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Town Of Windsor

301 Walnut Street
970-674-2400

History of Windsor:

The region encompassing present day Windsor was originally known as Pesaquid, a Mi'kmaq term meaning "Junction of Waters". This name referred to the confluence of the Avon and St. Croix rivers, which flow into the Bay of Fundy. French settlement began in the area around 1685, with permanent British settlement beginning in 1749.

The wooden blockhouse at Fort Edward was built in 1750 and is the last original standing blockhouse in Canada. It was a main assembly point in the Acadian Deportation of 1755. In 1764 the Township of Windsor was created, and one year later the first annual Agricultural Fair was held. The fair continues today, both as a tradition and as a celebration of the region's agricultural ties.

In 1878 Windsor was incorporated as a Town. Windsor's harbor created a favorable environment for shipping and shipbuilding during the age of sail and it became a major port for shipping and travel. As more efficient land transportation became available, Windsor's importance as a seaport diminished. In 1970 the construction of a causeway across the Avon River closed off shipping to Windsor.

Windsor suffered two major fires: the first on October 17, 1897 which destroyed much of the Town, and the second on January 6, 1924 which destroyed several areas near the town centre.

Today, the economy of Windsor and surrounding area is, for the most part, centered on agriculture, the mining and export of gypsum, clothing manufacturing, stone monument manufacturing, and service industries. Windsor is within easy commuting distance of Halifax and a number of its residents are employed in Metro. Windsor's population has fluctuated somewhat, from 2,849 in 1901, to a high of 3,923 in 1961, to the present-day 3,725.