Oakville Historical Society

In 1827 William Chisholm, a prosperous merchant and entrepreneur, purchased 960 acres of land around the mouth of the Sixteen Mile creek and Hazel Chisholm Mathews in 1930, age 32 established a new community which became the Town of Oakville. In 1953, Hazel Chisholm Mathews, great-granddaughter of William Chisholm, founded the Oakville Historical Society to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge of the town's history. The Society's archival collection had its beginnings when Hazel Mathews discovered historical papers and documents in the Custom House in the 1930's and additional documents and artifacts under boards in Erchless and in other locations. Additional donations have resulted in today's wide-ranging archival and photographic collection. The scope of the Society's activities has continued to expand since the founding to include historical talks at public meetings, historical walking tours and talks and presentations to community groups. The Society initiated the Historical Plaque program in 1957 for houses one hundred years old or more and the program has continued since that time. With its mandate to preserve heritage, the Society encouraged Town Council to pass a by-law prohibiting high-rise development on the south side of Robinson Street thereby saving a historical area from commercial development and preserving its original use and charm. In 1976, developers were planning to erect a high-rise apartment building and sub-division on the Erchless estate. As a result of representations to Council by the Society and some local residents, the Town purchased the land and buildings in 1977 for the pleasure of residents and visitors. In 1991, the extensive collection of artifacts, including items relating to the Chisholm family, was transferred to the Town. As the official custodian of the archival collection, the Oakville Historical Society continues to preserve and promote the historical heritage of Oakville from its Archives and Office in the "cottages" in the north-west corner of the Erchless Estate. For their support of these efforts, we wish to thank, in particular, the Town of Oakville, the Province of Ontario, and the Friends of the Oakville Historical Society.