The first people to  inhabit the  area  around  where  Brampton is located were doubtlessly Indians.  These were probably Iroquois, but by 1753 were replaced by the Mississugas.  The  Indian  hunters used the  Credit  River to the west or the Humber River to the east, because even 200 years ago the Etobicoke River was undependable, boats being the means of transportation.

    The  French  gave way to  Britain,  but the  lands which  were  to become Peel County  still  belonged to the  Indians.  United  Empire  Loyalists took refuge in these northern  forests,   and the British government legalized their position by buying land from the Indians  and organizing the new   province of  Upper  Canada.   Not until the Queen’s  Rangers had cut the first line of  Dundas  Street and a Lakeshore Road, was there any hope of  settlement  between  the  mouth of the  Etobicoke  and  the former Etobicoke Purchase of 1788.  Early travel was still mostly by canoe or small boat.

    Immigrants from the  British  Isles caused the  Old  Survey of 1805-6 and the New  Survey of 1818-9 to become settled.  The  Old  Survey  opened up the lower part of Toronto Township and the New Survey opened up the northern part of Peel County. Lots were laid out east and west of present  Hurontario Street  (Centre Road), opening up the balance of  Toronto  Township.   It included also the  townships  of  Albion and Caledon, also Erin in  Wellington  County,  names being chosen from the motherlands of the immigrants. 

   Chinguacousy was named for the famous Chippewa Indian chief “Shinguacouse”, halfbreed  son of a Scottish  army officer,  thus uniting the traditions of the old and the new masters of  the county.

    Richard  Bristol  received  the first  grant of land,  Lot 5,  Concession 2 West, in Chinguacousy  on  January 20,  1820,  now  the  property of the  Ontario  Reformatory. Another assistant in the survey was Thomas Grafton, great-grandfather of Russ Grafton,  R.R. 5, Brampton.  The  compass used by Thomas Grafton has been lost,  but had been in the family for many years.

    The first settler of Brampton was John Elliott, in 1823 from Brampton, Cumberland,  England.  The  actual beginnings  of the  town  seem  to be a tavern on Lot 8, 1st Concession  East,  on the  property of  Archibald  Pickard.  Here  one  Martin  Salisbury operated an inn and a market fair,  at which most of the business of the area was done.

    Lot 5, 1st East,  now is  the  property  on the  banks of the  Etobicoke  where  the McClure [Ward’s} Funeral Home now stands. It was here that John Elliott built his home. His  religion  was  Primitive  Methodist,  and no doubt his strict  beliefs were upset when William  Buffy  set up a tavern close to the corner of Hurontario Street and Number Five Sideroad. 

    This is now the corner of Main and Queen Streets, and people began calling the place Buffy’s  Corners.  Mrs. John Birss, 117 Main Street South,  now deceased, was a descendant of John Elliott, and a grandniece of John Haggart, later to become the first mayor of Brampton, mentioned later in the story.

    The second founder of Brampton, working with John Elliott, was William Lawson. He was a merchant, of Primitive Methodist religion, also from Brampton, England. In the Primitive Methodist church in Brampton, England,  are identical tablets giving the credit of the  founding of Brampton, Canada,  jointly to John Elliott and William Lawson.

Other names are worthy of remembering.
William  Elliott’s  home,  an early settler,  was the   beginning of  Peel  Memorial Hospital in 1925,  begun as a memorial to all who served in World War One.

The John Lynch home is still in good condition, at 84 Queen Street East, owned by  W. J. Foster. 

The first industry in  Brampton  was an  ashery,  started by  John  Scott.  By this time Brampton had been named by John Elliott and William Lawson. There were bridges across the  Etobicoke by the 1830s,  but they  were constantly  in  need of repairs due to floods,  according to records.  Around  the time  1840-50  mention is  made of the Plank Road Company and the Port Credit and Hurontario Plank Road, then the latest improvement. This road ran from Port Credit to Edmonton (Snelgrove). The Provincial Guarantee Act of 1849 started a railway boom, and the leading businessmen of Brampton saw their chance.

In 1852 John Lynch was reeve of the township. After discussions as to whether the railway depot should be built on John Elliott’s property or George Wright’s property, by 1853 the decision had been made. The depot was built on George Wright’s property, and is now the Canadian National Railway, then the Toronto and Guelph Railway, later the Canada Grand Trunk Railway Company.

