THE FOUNDING OF BLENHEIM
In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land here at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie. Little surveyed a village plot, named Blenheim, but sold few lots before 1847. The completion in that year of Rondeau Harbour and of Communication Road fostered the development of lumbering and within a few years a steam sawmill had been erected at Blenheim. By 1857 the population had increased to about 450. As lumbering declined Blenheim emerged as a prosperous agricultural centre. It was incorporated as a Village, with a population of 1,096, in 1874, and as a Town in 1885.
From: Wikipedia
History:
By 1783, there were French settlers in Detroit and Windsor. There were also settlers in the Niagara and Kingston region, but no real settlers to speak of in the Kent County region. In 1790, Alexander McKee negotiated a treaty with Native Indians to acquire what is now Southwestern Ontario. With this area now being British owned, settlers began moving rapidly into this new land area, and eventually, the County of Kent, and Blenheim.
Land began being surveyed in 1791 in Harwich township under the order of Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe. Joining his crew was a man named Thomas Talbot who expressed great interest in this land, and Simcoe granted him any plot of land he so desired. He decided on a plot where present day Fingal resides. Being a man with great finances, he set out to begin road building in Southwestern Ontario in 1800. His main road was designed to go all the way to Detroit. It consequently ran directly along a ridge of high land, and on that ridge is where present day Blenheim stands. The great Talbot Project was put on hold until the completion of the War of 1812.
After the war, North American settlers began arriving to this area to live peaceful lives after a violent war, as did settlers who came from England after a European war with France. After timber clearing, this land was ready for growth. Blenheim itself was established in 1825-1850. It was amidst 10 miles (16 km) of dense forest, and its development lagged behind other close by settlements. Albert Robertson purchased this land, and after the real estate traded hands over a few years, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were the first three lot tenants who built homes.
This “Ten Mile Bush” was a dense Carolinian forest with wild elk, bear, wolves and eagles inhabiting the region. When the forests were cut down for farming, the bush became a “patchwork quilt of farms.” Even a minor inspection of the contemporary area reveals acres of farms still in operation, but the elk, bear, and wolves are now long gone.
Blenheim was named after Blenheim Palace in England, and had a general store by 1845. However, it was not incorporated into a town until 40 years later. In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie. The area consisted of fertile farmland noted for sugar beets, tomatoes and corn. Blenheim's primary resource was timber. Once the bush was cleared adequately in about 1900, farming took over as the key resource of Blenheim, with its rich soil and ideal climate.
By 1874, Blenheim had a full list of occupants varying in professions from dentistry to carpentry. In 1866, a town hall was built, fit for a village, ready to emerge as an important voice in Kent County. Blenheim became an official town in 1885.
In 1888, a church for the large Methodist population was built. The telephone was introduced to Blenheim in 1885 by Bell. Electricity came in 1888. A full-fledged fire department arrived in 1891. A railway arrived in 1894 and traveled through Blenheim to Windsor. The first high school was built in 1900.
As cars became more and more popular, Blenheim paved its first street in 1920, opening a period of enormous growth. Prohibition gave Blenheim a chance to grow as many men were involved in illegal rum running operations for larger centres. In 1924, W.G. Thompson opened a grain mill for local farmers, still present today.
Blenheim proceeded to grow through the "Starving 30s", and the "War-Torn 40s". The period of 1950 to the present time has seen Blenheim mature into a town of 4,800.
Today Blenheim’s claim to fame is the RM Classic Car Exhibit. A guided tour gives a close up view of more than 50 classic automobiles from the past century.