Townships in Bruce County are Albemarle, Amabel, Arran, Brant, Bruce, Carrick, Culross, Eastnor, Elderslie, Greenock, Huron, Kincardine, Kinloss, Lindsay, St.Edmund, and Saugeen.
Historical villages and hamlets include Aberdour, Allenford, Armow, Balaklava, Baie de Dore, Burgoyne, Cargill, Chesley, Deemerton, Eden Grove, Hanover, Inverhuron, Invermay, Lucknow, Lurgan, Mildmay, Paisley, Pine River, Port Elgin, Ripley, Riversdale, Stoney Island, Southampton, Tara, Teeswater, Tiverton, Tobermory and Vesta.
Major towns are Kincardine, Walkerton and Wiarton.
Ghost town names include Adair, Alma, Balaklava, Hardwick, Inverguron, Lockerby, Malta, Moscow, Oliphant, Port Bruce, Port Head/Stoney Island, and Scone
Prior to 1847-48 the area now known as Bruce County was part of a larger area known as the 'Queens Bush'. French fur traders were the earliest white people in the region, followed by explorers, traders, missionaries and fishermen who exploited the rich fisheries along the Lake Huron shore including Joseph Longe, Pierre Piche, W.S. Gooding, Edward Sayers, Achille Cadotte, Registe Loranger, Fred Lamorandie, A.M. McGregor, Louis and Sam Thibeau, Thader Lamorandie, Hugh Johnston, William Rastall, Capt. H.W. Bayfield, Rev. Thomas Hurlburt, Rev. Gilbert Miller, William Herkimer, Thomas Williams, George Copway, Capt. Alexander Macgregor.
Between 1844 and 1848 several parties were sent to the area by the government to survey and map the area.
The first permanent settlers arrived in Bruce 1848. William Withers and Allan Cameron erected a small log cabin near Kincardine. At Southampton Capt. John Spence and Capt. William Kennedy erected a log house in 1848. More settlers arriving in 1848 in the Kincardine area included John C. Digman, John Beatty, Major William Daniel, Donald, Alexander and John McCaskill, James and Alexander Munroe, Anthony Copp, Alexander McKay, George McLeod, George McLeod, William Dowell, and Patrick Downie.
Increased numbers of settlers arrived in 1849 including Elijah Miller and Capt. Duncan Rowan.
By the summer of 1851 the townships of Arran, Elderslie, Saugeen, Bruce and Huron had been surveyed for farm lots. The first settlers began to populate Greenock township in 1851, including Adam Ritchie, John B. Sterling, The Hawthorne brothers Hans, Thomas, Samuel, Samuel and William Cunningham, The Pinkerton brothers Henry, James, Robert, William and George. First settlers in Arran township included George Gould and Richard Berford. Several settlers squatted on lots in Carrick township including John Hogg, Andrew Hutton, Louis fournier and Oliver Touronjeau.
September 1852 saw the Lewis Settlement in the centre of Huron Township, 109 families from The Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
1854 saw the 'Big' Land sale, where the final Crown and School lots in the County were offered for sale; thousands of pioneers including many squatters descended on Southampton for this huge event.
Colonization roads were rapidly built to the settlements; the Elora and Saugeen Road, the Durham Road, the Sydenham and Southampton Road, the Southampton and Goderich road, the Carrick and Culross road, the Elderslie and Brant road, and the Wawanosh road.
The first settlers in Amabel township were David Forsyth, James Allen, William Bull, Thomas Knox, John Griffin, James Howe, William Burwash, William Carson, Isaiah Wilmont, John Murray, Andrew and Angus McIntosh, James Rushton, William Simpson, Henry Lewis, Andrew Horne, William Patton, James Henderson and Alexander Greig.
In Huron township pioneer settlers include Louis Lizars, Abrham Holmes, William Blair, Peter Wanamaker, James Donnelly, David Walden, Joseph and Christopher Barker, John Emmerton, Thomas and Elisha Barnes, Louis Bellemore, Duncan Mcrae, Finlay McLennan and Alexander Mcrae.
The first settlers in Albemarle township were John Wood and Samuel Atkinson in 1857. In 1858 They were joined by the Rev. Ludwick Kribs, Henry Kribs, Caleb Spragge, Joseph Stringer and Ludwick Spragge.
In Eastnor township the assessment roll of 1871 included Joseph Andrew, John Cale, Allen Erwin, David Harris, Thomas and Francis Hart, Francis and Michael Hagin, Thomas Harkness, Robert McCarter, George Moore, Jacob Schermahorn, Samuel Slack, L. Sherlock, Richard Tackaberry, William Tunan, Joseph Waugh and Francis Waugh.
The first settlers in Lindsay township were Abraham West and William Clark. Additional names of pioneer settlers in Lindsay township include Kenneth Smith, Roderick McLennan, John Kelly, John Ceasor, Donald McLean, Andrew Clarke, James Finch, James Nixon, John McArthur, Sam Bestward, John Holmes, John Steip, John Witherspoon, John Smith, the Weatherhead families James, William, Alexander, Alexander Currie, Thomas Tyndall, William Matheson, James Watson, John Jackman, William Mcnair, John McDonald, Norman Smith, and John and James Shute
The first two settlers in St.Edmund's township were Captain John Charles Earl at 'The Big Tub', and Abraham Davis at Dunk's Bay. Later arrivals include Captain Alexander Marks, Michael Belrose, Jacob Belrose, George and Neil Currie, Thomas and George Bartman, Benjamin and Alexander Butchart, Donald McDonald, Benjamin and William Young, Solomon Spears, and Robert, James and John Hopkins.
