Fonds F941 - Portland Township fonds

The township of Portland is situated on the south shore of Big Rideau Lake. First settled in the early nineteenth century, it was one of the earliest settlements along the Rideau. The community’s original seven houses, informally known as “The Landing” became a transfer point for settlers traveling from Brockville and continuing by barge to the Perth area.

With the completion of the Rideau Canal waterway in 1832, steamboats and barges carrying raw materials such as cordwood from the clearing of forests, maple syrup, potash, cheese, tanned hides and salt beef were a common sight. Portland became a thriving village of trade with Kingston, Montreal and Ottawa. In 1843, the village was a booming commercial centre and adopted the name Portland after the third Duke of Portland. By the 1860's, the settlement had expanded considerably to require five hotels and, by the early 1900's, cottages were springing up around the lake and the tourist trade had begun. Advances in rail and road travel and increasing tourism offset a decline in the role of agriculture.