Campbellford

By Guy Scott

The town of Campbellford is located on the rapids of the Trent River on the boundary of Seymour and Percy Townships. In 1830, two retired British officers (and brothers) Major David Campbell and Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Campbell were given land grants of 1,800 acres in Seymour Township, bordering the Trent River. Their grant included a shallow ford on the river named Campbell’s Ford. The original settlement in the area was several miles downstream near Ranney’s Falls. This first settlement was called The Patch and had the first post office, store, school, etc. in the area. This section of the Trent River contained many prime sites for water powered mills. In 1840, a dam was built just south of the ford and the ford was flooded. A wooden bridge was built to accommodate crossing the river. Eventually the Patch was abandoned as settlers moved to the Bridge site. Thus, Campbellford was born.

It was not always called Campbellford. Its original names included The Bridge (too vague), Emilyville, Seymour Bridge, Seymour West and finally in 1854 Campbellford. Seymour Township built a town hall in the village in 1855, cementing the hamlet as the township centre. By 1870, the settlement contained over 1,000 residents and it was incorporated as a village. Town status was acquired in 1906. Campbellford was a separated municipality from 1876 to 1998, when it re-amalgamated with Seymour Township. Percy Township and Hastings village joined the amalgamation in 2000.