Herron's Mills, Ontario

Herron's Mills, originally known as Gillies Mills, is a ghost town in the municipality of Lanark Highlands, Lanark County in Eastern Ontario, Canada, near the community of Lanark. It is located on highway 511 between Perth and Calabogie, Ontario.

Businessman John Gillies established a sawmill on the Clyde River in the community in 1842 to supply lumber for construction in the area. The mill continued to operate until 1950. It was later purchased by the Herron Brothers, hence the name.

The area around Herron's Mills, Lanark County was originally settled, starting in 1820, by Scottish immigrants from the southern areas of Scotland. Most of the Scottish who emigrated came from the over-crowded cities and areas in Scotland such as Glasgow and Lanark the town in Lanarkshire. As a result of the worldwide depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars and the rapidly encroaching Industrial Revolution, Scottish weavers found themselves out of work and destitute. Parliament heard the cry of the impoverished Scotsman, and forced colonization groups to assist those willing to emigrate to Canada. Advertisements in Scottish papers read as follows: "Persons desiring to emigrate to Canada will be conveyed free of charge. The government will also supply provisions on the voyage and on arrival, a grant of 100 acres will be allotted each family as well as to each male child on reaching 21." Promises of good conditions on the journey to Canada were also promised. Between 1820 and 1821 over 3,000 emigrants set sail to Canada and arrived in Lanark County via Quebec, Cornwall and Perth. They named their new home the Lanark Highlands after their former home in Scotland.

...
Wikipedia