A Brief History of Dufferin County

It was a rocky road to Dufferin's formation in 1881.

This chronology outlines some of the significant stages along the way…

Dufferin Chronology

1818 Second Mississauga Purchase - acquired lands now forming County of Dufferin. Township boundaries laid out and townships named. Counties set up for land registration and militia; districts for local government. Garafraxa in Gore District; balance in Home District.

1821 County of Simcoe organized: included Mono, Amaranth, Luther, Melancthon, and Mulmur.

1837 County of Waterloo created: includes Amaranth, Luther and Melancthon.

1840 June 18 District of Wellington proclaimed: includes Amaranth, Luther and Melancthon from County of Simcoe and Home District, and Garafraxa from County of Waterloo, Gore District.

1843 Jan. 11 District of Simcoe proclaimed officially - includes Mono and Mulmur from Home District.

1845 County of Waterloo created, includes Amaranth, Garafraxa, Luther, Melancthon.

1850 Jan. 1 District of Simcoe abolished, replaced by County of Simcoe (Mono, Mulmur).

1850 Jan. 1 District of Wellington abolished, replaced by County of Waterloo (Garafraxa, Amaranth, Luther, Melancthon).

1850 Jan. 1 Mono township incorporated.

1850 Jan. 1 Garafraxa township incorporated.

1851 Jan. 1 Mulmur township incorporated.

1852 Jan. 1 County of Wellington erected, includes Amaranth, Garafraxa, and Luther.

1852 Jan. 1 County of Grey created from part of Waterloo County, includes Melancthon

1853 Jan. 1 Melancthon township incorporated.

1854 Jan. 2 Amaranth township incorporated.

1860 Jan. 2 Luther township incorporated.

1863 Dec. 22 Orangeville incorporated as a village, annexed to Wellington County.

1869 Jan. 1 Garafraxa township divided into East Garafraxa and West Garafraxa townships.

1873 Dec. 15 Orangeville incorporated as a town.

1874 Act to erect the County of Dufferin passed (38 Vic [1874], c. 31, s.1) - Provisional County of Dufferin

grandcentral.jpg (69233 bytes)1875 The Grand Central Hotel, the largest of Orangeville's eleven hotels, is built. In 1995, the Grand Central's wooden sign, mounted across the building's attic, was restored and mounted inside the DCMA's Main Gallery.

1879 Mar. 22 Shelburne incorporated as a village, annexed to Grey County.

1879 Aug. 12 Separation vote carries 1971-1430.

1880 Dec. 27 Luther township divided into East Luther and West Luther townships.

1881 Jan. 24 County of Dufferin proclaimed officially. Includes East Garafraxa, Amaranth and Orangeville from Wellington County; Melancthon and Shelburne from Grey County; Mono and Mulmur from Simcoe County

1883 Jan. 1 East Luther township separated from Wellington and annexed to Dufferin County

1887 The community of Monticello, East Luther, receives its first sewage drain.

1897 Dec. 20 Grand Valley incorporated as a village

1927  The Curran And Briggs Construction Company, of Toronto, are awarded the contract by the Provincial Highways Department for paving of the Provincial Highway from Primrose to Shelburne and the paving of Main and Owen Sound Streets, Shelburne.

1927 Merlina's new moving picture theatre building in Orangeville is wired by electrician W.E. Weaver of Shelburne.

1928  Shelburne acquires its first traffic "Stop" sign

1976 Dec. 31 Shelburne incorporated as a town.

raising.jpg (15205 bytes)1994 The Dufferin County Museum & Archives opens to the public at the corner of Airport Road & Highway 89.

1995 Jan. 1 Grand Valley and East Luther township amalgamate.

1999 June 1 Town of Mono incorporated.

church130.jpg (24810 bytes)2000 The newly restored Historic Corbetton Church Building on site at the DCMA is officially dedicated.