Historic Townships
Baxter township named for the Honourable Jacob Baxter, MPP for Haldimand County, Ontario from 1887 to 1898 and was Speaker of the Ontario Legislature from 1887 to 1891.
Brunel Township named for noted civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Engineer-in-Chief to the Great Western Railway of England. Known in Canada for constructing the steamship Great Western.
Cardwell township named for Viscount Cardwell, Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1864 to 1866.
Chaffey Township named for a relative of Hon. Stephen Richards, Benjamin Chaffey, a Brockville contractor who helped build the St. Lawrence canals. Chaffey's sister was the wife of Hon. Stephen Richards.
Draper Township named for judge Hon. William Henry Draper, Solicitor General of Upper Canada in 1837 and Attorney General of Upper Canada in 1840.
Franklin township named for Arctic explorer Admiral Sir John Franklin.
Freeman township named for John Bailey Freeman, MPP for the North riding of Norfolk County from 1879 to 1890.
Gibson township named for Thomas Gibson MPP for a Huron riding from 1867 to 1898.
Macaulay township named for Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir James Buchanan Macaulay (1793–1859), veteran of the War of 1812.
McLean township named for Archibald McLean (1791–1865) a veteran of the War of 1812 he became Chief Justice of Upper Canada.
Medora township named for Mrs. Medora Cameron wife of a Toronto lawyer. She was also a niece of Hon. Stephen Richards, Commissioner of Crown Lands, hence the honour she received.
Monck township named for Viscount Monck, Lord of the Treasury in the Palmerston government in the United Kingdom from 1855 to 1857 and governor-general of British North America form 1861 to 1868.
Morrison township named for Mr. Angus Morrison who represented the North riding of Simcoe County from 1854 to 1863. Morrison was also a director of the old Northern Railway of Canada, Muskoka's pioneer railway, the terminus of which was Gravenhurst. Morrison was also Mayor of Toronto from 1876 to 1878.
Muskoka township and district and lake are named for one of the principal Chief of the Chippawa Nation. In 1815 he signed the treaty which the Indian title to a vast territory was surrendered to the Crown. The name means "Red Ground".
Oakley township named for one (which one is uncertain) of 13 villages of the name in Great Britain, 12 of which are in England, one in Scotland.
Ridout township named for the Ridout family, a very prominent Toronto family. They came from Sherborne in Dorsetshire, England, hence the name of Sherborne township, Haliburton County, which adjoined Ridout township on the East and hence also Dorset, a village in the township. Thomas Ridout was Surveyor-General of Upper Canada.
Ryde township named for the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
Sinclair township, named for Donald Sinclair MPP for the North Riding of Bruce County from 1867 to 1883.
Stephenson township named for Robert Stephenson, son of George Stephenson of locomotive fame, Robert Stephenson designed the Victoria Tubular Bridge at Montreal, then the greatest Canadian bridge.
Stisted township name for Major General Henry William Stisted, Lieutenant-Governor Ontario from Confederation, July 1, 1867 to 1868.
Watt Township name for James Watt of steam engine fame.
Wood township named for Hon. Edmund Burke Wood, Provincial Treasure in the John Sandfield Macdonald Government. In 1874, appointed Chief Justice of Manitoba.
Read more about this topic: Muskoka District Municipality
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“The historic ascent of humanity, taken as a whole, may be summarized as a succession of victories of consciousness over blind forces—in nature, in society, in man himself.”
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)