The Tale of Punkeydoodle's Corner

This week we delve into the quirky history of Punkeydoodle's Corner.

By Liz Dommasch, Archivist

In the northwest corner of the Oxford County, where Oxford, Perth and Waterloo Counties connect stands a little Hamlet known as Punkeydoodle’s Corner. Several stories exist explaining how this community got its fascinating name.

One story involves a Swiss settler known as John Zurbrigg, whom in the early 1800s grew fields of pumpkins. According to legend, he had a dispute with another settler by the name of Hellman. Mrs. Hellman got involved in the argument and referred to Mr. Zurbrigg as an old “Punkeydoodle”. Apparently the name stuck and his property became known as Punkeydoodle’s Corner.

Another story claims that John Zurbrigg was actually named “Punkeydoodle” because of his short, stout stature that resembled the vast amount of pumpkins that he grew. Again this name stuck and his land (and eventually the surrounding area) became known as Punkeydoodle’ s Corner.

Finally, and the most likely story, involves a German Innkeeper named John Zurbuchen, who used to lead his patrons in the singing of popular tavern songs including “Yankee Doodle”. As German was his first language, he often had difficulties with English and instead of singing the lyrics “Yankee Doodle went to town” he would always sing “Punkeydoodle went to town” instead. Patrons started to refer to him as Punkeydoodle and the rest is history!

Regardless of its name, the hamlet has an interesting history. It was settled on the Huron Road linking Goderich and Hamilton and was considered to be of vital importance for those that travelled along that route. By the late 1800s, the hamlet included a frame hotel, livery stable, blacksmith shop, saw mill, apple butter and cider mill, as well as a general store.

Sadly, in the 1860s the construction of the Grand trunk Railway bypassed the hamlet and soon stage coaches, and eventually even the automobile, would pass by the hamlet for the larger nearby centres of Tavistock and New Hamburg. By 1982, the hamlet had a population of only 14.

That same year, Punkeydoodle’s Corners held a large Canada birthday celebration on June 26^th that included performances by the Ingersoll Pipe Band, Woodstock Choralaires and the Y-Promenaders Square Dancing Group. There was also a frog jumping contest and a number of children’s events such as a water balloon race, tug-o-war, and an obstacle course.

Image Credit: The Kennedy Center https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/story-behind-the-song/the-story-behind-the-song/yankee-doodle/