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vI-- 19 HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP--OF BRANT This is the largest township in the county, nearly 70,0000, acres in éertent, The Saugeen River enters the township at Hanover, running westerly to Walkerton, then in a northerly direction till it passes into Elderslie. Brant is well watered. has good roads, { good buildings and sufficient'fuel and timber for years to come, The rate per acre $36.94, f of this sum the village property amounts to $2,58 per acre. ' One of the Brant farms, that of the late Andrew Waechter, carried off the gold medal | in 1891, as the best farm within the four counties of Huron, Perth Wellington and Bruce. The first lands in Brant opened for settlement were the "free grants" consisting of the 1st and 2nd concessions north and south of Durham Road. These were offered on the conditions to be found in June, 1849, All these lots on these four concessions were taken up before the rest of the township which consisted of school lands which were offered for | | sale on August 5th, 1851. The price asked by the Government for school lands was 12 shillings and six pence, _ ($2.50). The first purchaser under this sale, William Mills, was for lots 34--35, Con., | 3 SDR, on August 6th, 1851,. The first patent was issued to John Eckford on March 5th,1852 for Lot 1 Concession 6. Another pioneer of 1849 was Thomas Todd who took up several lost just east of Walketton. After clearing these and residing there for nearly thirty years he moved to the Parry Sound District, His son, Archibald, now a retired farmer is a resident of | Walkerton . | A tragic incident of the early days is one of James Wallace, a pioneer, who ' settled on a lot on the South line, near where Walkerton Railway Station is.. It was J in the winter of 1850 while returning from Durham where he had gone for supplies After crossing the Saugeen at the jam, he walked along the north line to Mr, McWhinneys and rested, As night drew on he started to cross to the Durham line, expecting to get as far as Mrs. Jasper's that night. As there was no broken path through the snow he seemed | to have missed the blaze on the trees,. After night fell, his shouts were heartd from i Mrs., Jasper's shanty. Some strangers and guests and the boys lighted cedar torches and E went out in search for the shouting, Starting in the wrong direction the sound became m