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The Founding Of Huntsville Another District of Muskoka Plaque


Location
The District of Muskoka
The Town of Huntsville
In front of the town hall on the south side of Main Street East just west of Brunel Road


Plaque Photographer
Alan L Brown

More Information

Public Library
Posted
May 8, 2005

Text from the Founding Of Huntsville Plaque
During the late 1860s a small agricultural settlement, founded largely through the efforts of Captain George Hunt, developed here. In 1870 a post office called Huntsville was established and the following year the Muskoka Colonization Road was extended to this point. Improvements in transportation including the opening of a navigable water route north from Port Sydney to Huntsville in 1877 and the arrival of the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway eight years later spurred the village's growth. With the erection of a tannery and saw, planing and shingle mills by the 1890s, the community emerged as an important industrial centre for the region. Although lumbering enterprises gradually declined during the early 20th century, Huntsville continued to prosper as one of Muskoka's most popular resort towns.