Most of the pioneers who immigrated to North America in the 1800's came for the free (or nearly free) land and the Scottish settlers who settled here in the 1850's were no different. Epping was certainly a picturesque location for a village but it could not have been a very easy place to get to. Roads in the 1850's were little more than paths at best and impassable at times. Roads with a lot of hills would be impossible. Epping is on a hill. One of the roads going away from the town is steep enough to pose a problem, even today with our modern vehicles, on a slushy, muddy or icy day.
John Benson had Grey County's first post office located in his home in 1858. Although this might have made him a pretty important person about town in his day, I don't envy him. His route first went from Meaford to Epping then later the route was changed to add Flesherton, On. This took 2 days to complete the round-trip - on horseback! I'm assuming that he would not have gotten a break, just because it was storming. Everyone worked under the same tough, gruelling conditions, so I doubt that there was much room for sympathy. They all wanted their mail from home!
A few years later, in 1864, a new school called S.S.No.7 Euphrasia was built. The teacher, Susan Johnston would teach approximately 25 students.
Farmland cost $20-$30 per acre and farming was the most important business by the late 1860's. James Marshall's Store now held the post office, the population had grown to about 50 and the village had a shoemaker!
An Anglican Church was erected in the 1880's and a new brick Methodist Church was built to replace the old, frame one. The town now had 2 carpenters, a mason, 2 blacksmiths and a local Justice of the Peace.
It sounds as though Epping would continue to slowly grow but sadly, it would not last. The population never grew over 50 and in 1921, the post office shut down in favour of the allure of the bigger centres. All that is left of a town that, while not big, still managed to satisfy the need of its citizens, is the Mount Hope Methodist Church.
I'm amazed at the great condition of the building. The red brick is in good shape and, even though the windows are boarded up, (no doubt because of the usual idiot vandals,) the arches are still as beautiful as ever. I would so love to get inside to take pics., even though there's no natural light and presumably, no hydro.
Things have certainly changed and no doubt, the town's founders would be shocked at the disappearance of the town that they struggled so valiantly to build. Of course, it no longer takes 2 days to get from Meaford to Epping to Flesherton and back. Nothing that a few hours wouldn't take care of. Land prices have risen anywhere from $2,000.00 - $10,000.00 per acre. Townspeople have taken over the towns and countryside alike and forced the farmer and his farm to the back burner of society. The only constant for the old town of Epping is...the view from the corner out over the Beaver Valley is as amazing and outstounding as it was in John Benson's day!!
