About 1820, Maurice Cottingham settled here on the Pigeon River in Emily Township. By 1835, his family had acquired much of the site of the present village. William Cottingham had built mills and, with Christopher Knoweson, had laid out a village plot named Williamstown on the west side of the River. Within a few years, a post office was opened and, by 1843, the village had been enlarged and was called Metcalfe. The construction of the Port Hope, Lindsay and Beaverton Railway in 1857 fostered the growth of the community and it was renamed Omemee, a Mississauga word meaning "Pigeon." The centre became a thriving shipping point for timber and grain. Omemee was incorporated as a village in 1874 with a population of about 900.

Location

At the municipal building, 1 King Street West, Omemee

Themes

• Communities
• Industry and trade