Oro-Medonte History - St. George's Fair Valley Traditional Cache
Hidden : 4/16/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

St. George’s    Fair Valley
Church & Cemetery
(1832 - present)


This series of caches will take you to some of the many Historic locations around Oro-Medonte Township. Some two-thousand years ago this area was originally populated by First Nations Peoples, primarily the Wendat people. French explorers, missionaries and fur traders traveled through what is now Oro-Medonte beginning in the 1600s. Some time around 1819 the first Settlers began arriving from England, Ireland, and Scotland.

As each of these locations is historically significant, please pay extra attention and do not unnecessarily disturb anything at the site. In the case of active cemetery caches, please be respectful of any mourners that may be present and wait to make your "find" until they have left. It goes without saying that dogs should not be taken onto cemetery or historically sensitive grounds.

Each cache placed in this series is micro-sized. As much as most people prefer larger cache containers, we felt that the micro size allowed for the least disruption of the historic location.


In 1832, the congregation of St. George's Anglican Church was founded in Medonte Township, Simcoe County.

This same year, Captain Elmes Steele, of the Royal Navy, father of the famous Sir Samuel Steele Northwest Mounted Police, immigrated from England to a 1,000 acre land grant in Medonte Township. He donated 4 acres on a height of land overlooking the valley for a Church and cemetery. He also found 100 acres for a home and farm for an Anglican minister.
In 1835, the Reverend Mr. George Hallen came from Worcestershire, England with his family and settled in this new parish. Early services were held in local homes, taverns and schoolhouses until a log church was built in 1837. The present brick and stone Church was built 1886.

Although the community of Fair Valley was informally known as Purbrook after the Steele home, it took the name of Fair Valley after the post office opened in 1880. Fair Valley was essentially a small rural and farming community. By the mid 1880s, it had a population of about 50. William Wilson served as Justice of Peace and R. C. Hipwell operated the general store. James Robinson, a farmer and pork dealer, was also the postmaster. Mail was picked up and dispatched daily. St. George's Anglican Church was finally built in 1884 on the land donated by Elmes Steele. A school was added in the 1890s.

The first burial at the new cemetery was in 1844, three years prior to the official consecration of the cemetery grounds. Elizabeth Beard, the first burial after the cemetery was consecrated, was entered in Rev. Hallen’s register in Sept 1847. Burials are still taking place in the churchyard.

All stones face East, unless otherwise noted, and some stones have inscriptions on all four sides. Previously, some of the earliest stones had fallen over and grass grew on top. A number of these are now cleaned, but flat on the ground, cracked and partially or totally illegible.

Over the past century the community of Fair Valley has gradually gone the way of most small farming hamlets, and now only a few farms and the church remain. Fair Valley contains a number of historical plaques and stones dedicated to memory of Elmes Steele and his sons John and Samuel Steele, whose work and efforts immeasurably changed this country.

Anglican services are still conducted regularly in the Church, one of the few country Churches where this is still true. Today the Church and Cemetery are found at the East end of the Fairvalley Church Road off the 11th Line North, and just south of the Mount Saint Louis side road, in Oro-Medonte Township.

See the related Geocache "This One's A Steele".

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Or fher gb CBFG lbhe sbhaq-vg abgr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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