Norwich, Ontario

Norwich
—  Township  —
Motto: Beautiful, Agricultural, Historical
Norwich
Coordinates: 42°59′N 80°36′W / 42.983°N 80.6°W / 42.983; -80.6Coordinates: 42°59′N 80°36′W / 42.983°N 80.6°W / 42.983; -80.6
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Oxford
Government
– Mayor	Donald Doan
– MPs	Dave Mackenzie
– MPPs	Ernie Hardeman
Area[1]
– Land	431.28 km2 (166.5 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
– Total	10,481
– Density	24.3/km2 (62.9/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC-4)
Postal Code	N0J 1P0, N0J 1P1, N0J 1P2
Area code(s)	519 and 226
Website	www.twp.norwich.on.ca

The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' (pronounced with 'w'), different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the pioneering families emigrated in the early 19th century, an abbreviation of the original Norwichville.

Formerly North and South Norwich Townships, Norwich includes the communities of Beaconsfield, Bond's Corners, Brown's Corners, Burgessville, Cornell, Creditville, Curries, Eastwood, Hawtrey, Hink's Corners, Holbrook, Lambeth, Milldale, Muir, Newark, New Durham, Norwich, Oriel, Otterville, Oxford Centre, Rock's Mills, Rosanna, Springford, Summerville and Vandecar.

Oxford County Road 59 (formerly Highway 59) is the major north-south highway through much of the township, including the community of Norwich proper.

The local economy is largely agricultural, based on dairy farming in the north part of the township and tobacco and ginseng farming to the south. Slowly, ginseng is replacing the former cash crop - tobacco, as demand shrinks.

Government

The township government, Norwich Township Council, consists of four councillors based on wards and a mayor. Donald Doan is the current mayor, re-elected for a four year term in November 2006, re-elected again for a four year team in October 2010.

• Ward 1 (South Norwich) - southern portion of township, including Otterville
• Ward 2 (Village of Norwich)
• Ward 3 (North Norwich) - middle portion of township except Norwich village, including Burgessville
• Ward 4 (East Oxford) - northern portion of township, including Oxford Centre

For provincial and federal elections, Woodstock is included in the riding of 'Oxford'. Currently, the Federal MP of Oxford is Dave MacKenzie (Conservative), and the Provincial MPP is Ernie Hardeman (Progressive Conservative).

History

In 1793, Abraham Canfield a United Empire Loyalist from Connecticut, settled in the "Township of Oxford on the Thames" (This township was later divided into North, West and East Oxford Townships: East Oxford later became part of the Township of Norwich in 1975.)

Norwich was founded by two men . Peter Lossing and Peter De Long . Both where from New York . Peter Lossings house was the first one in Norwich . It now stands by the old Quaker Meeting House . Both men where Quakers . The town of norwich used to be all quaker settlers , but they died of .

In 1799, the Township of Norwich was laid out by surveyor William Hambly into lines and concessions and 200-acre (0.81 km²) lots.

The Norwich Quaker Settlement

In 1809 Peter Lossing, a member of the Society of Friends from Dutchess County, New York, visited Norwich Township, and in June, 1810, with his brother-in-law, Peter De Long, purchased 15,000 acres (61 km²) of land in this area. That autumn Lossing brought his family to Upper Canada and early in 1811 settled in Norwich Township. The De Long family and nine others, principally from Dutchess County, joined Lossing the same year and by 1820 an additional group of about fifty had settled within the tract. Many were Quakers and a frame meeting house, planned in 1812, was erected in 1817. These resourceful pioneers founded one of the most successful Quaker communities in Upper Canada.

The Otterville Mill

Built in 1845 by Edward Bullock, the mill is run by water power supplied by a dam on the river. The South Norwich Historical Society, on a lease basis, maintains this historic site and offers tours on request. A beautiful setting in the center of the village, the mill and its surrounding meadow is the site of an annual barbecue.

