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As
Pembroke and Ottawa flourished,
the need to travel between the
two communities increased. Due
to the rapids on the Ottawa
River above Portage du Fort,
the steamer from Ottawa could
not travel the whole distance
by river. A land route was required
and as a result, around 1849
Jason Gould established a winter
road between Portage du Fort
and the head of the Muskrat
Lake at the location now known
as the Village of Cobden. A
steamer was used to travel the
Muskrat Lake and then one continued
the journey by road to Pembroke.
In 1850 Mr. Gould received permission
to open a post office and due
to his valuable transportation
business, he received the privilege
of naming the settlement on
the Muskrat Lake. He named it
Cobden after Richard Cobden,
a British descendent and member
of parliament. |
With the expansion
of the railway line through
Cobden in 1876, the village
grew and prospered offering
a bank, hotels, flour mill,
churches and various other stores.
In October
1900 Cobden was granted permission
to become an incorporated village
and allowed to separate from
the Township of Ross.
Today, Cobden’s
location on the busy Trans-Canada
Highway, known as Highway 17,
makes it a convenient stopping
place for the many travellers
passing through the area. One
of the many highlights of Cobden
is its annual fair which was
established in 1854 and is held
in late August each year. The
Cobden Fair offers several days
of activities that include exhibits,
cattle and horse shows, midway
rides and a demolition derby.
From May until October, the
Farmer’s Market is located
at the Cobden fairgrounds offering
fresh local grown produce, homemade
baking and a wide assortment
of crafts. Last but not least,
one can’t forget to try
and catch a glimpse of Mussie,
the legendary monster that inhabits
Muskrat Lake.
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