Whittington

Introduction

Whittington, located in Dufferin County, was one of several popular stopping places along the route from Brampton to Owen Sound. It first came to life during the late 1850s.

In the early days, Whittington appears to have been a somewhat raucous place that included a couple of other hotels and a bar with a dance hall on the second floor. It was also home to a militia group and host to an annual fall fair that was extremely popular in the township.

Besides the hotels, Whittington also contained an Orange Lodge, Methodist church and a schoolhouse. Other businesses included a sawmill, general store and later, a creamery.

The passing of the Scott Act in the late 1880s, which forbade the sale of alcohol in hotels, put a quick end to the hospitality business. From there Whittington fell into a steep decline from which it was never able to recover.

Today all that remains of Whittington is the schoolhouse, now a private home, and a small cairn on the site where the church once stood. The remainder of the town site has reverted to farming. Learn more