Founding of Strathroy
In 1830 James Buchanan, the British Consul at New York City, acquired a tract of 485 ha of unsettled land in Adelaide Township. He transferred control of the property to his son, John Stewart Buchanan (1815-1875), who settled there within the next two years. By 1836 John had built a sawmill and grist-mill on the Sydenham River. These pioneer industries formed the nucleus of a settlement which was named Strathroy by James Buchanan after his birthplace in County Tyrone, Ireland. The construction of a branch line of the Great Western Railway through Strathroy in 1856 further stimulated the community's development, and it was incorporated in 1860.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.