History of Smiths Falls
The area of Smiths Falls was originally granted to Lt. Thomas Smyth, a United Empire Loyalist, who was issued 400 acres of land in 1786. The area was later purchased in 1825 by Abel Russell Ward, a self proclaimed United Empire Loyalist, due to Smyth’s default mortgage payments.
When Lt.-Col. John By, a member of the Royal Engineer Corp, was issued to construct a navigable canal linking Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River in 1832, he included the Rideau River running through Smiths Falls. This event is seen as a milestone for the area, since it allowed economic growth and it is still important today, since Smiths Falls is the HEART of the RIDEAU CANAL.
The true economic boom came after 1884 when the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed part of its line through the area. This provided a direct trade route to Montreal and its shipping lines. It also allowed the population of the region to increase rapidly and develop a long history of important industries that continue to shape the rich heritage of this diverse and prosperous town.
Find out more at one of our three unique Museums: Heritage House, Rideau Canal Museum and the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario.
