Elmsdale, Prince Edward Island
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Elmsdale is a Canadian rural community located in western Prince County, Prince Edward Island.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Name
Elmsdale started when the Great Western Road and Dock Road were formed. The surveying of the farms along the Dock Rd. began in 1841. When it crossed the Great Western Road creating a crossroads, James Reid owned the land where the Nazarene Church parking lot is today. The community that quickly formed was at this crossroads was called Reid's Corner.
In 1865, John Adams and his family moved and settled on the same corner. Reid died in 1866. Until 1872, the community was called Adams' Corner, but sometimes people still referred to it as Reid's Corner.
When the railway was surveyed through Lot 4, the community was referred to as Reid's or Adams' Corner. Since the station was near the Dock Road intersection, it was called the Dock Road Station between 1872 and 1875. The residents were not satisfied with that name and met to change it. The name Elmsdale was first used in 1868, but did not become the only one until 1875.
[edit] Industrialization
For many years, Elmsdale was a small settlement wedged between Capbellton and Alberton.
As "The Corner" grew into an industrial center, people built home close to their place of work, and churches to worship in. They were the Presbyterian and the Salvation Army (later the Church of the Nazarene).
[edit] Elmsdale West and Brockton
Up the Dock Road two other communities were formed, Elmsdale West and Brockton. Elmsdale West has always been, and continues to be, an agricultural settlement. Brockton was formed at the intersection of the Trainor Road and the Dock Road, and was first called Dock Road Settlement. St. Bernadette's Roman Catholic Church was built in 1929 in Brockton.
As Elmsdale expanded, more roads were built, creating a spider's web of routes. Roads include the Butcher Road, the Wells Road, the Warren Road, the Murray Road, the Old Tom Road, the O'Brien Road, and others.
[edit] Churches
Elmsdale has two churches:
- Elmsdale Church of the Nazarene
- Elmsdale United Church
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Going to the Corner (2006), published by The Elmsdale and Area Historical Society, detailing the history of Elmsdale, Elmsdale West, and Brockton.
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