A History of Elmsdale, Elmsdale West, and Brockton, Prince Edward Island
In 1865 surveyor Henry Cundall walked the trail from Elmsdale to Campbellton and said it was “barely pass- able”. In May 1866 it was noted that Mr. John Burke
was paid for cutting windfalls on the New Dock Road — apparently attempts were being made to improve its condition. )
By the 1870s the province had begun “Road Sales.”
The Supervisor of Roads advertised in the newspapers for the repairing of roads and bridges to the lowest bid- der at Public Auction. An example of a Road Sale was found June 12, 1890 in the Sammerside Journal:
..Wednesday 18 June at 8 o’clock a.m., Dock Road, from Campbellton to Alberton at 10 a.m., Piusville Road at 1 o’clock
pm, Coughlan Road from Dock Road at Wells O’Brien Road at 4 o’clock pm. Elmsdale Cross at 5 o’clock pm. ..
The survey for the Great Western Road was finished by 1827 and tenders were called for its construction late
that year. The first segment was from Miscouche to
Portage, and by 1830 it was completed to Cascumpec, but the settlers along the route were not satisfied with its condition. A petition sent in 1831 to the House of Assembly asked that more work be done on it. It stated that the road from Cascumpec to Charlottetown, more than eighty miles, was at times impassable, and even if it was fair at times, a trip on horseback to Charlottetown took five to seven days. The road West beCame known as the Great Western Road. Although we still refer to it as the Western Road or Route 2, it was officially re—
named The Veterans Memorial Highway in 2003 in memory of our Island veterans.
Road Sales.
DISTRICT NO. 2,
Prix: 0e». County.
111‘. Subscriber will :9” at P1113111-
Auction :11 the 11111951 bidder, 1111:
repairing 1111111 wads and brid ges in 1111': about 1131111111 District as {9119111.
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11991199 Road from I) Curric’: 19 line at 1.91 7. at 1 o’clock .. mad from 1111,1113: Road 19 111119199 Road, 91.. .1 o’clock p m
TUESDAY, 17111 1.199, 919 991913; :1. 11141111119191: Road: 9mW9919m R991! to 3199196916 8191199;H9119ren 899d {1991 Bloomfield 5111119919 6111999911911 11: 1199199119 111.; Tmium Road 91 19 9’91“]: 9 91.; from (39919991199 "to Mimw 19931191: at 3 o’clock 9.111.;IV91999 Road 9': 6919911
EDRE IJAY, 18111 1999.911 8 o‘clock :9. 19., flack Road; C919 991199 to Album 91 :9 9. 111.111.111.111: Rondatc’clockpm; , 11199 Read £19m. 8.991319 WaikO’ m Road 9: 4 9‘ p. 91.: 3119913919 1:199: :11 5
£5911. 91199.99, Album '19, ng’um’ :91: :1 9139911991., Gui 111111,
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The Summerside Journal, 12 June 1890
An ad for a “road sale” in the Elmsdale area in 1890