Drayton is a village located northwest of Fergus and southwest of Arthur. Fugitive American black slaves were among the first non-aboriginal settlers in the former Peel Township area.
European settlers came to the area in the mid 1800's, settling the area and clearing the forest to make way for productive farms. In the early 1900’s Old Order Mennonites from Pennsylvania began arriving in search of farmland where their families could grow and prosper. Today several Mennonite furniture and woodworking shops exist that draw customers from all over Ontario.
