Starkey Hill Interpretive Trail

By Brigitte Dimock

The Starkey Hill trail is located on the Arkell Road between Watson Road and Concession 11. The Grand River Conservation Authority owns the Starkey Hill property to protect the City of Guelph water supply. Much of Guelph's municipal water is drawn from the Arkell Springs aquifer.

The splendid scenery makes Starkey Hill a popular hiking spot. The trail is 4 km long and takes about an hour at a medium pace. The trail is well-maintained and is not too difficult. One of the interesting features on the trail is this old tree which was hit by lightning years ago.

As you hike this trail, you will see steep forested slopes, wetlands and many other features that make this a beautiful and environmentally important place. The property has a beautiful hardwood forest and a large percentage of the area is pine plantation. Regeneration within the pines is slowly taking place and new growth is beginning to become evident.

While on the high parts of the trail, take a moment to enjoy the views and the landscape before you. The geological history of the Starkey property is an excellent example of the area's moraine and kettle depressions that are remnants of the ice age that swept this area 10,000 years ago.

The Starkey Family

John Starkey was 11 years old when his family settled in Puslinch Township from the United Stated in 1833. In 1849, he purchased a 100 acre parcel of land from Robert Tom who had owned the property since 1839.

John Starkey married Margaret Murray and they had five children. In 1894, John Starkey's only son, James, took over the farm. James also bought an adjoining 100 acres, known then as the James Winyard Farm.

James Starkey was married in 1901 to Grace Paddock. The couple had three children: Richard Murray Starkey, James Jr. McPhatter and Margaret Alice.

James Sr. had an interest in breeding carriage horses, mainly for the American market. He exhibited his horses in Toronto, as well as at other shows. He was very successful and one of his horses took 52 prizes and 3 diplomas.

James Sr.'s death in 1911 left Grace and the three children, then aged 8, 7, and 5 to run the farm alone. Grace passed away in 1930, leaving the three children to look after the farm. The farm by this time was known as the Starkey Bros. Farm.

In 1939, Margaret married Burton Terry and left the farm, moving to Clarkson, Ontario.

Both Richard and James Jr. were well known for their love of steam engines. They had quite a collection and often the neighbours would come to watch the engines run.

James Jr. was married in 1958 to Grace Stewart. James and Grace moved into the village of Arkell and built a house of their own. James Jr. was reeve of the Puslinch Township Council in 1950. He was a member of the council for the years 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1956. He also served as a trustee of the Arkell School in 1962.

The Tower

In 1911, the Geodetic Survey of Canada created a triangulation station on the Starkey property. The tower was built of wood and stood 100' with a 36' x 36' base. The tower was located on the highest point of the property which is also the highest point in Puslinch township.

The purpose of the tower was for triangulation surveying. There were hundreds of towers constructed for this purpose in North America. Most of the work was done at night and lamps were placed in towers and sighted from ground locations.

The information gathered from this project formed the basis for topographic mapping used today.

These towers were not built as permanent structures and; therefore, it came down before 1920. The wood from the tower was later used by the Starkey family to build an implement shed. The shed does not stand today.

This information was taken from the "Starkey Hill Interpretive Trail" brochure. For more information, contact the Grand River Conservation Authority.