Brampton, after its incorporation in 1853, still kept many roots, in government, industry, churches, etc. Today, Brampton is the site of many new industries and more being built all the time. This is due to the fact that Brampton started as a focal point of county trade and history, and kept that position.  Now  Brampton is in the centre of the Ontario market with access to all the latest methods of transportation.

The present Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1856, then known as theCredit  Valley  Railroad,  opened in 1859,  and  absorbed by the CPR in 1884.   The  first “horseless carriage” appeared in 1900 when Lord and Lady Minto visited the Dale Estate greenhouses,  but  one  was  later  built  by W. Emerson  Downs  and  his father at their machine shop on Queen Street East, now where Maple Leaf Cleaners have their business. Today, “horseless carriages” are built, or manufactured in great numbers in the modern plant of American  Motors on Kennedy Road South.  This plant was first opened in 1961, and recently  new  additions have been built.  This has been the change in one aspect of industry and transportation of then and now.

Some other  changes  are  very  interesting.  The names of  the founders, or their descendants, are very well known today.

John Scott  had the first industry,  an ashery,  chopping mill and distillery. Later, there  appeared  a  grist  and  lumber  mill  operated  by  steam.  As  the  Etobicoke  was unpredictable,  this  type  of operation  was  generally  carried  on  on  the  Credit  River. Kenneth Chisholm and the Elliotts were  connected with the Eldorado Mills just north of Churchville, but had a store-house in Brampton.

The  Brampton  Foundry  was  established  in 1849 by John Haggart,  under  the name of Haggart  Brothers.  Eight or ten  people were employed,  and  actual horsepowerwas used to move the  machinery.  In 1851  steam  power  was  introduced.  By the late 1870s the plant occupied four sides of a square, the main building was four storeys high, of brick and stone, with much yard room in the centre. 

This  building,  or  part  of the plant,  is at the  corner of  Main  Street  North and Nelson Street West, now owned by H. L. McMurchy, Main Street South.  In  this  building are the Winston Apartments and various retail stores, including Virginia Dare Ltd., ladies clothing  store.  By  1877 there were  140  employees,  engaged in building threshers and various other businesses,  much like a chamber of commerce. 

Some  other  items  manufactured  were  steam  engines  and boilers,  stoves, the Brampton   Triple  Harvester,   Single  Reaper,   Beaver  Mower,  Sowing  Machines,  etc. Haggartlea,  residence  of  John  Haggart,  now owned by A. Morrison,  is the apartment building at the  corner of  Elizabeth  Street  North and  Nelson  Street  West.  In front of Haggartlea  and the foundry and its buildings,  was the first bowling green of Brampton. Haggart’s liquidated in 1891, later bought by Richard Blain and John McMurchy, resold to J. M. Ross Company.  Financial  difficulties  ceased  operation in this foundry, as well as in the one belonging to Young Bros. Foundry, founded in 1890. 

The Pease  Foundry  started in 1912 with a new  invention – furnaces.  At present the Pease Foundry is no longer in operation,  as it was started, now  a storehouse for the past several years for a large firm.

When the Young Foundry went out of business,  the Williams Shoe Company took over the building,  and in this  business are the familiar names of  Williams,  McMurchys and the Johnstons. The Hewetson Shoe Company started about the time of the beginning of World War I.  The  Brampton  Knitting  Mills  started  in the  McCulla Planing building, Queen Street East, and is familiar to many.

Copeland-Chatterson  came  to  Brampton  in  1905,  and  the  present president, C. W. West,  started as office-boy then.

Brampton  Brick  Company  was started also in 1905,  operated now by a Toronto concern.  Gummed  Papers  Limited  is  another  older  firm,  built  on  land  sold  by  Mr. McMurchy,  father of H. L. McMurchy.  This firm was started in 1914.

Many firms  and  industries have been added since then:  Dixie  Cup,  Moore  Dry Kiln, Imperial Optical, Charters Publishing, and in the more recent years, firm after firm have  located  here.  Some of these are American Motors,  C-I-L,   Chubb-Mosler & Taylor Safes Ltd., Strippitt Tools, IKO, G. D. Searle & Co. of Canada Ltd., and many, many more. 

