Founding of Baysville
Surveyed in 1862 by Robert T. Burns, P.L.S., McLean Township was opened for settlement in 1868 under the Free Grants and Homestead Act of that year. The three lots of which much of Baysville is located were granted in 1871 to William H. Brown (1840-1920), a sawyer from the vicinity of Brantford. Brown, who filed subdivision plans in 1873 and 1875, built a sawmill which became the nucleus of the settlement. He served as postmaster of this community, 1874-1920, as reeve of McLean and Ridout Townships, 1876-85, and as warden of Victoria County in 1885. Baysville, well served by roads and accessible by steamboat, soon became a well-known resort for vacationers and sportsmen.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.