Cache is a large pill bottle with only a log. It should be an easy find. I've placed this cache to draw your attention to the former community of Renforth that existed at this location in the late 19th and early 20th century.
You've likely never heard of 'Renforth' before, and I don't mean the road near Pearson airport in Toronto. Ground Zero is right near the heart of the former village of Renforth which has pretty much been obliterated from Ancaster's past, even though at one time it was a vibrant and important community. It was located on the Stone Road, now known as Glancaster Rd, the boundary between Glanford and Ancaster. It was called the Stone Rd because it was the only stoned rd (i.e. not dirt) in the area at the time. The southern boundary of the community was Sawmill rd, which was the boundary between Ancaster and the Indian Town Line.
HOTELS in RENFORTH
Beginning in 1875, mail was brought by horse from Hamilton to Renforth and then on to Carluke. Farmers would use this road to carry cordwood, hay and other farm produce to Hamilton from Carluke. Since the trip took a day in each direction, Renforth had two hotels. The hotel built by Jacob Smuck was called the Beehive because there was a structure like a beehive over the hotel from 1875 to about 1900. The other hotel was called the Trippman Hotel, and it lasted about the same length of time at the Beehive.
AN INDUSTRIOUS COMMUNITY
The Mayhew family ran a farm, a store, a cheese factory and a post office in Renforth. Farmers for miles around brought their milk every morning to the cheese factory during the summer and took whey home to feed their pigs. In the winter, they kept the milk at home and made butter. This store closed about 1906.
Ward Ryckman (you've heard of Ryckman's corners at Rymal and Upper James?) operated a lumber mill and a shingle factory. The lumber mill was used to maintain the plank road from Hamilton to Caledonia. Can you imagine having a road of wood to travel on? On the north end of Renforth you would have found a church and a cemetery. The church was Episcopal Methodist and was called Salem Church. It was torn down in 1905 and used as a church again on Book Rd. Later, in 1934 it was torn down and used to provide the Sunday School room at Bowman Church on Garner Rd. The cemetery is still there, and you'll also find another Historical Hamilton cache there, too.
At the Corner of Whitechurch Rd and Glancaster Rd there was a brickyard which supplied bricks until it ran out of clay. The house of Harmonious Smith on Book Rd was reputed to have been built by brick from this yard.
Congrats to carnigrewal and tiggrrr for making FTF history in Renforth