New industries are being added all  the time with the greatest congestion being in the Orenda Road area, bounded by Kennedy Road South and Queen Street East. Many of these companies are branches  with  parent  companies  elsewhere.  Railway  spurs  have provided easy transportation for those companies needing this.

Easy  access  to  the  airport  at  Malton,  also to the St. Lawrence  Seaway,  make Brampton a highly industrialized center at this time.

Industry and transportation have not been the only changes in Brampton. There have been many others – as population increased  with newcomers from many areas.

The first  Brampton  school was kept by Dame  Wright,  on what is now the Times and Conservator site. From this school, children went to the John Street Primary School, where the  Armouries  now stand.  A central school, now demolished,  was then built. In early 1880s a two-room school was built on  Queen  Street  West,  now  the  rural  hydro office. Later a building was erected which was used until a few years ago as the primary department  at  Central  School.  The  Act of 1871  established  free  schools  and  made attendance compulsory for at least four months of the year for children between the ages of seven and twelve. 

Secondary  education  was  also  developing.   The   first   grammar   school  was established in 1853, the first teacher, Mr. Thompson, was succeeded by Rev. Thos. Hall. John Seath took charge in 1862. Classes were held where Central School stands, which was renovated and additions built.   McHugh  School was later built near the Brampton Fairgrounds.

The old  Brampton  High  School    was destroyed by fire in 1917, and replaced by what was then a modern  building.  Additions have been made,  and John R. Willis is the present principal. W. J. Fenton was one of the very popular principals, serving from 1892 to  1927.  The  addition  of  the  W. J. Fenton  Memorial  wing  in  1952  was made to the Brampton Public Library, made possible by a grant of $12,500 from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation in 1905.

Today the  education  facilities  have  greatly  increased  in the town of Brampton, which changed from village status in 1873.  Built  over  the  last   few  years,  the total of schools is at present: seven public schools, for grades 1 to 8, with kindergarten facilities; three more  public  schools to be opened  this  fall;  Central   Peel  Composite  School,  as well as  Brampton  High  School;  two  separate  schools  (Roman  Catholic);  John  Knox  Christian  School,  plus  facilities  for  retarded  and  emotionally  handicapped children. School sites  are already chosen for more public,  high school and separate schools.

The first weekly newspaper  was started prior to 1850 by a Reformer named Judd, who named it the  Mercury.  In 1855  the  Brampton  Times  took  over.  Also in 1851 the Brampton  Weekly  Standard  was the second  weekly newspaper,  later taken over by the Peel Banner and General Advertiser. The Times changed owners several times, continuing as  The  Conservator  for  63  years  in  the  Charters  family,  and  sold  to  the  Thomson Publications  on July  1,  1953  (a daily  in  1965).   The  Charters  Publishing  Company Limited   concentrated  on  commercial  printing  in  their  plant  on  Henderson  Avenue in the former  Evangeline  Beverage plant.

We  could  not  mention  growth  of industry in  Brampton  and  not  mention the names of  those  who are  responsible  for  Brampton being known as the Flower Town of Canada.  The  original  greenhouse,  very  unlike  those of today,  was started by Edward Dale in 1860 to raise market garden produce.   In 1870 Harry Dale joined his father and flowers were added,  and even in the early days concentration was on roses. 

Family names familiar to Brampton residents are Duggan, Algie, Brydon, Dickson, Cooper,   and many others who have been  connected with this industry.  Calvert’s is the second largest, concentrating on chrysanthemums. Other greenhouses include Fendley’s, Lagerquist’s, and many other small concerns. 

In 1963, the very  appropriate  Festival  of  Flowers was held for the first time, the idea brought from Portland,  Oregon.  The success of  this venture  gives promise of more than one  Festival of Flowers,  although it may not be held at the same time each year. It was enjoyed by all – many float and band entries added to the Festival of Flowers.

