| Official Name: | Cumnock, Ontario |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated rural community |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada#Ontario |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Coordinates: | 43.7597°N -80.4569°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Ontario |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Wellington |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Centre Wellington |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNBC Code |
| Blank1 Info: | FAUXS[1] |
Cumnock is an unincorporated rural community in Centre Wellington Township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.[1] [2] Cumnock was part of Nichol Township until 1999.[3] [4]
The settlement is located on Highway 6, 9km (06miles) northwest of Fergus.
Once a thriving rural community, little remains of the original settlement.
James Samson, a Scottish immigrant, purchased 7367acres of land in the area in 1852. Samson built a general store and tavern along the Owen Sound Road (now Highway 6), and named the settlement after his hometown of Cumnock, Scotland.[5] [6] A post office was established in Samson's store in 1855, with Samson as postmaster.[7]
In 1855, Richard Gluyas laid out Gluyasville a short distance north of Cumnock. Gluyasville was eventually absorbed by Cumnock.[6]
The Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway built a line through Cumnock in 1871, and a station was built there.[8] [9] That same year, Cumnock was noted as having a saw mill, a wagon maker, and two hotels (the British Hotel and the Red Lion).[9] The Red Lion Hotel was owned by Scottish immigrant John Muir, who "went back to Scotland several times to bring back wives to Cumnock".[5]
The Cumnock Methodist Church was built in 1877.[10]
Cumnock was noted as having a cheese factory in 1880.[11]
At its peak, Cumnock had a population of 200, though by 1908, the settlement had one hotel, two stores, two churches, and a population of 86.[5] [12]
The post office closed in 1915, and the Methodist church closed in 1924.[7] [10]
An author writing in 1933 described the northern boundary of Nichol Township "where Cumnock used to be",[13] and by 1969, Cumnock was no longer listed on provincial maps.[5]
The railroad line through Cumnock was eventually taken over by Canadian National Railway, and was abandoned in 1983.[8] [9]
In 1964, the County of Wellington purchased two parcels of forested land at Cumnock for recreational use. Located within the westernmost parcel is the Cumnock Tract, a 1.5km (00.9miles) walking trail.[14]