Founding of the Village


Founding of the Village

The founders of Paisley were Simon Orchard and Samuel T. Rowe, residents of Durham, Ontario, who, in the spring of 1851 came to Walkerton intending to settle there. Rowe became involved in a building project in Walkerton, but Orchard, who reported having had a dream of rich lands at the confluence of two rivers in the area then known as the “Queen’s Bush”, constructed a raft 30′ by 15′ of cedar logs, and with his family and household goods, floated down the Saugeen River with no really fixed destination.

On the first eve of their journey they made camp along the Saugeen at the mouth of the Teeswater River. In daylight, they were pleased with the surroundings and decided to settle there. They built a crude shanty, on the north side of the river, from boards they had brought on the raft. (The location was near the present site of the Baptist Church).

Samuel Rowe arrived by raft at the same location a few weeks later. He cleared land on the south side of the river and built a cabin across from the present Town Hall.
Surveyors working northward locating the Elora Road came to the spot where Orchard and Rowe had settled. A log building was erected and became known as Rowe’s Tavern.

In 1856 Orchard and Rowe obtained a patent from the Crown, and the village was surveyed. In February 1856, the first post office, with Thomas Orchard as postmaster, was opened. The village was named Paisley after a town in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

A spot in the wilderness had been transformed into a busy community with many thriving industries. One year after, in June 1872, the first locomotive chugged into Paisley. The village had 1038 inhabitants.

from An Historic Album of Paisley, published 1974

Paisley is strategically located at the junction of the Saugeen and Teeswater Rivers and only a short drive from the best beaches that Lake Huron has to offer. The area was surveyed in 1855 on land the government had set aside for a town. Early pioneers to the area were Simon Orchard, Samuel Rowe and John Valentine who built a sawmill there. By 1867 a foundry and woollen mill were established and the community prospered. In 1872 the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway was completed. In 1874 Paisley was incorporated as a Village.

One of Canada’s outstanding artists, David Brown Milne (1882 – 1953) was born on a farm near Burgoyne, Saugeen Township, and raised in Paisley. Milne served as an official Canadian war artist during the First World War. Working mainly in water-colours, he developed a highly personal impressionistic style of painting. Among his better known works are: “Water Lilies, Temagami”; “Painting Places”; “Snow in Bethlehem”; “Rites of Autumn”; and “White Poppy”. His paintings are found in many of the public galleries in Canada.

While in Paisley be sure to visit The Treasure Chest Museum. The museum is the creation of Norman Hagedorn. He and his wife Ina devoted their retirement years to collecting antiques — many of which were brought home from their travels throughout the country and overseas. In 1985, Norman opened his collection as a museum to the public. The museum is owned now by the Municipality of Arran Elderslie.

Taken from this webiste link:
http://soto.on.ca/lake_huron_and_georgian_bay_coastlines/paisley.html
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