The Peel Music  Festival has now been held for 39 years,  and creates a great deal of interest in musical talent. The Brampton Citizens Band was organized originally as the Mechanics,  organized in the 1880s by  James  Crawford.  Most  of the original  members were workers of Haggart’s Foundry. The band was part of the Peel and Dufferin Regiment and moved into the Armouries  until  1937,  when it  resumed  its  civilian  status.  Many honours  have  been  won  by  this  band over the years,  and  presently  under the latest director,  Capt. W. T. Atkins,  A.R.C.M.

The number  of  churches  and  denominations  have  increased  as the town has grown in population and size.  The   first  religious  denomination  was  Methodist,   first brought by the circuit riders.  An ordained minister,  travelling by horseback,  would  go from place to place, and in the meantime the people would be served by laymen. William Lawson brought Methodism to Brampton in 1831, and with John Elliott’s help, Brampton became the head of the third Primitive Methodist circuit in Canada

They were joined by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1833 and later by the Episcopal Methodists,  this  batter one taken over by the  Church  of  England in 1884.  The other Methodist  congregations  never united.  In 1885  the  Primitive Methodist congregation moved  to  the  church  we  know  as  St. Paul’s on  Main  Street  South;  the  Wesleyan Methodists  built  Grace  United  Church  in  1853,  remodelled  it  in  1888,  and it has recently been enlarged with more renovations.

The  Presbyterian  church  history  started  in  1847  when a United Presbyterian church,  known as Mr. Pringle’s,  was built.  In 1853 the Free  Church put up a church. In 1875 the two churches united,  after Mr. Pringle’s death,  and in 1880 a new church was built, now St. Andrew’s  Presbyterian Church.  This congregation stayed apart from the inter-denominational union in 1925,  which  joined  St. Paul’s  and Grace Churches into the United Church of Canada.

The  Anglican   history  started  about  1855,    and  in  1884  the  old  Methodist Episcopal Church was purchased.  A chancel was built,  and changes made to make the present Christ Church suitable for  Church  of  England worship.  Since that date, in the last  few  years,  St. James the Apostle (Anglican)  and St. Bartholomew’s United Church have been  added  in the present  Peel  Village  area  of  Brampton. It is believed the first Anglican Church  was located on present Thomas Street,  now a private home.

The Catholic church had its beginning in 1865 with the Guardian Angel’s Church. The present church, St. Mary’s, was opened in 1910 at its John Street location,  and with a resident priest in 1919. [The new St. Mary’s Church is located south of John Street].

The Baptist church had its beginning in 1856,  but later was dropped due to lack of interest. The present First Baptist Church on Main Street South was built in 1876.

The Salvation Army’s work has been  carried on in Brampton for 79 years. Army records show that  Captain  Minnie  Laidy came  here alone at first with her commission from headquarters.  The  population of  Brampton at that time, in 1884, was  3,000. The first Army meetings were held in a building  where   the present Orange Hall now stands. The outdoor meetings were conducted on the old site called the Market Square where the Carnegie Library is now located. At present the Salvation Army is carrying on in their fine tradition, and the beautiful new citadel on Queen Street West is dignified in its simplicity.

Today other  denominations  have started their  churches,  some of which are the Pentecostal group, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutheran, Calvary Baptist, etc.

Brampton’s  growth has been evident in population, as well as in various ways. In the  Centennial  Year of 1953,  the population was  approximately 8,000 – now the latest records show more than 23,000 inhabitants.  New subdivisions have been built: Eldomar Heights,  Treleaven Gardens,  Eden Park,  Northwood Park,  Woodview Estates,  Ridgehill Manor,  Kimberly Heights,  and the fast-growing, enormous Peel Village, to name a few.

To keep pace with this  sudden  growth in population,  many  changes  have  been made.  Shopping  centres have been built,  the  existing  ones  modernized  and  enlarged. The oldest  retail  business  in  Brampton,  Boyle’s Drug Store,  has   also  been  included among those being modernized.  This store began in 1840 under the ownership of  David Truman, succeeded by his son-in-law, Christopher Stork, continued after 1880 by Edwin Truman Stork, his son. The business was continued under the name of “C. Stork & Son” until 1915. 

