Soon after the survey of Arran Township was completed in 1851, John Hamilton and Richard Berford, early settlers in the area, located here along the Sauble River. The opening of the Owen Sound Post road stimulated the growth of a small community and, in 1858, Berford registered a village plan. Situated in a rich agricultural region with abundant water power, the settlement developed quickly. By 1861, it contained saw and grist mills, a foundry producing agricultural implements, wagon works and a tannery, and the following year a post office was established. Tara became a thriving commercial and manufacturing centre and, in anticipation of the arrival of the Stratford and Huron Railway, it was incorporated as a village by a county bylaw effective January 1, 1881.

Location

In Centennial Park, Yonge Street near the bridge, Tara

Themes

• Communities
• Industry and trade