A brief history of Whitchurch Stouffville - Part 2
Settlers began to arrive in Whitchurch Township as early as 1794 and came from a variety of backgrounds. Some of these settlers were squatters and obtained squatters' rights at the time of the first survey which allowed them to own the land where they had been living illegally. Also among the very first settlers to Whitchurch was a group of about 40 Quaker families led by Timothy Rogers. The Quakers came mostly from Pennsylvania, Vermont and New York and settled in the northeast part of Whitchurch in 1801. Hessian (German) soldiers, who had been hired by the British to help fight in the American War of Independence, received parcels of land as payment for their military service. Frederic Baron de Hoen was one such officer who received a total of 13 farm lots or 2600 acres. Those who settled in the southeast part of Whitchurch near Stouffville, were mostly Mennonites from the United States and arrived during the early 1800s.
Settlement and urban development in Whitchurch Township followed the same pattern as elsewhere in Ontario, being clustered around waterways, fertile land and natural resources. Small hamlets developed at mill sites or at the intersection of major travel routes. As local markets grew, these hamlets developed into larger centres. Some of the historic hamlets in Whitchurch Township include Gormley, Preston Lake, Vandorf, Wesley Corners, Pleasantville, Bethesda, Pine Orchard, Cedar Valley, Lemonville, Seldom Seen, Shrubmount, Ringwood, Baker Hill, Ballantrae, Vivian, Hartman, Bloomington, Musselman's Lake, Churchill, Lincolnville and Island Lake.
Abraham Stouffer, who came from Pennsylvania in 1804, settled on a total of 600 acres of land in the southeast corner of our township and bordering Markham Township. At the current intersections of Main and Market as well as Main and Mill Streets, Stouffer established saw and grist mills. Other businesses grew up around Stouffer's mills and soon amenities such as a church and school were added to the growing hamlet which was then known as Stoufferville. In 1832, when the post office was established, the name was shortened to Stouffville.
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natural resources. Small hamlets developed at mill sites or at the intersection of major travel routes. As local markets grew, these hamlets developed into larger centres. Some of the historic hamlets in Whitchurch Township include Gormley, Preston Lake, Vandorf, Wesley Corners, Pleasantville, Bethesda, Pine Orchard, Cedar Valley, Lemonville, Seldom Seen, Shrubmount, Ringwood, Baker Hill, Ballantrae, Vivian, Hartman, Bloomington, Musselman's Lake, Churchill, Lincolnville and Island Lake.
