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In the late 1790s, many immigrants joined the indigenous Indian populations that were well established in the region and settled here. Among those who came in this initial wave of new inhabitants were two skilled mechanics named Beagle and Conklin. They quickly became the area's very first manufacturers. They made popular spinning wheels as well as handlooms, many of which can be seen in the antique collections of some Waterloo Ontario homes, plus other equipment used in the house and on the farm.
In 1842, the growing number of inhabitants applied to the Canadian Government to have a post office in the settlement. The application was quickly granted but rules stated that a name had to be chosen for the settlement and its post office. A few well-respected Indians were asked and they suggested the name Oshawa, the literal translation from Indian is: the point at the crossing of the stream where the canoe was traded for the trail. Their suggestion was immediately accepted. So in 1850, Oshawa was incorporated as a village that had a population of approximately 2,000. In January of 1879, after a period of steady population growth, Oshawa's status was changed from that of a village to a town; and at that time Oshawa's population was just under 4,000, about the occupancy of the new Mississauga listings.
Oshawa has a fascinating history of automotive production, which began in 1907 when 198 McLaughlin automobiles were built faster than homes for sale North Toronto.
Another noteworthy event in the multifaceted growth of Oshawa's industrial sector was the 1861 establishment of the Pedlar Metal Roofing Company. A short ten years later, the plant had expanded and grown to be the single largest of its kind in the entire British Empire, and its stocks were worth more than Bosley real estate.
The Depression had devastating effects on this city, as well as others across North America; yet in the years after it had ended, employment and prosperity continued to grow at a steady healthy rate. This was a tough time for those living in Oshawa, but the community pulled together to help each other out wherever possible, which is likely why the recovery was speedy.
In 1960, administration of the Oshawa Harbour was transferred from the Federal Government to a local governing body, known as the Oshawa Harbour Commission. Realizing the importance of this site, and its vital link to booming export markets, the Commission quickly implemented extensive modernization and made many improvements to the harbour itself as well as its facilities. The harbour at that time was used mainly for lake shipping, but the volume of traffic going through increased rapidly and steadily. Since then, a wide variety of commodities such as sugar, salt, steel products, Courtice real estate materials, and fertilizer are exported from the Oshawa Harbour across the country and continent.
Today, with a population of about 146,000, the City of Oshawa is ideally situated at the eastern end of the Greater Toronto Area, also known as Canada's Engine of Growth, and this growth and prosperity has continued through the ages and will continue on this path of success for many generations to come.
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