Arran's pioneer settler was Henry Boyle. Following in 1851-52 were David Butchart, David Chalmers, George Gould, Richard Berford, Archibald Roy, William Cunningham, J.T. Conway, Francis and Matthew McAulay, W.D. Marmion, Chalres and William Sang, Donald McLachlan, John McPhail, John Currie, Norman McLeod, John McKillop, Mathew Latimer, John Douglas and William Hall.
Brant township was opened for settlement in the late 1840's and pioneer settlers included William Smith, Alexander and Archibald Stewart, David Smith, Joseph Bacon, Patrick Godfrey, Thomas Todd, James Wallace (frozen to death 1850), John Eckford, William Chisholm, William Mills, Richard Everett, Philip Geeson, Thomas Traynor, Leonard and William Dickison, John McNeil, James and Samuel McWhinney, Robert Gowanlock, John Little, Joseph and John Harkley, John and Joseph Lamb, John and Robert Bruce, James Bell, Robert Horne, Robert Frame, William Morden, Adam Clement, George B. Lamont, William and Richard Guinn, James, Thomas and Andrew Wilson, Sebastian, John and Andrew Kirstine, Abraham, James, Andrew and William Rowand, Anthony, James and Charles Myles.
The first settlers in Bruce Township were 'squatters' including Timothy Allan, Hugh and William McManamy, Michael Green, William Gunn, Archibald Sinclair, Richard McGregor, Adam Burwash and Allan McLean.
The first settlers in Carrick township were also squatters including John Hogg, Andrew Hutton, Louis Fournier and John Touranjeau. In 1853 a large inflow of settlers commenced, including William Dickison, Edward Hickling, William Thomson, Angus, Robert and John McPhail, Samuel Clendening, Robert A. Morden, Abraham Johnston, Charles, Thomas and Frederick Jasper, Alexander and Donald McKay, Robert Wills, Arthur Deacon, Robert Young, James Grey, Thomas Liscoe, Andrew Dunbar, Joseph Young, Samuel Carr, Adam Johnston, James Clark, James Butchart, John Reddon, John Campbell, Alexander McLaren, Thomas B. Taylor, John, Peter and Thomas Shennan, Anthony Wynne, Thomas McMichael, Henry McDermott, George, John and Thomas Inglis, James and Adam Darling. In 1854 a large contingent of German settlers arrived including Michael Fischer, Joseph and Michael Seitz, Andrew Zettle, Philip Hauck, Anthony Schumacher, Michael Mosack and Charles Ulrich.
Among the early pioneer settlers of Culross township were Andrew Zettle, Alexander and Archibald McIntyre, Matthew Hadwin, Thomas Maloney, Charles Irwin, P.B. Brown, James Reid, Charles and James Turner, Michael Brennan, Dougal Campbell, H. Davis, Henry Haldenby, Anthony Shoemaker, William Roame, Alexander Forsyth, Ira Fulford and John McKague.
The first settlers of Elderslie township were Simon Orchard and Samuel T. Rowe in 1851. Following them were David Lyons, Thomas Hembroff and Henry Brown in 1852. In 1853 pioneer settlers included Donald McIntyre, Hugh McDougald, William McBride, Mr. Green, Clements, McCartneys, Gillies, McDougalds, McNeils, Galbraiths, Munns and Curries. 1854 saw a group of settlers from Peterborough arrive, the McDonalds, Mcgregors, Balfours, McLaggans, Lillicos, Fortunes, Andrew Dobbin. John McDonald and Neil Munn arrived 1855.
First settlers in Greenock township included Joseph Chartrand, John Caskanette, squatters including Lewis Lamb, James Mair, James Ledgerwood, John Megraw, John Shennan, Edward Boulton, John and Dennis Phelan, and David, John, George and William Brockie. Early pioneers also included William Clark, Richard Garland, George Leask, John M. Wells, George and James Cromar, James Donnelly, Alexander Symon, Allan Ross and Duncan Campbell.
In Huron township the earliest settlers were Thomas Barnes, Elishu Barnes, David Walden, Peter Wanamaker, Robert Jardine, James Keys (drowned), William Blair, Margaret Donnelly, James Donnelly, Louis Bellemore, Hugh Cameron, John Emmerton, Joseph Barker, C.R. Barker, Louis Lizzars, Alexander St.Germain, Joseph Veyett, Joseph Ayotte, Abraham Holmes, Edward Sharman, Levi Vaughan, Edward Creeck, John Inglis, James Cook, Eric McKenzie, James Sloane, James Donnelly, John Smith, William Harper, Joseph Lindsay (killed by tree fall), Malcolm Mcrae, Finlay McLellan, John Hunter and Mr. Devaline.
The first settlers to enter Kincardine township were Allan Cameron and William Withers. In 1849 settlers included George and Alexander Ross, George and Alexander Murray, Archibald Sinclair, Donald, Alexander and John McCaskill, James and Alexander Munroe, John Digman and Major William Daniel.
Most of these pioneer families and many other later arrivals may be located on the settlement maps below.
Bruce County Ontario Settlement Map 1906 Towns and villages, many which are now ghost-towns
Bruce County Ontario Settlement Map 1899 Great map showing townships, towns and villages
Albemarle Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Albemarle Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Brant Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Brant Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Huron Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Huron Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Arran Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Arran Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Carrick Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Carrick Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Culross Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Culross Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Elderslie Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Elderslie Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Kinloss Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Kinloss Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Greenock Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Greenock Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Amabel Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Amabel Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Bruce Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Bruce Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Kincardine Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Kincardine Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Saugeen Township Pioneer Settler Property Map Saugeen Township pioneer family land grants, patents and locations
Lindsay Township Survey Map Lindsay Township plan map dated 1856, nicely detailed
Eastnor Township Survey Map Eastnor Township plan map dated 1865, nicely detailed, several pioneer settler locations
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