Palmerston, Ontario
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Palmerston | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
 Former Palmerston train station, now museum | |
  Palmerston  Palmerston  Palmerston | |
| Coordinates:43°49′59″N80°50′48″W/ 43.83306°N 80.84667°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Wellington County |
| Town | Minto |
| Established | 1875 |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Town of Minto Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.90 km2(1.12 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 334 m (1,096 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 2,599 |
| • Density | 868.3/km2(2,249/sq mi) |
| 1996 population: 2,468 | |
| Time zone | UTC-5(EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4(EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTSMap | 040P15 |
| GNBCCode | FDRCE |
| Website | www |
Palmerston(local historical pronunciation:IPA[ˈpʰæ̃.mɝ.s͡tən]) is an unincorporated community with a population of 2,599[1]on the southern edge ofMintoin the northwestern part ofWellington County, Ontario.
History
[edit]Palmerston was a key division point for the Grand Trunk and later the Canadian National Railway in Southwestern Ontario with 65 subdivisions; Owen Sound, Kincardine, Durham, Fergus, Guelph Junction and Stratford. In its original concept the railroad was to run fromGuelphtoSouthampton, Ontarioand would not have gone through Palmerston.Listowelneeded to be linked to the railroad and it was decided to bend the route towardListowel.It was also decided that a yard with maintenance shops would be needed. The mainline under Canadian National ownership became part of theFergus,Owen Soundand Southampton Subdivisions. Passenger service ceased in 1971. The subdivisions were abandoned starting with Fergus to Palmerston August 1983, Harriston Jct. to Port Elgin and Southampton in 1988, Guelph to Fergus 1988, and Palmerston to Harriston 1995. all rail service terminated in 1996 with CN abandoning the line from Stratford to Harriston.[2]
When the railroad decided to build a junction and maintenance sheds between Guelph, Harriston and Listowel, this also included a station. One of the active supporters of the railroad wasJohn McDermott,Reeve of Wallace and, because of this support, the railways decided to let McDermot name the station. He named it Palmerston in 1870 in honour ofHenry John Temple,the third Viscount Palmerston. As soon as the railroad decided where it would build, people started buying property around the area for businesses and homes.
Another historic plaque discusses the Ontario Vaccine Farm, opened in 1885 by Dr. Alexander Stewart in order to produce smallpox vaccine. Until about 1907, much of the vaccine used in Ontario was produced here; later, farms in the U.S. took much of the business. Stewart died in 1911 but the farm continued under H.B. Coleman until 1916. Afterwards, the farm closed and program was taken over by the University of Toronto.[3]
In 1995, theProgressive Conservativegovernment of Ontario began to reduce the number of total municipalities in the province. Effective 1 Jan. 1999,The Town of Mintois composed of the former towns of Harriston and Palmerston, the former village ofClifford,and the surrounding rural area of the former Minto Township.[4]
Schools
[edit]Mintohas public schools situated inHarriston,Cliffordand Palmerston.Norwell District Secondary Schoolis the secondary school forMintoand surrounding areas as governed by theUpper Grand District School Board.The schools located in Palmerston are:
- Palmerston Public School (K-8)
- Norwell District Secondary School
Entertainment
[edit]The Norgon Theatre is a small theatre located on Main Street in Palmerston. It was built by the successful businessman George Norgan who had made his fortune in Vancouver, BC. He came home to Palmerston in 1947 and noticed the lack of leisure opportunities in the town. To address this situation, he personally donated $50,000 for the construction of a movie theatre. It opened on August 18, 1947 and was named after him. The Norgan Theatre was renovated in 2007. The Norgan is run by volunteers and therefore the price for tickets is fairly inexpensive: $8.00 per adult and $5.00 for those 13 and under.[5]
Notable people
[edit]Academics
[edit]- Robert Fowler(1954 – ), classicist and academic who was theHenry Overton Wills Professor of Greekat theUniversity of Bristolfrom 1996 – 2017
- Evan M. Whidden(1898 – 1980), Dean of Theology atAcadia Universityfrom 1951 – 1967
Artists
[edit]- Victor Child(1897 – 1960), painter, etcher and newspaper illustrator at theToronto Telegram
Athletes
[edit]- Lorne Ferguson(1930 – 2008), professionalice hockeyplayer of theBoston Bruins,Detroit Red WingsandChicago Black Hawksof theNational Hockey League
- Jim Reid(1957 – ), professionalCanadian footballplayer who played with theHamilton Tiger-CatsandOttawa Rough Ridersof theCanadian Football League
- Mike Schmidt(1961 – ), professionalice hockeyplayer who played at the1992 Winter OlympicswithGermany
- Nick Spaling(1988 – ), professionalice hockeyplayer with theNashville Predators,Pittsburgh Penguins,Toronto Maple LeafsandSan Jose Sharksof theNational Hockey League
Lawyers
[edit]- Margaret Hyndman(1901 – 1991), lawyer and women's rights advocate who was named to theOrder of Canadain 1973
Politicians
[edit]- William Aurelius Clarke(1868 – 1940), member of theHouse of Commons of Canadafrom 1911 – 1921
- George Davidson(1850 – 1935), member of theLegislative Assembly of the Northwest Territoriesfrom 1888 – 1894
- J. Fred Edwards(1902 – 1978), member of theLegislative Assembly of Ontariofrom 1945 – 1967
- Marvin Howe(1906 – 1996), member of theHouse of Commons of Canadafrom 1953 – 1972
References
[edit]- ^"Statistics Canada Census Profile".
- ^Visit Perth County, Ontario: the website of the Perth County Visitor's AssociationArchived2004-07-13 at theWayback Machine
- ^http:// waynecook /awellington.html
- ^"Lanark County Genealogical Society: Amalgamation of Ontario Communities".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-07-15.Retrieved2013-08-07.
- ^"The History - the Norgan Theatre of Palmerston".
External links
[edit]
Places adjacent to Palmerston, Ontario | |
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