Orillia was founded as a village in 1867 and incorporated as a town in 1875.
In the late 1800s, Orillia was an accessible gateway to Ontario's northern frontier. Early industry included boat building and foundries that developed innovative products for a large lumber trade. The first railway arrived in 1873.
Tudhope Carriage Co. relocated to Orillia and spawned OTACO and later, the Tudhope Automobile Co. The town worked together to help E. Long develop a large foundry on West St. S.
By 1902, Orillia had developed the first municipally owned, long-distance transmission facility in North America and was able to harness hydroelectric power from Ragged Rapids on the Severn River. Today this initial investment survives as Orillia Power Generation Corp. and continues to pay generous dividends to the City of Orillia.
Affordable power and the arrival of a second railroad in 1913 spurred the creation of many more foundries and Orillia's industrial output was quickly diversified: lumber machinery, boats, carriages, wagons, farm equipment, automobiles, ice cream scoops, artillery and aircraft components for WW2, "minnitoys", mining equipment, baby carriages, boat trailers, early ATV's, and even a special commission from the U.S. Navy to provide sleds for an Antarctic Expedition in the 1950s.
.jpg "Orillia's Industrial Hub in the early 1930's")
Clockwise, from the top: E.Long Mfg, OTACO, Vollans, Fahralloy, Canada Castings
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The railways are gone and the focus on industry is diminished, but the impact of Orillia's industrial era still resonates in Ontario's Sunshine City.
There are many great books on the history of Orillia, including:
- The Orillia Spirit: An illustrated history of Orillia, Randy Richmond
- A Brief History of Orillia - Ontario's Sunshine City, Dennis Rizzo
- A series of books by David F. Town - including "A Waterfront for Everyone"
- R.W. Phelps and the History of OTACO in Orillia (1927-64), R.J. Brown
When in Orillia, drop by the OMAH Shop to find these and much more.
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