Carrying Place, Ontario, Canada

A Brief History

UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS

Following the American Revolution,  the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain won their independence and became the fledgling United States of America. Many who remained loyal to Britain, or Loyalists or United Empire Loyalists as they were known, left the country. Thousands of these Loyalists went to Canada; the Maritime Provinces or Lower Canada. Britain had promised to support the Loyalists and during the winter of 1783 to 1784,they numbered in excess of ten thousand. The Governor of Quebec, General Frederick Haldimand sent the Surveyor General, Major Samuel Holland, in May, 1783, up the St. Lawrence River to the Bay of Quinte area, to begin surveys of the Indians of the Quinte area. The Indians did not oppose the Loyalist settlers. The land was a vast unsurveyed wilderness. By the fall of 1784, several thousand disbanded troops and Loyalists settled along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston to the Bay of Quinte.
     The first Indian land purchase  in what is now Ontario  was in August, 1764 at Fort Niagara from the Six Nations, but was never completely executed. In 1783 Sir John Johnson, appointed by The Governor of the Province of Quebec as General of Indian Affairs  for British North America, became responsible for the negotiations of land titles from the Mississauga Indians. Sir Johnson was sent a letter from a Captain William Crawford of Cartleton Island informing Sir Johnson that all the lands from Gananoque to the Trent River had been purchased. These purchases were to be invalidated, but on Sept. 23, 1787 at The Carrying Place at the head of the Bay of Quinte, The Gunshot Treaty was signed, and is numbered #13 in the government report of Indian Treaties and Surrenders (1680-1890). In effect, the Mississauga Indians ceded lands from  the Bay of Quinte to Etobicoke and northward from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe and Rice Lake.    This  was also considered not to be a valid treaty,  thus on August 2, 1805, #13A was signed at the River Credit and annexed to the original "Gunshot Treaty" ( Toronto Purchase). The Mississauga Indians had signed away most  of  Eastern Ontario.

Fort Kente:
Carrying Place, Ontario

Kente, pronounced Ken-tay is an Indian word, from the Iroquois  language meaning " meadow" and was the first name early European explorers heard to describe the narrow isthmus of land between Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte. To-day, that word would more closely resemble "Ghentay" with the gh pronounced as in ghost. Early explorers heard a "k" sound.In a letter dated 1771, General William Johnson  said".......ye neck of land whereon Kente stands." Historical maps dated 1674 show this site as Kente. Similar maps show Quebec as "Kebec". Kente went through several spelling and pronunciation variations. With the arrival of more English settlers, the word became anglicized into Quinte. Quinte is now the designation for the Bay and the area.
Many important historical figures travelled through Kente, including Champlain and LaSalle. In 1660, a mission was established with the first settlers arriving in 1679. Forts were established in 1720, and again in 1750 to protect the settlers, voyageurs, soldiers and others using the Portage. In 1720, there were 3 forts established on the shores of Lake Ontario, the other two being at Niagara and Toronto. Kente was a vital factor in communication and travel to the rest of North America. During the war of 1812 it protected the local area from American invasion.
 
 
This route dates back to pre European times and was a major artery for trade and exploration. For more information about the rebuilding of this historic site, contact:
Dr. Paul Germain,
R.R,#2,
Carrying Place, Ontario,
K0K1L0
613-394-2313