business interests to Mossom Boyd, and returned to England. In the 1850s, the economic development of Bobcaygeon was stimulated by Boyd's lumbering business, as he and his sons built up a logging enterprise that was recognized as the third largest logging operation in Upper Canada. In addition to timbering, the Boyds also operated a system of steamboats under the name Trent Valley Navigation Company, as well as an experimental beefalo herd on Boyd Island. Descendants of this herd remain in Alberta. With Canadian Confederation in 1867, Bobcaygeon became part of the province of Ontario in the new country of Canada. By 1869, Bobcaygeon was a village with a population of 800 in the Township of Verulam, Victoria County. There was a good trade in lumber, limestone, hides, grain and the GalKay lead mine. There were stagecoaches to the Ontario communities of Lindsay, Peterborough and Minden. In summer, boats travelled to Lindsay and Peterborough. The average price of land was $20 per acre (equivalent to $ in ). Bobcaygeon, with a population of about 1,000, was incorporated as a village by a Victoria County by-law in 1876. A group of local businessmen worked for many years to bring a railway into Bobcaygeon. Sir Sam Hughes sat on the board of the Lindsay, Pontypool & Bobcaygeon Railway. The line was leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway on completion. In July 1904 the first passenger train steamed into town. The service lasted until 1957, the railway lands becoming the Beach Park. The village government joined with the Township of Verulam in 1999. In 2000, it was amalgamated with the other municipalities of Victoria County by the provincial government following the recommendations of the Victoria County Restructuring Commission, led by commissioner Harry Kitchen. Now Bobcaygeon exists as a community within the City of Kawartha Lakes. Education Bobcaygeon Public School Media The Bobcaygeon Independent was the local newspaper, established in 1869. Its last issue was printed in December 2004. The Central Ontario Visitor (another local publication) was printed and released weekly with the Bobcaygeon Independent between the months of May through October from 1985 to 1999. The Promoter (another local publication) and one of the few remaining independent newspapers, published its first issue on March 15, 1991. In popular culture The Tragically Hip released a song entitled "Bobcaygeon" in 1998. Although it was not specifically written about the town (which was chosen to complete a