Highway 7 and 15 Notes from Karen Prytula

 

Map from Karen Prytula

Author’s note- When people send me interesting informative notes, especially someone like Karen, I like to make them available. Memories, notations, should be documented for future history.

 

From Karen Prytula– LCGS and Heritage Ottawa

The newspaper article you posted (When Things Come 360 –The First Automobile Fatality in Carleton Place– Torrance, Burgess, and Names Names) said the Torrance/Burgess family was headed to the Ashton Rd. This intrigued me somewhat, and so I pulled out my 1951 map, and the road to Ashton was Hwy 15!  Common knowledge to most, but what I did not realize was that 15 went right into Carleton Place (i.e. straight down the Franktown Rd., and straight down Bridge St. to the Town Line Rd, then veered left and went to Innisville, and then probably Perth).

You will also see there is no Hwy 7, going over the train tracks at the intersection of today’s 7 and Franktown Road.  If you stayed on the road it was probably dirt, and took you straight to the lake with no bridge to cross it like there is today if you were going to Perth.  i.e. if you were going to Perth back then, you would have to take the Townline route.

 If you were going the opposite way it took you straight to Ashton, then down what we called the 9th line, now known as Flewellyn Rd. I grew up on the 10th line (now Fernbank), one mile north of the 9th line.  We used to come to Carleton Place for gas on Sundays to gas up for the week.

Thanks Karen.

Wendy LeBlanc-– Hey, Linda, I always wondered why the (notice that we always used the word ‘the’ in front and never ‘road’ after) Town Line got changed to Townline Road. It was the Town Line when I left in ’66 and Townline Road when I moved back in ’88. Can’t think of why it would have changed. Did you know that it used to be Ontario’s shortest highway – #100?

Crystal Jane sen this photo in. Thank you!

Hi Linda! I have an old photo of my grandpa when they were building Highway #7

His name is Ray Giles thank you for posting it!! Such a great part of the heritage ! – considering every Carleton Place resident has driven that highway.

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal,  22 Nov 1955, Tue,  Page 26

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

 

 

Rolling Down Highway 15

Weekend Driving- Smiths Falls Franktown and Carleton Place 1925

“If Wayne Robertson Jumped Off the Highway 7 Bridge Does that Mean You Do it?”

Something Really Spells Funny on Highway 7

The Lost Highway

Breathtaking Bargains and Jukebox Favourites at The Falcon on Highway 7

Sentimental Journey Through Carleton Place — Did You Know About Sigma 7?

Twin Oaks Motel Opens -1959 — Highway 7 Landmarks

An Explosive Highway 7 Tale

Rolling Down Highway 15

 

Broken concrete pavement on Hwy 15 near Smiths Falls. Photo taken in 1958. See an
(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  –  © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 1958) The Kings Highway

 

Local Connection

Did you know Carleton Place’s Albert W. Cram was a very busy man from early Spring to Fall around the Lanark area? He had most of the contracts for our road systems in the area. Cram was proud that he had ‘the complete outfit’ of up to date machinery and equipment.

 

From the Kings Highway

Highway 15 was first designated as a provincial highway in 1920, although its original route was quite a bit different than the route that we are familiar with today. Originally, Highway 15 ran from Seeleys Bay northeasterly towards Smiths Falls, where it turned northwesterly to Perth. At Perth, the highway resumed its northeasterly route towards Carleton Place and Ottawa. The highway was extended from Seeleys Bay southerly to Kingston in 1921.

The route of Highway 15 remained largely unchanged until the late 1950s, when extensive reconstruction took place on Highway 15 between Perth and Stittsville. This section of Highway 15 was selected to be a section of the Trans-Canada Highway, and it was determined that a new alignment would need to be built to bring the highway up to standard.

 

Photo Linda Seccaspina

 

The original highway alignment via Ashton Station Road, Flewellyn Road, and Huntley Road was bypassed by a new straighter alignment in the late 1950s. A bypass was completed around Carleton Place in the late 1950s. The old alignment of Highway 15 through downtown became Highway 15B. In 1961, a major highway renumbering took place that saw Highway 43 extended westerly from Smiths Falls to Perth.

 

Above – Outdated railway subway on Hwy 29 (later Hwy 15) in Smiths Falls in 1958. Narrow, low clearance railway subways such as this one were quite common on Ontario’s highways until the 1960s.(Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Transportation  –  © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 1958) The Kings Highway

 

IN discussing Highway 15 farther down the reading list today Ted Hurdis mentioned the old road was behind the KIA on Highway 7 behind the MTO onHIghway 15— I went up to where the trailer place used to be and was not happily received.. trust me.. so I left and wandered around. MTO was closed so I went down on the next right after that.. and low and behold found what looks like a trail.. but I am sure it was the old highway 15.. as the road was cut off by a street and kept on going and you could see the rough paving in places and went off into the bush. It is definitely overgrown but I am sure this is it.. or used to beHighway 15

The section of Highway 15 from Perth to Carleton Place was renumbered as Highway 7, and Highway 15 was rerouted concurrently with Highway 29 between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place. The highway renumbering resulted in a reduction of Highway 15’s length to 173 km, but it did provide a more logical route for the highway. During the 1960s, the Ottawa Queensway was opened. Highway 15 was extended along the Queensway concurrently with Highway 7 from the Richmond Road Interchange to the Greenbank Road Interchange, where the highway ended at Highway 17. The concurrent route of Highway 7/15 between Carleton Place and Ottawa was discontinued in the early 1970s, when Highway 15 was truncated at Carleton Place. In the early 1980s, Highway 15 assumed the route of Highway 29 between Carleton Place and Arnprior.

 

Above – Circa 1955 postcard view of Gore Street (Hwy 15, later Hwy 43) in Downtown Perth, facing north from the Tay River Bridge.
(Photo courtesy of L. F. Charter)– The Kings Highway

 

Highway 15-where Richmond Road (old highway 7 and 15) crosses over

Vintage Smiths Falls & Perth Photo Perth-Wayfare Restaurant and B/A Service Station on highway #7. c1964

Where to buy Linda’s Books and please visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society website

 

Twin Oaks Motel Opens -1959 — Highway 7 Landmarks

An Explosive Highway 7 Tale

Something Really Spells Funny on Highway 7

The Lost Highway

Breathtaking Bargains and Jukebox Favourites at The Falcon on Highway 7

Sentimental Journey Through Carleton Place — Did You Know About Sigma 7?