miles from Waterdown Station of the Great Western Railway, and eight miles from Hamilton. The village contains two steam saw mills and a tannery. Baker’s Mills saw about one million feet per annum; five hands are kept employed, and an engine of twenty-two horse to propel the machinery. Hill’s Saw and Planing Mill has the capacity of sawing two thousand feet per diem, and an engine of twn horse power is used. The village takes its name from George Baker, the first settler in this portion of the township. Mr. Baker settled here as early as 1824.

• Baker, Henry, sawyer
• Baker, James, sawyer
• Baker, John, steam saw mill owner, hotel proprietor and farmer
• Beaton, Thomas, laborer for J. Baker
• Binkley, Abraham, tanner and currier
• Corey, James, teamster for J. Baker
• Green, Samuel, blacksmith
• Ferris, Henry, sawyer
• Hill, Albert, planing mill proprietor
• Manley, Henry, sawyer
• Ray, John, laborer for John Baker

References:

“County of Wentworth and Hamilton City Directory for 1865-66”. Mitchell & Co. Publishers, 4 King Street East, Lovell & Gibson, Printers, Yonge Street.
“Illustrated Atlas of Wentworth County”. Page & Smith, Toronto 1875.

© The Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society 1982, 2020