Wellesley Township Heritage & Historical Society
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Picture

Wallenstein

William Dickson, one of the original founders of Galt, Ontario, placed his advertisements in the newspapers of his
native Dumfries, Scotland. When ten families arrived in Canada aboard the "Jean Duffus," he directed them to
territory in Peel Township, where he held property. They purchased 100-acre farms on the Peel-Wellesley boundary, near Wallenstein. Six of the farms were on the Wellesley side, purchased by the MacPherson, Wilson, Nicol,
Adam, Boyce and Weir families. The four farms on the Peel side were owned by the Stewart, Kirkland, MacMillan and Haddow families. The MacPherson farm is the only farm among them still in the possession of the descendants of the original settlers.

After claiming their land, the families returned to Galt and hired themselves out as labourers on established farms around Galt. When the harvest season was over, they moved to clear their own lands and build homes. The women had children remained in Galt, many working as domestic servants to earn money for supplies. By February 1844, the
families were once again united. They became a close-knit community, purchasing their first team of oxen as a group.