The Founding of Aylmer

Photo by Alan L Brown - August, 2004

Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - October, 2010

Plaque Location

The County of Elgin
The Town of Alymer
On the southeast corner of
Talbot Street (Road 3) and Centre Street
1 block west of John Street (Road 73)

Coordinates: N 42 46.372 W 80 59.045

Plaque Text

In October 1817, John Van Patter, an emigrant from New York State, obtained 80 ha of land and became the first settler on the site of Aylmer. During the 1830's a general store was opened and village lots sold. Originally called Troy, in 1835 it was renamed Aylmer after Lord Aylmer, then Governor-in-Chief of British North America. By 1851 local enterprises included sawmills and flour-mills powered by water from Catfish Creek. Aided by easy access to Lake Erie, Aylmer became by the mid 1860's the marketing centre for a rich agricultural and timber producing area. Benefiting greatly from the construction of the 230 km Canada Air Line Railway from Glencoe to Fort Erie, Aylmer became an incorporated village in 1872.

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Settlements

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