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The Founding of Exeter

Photo by Alan L Brown - October, 2004

Plaque Location

County of Huron
Municipality of South Huron
In Exeter, in a park on the east side of
Main Street North (Highway 4)
just south of the Ausable River bridge

Coordinates: N 43 21.357 W 81 28.925

Plaque Text

In 1833 the families of James Willis and William McConnell became the earliest settlers in this area. Within a year McConnell had erected mills here on the banks of the Aux Sables River near which a community known as Francistown developed. South of the mills near Willis's location on the 'London Road', Isaac Carling opened a store and tannery in 1847 and James Pickard a general store in 1851. Four years later a village plot (Exeter) was laid out and by 1860 Exeter had become the chief market centre of the district. In anticipation of the growth that the London, Huron and Bruce Railway would bring, Exeter and Francistown were amalgamated and incorporated as the village of Exeter on March 29, 1873.

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