Settlement on this site began with the arrival in 1854 of the Toronto, Simcoe and Lake Huron Union Railroad (later the Northern Railway). Edward Shortiss and Charles Lount acquired land here, divided it into village lots and the first settler, Andrew Coleman, opened a hotel. He was followed by Gideon Phillips who established a sawmill. First called Nottawasaga Station, and later Stayner after a prominent local landowner, the community flourished as an agricultural and lumbering centre. A post office was opened in 1855 and a school and churches were established. On June 26, 1872, a Simcoe County by-law incorporated Stayner as a village, and in 1888 it became a town.

Location

At the centennial fountain, Main and Oak streets, Stayner

Themes

• Agriculture
• Communities
• Industry and trade
• Transportation systems and communications