Barbara A. Martindale- For What It's Worth August 27, 2013
Over the years, numerous planks from the old Plank Road (1843 to 1860s) have been found each time new road construction was taking place.
But just last week, huge logs, as if they were the whole tree, were discovered at the immediate south end of the bridge in Caledonia. One can see the new pavement covering over where the logs were found. The logs were set aside by Almas Construction to Forfar West Street, where they remain for now. The logs, deep under ground, had to be removed to enable workers to descend in a cage.
The Plank Road has quite a history. An Act passed on March 6, 1834 authorized the construction of a road from Hamilton to Port Dover. Commissioners were appointed to survey and lay out the road. The said highway was not to pass through an orchard or garden nor was a building to be removed without the owner's consent.
Arrangements were to be made for absolute surrender of these lands for a public highway. It was to be one chain in width.
The construction of the road itself didn't commence until 1839 and it was not completed until 1843, opened for traffic in 1844. The bridge was surveyed, built and opened about the same time.
The Plank Road was constructed by the nailing of planks on stringers. It appears these logs found last week are the stringers. At the time the Plank Road was considered the last word in road building being far superior to the corduroy roads built of logs laid side by side with earth thrown on top of them.
In spite of its excellence at the time of construction, the Plank Road soon fell into disrepair. The heavy loads of logs transported over the road cut the planks and the earth underneath gave way. The Plank Road was claimed to be built of both soft and hard woods.
One authority stated the planks were three inches thick, were of pine, oak, maple, beech and poplar. On the north side of the river it was chiefly hardwood, while on the south side it was pine. The road was to be kept in repair by a system of tolls, and gates were placed at intervals of about four to six miles apart. So it was expensive to enjoy the comforts of civilization by rolling along the new plank road. And it was a bumpy ride for stagecoach, buggy or wagon riders.
The Plank Road was sold to a private company in 1850 but by the 1860s, numerous complaints were reported and because tolls did not cover repairs, the road was in a dangerous condition. County council had to petition the legislature to have the road repaired. The road was taken over by the County, and later the province.
However, what had been wilderness with scarcely a clearing was turned into settled land in the very short time of five years because of the new Plank Road.
