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Article: Cobblestone capital: Nina Chapple travels to Paris, Ontario, to explore the stone marvels created when British tradition teamed up with Yankee ingenuity in the wilds of Upper Canada.(Getaway)
- Article from:
- The Beaver: Exploring Canada's History
- Article date:
- August 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Canada's National History Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Vermont pioneer Hiram Capron came to Ontario in 1822 to run the Normandale Furnace on the shores of Lake Erie. The next year, Capron happened upon the forks where the Grand River joins with the Nith. He wrote: "I gazed spellbound upon the beautiful valley, then in its natural state of beauty and rugged grandeur, before the axe had robbed it of its stately oaks and wide-spreading elms. And before mounting my horse, I made up my mind to own this lovely vale."
By 1829, Capron had sold the ironworks and purchased 404 hectares of this picturesque site. He built a grist mill and laid out lots, which he offered free to new settlers. Capron named the place Paris, after ...