The County of Brant is located at the mid-point of the Grand River as it flows south from Luther Marsh to Lake Erie.In 1852 the City of Brantford, the Village of Paris, and the Townships of Brantford, Oakland, Onondaga, South Dumfries, and Burford became Brant County.Two hundred years ago, Obed Wilson ventured forth seeking an area in Upper Canada in which to settle. He discovered a place with fertile land, sparkling water and natural beauty which enticed him to stay and build a log cabin. Eventually the vision grew into the Village of St. George.St. George, located to the north of the City of Brantford, is in the Township of South Dumfries. It was founded in 1814. John and Peter Bauslaugh were early settlers in St. George, and the early name of the village was "Bauslaugh Mills" in honour of John Bauslaugh who owned a sawmill near Highway 99. Main Street began to develop in the 1820s when Henry Moe began selling fish and dry goods from the first log building. By 1832, the village had three churches and several businesses. Today Main Street continues to thrive with many of the original buildings from the 1800s attracting people to the antique shops, cafes and restaurants.The community around Bethel Road with Rest Acres Road to the east and the Bishopsgate Road to the west was settled in the 1830s. The major industry in this area was farming. On the 1,000 acre estate of Major Arnold Burrowes he constructed a mill dam, stock pens, hop mill, a distillery, a grist mill and a plaster mill.The Township of Oakland includes the towns of Scotland and Oakland. It has a rich history.Scotland is located on the Burford/Oakland township line. The village was surveyed and laid out by Eliakim Malcolm. The first hotel opened in 1830, the first story in 1837 and the first post office in 1855. Malcolm's Creek had enough waterpower to sustain several industries such as a woollen mill, gristmill, tannery and foundry. Other early industries were a cooperage, a wagon and carriage works, carriage and buggy works and a starch factory. Two doctors and a lawyer practiced in Scotland in the mid-1800s.Dr. Charles Duncombe (1791-1867), a prominent doctor and politician, was leader of the militant reform movement in the London district at the time of the Rebellion of 1837. He rallied the local Patriots at the settlement of Scotland, planning to move against Brantford and Hamilton and join forces with William Lyon Mackenzie King. On December 13, 1837, word was received of King's defeat at Montgomery's Tavern and of Colonel Allan MacNab's approach with a strong Loyalist force. Disheartened, Duncombe's followers dispersed during the night and he fled to the United States.The Village of Oakland is located three kilometers east of Scotland on the Oakland Road. Oakland was named for a ridge of oak trees that ran through it. In 1850, the first municipal office was at the Oakland Post Office. A town hall was built in 1854 and Council met there until the early 1900s. Oakland had a grist mill in 1806, saw mill in 1807, a cheese factory, cider mill, three general stores, a shoemaker, harness maker, and a hotel.Oakland is the site of the Battle of Malcolm Mills which was the last land battle of the War of 1812 on Canadian soil against an official foreign power. The battle took place at the stream that runs through Lion's Park. In October 1814, an invading American force of about seven hundred men under Brigadier-General Duncan McArthur advanced rapidly up the Thames Valley. He intended to devastate the Grand River settlements and the region around the head of Lake Ontario, which supplied British forces on the Niagara Frontier. McArthur reached the Grand, and after an unsuccessful attempt to force a crossing, attacked a body of about one hundred and fifty militia at Malcom's Mills (Oakland) on November 6th. Canadian forces put up a spirited resistance but were overwhelmed.
