“The Old Stage Road” Historical Plaque

This plaque was installed on the grounds of Sweaburg Central School on County Road 14, southeast of Woodstock by Ontario Heritage Trust’s for their Provincial Plaque Program. This program is the Trust’s oldest and perhaps best known projects. 

“This road, which follows in part the Indian trail, known as the ‘Detroit Path,’ across East Oxford Township, was opened by settlers at the expense of Major Thomas Ingersoll in 1796-97. It joined a wagon road opened across Burford Township by local settlers, connecting near Brant’s Ford on the Grand River with a road to Long Point from Ancaster. Extended later to Delaware, it became the preferred highway to Sandwich and was used by British and American troops in 1812-14. After 1826 it became the stage route from Ancaster to London until the building of the plank road from Brantford to Woodstock in 1842-3. Sections of the Road are still open between Ingersoll and Cathcart.”