b'Cedar Creek?This small settlement south of PrinceAlbert is unknown to many, buthasa long history in Reach TownshipThe mere mention of Cedar Creek, almost always will be met with a blank stare and the question, what, or where, is Cedar Creek? ItsratherdifficulttodescribeCedarCreeksincethesettlementwasneveridentifiedonamap.TherehasneverbeenaWelcometoCedarCreeksignatitsentrance,andtothebestofourknowledge,thesmallhamletatnotimehadapostoffice,generalstore,churchoranykindofcommercialactivity. ThenameCedarCreekcanplausiblybeattributedtoasmallcreekwhichflowsthroughthevalley,thennorthfromthesettlementthroughathickgrowthofcedars,intotheswampylandatthesouthendofLakeScugog. Today,morethan175yearsafteritwasfirstidentified,Ce-darCreekstillexists,atleastinname,ifnotonamap.Currentlytheareaishometo20ormorepropertyowners,butitsidentityseemstohavebeenlost. TheclusterofhomeswhichmakeupCedarCreekcan befoundaboutthreemilessouthofPrinceAlbertonOld SimcoeRoad.ThisroadwascarvedoutofthebushinThirtyyearsaftertheschoolwasopened,inJune1871,publishedastorytheearly1840s,fromOshawatoPrinceAlbert. alocalnewspaper,TheOntarioObserver, Anyonetravellingnorthalongthisrouteaboutahalf aboutthefirstanniversaryoftheCedarCreekUnionSun-acenturyago,wouldhavepassedthroughCedarCreek daySchoolontheabuttingproperty.Morethan100chil-ontheirwaytoPrinceAlbertandPortPerry. drenparticipatedinthecelebration,andtheReachBrass TodaytheroadthroughCedarCreekiscalledOld Bandperformed.SundaySchoolserviceswouldhavebeenSimcoeRoad,beginningwhereitveerswestoffofSim- heldintheschoolhouse,aswascommonpracticeatthatcoeStreet,justnorthofTheRidges. time. CedarCreekwasfirstidentifiedasasettlementinBobGreenwoodgrewupinCedarCreek,andattended1841whenaschoolhousewasopenedforthechildren theone-roomschoolasayoungsteruntilitwasclosed,inthatsectorofReachTownship.Theschoolwaslo- about1859.Afteritsclosure,studentsfromCedarCreekcatedonthesouthsideofthecreek,ontheeastsideof continuedtheireducationthreemilesnorthatPrinceAlbertoldSimcoeStreet,wheretheroadintersectswiththe PublicSchool.2ndconcessionofReachTownship.Althoughthereisverylittleinformationaboutthehis-toryofCedarCreek,itisapparentitwasanactivesmallcommunityduringthelate1800s. Then,intheearly1950s,thePort Perry Star,beganpublishinganewscolumnfromCedarCreek,inwhichalocalcorrespondentwroteabouteventsandactivitiestak-ingplacewithinthecommunity.ThecolumnwasaweeklyfeatureinthenewspaperwrittenbyGeorgeKilpatrickuntilthe1990s.ByJ.PeterHvidsten,FocusonScugogThe Cedar Creek School would have looked very similarAbove:A circular map showing a section of Reach Township in 1877.to the Bethel School, above, before it was closed in 1859. The inner red circle identifies the settlement of Cedar Creek, which is located about three miles south of Prince Albert on Old Simcoe Road.FOCUS - APRIL 201953'