George Washington Post

The Posts of Ajax/Pickering By Pat McCauley The presence of three venerable Post family homes in Pickering/Ajax (Post Inn, Post Manor and Post Hill) can be traced back to one couple, George Washington Post I and Elizabeth Anna Knowles. George, born in 1779, was a son of Jordon Post and Abigail Loomis who came to York from Hebron, Connecticut, about 1780. George moved to Scarborough in the early nineteenth century and met Elizabeth (born in 1786), eldest daughter of William and Mary

Notes as gathered by Anne Powell:

R.R. Bonis in A History of Scarborough says " George Washington Post, settled in Scarborough at an early date , Taking the Oath Of Allegiance to qualify for a land grant in 1800 and kept a tavern here for several years before moving to Pickering Township Ontario where he operated an inn about 3 miles west of Whitby Ontario."

In the Pickering story, William Angus McKay says "Another type of early pioneer that came into the township at the turn of the century was the business man, represented by the inn-keeper . For a while shops and stores were later in appearing,staging posts and inns for thravellers were opened up almost as soon as the roads were passable on horseback."

The Woodruff family were in Pickering by 1803 and operated a tavern there. The road from York to Duffin's Creek(Pickering) was opened by 1799. Jordon Post (brother of George W.) married Melinda Woodruff, daughter of Hawkins Woddruff and Lois Hills on February 3 1807 and it seems reasonable to assume that he met her while visiting his brother in Pickering prior to that date.

In the town of York 1793-1815 Edith G. Firth describes him as follows:"George Washington Post (1799-1828) was the youngest son of Jordan Post, baker. He kept a tavern at Scarborough. He later moved to Pickering Township and kept a tavern about 3 miles west of Whitby". She includes the following from the Minutes of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace York April 26 1813-"Benjamin Mosley employed to repair the bridge at the River Rouge, by an order of this Court of the 21st Instant produced his account to the court, together with Mr.G.W.Post's charge for securing the said bridge- the whole amounting to L10.6.0 Provincial currancy...".

George W. was elected Assessor for the township on March 6 1815.

From Past Years in Pickering by William R.Wood "Two miles east of Pickering Village(lot 4,concession 2) there was in the early days a second stage station, known as Post's. Here there was for some years a blacksmith shop, where the horses used on the stage were shod. But with the advent of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856, the glory of staging departed and the importance of Post's and the Rouge stopping places dwindled away."

Two different death dates are recorded for George Washinton Post.

Listed as living in Scarborough 1802-1807 in York Upper Canada Minutes of Town Meetings and List of Inhabitants 1797-1823 by Christine Mosser.