Although we know that the land for which Meaford now stands is rich in history from the natives and as part of the War of 1812 battles, it wasn’t until 1835 that the land was first surveyed for use as a town. The first settler’s did not arrive for another ten years from Ireland.
Throughout the next three decades development of this land was steady and by 1872 the first train would chug its way into the centre of town, looping around the harbor to make deliveries to the local mills. In 1874 Meaford was incorporated as a town with a population of 1700 and Meaford’s first Council took office the following year. By the early 1880s, Meaford was a thriving town with three mills, three carriage factories, two tanneries, a sawmill, a shingle mill, two foundries and many store fronts. We were a booming town, filled with local business, agriculture (such as our huge apple orchard farms) and a fully functioning harbour that kept industry flowing in and out.
Sadly though, the town suffered several major blows, the worst of which was the fire that occurred on July 9th, 1913. After receiving a cargo of wheat from the Wexford Steamship the night watchman discovered a fire in the grain elevator. Although everything was done to save the building, by daylight the elevator and all of its contents laid in a blazing pile of ruins.
The fire was the most costly the town has ever seen and Meaford never quite recovered from the devastating blow. Eventually the Harbour lost its importance as a shipping port and the town of Meaford moved on to new endeavors, but it would never be the booming town it once was.
Today, Meaford is still known for its beauty, our harbour is now used as a recreational port, tourist flock to Meaford each October to take in our famous Scarecrow Festival and of course our apple orchards are still a thriving part of our economic development.