The Founding of Bath

Photo by Alan L Brown - May, 2004

Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - December, 2009

Plaque Location

The County of Lennox and Addington
The Township of Loyalist
In Bath, in a park on the northeast corner of
Main Street (Highway 33) and Fairfield Street
a block east of Church Street (Road 7)

Coordinates: N 44 11.001 W 76 46.489

Plaque Text

Settlement of this village, one of Ontario's oldest communities, began in 1784 when discharged soldiers from Jessup's Rangers, a Loyalist corps, took up land grants in the vicinity. The sheltered harbour here provided easy access stimulating the growth of a community. Connected to Kingston by an early waterfront road, the hamlet, called Ernestown, contained a tavern, a church and an academy by 1811. A significant shipbuilding industry developed and in 1816 the "Frontanac", the first steamboat in Upper Canada, was launched from a local shipyard. Two years later the settlement was officially renamed Bath. Incorporated as a village in 1859, it prospered as a commercial, shipping and industrial centre well into the 1870s. Today Bath 's thriving past is reflected in its many distinctive 19th century buildings.

More
Information

More
Settlements

---

Here are the comments for this page.

(none yet)

Here's where you can write a comment for this page.

Note: If you wish to ask me a question, please use the email link in the menu.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours
(usually much sooner).