Cooper’s Falls

History

The marriage of Thomas and Emma Cooper in 1859 was anything but a cause for celebration. Life in stiff, class-conscious English society in Woolwich, where they had both grown up, was exceptionally hostile to the young newlyweds.

There was little doubt that Emma, who had grown up in a wealthy and privileged household, had sunk about as low as you can go by marrying the son of the local butcher. Emma’s family immediately disowned her and even went so far as to cross over to the other side of the street if they saw her coming.

The ostracism continued following the birth of their two children, Ada and Norman, so rather than spending the remainder of their lives in misery, they decided to take their chances and escape to the other side of the world, where background and upbringing meant little.

Thomas and Emma arrived in Canada in 1864 and, with their three small children, began their journey northward from Toronto. Slowly, travelling by combination of train and boat, they made their way up to their land in what was then Ontario County, about 140 kilometres north.

During the early years, life was difficult for the struggling young couple and their growing family. Money was scarce and they had to live on whatever they were able hunt and plant. There were no neighbours close by and no one they could count on for help. This was primitive land where packs of wolves roamed freely and everyone had to be in safe quarters by nightfall. Emma frequently had to ration food when supplies grew low, particularly when hunting and fishing were difficult due to the harsh climate.

Over time the Coopers gradually established themselves. Thanks to an increase in immigration, more people arrived in the area. The community added a new log school, U.S.S. #4 Rama and Morrison in 1874. In 1876, Thomas built a new house with a general store near the waterfall along the Black River. In 1878 he added a post office and gave his name to the blossoming village. Sometime after 188, they replaced the original school with a new frame building.

As soon as the lumber industry arrived, Thomas built a sawmill which sustained the community for many years. His store thrived as lumbermen arrived from the nearby camps to fill their carts with a steady stream of supplies. With the lumber industry booming, it quickly became strapped for workers. Thomas made a return visit to England in 1884 to recruit even more workers.

Other mills in the area included Bothwell’s sawmill, that operated in 1885 and a shingle and sawmill, opened around the same period by James Gouldie. Other businesses included a boarding house and tavern, operated by David Genno. A second boarding house owned by Tom McNabb. John Justin was the wagonmaker.

Cooper’s Falls also briefly had a cheese factory owned by William Cooper who studied at the Agricultural College in Guelph. Unfortunately it was impossible to refrigerate the milk properly while it was enroute to the factory and the factory closed. Blacksmiths included George Stephens, David Dryden, and Tom Joslin who trained under Robert Fletcher in Washago.  

Entertainment was available at the Cooper’s Falls Hall, located across the street from the Cooper store. It began as a fairground building with a dance floor upstairs. The annual Ramona Fall Fair, put on by the Agricultural Society, took place in the building from 1887 until 1903.

The hall served multiple functions. Besides the fairs, they used the downstairs to store bagged cattle feed too large to carry in the store. Another function included the official court house, where Thomas Cooper, as a JP, tried cases. For a number of years, the Free Methodists held services there until they had a proper church building.  Social functions included box socials and dances and recreational activities like hockey practices. 

Two kilometres west of the village were the two churches, Methodist and Anglican, built side by side. St George’s Anglican Church opened in 1884. Services took place weekly until the 1950s. St George’s Methodist Church followed. After meeting in the hall for several years, they built a church around 1894 on land donated by former tavern owner David Genno. Following Genno’s conversion to Methodism, he closed his tavern. Methodism.

Thomas Cooper’s store burnt down in 1905 and was rebuilt. They used lumber from the boarding house, presumably McNabb’s. Joe Kehoe opened a second store on the northeast corner of Lot 15, Conc. N that closed in 1916. Although David Genno’s closed his tavern and boarding house in the 1890s, it remained open to occasional transient travelers until 1917 when it burned down.

Even though Thomas and Emma profited greatly from the lumber business, Thomas disapproved strongly of the wanton drunkenness that generally accompanied the transient lifestyle of the lumberjacks. To that end he became involved in the temperance movement and travelled far and wide, eventually ending up in Scotland and back in England, lecturing groups about the evils of alcohol. Thomas and Emma had nine children in total and remained married for over 50 years.

Road access to Cooper’s Falls had improved considerably by the mid-1880s. There were railway stations in nearby Washago and Severn Falls, both of which were readily accessible by road. Telephones arrived in 1911 and electricity in 1941. Before 1941, the store used a Delco Plant, an early form of generator power.

Community groups included the Ladies Aid who performed various fundraising activities. Another group of women formed a group during World War II to help with war activities. After the war the group morphed into the Cooper’s Falls Community Circle who helped raise funds to build the historic cairn.

Depletion of the surrounding woods, led to the closing of the lumber mill. Following that, the company began its slow descent into oblivion. A number of tourist operators remained in business during the 40s and 50s. A skating rink, built on the grounds of the old sawmill, opened in 1937. After suffering from neglect during the war years, it came back to life in 1948. The township took over the property in 1987.

The school closed in 1965 and became part of a centralized school system. Mr. Frank Cooper finally closed the post office and general store in 1968.

Today, a handful of people, 14 at last count, continue to live in Cooper’s Falls. Although the Methodist church has closed, St. George’s Anglican Church still holds occasional services. Many of Thomas and Emma’s descendants still reside in the area.