Branchton, Ontario
| North Dumfries | |
|---|---|
| Township (lower-tier) | |
| Township of North Dumfries | |
Downtown Ayr
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 North Dumfries
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| Coordinates: 43°19′N 80°23′W / 43.32°N 80.38°WCoordinates: 43°19′N 80°23′W / 43.32°N 80.38°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| Region | Waterloo |
| Settled | 1816 |
| Incorporated | 1819 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sue Foxton |
| • Federal riding | Cambridge |
| • Prov. riding | Cambridge |
| Area | |
| • Land | 187.44 km2 (72.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 9,334 |
| • Density | 49.8/km2 (129/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | N0B |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | www |
The Township of North Dumfries is a rural township in Ontario, Canada, part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The township includes the communities of Ayr, Branchton, Clyde, Reidsville and Roseville.
The history of North Dumfries is closely tied to that of the old City of Galt, now part of the City of Cambridge but in the early 19th century was part of Gore District. Galt was founded on the east bank of the Grand River by Absalom Shade on behalf of William Dickson of Niagara. Dickson had bought 94,305 acres (381.64 km2) of land in 1816 for 24,000 pounds, and named it after his hometown of Dumfries in Scotland. That same year, he had the land surveyed and opened it for settlement. By 1817, a number of sawmills were operating in the district and the population, comprising 38 families, had reached 163. In 1819, the first municipal meeting for the Township of Dumfries North was held.
In 1820, Dickson encouraged further settlement on his land by inviting other Scotsmen to buy land, resulting in a wave of immigration from 1825 until 1832 when every plot of land was filled.
What is now the village of Ayr, then consisting of three small settlements, was first settled in 1822 by Abel Mudge, initially as a squatter. He built a dam, a sawmill and a grist mill at the junction of Smith and Cedar Creek. A post office opened at the settlement called Mudge's Mills in 1840, with the name Ayr, named after a town in Scotland. The other two settlements, Jedburgh to the east and Nithvale to the west, were not yet a part of Ayr but received their mail at the single post office. The population in 1846 was 230 persons, working in businesses such as a grist mill, barrel making, carpentry, wool processing, blacksmithing, tanning hides, making shoes and clothing, or capentry. The population of Ayr did not reach 1000 until almost 1870. The largest business was a foundry.
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Wikipedia