Aultsville, Ontario

Aultsville is a ghost town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of Ontario's Lost Villages, which were permanently flooded by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. The town was founded as Charlesville in 1787 by United Empire Loyalists and reached its peak in 1880, when it had 400 residents. It was the second largest town flooded by the new Seaway in 1958, with a population of 312 at the time. Before it was flooded, the abandoned buildings were burned to study the effects of fire on houses.

Families and businesses in Aultsville were moved to the new town of Ingleside before the seaway construction commenced. Some old sidewalks, lanes, and yards can still be seen today. The historic train station, built in the 19th century by the Grand Trunk Railway, was moved to Upper Canada Village where it remains today.

Aultsville was named after Samuel Ault, a local businessman who represented Stormont County in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and the Canadian House of Commons.

The Holstein-Friesian breed of cattle were first imported into Canada through Aultsville by a local resident. Michael P. Cook became the first importer of Holsteins into Ontario in 1881 when he imported two bulls and ten cows from Europe. This shipment of cattle founded the base of the Holstein breed here today, which is now the most popular dairy breed.

The road which currently leads into Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary was once a part of Aultsville Road, the village's main street. The road leads directly into the river, where you can still see sidewalks and foundations remaining from the town when the water levels of the St. Lawrence are low.

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Wikipedia