In 1889, Charles Cobbold Farr left his employment with the Hudson Bay Company and moved his family to a clearing along the shore of Lake Temiskaming known as Humphrey's Depot. This spot was also known by its Algonkian name, Matabanick, an ancient native portage whose name roughly translates "place where the trail ends".
C.C. Farr's dream was to establish a community, which he would name Haileybury after the school he attended in England. In 1893 he wrote a pamphlet entitled "The Lake Temiscamingue District" which he distributed in an effort to encourage settlement. Haileybury's early growth was slow, but with the advent of the railway, the discovery of silver in 1903, and the establishment of the Cobalt Mining Camp, Haileybury experienced a population explosion. Haileybury and the Village of North Cobalt (located in Bucke Township) became a "bedroom" community for many of the miners, prospectors, and promoters who worked in Cobalt. Haileybury's Lakeshore Road came to be known as Millionaire's Row in reference to the many mine owners, managers and other professionals who built their majestic homes along Lake Temiskaming's shore.
By 1904 the Town was incorporated and in 1912 Haileybury was declared the Judicial Seat for the District of Temiskaming.
The first European settlers to arrive in the New Liskeard area, in 1891, were William Murray and Irvin Heard. John Armstrong, Crown Lands Agent and later on New Liskeard’s first mayor, arrived some years later. Settlers took advantage of the rich soil in the area and New Liskeard became a key agricultural center in the North. Dymond was incorporated in 1901; New Liskeard, in 1903.
On October 4, 1922 ninety percent of the Town of Haileybury was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1922. Hurricane force winds destroyed the town within 3 to 6 hours. In total, 3,500 people were left homeless at an estimated cost of $2 million and eleven residents lost their lives. The Great Fire of 1922 was one of the ten worst natural disasters in Canadian history. Although Haileybury was the largest community affected, the fire covered an area of 650 square miles destroying small villages and farms throughout South Temiskaming.
Today, Haileybury continues to build on its past role as a bedroom community. An example of this is Bayport Village, a townhouse development overlooking Lake Temiskaming, which was officially opened in 2003. Haileybury also boasts numerous tourism and recreational amenities which have contributed to its success as a Northern Ontario destination.
Haileybury's recorded history dated from 1889 when its founder Charles Cobbold Farr began his settlement.
This completely restored streetcar that was part of the relief package sent North following the Great Fire of 1922. Along with medicine, food, clothing, and building supplies, 87 streetcars were sent from Toronto to be used as relief housing for those who had lost their homes in the fire.
The tugboat "Beauchene," comes from the early days of logging and of the many such boats that pulled large booms South to the pulp mills on the Ottawa River.
On October 4, 1922, one of the ten worst disasters in Canadian history swept through the Temiskaming District. A series of brush fires started by homesteaders to the north quickly grew out of control. Soon a raging brush fire, covering 648 square miles, descended on Haileybury. Only the stately homes along "Millionaires' Row" were spared. In Haileybury alone, 90% of the Town was destroyed, leaving 3,500 people homeless and 11 dead, and $2,000,000 in property damage. The day after the fire, it snowed.
In 1912, the Proclamation declaring Haileybury the District Seat gave rise to such structures as the Court House, Land Titles Office and District Jail. These were testaments to the hard work and dreams of the Town's founder, C.C. Farr.
