Mayne Corners

History

Mayne Corners was one of many tiny crossroads hamlets that dotted the Perth County countryside during the mid-19th century. Reportedly named after a Mr. May, who opened the village’s first post office, Mayne Corners came to life around 1855, when Wallace Township officially opened for settlement.

The residents of Mayne Corners were a mixed group, comprised of immigrants from the British Isles, Germany as well as Canadian born. The community included a store, blacksmith, post office and an Orange Hall, with James Bolton serving as First Master. They opened a school in the late 1850s. Other settlers in the area included John Ritchman and William Kenney from Ireland along with Peter Orth and Peter Erb from Germany.

By the mid-1860s Mayne Corners offered a range of services that included a shoemaker, William Drehman, several women who did weaving, two carpenters, Shepard Bolton and Henry Miller and a blacksmith, Charles Roadhouse, who also served as postmaster for a few months. Lewis Bolton was the local commissioner and conveyancer. Farming was the main activity, however a sawmill also operated for a brief period.

Unfortunately, Mayne Corners’ existence as a community was extremely short. When Charles Roadhouse resigned as postmaster in 1866, the post office closed. Postal services moved to Shipley, located a few kilometres up the road. A new Methodist Church, built in 1876, continued to bind the community together for a time. The church lasted until 1969.

Today, there is almost nothing left of Mayne Corners. A sign and the cemetery, both mark the location of this tiny pioneer community. Luckily they saved the Mayne Corners United Church. Following its donation to the Country Heritage Park, a theme park just outside of Toronto, it now forms part of their permanent collection of restored pioneer buildings. At one time the church could be booked for a variety of special occasions. Check with the park to see if that’s still the case. The park is open to the public during the summer.