In the early 1880s Edgar Walker Boyle served his apprenticeship under the tuition of Ed Stork,  receiving  his  diploma  in  1885  from the  newly-formed  Ontario College of Pharmacy.  In  1915 E. W. Boyle,  in  partnership  with his  son,  Robert  Dawson  Boyle, purchased  the  business.  After the  death  of his father in 1920,  R. Boyle  continued in business.   “Boyle Book Store” is not as old,  being started in the 1880s  as a fancy goods store,  management  being  taken over in 1945 by Ed Boyle and his assistant,  Miss Ruth Gammell.

The Masons  started  Peel Ionic Lodge No. 229 in 1870 in the building opposite to their present meeting place, which was dedicated in 1913. [Main Street South]

The Wigley tannery occupied the site where the Independent Order of Odd Fellows hall now  stands.  Golden Star Lodge, No. 101, I.O.O.F., was instituted October 10, 1872, with organization on the  third floor of the Blain Hardware building.  Later, they occupied the third floor of the Beck building, later the A. & P. Store. In 1925 they erected their own hall on Queen Street West.  The  women’s branch  of the Order, Floral Rebekah Lodge No. 369 was instituted on March 8, 1954,  with two previous lodges, Peerless and Silver Star. Many new worthy,  needed organizations began to  be known:   Lions, Kiwanis, Kinsmen, Civitan and others to form the service club background of a town.

A history of Brampton,  however  brief,  would have to  include mention of sports. Lacrosse was started here in 1871 by George Lee,  the name  Excelsiors being prominent in sport circles since the beginning, winning the Mann Cup in 1931,  some of the players being Bill O’Hearn (recently deceased), Pete Ella, Elgin Core and others, including George Sproule who was the most sportsmanlike player.  Rosalea  Park  has  been  the home of the Excelsiors for many years,  but  games  in  the  senior  class  are  now  played  at  the Brampton Memorial Arena – although there is still a lacrosse bowl at Rosalea.

Baseball was started in  Brampton by George Kidd in the 1880s,  before lacrosse, and  industrial  teams  were  formed.  Today  many of the young boys  engage in a lively sports program in baseball and lacrosse, as well as in hockey, started here in the period between 1876 and 1890,  when the Ontario Hockey Association was formed. 

Curling, lawn bowling have an active history here, as does tennis, golf and others, more recently track and field with Jim Irons and Nancy McCredie.  Since  the  opening of the  Rosalea Pool,  donated by the Lions Club,  and its recent addition,  swimming seems to be one of  the latest competitive sports.

In  health  and  welfare  care   Brampton  has   always   been  very  conscientious. Sanitary  inspections  have  been  made  for  years,   compulsory  vaccination  of  school children started in 1895.  In 1920 a plant for  chlorination of the water supply was built, and in 1924 medical and dental inspection of school children started.

In 1925 the Peel Memorial Hospital was opened with six private rooms, two public wards of six beds each,  and a  nursery for  three  infants.  Additions  have been made in 1938, 1949,  and  in  1952  additions  to  the  nurse’s  residence.  In  the  last  few  years additions have been made until the hospital now boasts psychiatric,  pediatric,  intensive care units,  recovery room,  facilities for  emergency care and a total capacity of 255 beds. A training  program  has been  adopted  for the last  three  years  for  nursing  assistants. Prominent  among  the  doctors  who  served  the  town  of Brampton is the late Dr. W. H. Brydon,  whose portrait hangs in the lobby.  The hospital  was  dedicated  in  memory of those who served from Peel County in World War One and Two.

Peel Manor began as the  Peel-Halton  House  of  Refuge in 1897-8 by Peel County alone,  joined  by  Halton County in 1909.  An  addition  was made  in 1926.  Some  years ago   Halton  County  built  its  own  home  in  Milton  and the name was changed to Peel Manor, with Peel County operating it alone.

Brampton post office was built in 1889, and has since, due to the construction of a fine new building on the corner of Queen Street East and Union Street, the old post office has been used as a police station, plus other groups.

Postal service began with the  incorporation of  Brampton as a village in 1853. The first postmaster was Peleg Howland, the present one is Earl Holmes.

The  first jail-keeper was Michael Crawford.

The first military unit was the Volunteer Militia Rifle Company, which was formed in  1855,   under  the  command  of Capt.  George  Wright.   Major  John  Lynch  became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 6th Peel Battalion. In 1865, during the Fenian Raids, Brampton had two   militia units,  an  Infantry  Company  under  Capt. Stork,  and a Rifle Company under  Major  Wright.   In  1869  the  36th  Battalion  was  set  up  with  headquarters  in Brampton.

