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Near the Cobourg Marina at the foot of Third Street on the harbour, Cobourg
Commemoration
Largely financed by the citizens and town, Cobourg's railway to Peterborough was chartered in 1852 and opened in 1854. Like many others of this period, it suffered from excessive optimism, land speculation and faulty engineering. Ice made the three-mile-long Rice Lake bridge unsafe and finally destroyed it 1860-61, ending use of the northern section. Reorganized in 1866, the remaining part carried considerable iron ore from Marmora. The line was acquired by the Grand Trunk in 1893 and closed in 1898.
Background
One of the citizens financing the railway was William Weller. This was one of the first lines in Central Ontario. The idea had been put forward in 1831 but events, including the 1837 rebellion, delayed any start. The bridge at Rice Lake was, at the time, the largest trestle bridge in the world. It went through various ownerships before being consolidated into the Grand Trunk.
As we see further east, railways start as alternatives to local needs replacing slower ships. They expand and merge into provincial and then national networks. The same is true for the communities which start isolated and then, building on the transportation and communication connections, become part of larger political entities.
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