In 1847, the farms on the first concession of Kinloss (along the border of Huron County) were the first in Bruce County to be surveyed. In 1849, the Durham Road (County Road 9) and adjacent lots were surveyed. These “Free Grant” lands north and south of the Durham Road were offered for sale in 1849. The remaining township lots were offered for sale in September 1854.
Initially, this area was included in The United Townships of Bruce County, a union of eleven townships in 1852 and 1853, with Kincardine Township acting as the “senior township” for municipal purposes. In 1854, only Bruce and Kinloss Townships remained united with Kincardine Township and, in September 1854, Bruce County passed a by-law allowing Kinloss Township to separate from the union, becoming an independent municipality with its first Council election in 1855.
The formation of Lucknow began, within the geographical boundaries of Kinloss Township, with a grant of 200 acres of land to J. Eli Stauffer who agreed to erect a dam and sawmill in 1856-57. James Somerville, who purchased the mill and property, laid out village lots in 1858. The southern portion of Lucknow (within the geographical area of Wawanosh and Ashfield Townships, Huron County) was surveyed into village lots in 1861. Lucknow was incorporated as a village in June 1873, with the first council being elected in January 1874. In June 1873, both Bruce County and Huron County passed by-laws to annex Lucknow, situated on the border of the two counties. It took just over a year for the Lieutenant-Governor to issue a proclamation annexing Lucknow to Bruce County.
On January 1, 1999, Kinloss Township amalgamated with Huron Township and the villages of Lucknow and Ripley to form the Township of Huron-Kinloss.
Source:
Robertson, Norman. “The History of the County of Bruce and of the minor municipalities therein.” Toronto: William Briggs, 1906.
