Foley (ghost community)

This small post office community was once located on Lots 4 and 5 in Concession 4 of the Township of East Whitby. Today, this is located in the City Of Oshawa at the corner of Harmony Rd. and Conlin Rd. It was named after J. Foley a property owner in the area.

In 1874, farmers in East Whitby formed a club called the Foley Farm Club. Members met at various locations in the township in order to discuss topics of interest to farmers and to engage in debates. The community was also known as "Williamson"- named after its first post master.

Foley supposedly had approximately 150 inhabitants in 1873 (in its postal confines). It was shown on the 1877 Belden atlas map of East Whitby (check map below). A post office was in operation here between July 1863 and December 1909. The new rural route mail delivery service offered by the Royal Mail (Canada Post) came to the area shortly after the post office's closing.

Most of the community's homes existed on the east side of Harmony Rd. just south of Conlin Rd. from 1870 up until the 1980s. Now there is nothing there but a field. The Kedron area was also part of the Foley post office confines.

1869 Info includes this: Population about 125.

Armstrong, T., blacksmith Maxwell, Mrs., hotel keeper Bain, Wm., farmer McGaw, T. and W., farmer Bathy, C., farmer McNeil & Guilford, farmers, &c. Carfeild, C., farmer Parker, J., blacksmith Cronk, J., farmer Pascoe, E., farmer Currie, G., gentleman Phoenix, M., laborer Daman, L., agent Ray, J., senr., farmer Dodge, W., farmer Ray, J., junr., farmer Fox, J., senr., gentleman Ray, W., farmer Fox, J., junr., farmer Scott, W., senr., farmer Friend, T., farmer Scott, W., junr., gentleman Glaspie, M., farmer Scott, T., farmer Gould, J., senr., farmer Scott, M., teacher Gould, J., junr., farmer Sheppard, H., teacher Gould, G., farmer Sparks, J., farmer Hallat, W., farmer Stephenson , Mrs. farmer Harmony, J., farmer Thomas, R., farmer Hepudy, W., farmer Undyke, D., farmer Hickell, A., farmer Walters, J., farmer Hill, H., farmer Weeks, G., farmer Hill, J., laborer Weeks, T., farmer Kerr, A., shoemaker Willard, W., pedler Lewis, J., wagonmaker WILLIAMSON, THOS., Postmaster Manning, Mrs., farmer and Shoe maker