Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories and photos of Bradford West Gwillimbury, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
The townships within Simcoe County all have unique and interesting names. Have you ever wondered where they originated from?
In the early days of settlement in Simcoe County, from 1821-1827, Holland Landing was considered the county town, or capital.
The County of Simcoe and Lake Simcoe were named after Lt. Governor of Upper Canada Hon. John Graves Simcoe, who marked the earliest explorations of the territory and sat in office from 1791-1797.
The township of ‘Gwillimbury’ was named after Simcoe’s wife, Elizabeth Gwillium. ‘Bury’ was added and is the shortened form of ‘borough’. There is a statue of her that stands at the corner of John and Barrie Streets in Bradford West Gwillimbury, in front of the post office.
Innisfil was called ‘Innisfall’ after a town in Ireland where many of the residents had come from. Tecumseth was named after the Indian chief of the War of 1812-1814, and Adjala after his wife.
Tiny, Tay and Flos? Those were the names of Lady Simcoe’s pet dogs.
