Athens Village History
formerly Farmersville, Athens Village incorporated 1890
| | Athens Township incorporated 2001 | |
Farmersville was named by its founder, Joshua Bates to honour farmers as the foundation of the community. Bates was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, politician, and a progressive Reformer who believed that education, and hard work would lead to prosperity. His belief in education and the Press as agents of change has coursed through Farmersville's history. In 1889 the population of 912 decided to take the name "Athens" since it now boasted a beautiful stone high school, a Model School that taught teachers, and a railway station. The strong sense of community begun by Bates carried on with village notables such as Crawf Slack, band leader and writer, and Bethuel Loverin. Crawf's paintings still sell today at premium prices. The Farmersville Reporter newspaper founded by Loverin documented the community's events and culture and served as a cornerstone of the community. Its pages, rich with history, served as the foundation for books by Chant - herself a long-time reporter for the paper. Innovative businesses have thrived here like the Fisher Carriage Works that sold over 100 buggies in 1884, and Jeffrey Boat Works that produced fine wooden runabouts for nearly 30 years. Lamb's Drugs sold their own patent medicines - fortified with whiskey - while Earl's Tin Ship [Shop?] sold special patented gas lights. Joshua Bates' values of community, education, and hard work live on here today.
[Main background photo text reads]
Turkey Fair c1910
The Fair was held in early December and attracted large crowds each year. At the left of this picture is the Gamble Hotel and, at the end of the street, the new Town Hall is seen with its high-peaked tower. The post office is not yet built.
Purcell's enclosed sleight bus which carried passengers to the train station at the north of town is seen at the lower center of the picture. The Central Block is nearly hidden by trees but can be distinguished by the curved feature in its roof line.
[Inset photo captions, clockwise from top left, read]
Steam Equipment in Athens
Draught Horses & Children on the Farm
Central Block on Main St. in the background
Brockville-Westport Railway
North side of Main St., 1930s
(Central Block with distinctive arch detail at roof line)
Athens Model School
Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Can[a]da, 1911-1920
Opened the Model School in 1906
Crawf Slack, Artist, musician, poet
Masthead of the Farmersville Reporter
Bethuel Loverin, Founder, Farmersville Reporter
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada,
1896-1911, Opened the Town Hall in 1905
Athens Town Hall
[Bottom center photo]
Edna B. Chant (1905-1989), Athens Historian
Erected 2013
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. 44° 37.544′ N, 75° 57.143′ W. Marker is in Athens, Ontario, in Leeds and Grenville United Counties. It is at the intersection of Main Street (County Highway 5/42) and Elgin Street (County Highway 5/40), on the left when traveling west on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Main Street West, Athens ON K0E 1B0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Ontario and specifically in Southeastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Joshua Bates (within shouting distance of this marker);
Also see . . . Athens, Ontario at Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 30, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,846 times since then and 107 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 30, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