The Norwich Tornado of 1998

On the afternoon of June 2, 1998, a severe weather outbreak affected Southern Ontario. At around 3:50 PM, there was a report of a tornado touching down in Holbrook and heading straight for Norwich. The tornado hit Norwich around 4:05 PM, damaging trees, farm equipment, barns, houses, and the wooden Holy Trinity Anglican Church (1867). Three people were injured, and the next day, Environment Canada confirmed that an F1 or F2 tornado had hit the village. Following a decision by the parish, Holy Trinity Anglican Church was not rebuilt as the congregation opted to join with St. John's Anglican Church, Otterville. However, a stone monument commemorating the church continues to mark to site. ^[2]

Demographics

Population trend:^[5]

• Population in 2006: 10,481
• Population in 2001: 10,478
• Population in 1996: 10,611 (or 10,560 when adjusted to 2001 boundaries)
• Population in 1991: 10,146

Landmarks

The Norwich and District Museum

The Norwich and District Museum is one of Ontario's longest operating rural community museums and contains a collection of artifacts relating to the agricultural and social history of the area. The museum is actually housed inside a former meeting house (built in 1889) which was donated by The Society of Friends donated a former meeting house to the Pioneer Society for this purpose.

Norwich District High School

Norwich District High School, home to the Norwich Knights, was opened in 1952 in the south end of the village of Norwich. On October 28, 2008 Thames Valley District School Board trustees made the decision to close Norwich District High School due to declining enrollment in the area and the school board at large. A reunion for past NDHS alumni was held on June 5-6th, 2010.

Grand Trunk Railway Station Museum and Blacksmith Shop

The South Norwich Historical Society has restored this 1875 station to its condition as a 1881 Grand Trunk Railway station. The waiting room and office are restored authentically, the baggage room is an interpretation room for displays of the area's history. Permanent displays feature railway construction of the 1880s with many artifacts of all periods. The Underground Railroad and early Black settlement of the area is another highlight, as well as the story of early Quaker heritage in the area.

Early black settlement cemetery

In 1982 during the 175th celebrations of the community, a plaque was placed at the cemetery to commemorate the black settlement of freed families who made their homes in this area.

Otterville Park

Just north of the main corner, and through the stone gates, is 10 acres (40,000 m²) of parklands graced with beautiful tall pines, with a swimming pool, ball diamond, horseshoe pitch, tennis and basketball courts, and children's playground.

Notable residents

• Emily Stowe, (1831-1903), first woman doctor to practice medicine in Canada, and Augusta Stowe-Gullen, her daughter, first woman to earn a medical degree in Canada
• Harold Innis, (1894-1952), political economist, born and raised in the Norwich Township community of Bookton
• James Robertson^{[disambiguation needed ]}, (1839-1902), Presbyterian, Superintendent of Missions, North West Territories
• Margaret Allen Rockefeller, wife of William Avery Rockefeller (father of the American oil tycoon)
• James Beech Moore, (1842-1931), longest serving minister in the Canadian Baptist movement, at the time of his death the oldest Canadian veteran of the American Civil War
• Hulda Minthorn, (1848-1884), mother of Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States; moved to Iowa with her family at the age of 11
• Cassie L. Chadwick, (1857-1907), born Elizabeth Bigley in the Norwich Township community of Eastwood, moved to Cleveland, Ohio, became Madam and infamous fraudster

Media

The local newspaper is the Norwich Gazette, published by Sun Media/Bowes.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Norwich community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3532002&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Norwich&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2011-02-09. 
2. ^ Kuhn, Robert J. The Norwich and Elmvale Tornadoes June 2nd, 1998 Storm Canwarn, Ontario region, May 27, 1999
3. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2011-02-09. 
4. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2007-02-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Index.cfm?Lang=E. 
5. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census

External links

• Township of Norwich (municipal site)
• Norwich, Ontario Homepage featuring events, weather
• Norwich Gazette
• Norwich & District Historical Society
• Historic Otterville
• County of Oxford
• Information Oxford