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Township of West Luther
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The Township of West Luther
is located north of the
City of Guelph
, and has a population of about 1,114 (1995). It is essentially an agricultural
area, with
only a few communities within West Luther. An important centre in its
heyday,
was : the charming hamlet of Damascus; with two churches, a school, three
stores, a township hall and Orange
Hall, gristmill, blacksmith and wagon shop. West Luther Township used to be
one of the province's largest marsh areas until the Luther Marsh
Dam was built in the early 1950's to create Luther Lake. Today, the Luther
Marsh Conservation Area
includes one of Southern Ontario's most important fish, game and wildlife
preserves and encompasses a
total of nearly 12,000 acres. The first council meeting of West Luther was
held in January 1881, after the Township of Luther was split into
East and West. East Luther subsequently joined Dufferin County in 1883. The
township was named after Martin Luther, the surveyor
who had worked in the township.
From Smith's Canadian Gazetteer 1846 LUTHER "A Township in the Wellington District; is bounded on the east by the township of Amaranth; on the north by Proton; on the west by Arthur; and on the south by Garafraxa. Luther has only lately been opened for sale; and no return has yet been made from it. Seventy-three thousand six hundred acres of Crown lands are open for sale in the township, at 8s. currency per acre." |
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