History HistoryBurnt River was part of the area covered by a treaty with the Chippewa Indians on November 5, 1819. This was treaty No.20 in a series under the Mississauga, Chippewa and Pottawatomies ceded most of the land that is now Ontario to the British Crown. In 1835, a survey was conducted of what was to become Somerville Township which includes Burnt River. The surveyor, John Smith, named the area after Julia Somerville, wife of the Lt. Governor of Canada. Around 1855, the first settlers arrived from Ireland, Scotland, Germany and other places. Life was hard for the settlers, who had to endure the harsh conditions of the winter and from spring to fall they were plagued by successive waves of bugs. Wolves and bears were numerous.
The first land owner in the area of Burnt River was Abraham Farewell who in 1856 speculated by purchasing a number of lots. By 1860, lumber companies were starting to form in the area. They offered the earliest means of livelihood in the area. Soon, local sawmills were built. In 1862, a log building was erected in the Union Creek area to serve as a school for the Somerville area.
Around 1928, a reforestration project was started in the north area of Burnt River. This was done to solve the problem created by forest fires and wasteful use of trees by early settlers. Joe Handley Jr. had set up a saw mill to deal with logs, posts and pulpwood which provided much needed employment during the Depression of the 30s. During the '30's electric power became available for the first time in Burnt River.
The Hodgson Bridge was built across the Burnt River to the east of the village on Concession 6/7. But in 1931 a used steel bridge was brought in by rail to replace the wooden structure which was damaged by floods. This in turn, was replaced by a steel and concrete bridge in 1967. Around 1885, Jim Nichols built a saw mill at Nicholls Bridge.
The first church services were held at Burnt River by the Hebron and Methodist Church, in the little log school house(lot 13, con 5) by the Rev. Tapscott of the Fenelon Falls Baptist Church. The Burnt River United Church was first opened in 1888. The site for a new Hebron and Methodist Church was donated by Mrs. Nancy McIntyre and funds were advanced by members of the church. Everybody in the community helped to complete the building which is now one of the oldest in the village. The windows, pulpit and seats were purchased from a church in Salem, Marisposa. In 1893, a "Christain Endeavors" group was formed for young people and they raised funds to buy the organ for the church. By 1925, the church had become a part of the United Church of Canada.
In 1896, the work of the Church of England began in Burnt River with a Sunday School in the home of Mr. Roland Maconahie.
A larger school was built across the road in 1882. For many years, this same building served as a centre for all social and public functions.
In the early 1900's a general store was being operated in Burnt River by Dave Chalmers and his family who came to Burnt River from the Kinmount area. The Burnt River Telephone Company was formed in 1907. The following year, lines were established to Fenelon Falls and Kinmount. By 1942, there were 83 telephones; thirty years later, there were more than 500. In 1946, Chester and Marion Godwin opened a small "groceteria" in their home on the main street, from which they sold and delivered supplies to both the local and lake-side residents. After 50 years they are still in operation.
In 1908, the Burnt River women's Insitute was formed. The institute played an important part in the life of the village and in the same year, the Union Creek Post Office was opened at the home of Frank Maguire who lived beside the school. The Post Office finally closed in 1952. A considerable number of men from Burnt River volunteered to fight in the First World War. There is a memorial to five who didn't return home. JJ Budd, Robert Groves, Robert Carew, Ernest Umphrey and Wesley Hughes.
The Burnt River and District Recreation Association was formed to work towards the establishment of a community centre. The Association purchased the site of the Dancey Mill. Students worked through several summers to beautify the park which was used for sports and amusement. With help from the Somerville Township, the Ontario organization and many others, the present Burnt River-Somerville Centre was built. It was opened in 1983.
By 1876, The Victoria Railway had reached Burnt River. The first station in the lot was on the Rettie Lot and called Rettie's Station. A fire eventually destroyed the station and a number of other buildings and a new railway was built a mile to the north. In 1880, Alexander Rettie purchased five acres of land and opened a stone quarry which was bought by Samuel Suddaby and became one of the biggest industries in the village. It employed 40-50 men, some brought from Britain. The main Post Office building in Toronto was built from Burnt River limestone, as was the jail in Lindsay.
The railway company built a bridge across the Burnt River at Concession 4 in 1875. The bridge was replaced by the Canadian National Railway in 1952. The new structure, of steel with an overhead truss, was a section of a bridge destined for Kowloon(Hong Kong). The Second World War intervened and at the end of the war, the bridge became war surplus and was allotted to Burnt River. The railway at Burnt River vied with the river route as a means of moving lumber. In this way the railway was a great boost to the local economy. It also provided local farmers with a new means of transporting their produce and made travel easier for the people living along the tracks. It brought new settlers and it facilitated the departure of some who tired of the deprivations of pioneer life and the difficulty of making a living.
The last run of CNR Train M389 from Lindsay to Haliburton passed through at the Burnt River station on September 3, 1960.