Point Edward, and the St. Clair River was first recognized by the American and British government as an International Boundary. A military reserve of 1,000 acres was set aside for defensive works at the commanding point of land which was named in honour of Prince Edward Augustus, the fourth son of King George III and later the father of Queen Victoria. In 1838 John Slocum, a native of New York established a commercial fishery on the site of a former military reserve here where the St. Clair River flows out of Lake Huron. In 1870 a steamship service was started to transport immigrants and supplies to western Canada and by 1873 the town contained stores, hotels, sawmills and large immigration sheds. In 1853, Point Edward was chosen as the Canadian Terminus of the Grand Trunk Railway. From that time until 1902, Point Edward was a company town where virtually all the residents were employees of the GTR.
In 1938, with the opening of the Blue Water Bridge, the Village received a major boost. In 1997, with the addition of a second span, the Village now has the distinction of having the ONLY twin International Bridge Crossing in Canada.
During the first world war Point Edward was instrumental in the manufacturing of ore for the war effort. After the war new industries and settlers sprang up in the area, however the opening of the Welland Canal led to the village’s decline as a major ore producer.
|