Brampton sacrificed greatly in both World War I and II. The municipality’s Book of Remembrance is deposited in the Cenotaph,   corner of Main Street South and Wellington Street. This monument, together with a monument erected the last few years in recognition of the contribution the Haggart Brothers made to the town in industry, provide a pleasing, restful corner near Gage Park.

In  1936  the  Lorne  Scots,  Peel-Dufferin  Regiment,  was  amalgamated  with  the Halton  Rifles.  At  present the  Commanding  Officer is Lt. Col. R. Hardie, and the former C.O., Col. Sam Charters,  is  commanding 17 Militia,  of which the Lorne Scots are a part. In 1960 the Lorne Scots  Pipe Band  was  invited to take  part in the  Edinburgh  Tattoo – the only  pipe  band  in Canada to  receive  this  honour.

William  Johnston  was  the  first  township  clerk,   and  great-grandfather of the mayor of Brampton in 1953, Harper Bull. The present mayor is Russell Prouse, while the mayor of the first town council in 1874 was John Haggart. 

The Brampton  Fall  Fair  had  its  beginning  in 1853 at the corner of Main Street South and Queen Street West.  Somewhere  records  have  been lost for about four years, or else the fair was not held.   In September 1965,  the 106th fair will be held, in the ideal location now on Elliott Street,  where  there  is  ample  room  for  exhibits,  racing and all displays  of  a  country  fair.

Several important features of life in Brampton need to be added:- Gage Park, located at intersection of Main Street South and Wellington Street West, was started with 2.4 acres purchased by the Town of Brampton. The front lawn of Alderlea, built by Kenneth Chisholm about 1864, is part of Gage Park. It was purchased from Mary Anne Chisholm – whose husband had been a Dominion Land Surveyor.

In 1903  William  James  Gage,  later  Sir  William  James  Gage  and  his wife Ida Burnside Gage donated an adjoining parcel of 1.7 acres, creating the present land area of 4.1 acres.

The  existing  bandshell  was  erected  in  1950,  and  the  earlier  wooden one was relocated to Rosalea Park.  The  wading  pool  was  presented to the Town of Brampton by the Kinsmen Club of Brampton in 1955.

The Brampton branch of the Canadian Legion came into being in 1926. Dr. William Dwight Sharpe was dominion president in 1925 of  the  Great War Veterans’ Association. It was felt it would be suitable that the Brampton Branch be named as a tribute to him. Early meetings were held in the Armouries,  then  later in rooms over Charters Publishing Co. on Queen  Street  West.  The  next  location  was  in  the  former  Excelsior  skating rink, then occupied  by  Brampton  Optical  Company.  After  purchase  of  the  curling  club on Byng Avenue,   the  membership  in  Branch  15,   Royal  Canadian  Legion  increased.   Present location is in the former Chisholm home,  Alderlea at 40 Elizabeth Street South.

I have saved this personal entry to the last one – Boy Scouts and Girl Guides!

Scouts and Guides have been a part of Brampton since formation in 1908 by the Chief  Scout,  Lord  Robert  Baden-Powell.   The  first  Guide  in  Brampton  was  Minnie Brightwell, as her family settled here in 1910. The first Guide camping trip was held near Streetsville about 1912.

Boy Scouts held informal meetings soon after 1908, but it was not until April 1925 that the Optimists Club of Brampton sponsored the 1st Brampton  Scout Troop.  Meetings were held in the  Armouries,  with  present  troop meetings at  St.  Andrew's  Presbyterian Church.  I am proud  to be a member of 1st Brampton Scout Troop!

In all ways,   even  taming the  Etobicoke  River  by  building a diversion channel, officially opened July 3, 1952, thus controlling the flooding,  Brampton has forged ahead to become the most rapidly  growing  industrial centre in southern Ontario.  From  village status in 1853,  town  status in 1873,  city  status  is  probably  but a thing of the future. Regardless of the small “Horse-And-Buggy” settlement, to one that has grown beyond the wildest  expectations in 1853,  the  neighbourliness  remains – the small town feeling of a nice place to live.