Drum

History

Drum was a small post office in Manvers Township that thrived from the 1870s to 1880s. We don’t know much about this small community. The hamlet was located on Concession 2 in the area roughly bounded by Lots 4 to 7. At its height it boasted a population of around 50.

There was a log schoolhouse on Lot 6, sometime before 1868. It only lasted two years before burning down. A frame building, located on the same lot, replaced it two years later. S. McCabe owned the property, which also included an Orange Hall just east of the school. Since there was no church in Drum, Methodist services the Methodists held their services in the school every Sunday.

In 1870 Isabella Harrison opened a post office in her general store which was located on Lot 5. Mail arrived twice weekly by stage from Ballyduff. In 1875 William Coulter took over the property and post office. Whether or not he took over the general store is unknown, however there is no record of a general store in the 1880. George Coulter took over the post office in 1884 but that only lasted until 1888.

Other residents in Drum included James Miller, Jamed Delahay, James McRoberts, James and Hugh Byers, Richard Woodley, James Cowan and John Scott. The Canada Company owned property two and half lots north of the McCabe lot, where interestingly a second Orange Lodge was located.

The school saw some maintenance over the years, including tin siding in 1934. Early teachers included M. Haines, Robert Clarke, Ada Fair and Jennie Armstrong. Teachers rarely stayed more than a year and some only lasted about six months. Mrs Vaneta Preston, who taught from 1958 to 1964 was the last teacher. The school closed after that. Today nothing remains of this small community, plenty of rural dwellers live in the area.