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Voluwm,l “J' PURFIE (EOVE llhe Purple Grove community had no special name for the first few years of its settlement. except that it was known as an Irish settlement. In 1876. the community received Word that a Post Office would be opened and asked Mr. John N. Logan to suggest a name for the Post Office. The neighbours suggested logenville, Qolllns and Stanley, but none of these were acceptable to Mr. Logan. ’lhen ., one day Sandy Metal-en .Who lived one quarter of a mile east said; E "Mr. Logan. you have the purple( Mr. Logan had just attained the purple in the Orange Lodge) and I have the grove. (Mr. McLaren had a. grove of font acres of beech trees) let on call it Purple T Grove, and it was so called. fihs Post office was opened Qprillafi 1876. John N. LOgan was the first Post Master and carried the men to and from Ripley. a distance of five miles every Saturday and I, ‘ later three times a week. 'Jihe Poet Office was closed on . "‘ .TolTs when rural mail delivery was introduced. but the name still carries on. In .7952, there were only six of the original grove of beech trees still standing. Five years later, they were removed in PU "P n G n D we ’7 7‘ a road improvement program. information given by Clarke Logan son of John S The first rural mail carrier was John McDonald, followed by Gideon Ruttle. Wm. McKay,Ben Logan, and Ivan Pollock. These men used cars in summer and horses in winter, while Mr. Logan went on horseback. J'n the early days. Purple Grove had a store built by Mr. Vanhorne on the north-east corner. fihe walls between the joists were filled with gravel and sand to keep the building warm. The studding soon began to rot and in due tip , the buildingi’ell down. There was a blacksmith Shep on the .Q .-thâ€"sast corner. and an Qrange Hall on the south-west corner which was later sold and moved one mile east and used as a barn. One quarter mile south is the school house. The first school was built in the same field as the Stanley home one mile south of Purple Frove. In 1868, the Wesley Methodist Church was built on the farm of Charles muyler one mile north of Purple Grove. When it had to be replacedathe new church was built at Purple Grove in T891 and was about fifteen feet from the Orange Hall. ‘ Clarke Logan The blacksmith shop was built and operated by John N. Logan. As a young msn,W{m. Hill worked in the SM}; and learned the trade. This type of shop was a great convenience to the farmers of the area. While the first settlement in Huron Township began at Pine Rivelfi inl‘848, and the Lewis Scotch moved in around Ripley in1852, there was also a settlement in the northâ€"eastern part of the township around Purple Grove. The Stanleys and ficllins families came from Ramsay Townshup about fifty milesWest of Ottawa in I854. The Morgans and some of the Gollins families came a. little earlier. They all came orieinally from Tipp‘rary County in Ireland and settled west of filmonte near a little village called Clayton. After burning off the timber and selling the potash they all moved into the Queen's bush at Purple Grove. fibers was no railway then through Ripley. They came by way of Clinton to Goderich and from there by boat to Eincerdine. The Captain got drunk and lost his way. A storm came up and the lake got very rough. They feared they would all be lost before they reached Yincardins, after a part of two days and anight spent «on the lake. During the night they thought they saw the lights on the Michigan shore across the lake. Thomas and Ann Stanley with their four sons and four daughters-the youngest was a baby two years old,mads their way twi-lve miles through the bush and built their log cabin about half a mile South of Purple Grove. The fifth daughter, Eliza did not come.s‘he was engaged to be married to Michael LOWCand when her mother refused to leave her behind she and Michael planned to be married. She pretended to go to bed early one night and a little later some boys came with ladders and got ‘ her out of the upstairs window. n’hen she and Michael returned about ten o'clock and announced they ‘ were married. Mrs. Stanley was about to punish her. but Michael raised his hand and said. $116 13 my wifenow and you dare not touch her." And they lived happily ever after! The Collins families settled on the twelfth concession and number five sideroad. There were so many Johns, and Franks that there was trouble with their mail endJohn Logan. the pOStDEStEIT.g°tt I all the Francis Collins family to attach F. to their names. and all the Richard Dolllns family 0 attach R. to their names. Besides these there Were other names that V - ‘ shler. Heedham’ Hewitt” BlaCkwell'uOOd' we”. acett' Hill’ Beattjornet Sandy McLaren. Nearly all 0 f these ‘ r l 't not 15' Lo an Thom son. Amerson, Bird, Congram, and we mus H I discovered that weis'flipperagv Irish, but they were all old xinglish name‘s. men TTread my hgggogémea it with when Oliver bromiell ovorran Ireland he took over-the bounty of -ppersrycanada mhay tack on the English soldiers. 'thess I believe are the ancestors of those Who came 0 - r such as 5 arms residents of the neighbourhood eon hec Pollock. sawlsy. Ouylsr, Bowers. cumoms‘ I'mVUTYB- habits and broff‘m Of the Irish plus theirbrit and buoyancy. all except their