Westport in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The Founding of Westport

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2024

1. The Founding of Westport Marker

Inscription.
Sawmills built by Sheldon Stoddard and the Manhard brothers in 1828-29, during the construction of the Rideau Canal, fostered the development here of a small settlement. Grist-mills and wharves were soon erected and, by 1848, a post-office, “West Port,” had been established. Within a decade, the hamlet contained 300 residents and several prosperous businesses, including the general store of Declan Foley and mills of William H. Fredenburgh, a prominent lumber exporter. The community's growth was stimulated by agricultural prosperity and the construction of the Brockville, Westport and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, completed in 1888 between Brockville and Westport, which then had a population of about 700. Westport was incorporated as a village, with 900 inhabitants, by a United Counties bylaw of 1903.

Erected by Ontario Heritage Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Recreation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.

Location. 44° 40.789′ N, 76° 23.886′ W. Marker is in Westport

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, Ontario, in Leeds and Grenville United Counties. It is at the intersection of Bedford Street (Regional Road 12) and George Street, on the right when traveling west on Bedford Street (Regional Road 12). The marker is located directly in front of the Westport Town Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 30 Bedford Street, Westport ON K0G 1X0, 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 Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Royal Sappers and Miners (approx. 6.6 kilometers away); St. Mary's Anglican Church (approx. 6.8 kilometers away); Sappers and Miners / Sapeurs et mineurs (approx. 7.2 kilometers away); Blockhaus de Narrows Blockhouse (approx. 8.5 kilometers away); Narrows (approx. 8.5 kilometers away); Rivers, Lakes and Locks / Rivières, Lacs et Écluses (approx. 8.5 kilometers away); The Enemy to the South / l'Ennemi du Sud (approx. 8.5 kilometers away); Two Lakes from One / d'Une Pierre Deux Coups (approx. 8.5 kilometers away).

More about this marker. Both sides of this marker have the same English inscription.

Also see . . . Westport, Ontario. Wikipedia entry:

Excerpt: Two local merchants, Aaron Chambers and Lewis Cameron, named the village Westport in 1841, the name reflecting its location at the west end of Upper Rideau Lake. Like much of the surrounding area, Westport received
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2024

2. The Founding of Westport Marker
Looking east along of Bedford Street; Westport Town Hall is on the left.
a large number of Irish immigrants in the 1840s through the 1860s, following the Great Famine. Westport remained a thriving commercial centre through the 19th century and into the 20th century. The building of the Rideau Canal allowed goods to be shipped north to Ottawa and south to Kingston. In 1882, an entrepreneur named R.G. Harvey proposed an ambitious project to build a railway from Brockville to Sault Ste. Marie. The Brockville-Westport line moved goods, mail and people to and from the St. Lawrence River and Westport. Many cheese factories were located between Brockville and Westport. The train was therefore known as the "cheese run." The rail line also brought tourists north to Westport starting a tradition of Westport as a tourist destination.

(Submitted on August 25, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Westport Town Hall (<i>south/front elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2024

3. Westport Town Hall (south/front elevation)

The marker is on the left.

Westport Post Office image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2024

4. Westport Post Office

Located 3 blocks southeast of the marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 323 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.