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Early Settlement in Erin Township

Erin Township was formed from land purchased by the Crown from the Mississauga Indians in 1818. It was surveyed in 1818 and in 1820-21. A few grantees, including three named Roszel, settled near the site of Ballinafad by 1820. Other settlers came in 1821-27. By 1828 Aaron Wheller had built a grist mill on the site of Hillsburgh, where Nazareth Hill later established a village. Another settlement formed near the site of Erin village where a sawmill was in operation by 1828 and a grist mill by 1829. These mills were acquired and rebuilt by Daniel McMillan and in 1839 "Erin" post office was opened at "McMillan's Mills". In 1841 the township contained 1,368 persons.

Location

At the Ballinafad Cemetery, in the vicinity of the earliest settlement in the area, County Road 24, Ballinafad

Region: Southwestern Ontario

County/District: County of Wellington

Municipality: Town of Erin

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