This section of the former Hamilton-Port Dover Plank Road was uncovered on the north side of the Argyle Street railway in North Caledonia on June 14, 2021.
Construction of the Plank Road began in 1839 and was completed in 1843. The planks were hewn from pine, oak, maple, beech and poplar and were up to 3" thick.
Until the early- to mid-1800s, many of Ontario’s roadways were dirt and mud paths. The first half of the 19th century saw a shift to building wooden, or plank, roads which would greatly improve and enhance long-distance and local transportation.
The plank road was a progressive idea; however, like many inventions, new methods of construction were soon favoured for their convenience and cost efficiency. After years of wear, the planks began to warp and rot away. The costs of repair, materials, toll buildings, employees and management soon began to outweigh the initial appeal of plank roads.
To maintain plank roads, ditches had to be dug on either side of the road to drain water and prevent mud from accumulating underneath the planks. Early turnpike companies built these roads and connected bridges with a toll charge to collect funds for road maintenance and police traffic.
The Hamilton and Port Dover Road Company maintained the Grand River Bridge as a toll bridge. Tolls for same-day return for one wagon and two horses was two pence (approximately 6¢), and the toll for pedestrians was one penny. In 1874, the rights to the bridge were vested with Haldimand County, which allocated $22,500 for a new bridge. In 1875, the Toll House was built as a residence for the toll keeper on the east side of the river. The County ceased collecting tolls c. 1890, but the house remained.
The Plank Road acted as a stagecoach route between cities. It was common for these routes to develop transport infrastructure for the safety of passengers and the facilitation of commerce before the development of railways. Taverns and coaching inns were built to serve the needs of travellers and usually included stables. As Caledonia’s population of permanent residents grew, it became necessary to accommodate travellers in stagecoaches, effectively paving the way for more inns and taverns and laying the foundation for future tourism in the area.
In 1851, historian Mr. W.H. Smith, publisher of “Canada: Past Present and Future”, commented:
Starting from Hamilton by the plank road we enter the district in the township of Seneca and soon reach the flourishing village of Caledonia. No better example could be shown of the advantage of making good common roads (that everybody may travel on) through the Province, that is to be found in the county bordering the plank road from Hamilton to Port Dover; when we first travelled it some five or six years ago. Shortly after the new road was made, the country between Caledonia and Port Dover was a perfect wilderness, scarcely a clearing to be seen, and a stranger would ask with surprise where the traffic was to come from to support the road. Mark the contrast in five short years; nearly every lot along the road has been settled and cleared and fine farms replace the place of dreary forests.
