Mississippi Mills, Ontario

Mississippi Mills, Ontario
Town of Mississippi Mills
—  Township  —
Aerial view of Almonte.
Mississippi Mills within Lanark County.
Coordinates: 45°13′N 76°12′W / 45.217°N 76.2°W / 45.217; -76.2Coordinates: 45°13′N 76°12′W / 45.217°N 76.2°W / 45.217; -76.2
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Lanark
Incorporated January 1, 1998
Government
 - Type Town
 - Mayor Al Lunney
 - Governing Body Mississippi Mills Town Council
 - MP Gordon O'Connor (CPC)
 - MPP Norm Sterling (OPC)
Area
 - Total 509.05 km2 (196.5 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
 - Total 11,734
 - Density 23.1/km2 (59.8/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code span
Area code(s) 613
Website www.mississippimills.ca

Mississippi Mills is a town in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the County of Lanark on the Mississippi River. It is located within Canada's National Capital Region.

Contents

History

The current town of Mississippi Mills was incorporated on January 1, 1998 by amalgamating the town of Almonte with the township of Ramsay and the town of Pakenham.

Almonte's first settler was David Shepherd, who in 1819 was granted 200 acres (0.81 km2) by the Crown to build and operate a mill. The site became known as Shepherd's Falls. That name was never official, however, as Shepherd sold his patent after his mill burned down. The buyer of the patent, Daniel Shipman, rebuilt the mill and the settlement became known as Shipman's Mills in 1820.

The majority of Shipman's Mills' early settlers were Scottish. The town grew to encompass thirty stores and forty other businesses. A textile mill town almost from the start, at its peak it boasted seven busy woolen mills. During this time of rapid expansion the town changed its name from Shipman's Mills to Ramsayville and then to Waterford. When in 1855 the newly-created Canadian post office pointed out there was already a Waterford in Ontario, the town needed yet another name change.

Relations between the United States and Great Britain had been antagonistic since the War of 1812. Border skirmishes between Mexico and the United States increased this antagonism. Mexican general Juan Almonte had fought in these skirmishes, and by 1853 had become Mexico's ambassador to the United States. Since the people of Waterford mistrusted the U.S., and General Almonte had resisted the U.S., they decided to honour Mexico and the general by renaming the town Almonte. This makes Almonte the only town in Ontario named after a Mexican general. The name change appears to have happened in 1856, though the post office didn't record the new name until 1859.

Old Post Office, Almonte

After the last textile mill closed in the early 1980s, Almonte no longer had a dominant industry. It has since turned its attention towards tourism. It offers museums and several historical spots, such as the home of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, and the Naismith Museum & Hall of Fame. Many of the town's residential, commercial and institutional buildings date from the 19th century. Malcolm Street, for example, contains many 19th century homes. Daniel Shipman's house still stands at the corner of Bridge and Mill Streets.

Communities

The old stone bridge, Pakenham's most famous landmark

The town comprises the communities of Almonte, Appleton, Bennies Corners, Blakeney, Cedar Hill, Clayton, Galbraith, McCrearys, Montgomery Park, Pakenham, Snedden, The Tannery, Uneeda and Union Hall.

The Pakenham area is known for Mount Pakenham, a popular skiing location near Pakenham, and the five-arch stone bridge across the Mississippi River. Built in 1901, it is the only five-arch stone bridge in North America.

Culture

Mississippi Mills is home to several festivals and events, including Puppets Up, the North Lanark Highland Games, Naismith 3-on-3 Basketball Festival, Riveredge Arts Festival and CeltFest.

Many of the town's citizens commute to the nearby city of Ottawa. Almonte has three elementary schools: R. Tait McKenzie Public School, Naismith Memorial Public School and Holy Name of Mary Catholic School. Almonte and District High School serves the town of Almonte and much of the surrounding area.

Demographics

Census Population
Almonte
1871 2,080
1901 3,023
1911 2,452
1921 2,426
1931 2,415
1941 2,543
1951 2,672
1961 3,267
1971 3,696
1981 3,855
1991 4,382
Mississippi Mills
2001 11,647
2006 11,734

According to the 2006 census:[1]

  • Population: 11,734
  • % Change (2001-2006): 0.7
  • Dwellings: 4,581
  • Area (km²): 509.05
  • Density (persons per km²): 23.1

References

  1. ^ Statistics Canada, 2006 Community Profiles: Community highlights for Mississippi Mills. Retrieved on March 13, 2007.

External links



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