Elmwood

Living Here

Elmwood straddles the ‘County Line’ dividing Bruce and Grey Counties. Everyone living on the east side of Bruce and Grey Road 10 are residents of the Municipality of West Grey while everyone living on the western side are Brockton residents.

Elmwood is serviced by a post office, a variety of local businesses and a very active Chamber of Commerce. The Elmwood Community Centre plays host to community events, and private functions throughout the year making it a social hub in the community. There is also a baseball diamond and children’s playground located at the Centre.

Surrounded by rich farmland, Elmwood has a decidedly rural feel and is just a short drive from a number of smaller centres.

History

Elmwood was founded by John Dirstein, Sr., who acquired 273 acres in Brant Township to establish a community. The name Elmwood, comes from a giant elm tree, which was in the way of progress and was felled near the intersection of Main and Queen Streets. It is likely all of Elmwood’s citizens benefitted from the resulting wood.

At one time the village offered five churches, a hotel, carpenter, furniture factory, doctor, flour mill, grain dealer, hardware store, cooper, four general stores, carriage, harness and wagon makers, blacksmith, livery, wood dealer, two grocers and a pump maker.

It is of some interest that a local inventor, Elhanan Bowman, strung some wire between himself and a neighbour a few blocks away, establishing telephone service in 1908. Before long he had 160 subscribers. The business passed through various ownerships until it was taken over by Bell in 1966.