Delhi, Ontario
| Delhi, Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated hamlet in Norfolk County | |
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 Delhi, Ontario
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| Coordinates: 42°51′9″N 80°29′56″W / 42.85250°N 80.49889°WCoordinates: 42°51′9″N 80°29′56″W / 42.85250°N 80.49889°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Ontario
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| Established | 1826 as Sovereen's Corners |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Amalgamated | 2001 (Single-tier municipality) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Charlie Luke |
| • Governing Body | The Council of The Corporation of Norfolk County |
| • MPs | Diane Finley (Con) |
| • MPPs | Toby Barrett (PC) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2.97 km2 (1.15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 210 m (690 ft) |
| Population (2011) | 4,172 |
| • Density | 1,405.4/km2 (3,640/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code span | N4B |
| Area code(s) | (519) |
| Website | www.norfolkcounty.ca |
Delhi (pronounced DEL-high) is a former township (now an unincorporated community) located off of the junction of Ontario Highways 59 and 3. Delhi is known as the "Heart of Tobacco Country." Prior to 1880, this community was known for its lumber industry.
Founded by Frederick Sovereign - spelled Sovereen by many sources - as Sovereign's Corners or Sovereen's Corners, the community was renamed Fredericksburg and eventually to its present-day name of Delhi in 1856. The name is usually attributed locally to a postmaster honouring a major city of the British Empire, Delhi, India.
Frederick Sovereign (or Sovereen) settled here in about 1812; Joseph Lawson bought land at about the same time but did not actually build a home in the area for some time. The village was named Fredericksburg after Sovereign until the post office opened as Delhi. Sovereign was a tavern keeper for over 30 years. He also manufactured plug tobacco, growing his own leaves, curing them, and pressing them. He donated the land for the Baptist church and served as deacon for "many, many years".
The population in 1869 was 300 and the village had some manufacturing as well as a lumber mill thanks to the abundant water power. The post office was receiving mail daily. The railway arrived in the 1870's a definite benefit to locals who opened business such as the Delhi Canning Company, established in 1878; the company shipped canned local produce across Canada.
The village initially had a log school house but a new school was built in 1892. By around 1900, the village had an opera house, two tanneries, a railroad station, an Orange Hall and a Mechanics’ Institute as well as a flour mill, the Quance Mills or Sovereen-Quance Mills. At the time, the primary crops in the area were still fruit and vegetables.
Delhi Cemetery was first established sometime in the 19th century. While it was originally a cemetery exclusively for residents who were members of the Roman Catholic Church, changes in cemetery policy made it possible to have anyone buried on their property. At least 111 people and families are buried there. The last names of the graves belong to different ethnic groups ranging from Anglo-Saxon, French Canadian, Eastern European, and those of Belgian descent. There are even few Chinese families buried within the cemetery and a large number of tombstones are written in languages other than English.
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Wikipedia