Dufferin County, Ontario Article Index for
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Dufferin County, Ontario




Dufferin County, Ontario area, population 54,436 (2006) is a County and Census Division of the Canadian Province of Ontario . The county seat is Orangeville , and the current Warden is Mayor Earl Lennox of East Garafraxa. Dufferin gets its name from the Marquess Of Dufferin , who was Governor General of Canada between 1872-1878.

Dufferin County is the highest plateau immediately west of the Georgian Bay and as such forms the watershed between the four lakes: Huron, Erie, Ontario and Simcoe. Four rivers, Saugeen , Grand , Credit and Nottawasagga take their rise in Dufferin or in adjacent townships and drain through this County.

The Dufferin County is a lofty table-land that is about 518 meters above sea-level and about 426 meters above the level of downtown Toronto. A continuation of the Caledon Mountains skirts the eastern side of the county. The highest peaks, however, are no match the Blue Mountains north of Dufferin or the Caledon Mountains on the south.

It consists of the following municipalities:

  • Amaranth Township. area, , Opened in 1821 and named from a common weed-plant( Amaranth ) with green or purplish flowers, or it might be named after the "un-fading flower" of the classic poets. Settled mainly between 1840 and 1873. Communities were Orangeville, Laurel, Shelburne, Waldemar, Bowling Green

  • Township of East Garafraxa. area Opened in 1821. Settled mostly between 1833 and 1850. (community centre, Marsville)

  • Township of East Luther area . Settled mainly between 1860 and 1875. Community centres: Grand Valley, Monticello and Colbeck.

  • Township of Melancthon area, Opened in 1821 and named after one of the leader of the German Reformation ( Philipp Melanchthon ). A swampy township like Luther so it was slow to be settled. Not generally settled until after 1850. Community centres: Melancthon, Corbetton, Riverview, Hornings Mills.

  • Township of Mulmur area . Opened in 1822. Origin of the name is forgotten, possibly a corruption of an Indian word or name. Settled mainly after 1867. Community centres: Mansfield, Honeywood, Terra Nova, Primrose.


Source: ''Province of Ontario -- A History 1615 to 1927'' by Jesse Edgar Middleton & Fred Landon, copyright 1927, Dominion Publishing Company, Toronto


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