Immigration to Upper Canada, and the founding "Stoufferville", 1803-1805
In October 1804, Abraham Stouffer emigrated to
Upper Canada from Pennsylvania with his wife's family, the
Reesors.[3] Their entourage of five
Conestoga wagons reached Markham Township after a six-week journey. The information on Stouffer's Affirmation of Allegiance states: "farmer, hazel eyes, brown hair, six feet one inch high, born in Pennsylvania, 28 years old, a Menonist."[4] Abraham and his wife Elizabeth initially settled north of
Cedar Grove on the
Little Rouge River, but soon acquired 400 acres of land on the Markham-Whitchurch Township Line. In 1805, Stouffer purchased Lots 1 and 2, Concession 9, on the Whitchurch side of the township line, and soon after he acquired lot 35 on the Markham side.[5] Stouffer, who had learned milling from his father, built a saw and a grist mills on Duffin's Creek (near what is today Mill and Main Streets), and a village soon developed around the mills. The settlement became known as "Stoufferville".
Leading figure in Stouffville
Abraham Stouffer was a leading figure in the larger community. In 1825, he became a director of the
Farmers' Storehouse Company, an enterprise of millers formed to counter the power of the
York merchants.[6] In 1832, when a post office was established, the name of the village was shortened from "Stoufferville" to Stouffville.[7] Stouffer was also one of the first trustees of the
AltonaMennonite Meeting House.[8]
Death
Abraham Stouffer died October 27, 1851, and is buried at the
AltonaMennonite Meeting House
Stouffer family coat of arms, and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Today, the coat of arms of the Town of
Whitchurch–Stouffville includes a star and chalice which come from the Stouffer family (Swiss) coat of arms.[9]
References
^Cf. Jean Barkey, ed., Stouffville, 1877-1977: A Pictorial History of a Prosperous Ontario Community (Stouffville, ON, 1977), esp. "
About this Book" (images 10-11) and "
Introduction," pp. 1-10.