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HISTORY:
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The area was settled in 1825
by George Tillson and other immigrants from Massachusetts. A forge and
sawmill were erected, roads built which led to the establishment of this
small community called Dereham Forge. In 1836 the village was renamed
Tillsonburg in honour of its founder. It was also in this year that the
main street, Broadway, was laid out to its full 100-foot width. Because
the village was predominantly a logging and wood product centre, the street
was constructed wide enough to accommodate turning of three team logging
wagons. This width now is unique to Ontario and a tremendous asset toward
handling pressures of modern day traffic, by providing the benefits of
angle parking.
The mid 1800s proved to be
the first step in the industrialization of this municipality. A water
system was devised to not only supply pure water for domestic use, but
also to provide water power to such industries as a sawmill, planing mill,
grist mill, spinning mill, pottery and a tannery. Many of these new establishments
were either owned, or started or financed by George Tillson.
The "Tillsonburg News" published
its first edition in 1863 and is still actively reporting the news today.
1872 witnessed the incorporation of the village as the Town of Tillsonburg,
with E.D. Tillson elected as its first Mayor. The Town of Tillsonburg
reached a population of 2,000 in 1885, experienced its first church dedication
and had its first telephone installation established. Electric power was
first utilized in 1912 and automobiles began to appear on the market.
In 1915, a Public Library
was built with funds provided by the Carnegie Foundation, and the town's
Memorial Hospital came in existence in 1925.
In the 20s, major enterprises
included milk production, manufacture of shoes, tractors, textiles and
an increased production of tobacco. The Tillsonburg Livingston's Basketball
Team (representative of Tillsonburg's largest industry) won the Canadian
Championships in 1952 and represented Canada in the Olympics at Helsinki,
Finland. CKOT Radio began broadcasting operations in 1955 and the Ontario
Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing Board opened its new auction exchange 3 years
later. The Town's Centennial Year (1972) saw the opening of the new $1,000,000
Community Recreation Complex by the Governor-General of Canada, as well
as the opening of the Tillsonburg Museum in the old community centre on
the shores of lovely Lake Lisgar. A new 8,000 square foot Library was
completed in 1975, and a second indoor skating rink was built in 1977,
funded completely by donations from industry, commerce, service clubs,
citizens and Wintario. In 1979, the hospital built a $7,000,000 addition
for offices, improved x-ray and emergency departments, and an expanded
Intensive Care Unit. A fire hall was constructed in 1979, replacing the
old building which was demolished to make way for a downtown mall.
A significant boost to the
Town's economy came when the controversial Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall
opened in 1980. The mall, a joint effort of the Town and Trottier Investments,
was built primarily to meet competition from out-of-town malls and keep
more of the shopping dollar in town.
In 1983, two important buildings
- Annandale House (built by the founding Tillson family) and the Hale
Street railway station became public buildings. The former would be restored
as a house museum, while the latter would become an arts and crafts center.
A major residential development
geared for seniors - Hickory Hills - was announced in 1985. The development
significantly added to the Town's population as well as increased the
pool of volunteers for local non-profit agencies. Industrial development
was also greatly influenced by the construction in 1986 of the Cami auto
plant in Ingersoll.
In 1991, a Food Bank had to
be established for the community's needy and continues to be operated
on a volunteer basis.
Throughout the early 1990s,
volunteers were also busy on the Lake Lisgar Renaissance Project, which
sought to revitalize the Lake, and make the park around the Lake more
attractive with the construction of a gazebo, water fountain and walkways
into the Lake.
That same period saw the closing of two major entertainment
outlets: the Skylark Drive-In and the Strand movie theatre, victims of
the video store arrival. To the relief of many, big screen movies came
back in Tillsonburg in 1996.
In 1994, the downtown area was significantly enhanced with the construction of the Rotary Club Clock Tower, which incorporated a clock from the town's former Post Office, and a bell from the demolished Town Hall. Soon, it became a community tradition (sponsored by the Rotary Club) for local residents to gather at the Clock Tower to ring in the New Year with fireworks, hot apple cider and the dropping of a ball.
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