This is a picture of a man with a pair of binoculars looking at a map of Southern Ontario.

History of Brantford·Brant

City of Brantford

Brantford ArmoriesAcknowledged internationally as the "Telephone City", Brantford marks with pride that dramatic moment in 1874 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone; launching one of the world's greatest communication industries. Three years later, Brantford was incorporated as a City with 10,000 individuals.

Mohawk Village, in the vicinity of the recently restored Mohawk Chapel, was the site of the first settlement in the area. When a town site was purchased from the Six Nations in 1839, Brantford was founded taking its name from the historic spot where Joseph Brant, Chief of the Six Nations, forded the Grand River.

The Grand River has played a vital role in the development of Brantford. In the 1800's, the river provided the opportunity and impetus for economic growth when barges brought new materials up and manufactured goods down the River to the Great Lakes and beyond.

As railways and roadways replaced the river, Brantford remained a focal point of strong industrial expansion. Its key location and optimal transportation network continue to allow the City to fully service the North American marketplace, providing goods to areas throughout the world.

County of Brant

County of BrantAs we know it today, the County of Brant was originally formed in 1851 when an act was passed separating it from the United Counties of Wentworth, Halton and Oxford. The original County comprised the six townships of Burford, Brantford, South Dumfries, Oakland, Onondaga and Tuscarora, and two incorporated towns, Brantford and Paris.

The rich abundance of natural resources in the area, including productive agricultural lands, rivers and forests, provided the ideal area for farming and various industries in the County. Valuable timber, that was used locally as well as exported, covered the Burford area. Fertile agricultural soils, capable of producing abundant crops of wheat and other types of grain, could be found around Scotland. St. George was identified as a pristine Artesian Spring location, possessing some of the finest springs in the World. Similar in natural resource stature, Paris was named after the vast gypsum beds deposited there, mined and manufactured into the well-known "Plaster of Paris."

Over the last 150 years, the Grand River and its tributaries have played a significant role in the development of Brant. Not only was it a contributing source to the fertility of the surrounding lands, but it also provided a transportation system for goods in and out of the area, as well as an infinite amount of hydraulic power for the local industries. The County motto, "Fidelitas et Industria" captures the areas sense of loyalty - faithfulness to a principal, a cause, and industry in all things.