Wm. E. Yarnold was born in England and when quite young came to Canada with his father. He was educated at the Simcoe County Grammar School and after completing his education was articled as a student to the firm of Rankin & Robinson, Provincial Land Surveyors of Toronto.
   In 1854 he obtained his diploma as a Provincial Land Surveyor and began the practice of his profession in Prince Albert, for almost 30 years, before moving to Port Perry in 1882. He occupied the position of County Surveyor for a number of years, and acted as engineer for about 10 township municipalities. He was entrusted with considerable surveying work by the railways. He became so predominate in his profession that his word was readily accepted as being equal to his bond. His services were in demand in all parts of the Province and his popularity as a professional man was ever on the increase.
   Of his more important local projects, Mr. Yarnold was awarded the contract for constructing 600 feet of permanent roadway at the east end of the Scugog Bridge. In 1882, he was hired to prepare a survey map for the embankment across a section of the Scugog which would later become the Cartwright causeway.
   Mr. Yarnold and his wife were greatly beloved citizens. He was described as being short of stature, slightly built, with pale, calm and highly intellectual countenance, and mild and investigating eyes. The Yarnold's home was located at the corner of Queen and Cochrane St., one of the beautiful spots in town.
   The death of Mr. Yarnold in December 1916, came after falling sick with pneumonia. He was mourned by his wife Celia, and daughter Ella, and the residents of the town he had resided in for more than 60 years. Celia S. (Haight) Yarnold died at Port Perry on Thurs., Feb. 27, 1919 in her 91st year.

Pioneers & Entrepreneurs
The biographies, above, feature two of the many men who contributed significantly to the development of Lake Scugog, Port Perry, Ontario, Canada. Information about many of the pioneers who first settled in Reach and Scugog is almost non-existent, as there were no newspapers to report on happenings in this area until late in 1857. Even throughout much of the 1860s information is scarce, due to a great number of missing issues of the Ontario Observer, the areas first newspaper.
These are some the men who cut their way through the bush to get to Lake Scugog. They cleared the land, built crude log homes, opened saw mills and grain elevators, built thriving towns from crude settlements, brought the railway to their doorstep, and laid the groundwork for the communities we live in today.