Sligo Hill remembered with sign

October 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
A lot of people probably don’t know about a place called Sligo Hill in Caledon.
It exists, it has a history, and a few minutes on the Caledon Trailway on the west side of Highway 10 should be enough time to learn about some of the story of this hamlet.
Mayor Marolyn Morrison was on hand last week, accompanied by Sligo Hill resident Helen Hamilton and representatives of the Caledon heritage community for the unveiling of the sign marking the place, and offering some of the history.
Information of the sign says the hamlet was founded in the mid-19th century.
“At this location, wagons and teams of horses began the difficult climb out of the Credit River Valley onto the Peel Plain,” the sign reads. “Soon known as Sligo Hill, this section of Hurontario Street had a switchback that many called Deadman’s Turn.”
That turn was eventually taken out and the highway straightened in the middle of the 20th century.
It adds that local merchant Isaac Hunter opened the first post office there in 1853, naming it after County Sligo in Ireland.
Hunter resigned as postmaster in 1863, and the job was taken on by miller Thomas Bell. The post office was moved to a property he bought in 1866 nearer the Forks of the Credit.
“The post office closed in 1883, and the hamlet of Sligo faded into history,” the sign concludes. “Sligo Hill on Hurontario Street is its namesake.”
In carrying out the unveiling, Morrison commented that it represents part of the true history of Caledon.
Hamilton said she’s lived in the area since 1961, and she commented that she always thought it was a wonderful area, but was upset there was no sign.
“I’ve been bugging and bugging for that,” she said, adding she was able to get help from Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones and was able to get the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to go along with the idea.
She also said she hopes there will be signs along the side of road, informing motorists they are in Sligo Hill.
“We’re a no-name community,” she said, pointing out there are 17 homes that front onto Highway 10, and people should know that. “A lot of people don’t even know that Sligo Hill is Sligo Hill. I hope to be able to say it.”
Errill O’Hara, chair of Heritage Caledon, observed that the settlement of the area would have coincided with the Potato Famine, and he suspected the people who settled in the area might have left Ireland to get away.

There was a small but pleased crowd out last week for the official unveiling of this sign on the Caledon Trailway on the west side of Highway 10, marking the location of what used to be known as Sligo Hill. Sligo Hill resident Helen Hamilton and Mayor Marolyn Morrison were on hand fo the unveiling.
Photo by Bill Rea

Caledon’s Heritage Resource Officer Sally Drummond and local resident Helen Hamilton were standing by the sign marking the history of Sligo Hill.
Photo by Bill Rea