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See our map for locations of these hamlets.
Amberley
The second post office in Ashfield was opened here on April 1,
1854 and operated under the name of Ashfield. Originally, Amberley
was named Delhi but the name was changed because Ontario already
had a community named Delhi. The mill at Point Clark was taken over
by Alexander Fraser in 1857. Within a short time, Fraser built a
home, saw and gristmill, a store and christened the site with the
name of Amberley. The name became official in 1866 by an Act of
Parliament. It has been suggested that the name, Amberley, means
"the land between the lakes". General stores, a school,
hotels, mills, tailors, garages and churches once populated Amberley
and made it a thriving community.
Clover Valley
In 1890, acres of clover growing in a valley-like setting were
the inspiration for the name of this hamlet. The name was chosen
during the teaching term of Mr. Frank Patterson who taught from
1890-92 at the SS 11-Huron Township Clover Valley School.
Clark's Church
This hamlet was originally called Clarke Community. The residents
of Clarke Community had many ancestors who had travelled to this
area from Hastings. The church was named after Dr. Adam Clarke,
who was well known for his Bible commendation.
Holyrood
The hamlet of Holyrood is named after the present royal family's
residence in Edinburgh, Scotland-the Holyrood Palace. Two stores,
wagon shops, a sawmill, a cheese factory, two churches, a hotel,
a brickyard and a blacksmith made Holyrood a vibrant wee community.
Today, a variety store and the Post Office run out of the Holyrood
Store.
Kinloss
Joel Eli Stauffer-credited with being the first man to cross Kinloss
Township-built the first sawmill in Kinloss in 1854. Kinloss was
dubbed "The Black Horse" as well due to a tavern of that
name owned by William Shelton in 1854. The present-day hamlet of
Kinloss can be found on Hwy 9.
Kinlough
James Paxton did the original survey for Kinlough and the community
began to take shape in 1857 when John Scott opened the first store.
In the late 1800s, with a population of over 200 people, the busy
hamlet had a post office, a tailor, dressmaking and millinery shop,
two general stores, three shoe shops, a pump factory, carding and
woolen mills, a hotel, a blacksmith shop, a saw and shingle mill,
a harness shop, three churches and a schoolhouse. Silver Lake and
Otter Lake, two popular recreational areas, are adjacent to this
hamlet. A tent and trailer park can be found on each of these two
lakes.
Langside
In 1857, a post office opened its doors on the corner of Concession
4. The Langside post office continued to distribute the mail until
1915. A blacksmith shop, general store and a chopping mill also
set up business on Concession 4. In Lower Langside-on Concession
6-a schoolhouse, a hall and a church all once stood.
Lochalsh
In September 1849, the first arrivals in Lochalsh were Highland
Scot families from the Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland. Allan MacKenzie
was postmaster from 1878 to 1880 and the first post office was run
from his store. MacKenzie is credited with naming the community,
Lochalsh. The village grew in the early 1900s, sprouting houses,
a tailor shop, temperance hall, school, general stores, blacksmith
shop, churches and a cemetery. Over time, Lochalsh simply diminished
in size and faded away.
Pine River
A group of red pine trees north of the river near Lake Huron lent
their name to the hamlet of Pine River. It was here the first post
office in Huron Township opened its doors on June 1, 1853. The post
office retained this name through its many moves until it moved
to its final location in 1877 on Concession 8 at Saugeen Road, as
it was then known. Today, Saugeen Road is called Highway 21. Pine
River is best known for Pine River Cheese, the cheese and butter
co-operative located on Highway 21. This factory was built in 1982
when the previous buildings were destroyed by fire.
Purple Grove
In 1896, postmaster Mr. Logan asked his neighbours for help in
naming his new community. The neighbour who lived about a quarter
of a mile to the east, Sandy McLaren, offered this suggestion: "Mr.
Logan, you have the purple (a degree attained in the Orange Lodge)
and I have the grove (a beech grove of about 4 acres), let us call
it Purple Grove." And, so it was and is. Today, a community
hall stands at Purple Grove and there is a very active Women's Institute.
 Reid's
Corners
The Reid family who settled here may have been from the Misty Isles.
In 1893, Russell Reid set up residence on Lot 37, Concession 3.
John H. Reid began farming on Lot 35 in 1912. It is generally believed
the name, "Reid's Corners", is derived from the settlement
of these two families here. The Reid's Corners Women's Institute
is heavily involved in community affairs. A community hall and a
ball diamond are located in Reid's Corners.
Verdun
A post office operated in the hamlet of Verdun from 1864 to 1915.
The SS. Huron #13 School was built in 1877 and the school officially
opened its doors on January 2, 1878. A primitive Methodist Church
was located at Verdun, as was the church's cemetery. When the church
closed in the 1890s, the cemetery was no longer used.
Whitechurch
The hamlet of Whitechurch has undergone several name changes during
its almost century and a half history. When Robert Ferrie and his
family settled on one corner north of present-day Whitechurch and
established the SS #10 School. Known as the community of Ferrisville,
located on the boundary line between Wingham and Lucknow, several
businesses set up shop-a sawmill, John Mowbray-general merchant,
an Orange hall and a church. In 1864, the community waited in anticipation
for the coming of the railway and a post office. In 1865, a post
office was opened just south of Whitechurch and named Ulster after
a northern province in Ireland. George McKay, who ran a store at
Ulster, was responsible for moving the post office to the township
line sometime before 1874. During the late 1800s, the area was the
cultural center for the surrounding rural communities. The community
was referred to as the place "where the white church is"
by surveyors and travellers. Eventually the name stuck and the name
of the post office was officially changed to Whitechurch on January
1, 1881.
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