Lost Essex County – Southwick

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• Splitlog seems fascinating too.

  I rally like this theme! Thanks for the pictures.

• Jane, we also hit Splitlog, sadly there wasn't even anything worth taking a photo of.

  I'm glad you like it, there are a few more to go still.

• I think this is a great theme too!

  Apparently erca has plans for converting this rail right of way to another trail in 2-3 yrs. I imagine it would be much like the greenway.

  Also with these 'ghost towns' located near the rail line, would there have been typically grain elevators, gas station, or country store nearby? although no physical evidence...

• There is a CASO mailing list on Yahoo Groups where you can probably find alot of resources on stuff like that, Fausto. But in any case, it was common back then for small villages to set up next to the rail line - and just as common for said villages to disappear when the rail line is abandoned. That's often how most ghost towns become ghost towns. If you guys are enjoying Andrew's shots you might also enjoy mine at http://flickr.com/photos/tiz68/

• I'm pretty sure this was the stretch of track my father used to pick wild berries alongside, before it became too overgrown.

• I am relatively new to this site and I find it extremely fascinating. I am still going through some of the previous postings and I hope no-one minds if I comment on some of these.
  One of the things I find fascinating is the site names scattered across the county. It makes you wonder how some of the names came into use.
  I came across the name of Chief Splitlog in several books dealing with our local history. When I googled this name I was surprised to find a fairly comprehensive history (after he departed Essex County) on this individual. It is interesting from a historical perspective...
  http://www.cayugamission.org/mathis.htm

• I'm new to the site, so i'm aware that this thread is quite old! I live in old Anderdon Twp. and I know the spot well. Just in front of the tracks, (the north side), their was a family homestead. The house was torn down years ago I was told, though i'm not sure exactly when. I was also told that just to the east of the tracks, their was an old picnic grounds. I'd love to find out more about the area, but its pretty tough to find material on old Anderdon.

• Chief Spitlog died in Essex County, it is said that he was wounded 7 times in various battles, in the Sandwich archives it shows a picture of a Splitlog as a fireman in the early 1900's, dont know if any of the family is still around here,

• It's perhaps a bit of a stretch to refer to Southwick Station or Auld Station as 'ghost towns'. Historically, there was a post office located at Auld (and likely at Southwick, too). I live just down the road from Auld and there is no evidence that it was anything more than a rural stop along the rail line for postal purposes and maybe for the loading or unloading of local goods -- nothing to suggest that it was 'developed' in any way that would accord it 'town' status.

  This summer I purchased a fascinating and comprehensive (400+ pages) history book of Anderdon Township entitled "Anderdon: Some Folks Down the Road" c.2012, authored by former resident Mark Warren. I recommend this to anyone interested in this former township's history. Auld, Southwick, Splitlog and Lukerville all receive attention in this recently published book.

  As a child growing up in McGregor, my friends and I would place coins on these tracks at the predicatable train crossing time (the boys would use rocks from the rail beds, ugh!)and would happily wave at the engineer before gathering up the flattened end products.

• Thanks for the info on this new book, Vicki. I'll look for it. Where did you get your copy?