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REMEMBER THIS: Slightly Spooky Stories — The Millpond Ghost

Tragedy struck the hamlet called Lennox in the late-1800s when a labourer fell into the millpond and drowned, possibly returning in ghostly form; the mills soon shut down and the buildings fell into disrepair

As far as I can gather, this is the only known story of a ghost being the cause of the existence of a ghost town.

There’s not much to see today. I had to look up one of those wonderful old county maps produced by H. Belden & Co., during the 1870s and 1880s to have any idea where the lost hamlet of Lennox was situated.

The rich history of Innisfil Township is kept in part by the photographs, stories and documents collected by the Innisfil Historical Society. On their fantastic website, I came across the tantalizing tale of a tragedy that put an end to the hopes and dreams of this once bustling community.

The Belden map of 1881 shows a nameless place around Lots 8 and 9, on the 5th Concession, on a branch of Innisfil Creek. Two small symbols mark the location on the map and are labelled very simply – grist mill and saw mill.

It was once a booming place, as a 2014 blog post by the Innisfil Historical Society explains.

“Formerly a rather thriving milling centre situated on a branch of Innisfil Creek, the small community was established in the mid-1800s and lasted until the end of the century. Featuring a grist mill, saw mill, shingle mill, miller’s residence, and several smaller homes for the workers, the hamlet was important enough to even boast its own post office from 1872 until 1881.”

The hamlet was known as Lennox or Lennox Mill after its founder, William Lennox. I have yet to confirm that another nearby mill, known as Haughton’s Mill, was located on the same site.

But if you think that the names Lennox and Haughton seem familiar and connected in some way, you are right. Haughton Lennox an extremely well-known lawyer, judge and MP in Simcoe County.

Haughton Ignatius Samuel Lennox was born in 1850 on the 5th Concession of Innisfil. Very likely, he was born near his father’s mill site. Later, William Lennox built another mill at Painswick.

Why abandon such a successful mill business? Let’s let the Innisfil Historical Society take up the story again as they tell it so well.

“As the story goes, not long before the village began to decline, tragedy struck when a labourer fell into the millpond and drowned. His friends and co-workers were then tasked with the gruesome chore of draining the pond to retrieve his body. Numerous times after the incident the retaining dam and causeway failed, resulting in the draining of the extensive pond time and time again.

"It wasn’t long before people suspected the cause was the millhand returning in his ghostly form, and several locals began to report hearing a splash and a cry for help from the pond. Of course, the surface of the water remained still whenever they went to investigate.”

You can choose to believe that a restless spirit denied Lennox any further success, or you can think that nature took back the pond but, in either case, the mills shut down and all of the buildings fell into disrepair.

The village of Lennox is no more.

Each week, the Barrie Historical Archive provides BarrieToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past. This unique column features photos and stories from years gone by and is sure to appeal to the historian in each of us.


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Mary Harris

About the Author: Mary Harris

Mary Harris is the Director of History and Research at the Barrie Historical Archive. The Barrie Historical Archive is a free, online archive that centralizes Barrie's historical content.
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