Mississippi Mills, Ontario

Mississippi Mills
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Mississippi Mills
Pakenham

Mississippi Mills within Lanark County.
Mississippi Mills
Mississippi Mills in southern Ontario
Coordinates: 45°13′N 76°12′W / 45.217°N 76.200°W / 45.217; -76.200Coordinates: 45°13′N 76°12′W / 45.217°N 76.200°W / 45.217; -76.200
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Lanark
Settled 1810s
Formed January 1, 1998
Government
 • Type Town
 • Mayor Shaun McLaughlin
 • Governing Body Mississippi Mills Town Council
 • MP Scott Reid (CPC)
 • MPP Randy Hillier (PCO)
Area[1]
 • Total 519.53 km2 (200.59 sq mi)
Population (2016)[1]
 • Total 13,163
 • Density 25.3/km2 (66/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code FSA K0A
Area code(s) 613
Website www.mississippimills.ca

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

History

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

Rosamond Mill after reconstruction

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.

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 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 town administrative offices are located in Almonte.

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.

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
2006 4,528
2011 4,752
Mississippi Mills
2001 11,647
2006 11,734
2011 12,385
Canada census – Mississippi Mills, Ontario community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 13,163 (6.3% from 2011) 12,385 (5.5% from 2006) 11,734 (0.7% from 2001)
Land area: 519.53 km2 (200.59 sq mi) 509.05 km2 (196.55 sq mi)
Population density: 23.8/km2 (62/sq mi) 23.1/km2 (60/sq mi)
Median age: 42.6 (M: 41.8, F: 43.4)
Total private dwellings: 5037 4581
Median household income: $67,114
References: 2016[2] 2011[3] 2006[4] earlier[5]

Culture

Old Post Office, Almonte

Mississippi Mills is home to several festivals and events, including the North Lanark Highland Games, Naismith 3-on-3 Basketball Festival, the Almonte Fair, Homecoming Week 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.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mississippi Mills census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  2. ↑ "2016 Community Profiles". Canada 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  4. ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  5. ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
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