Shanick (ghost town murder)

This is another ghost town that no one seems to know about. A fellow historian from Oshawa sent me a link about this awesome place NE of Marmora near Cordova Mines and another unknown ghost hamlet called Shaw.

The first settlers to this area on the Beaver Creek were granted land in 1848. The 1st Shanick post office opened in 1864 with James Bailey as postmaster.

The village(a)s 20 homes were spread out along the Shanick Rd. and its small off-roads. I am guessing a population of 100.

In 1880 the Airhart lumber mill was constructed and that gave the village a real economic boost. Once the mill was closed the community went into a real decline around 1930. The post office went through closures and re-openings until 1931 when it was closed for good as the town was by that point almost a ghost town.

Today the community no longer has a post office or a school house, but the population is increasing again to the south.

This website has some great photos past and present..http://shanickhistory.googlepages.com/

There are some great stories on that site too. Here is one frightening one:

Murder Legend of Shanick (according to Ruth Tierney)-

"George Franklin was the pioneer postmaster. It was claimed that he could neither read nor write (but this was proven false by his great relatives). To overcome his handicap and avoid confusion he laid the mail in neat order on a long table from which the recipients chose their own letters. In 1915 George was elected to the Shannick School Board. On one particular occasion a board inspector found obsolete and outdated pre-WW1 maps on the school room wall. From these maps the students were attempting to improve their knowledge of geography. Never the less, George managed to get re-elected for a second term.

One day George Franklin went to visit his brother, who lived in a settlers shack at Whetstone Rapids on Beaver Creek, a mile or two east of Shannick. On arrival he called his brothers name and receiving no reply. (They figured he drown. A search party was put in place and dynamite was used to blow up the creek to bring the body to the surface). (It is claimed) that they found him face down in the water with an axe buried in his skull. Police were notified and a search was carried out, but the killer was never caught and a motive was never established."

For other ghost town murder stories on here check out: Monsell, Uffington, Lewisham, Reesor Siding, Mowat, Redwater, Michipicoten, Bury(a)s Green and Dalton Mills.

There is a map below showing Shanick(a)s exact location. Take Cordova Rd to Beaver Creek Rd. Head east to Centre Line and head north up Shanick Rd. The actual downtown of Shanick is just past the Beaver Creek, which is still a fair distance up the road.

Enjoy my photos as I got some real beauties there in Sept. 2009.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chawimages/sets/72157606279485055/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chawimages/sets/72157606276111638/