Carmel Methodist

These days I shy away from posting any more cemetery locations, there are so many in the database that its almost overwhelming, although I do understand the lure of these pioneer graveyards. I have already posted several of these places myself, but unless it is truly abandoned and forgotten, or belongs to an abandoned church or ghost town, I will usually avoid posting the locations. I leave that now to the known graveyard experts.

That being said, this one holds a special place for me and my family. Some of the key members of our family tree are resting in this small rural graveyard. The Hoggs and Pollards are well represented in my genealogical background, being among the first settlers in this part of Grey County and the Blue Mountain area.

We have all heard of Hogg's Falls and Eugenia Falls, as well as Hogg's Hollow in Toronto, these are all members of the family. I understand that the first person to come to Canada was John Hogg, a United Empire Loyalist, who fled the oppressive regime of the United States in 1832. He settled in the wilds north of the city of York (now Toronto), in an area now known as Hogg's Hollow. He ran a mill and tavern at this location that was a key location in the 1837 rebellion. Later, the family moved the family far north to Grey County and Blue Mountain area where they cleared the land and began farming, as well as creating the first apple orchards in the area. There was also a small power station built at Eugenia Falls by William Hogg, parts of which are still there and can be seen if you visit location #3478 or #787. They married into the Pollard family who also resided and farmed in the area, they being of Quaker descendants from Pennsylvania. I was so pleased to be able to find the gravemarkers of past generations, but saddened by the condition of many of the stones, either broken or fallen.

To many people passing by, this is simply another old pioneer cemetery, but rest assured that in every small graveyard we can find fantastic stories of those who first settled our land.