The village of Schomberg came into existence in 1862. Previous to that date it was known by the name Brownsville. In 1830, John R. Brown settled on lot 26, concession 8. Mr. Brown and his brothers, Thomas, Robert, and Garrett emigrated from Pennsylvania and settled in the area. In 1836 Thomas built the first mill in what was then Brownsville named after the energetic brothers. It proved to me the nucleus around which the village gradually grew.
In 1862 Brownsville changed its name to Schomberg on the suggestion of Thomas R. Ferguson. M.P.P for South Simcoe. It was named after the Duke of Schomberg who died in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. By 1862, when the post office first opened, Schomberg had become a large trading centre. The village grew and prospered and businesses included a tailor shop, bakery and confectionary store, furniture stored, butcher, blacksmith, jewellery and two hotels. In 1902, the Aurora and Schomberg Railway, a spur of the Yonge Street Radial, came to Schomberg from Oak Ridges. The arrival of the “Annie Rooney” marked another period of prosperity and change.
Photo from Schomberg Tweedsmuir History
For additional information:
- Album of Oldies / Gillham, Elizabeth McClure
- Early Settlements of King / Gillham, Elizabeth McClure
- Timeless King
- Tweedsmuir History
- Schomberg and Its School
- The Story of Kettleby