▁cleared ▁at ▁least ▁ ▁within ▁four ▁years , ▁built ▁a ▁house ▁within ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁res ided ▁on ▁the ▁grant ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁five ▁years ▁would ▁receive ▁the ▁title ▁to ▁that ▁land . ▁The ▁government ▁subsequently ▁built ▁over ▁ ▁of ▁roads ▁over ▁the ▁following ▁ 2 0   year s ▁to ▁provide ▁access ▁to ▁these ▁gr ants . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁promises ▁of ▁fert ile ▁land ▁in ▁this ▁new ▁northern ▁tract ▁of ▁w ilder ness ▁proved ▁false . ▁B ene ath ▁thin ▁layers ▁of ▁sp ars ely ▁spread ▁soil ▁was ▁solid ▁gran ite . ▁Where ▁this ▁gran ite ▁desc ended ▁deeper , ▁valle ys ▁formed ▁and ▁filled ▁with ▁mus k eg . ▁Despite ▁an ▁early ▁infl ux ▁of ▁sett lers , ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁gr ants ▁were ▁abandoned ▁by ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century ; ▁only ▁ 4 0 % ▁remained . ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁colon ization ▁roads ▁were ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁growing ▁provincial ▁highway ▁network . ▁Some ▁sections ▁were ▁improved ▁to ▁modern ▁highway ▁standards , ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁subsequently ▁by pass ed ▁or ▁abandoned . ▁The ▁roads ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁incorpor ated ▁as ▁high ways ▁either ▁became ▁local ▁roads ▁or ▁were ▁consum ed ▁by ▁nature . ▁ ▁The ▁Victoria ▁Road ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁such ▁colon ization ▁roads ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁to ▁promote ▁settlement ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁front ier ▁of ▁Ontario . ▁The ▁road ▁continued ▁north ▁of ▁its