Founding of Strathroy

In 1830 James Buchanan, the British Consul at New York City, acquired a tract of 1,200 acres of unsettled land in Adelaide Township. He transferred control of the property to his son, John Stewart Buchanan (1815-1875), who settled there within the next two years. By 1836 John had built a sawmill and grist-mill on the Sydenham River. These pioneer industries formed the nucleus of a settlement which was named "Strathroy" by James Buchanan after his birthplace in County Tyrone, Ireland. The construction of a branch line of the Great Western Railway through Strathroy in 1856 further stimulated the community's development, and it was incorporated in 1860.

Ontario · Canada