History

Essex County has a long history that we are proud to share and continue exploring.

Land acknowledgement

The early history of Essex County is that of the Indigenous Peoples who first inhabited this region. These words are recited at the beginning of Essex County council meetings and at other county events:

We acknowledge the land on which the County of Essex is located is the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, comprised of the Ojibway, Odawa and Potawatomie Peoples.

We specifically recognize Caldwell First Nation and other First Nations which have provided significant historical and contemporary contributions to this region.

We also value the contributions of all Original Peoples of Turtle Island, who have been living and working on this land from time immemorial.

Recent history

The County of Essex was one of the first areas in Ontario where Europeans settled. This settlement predates Canadian Confederation in 1867. From the beginning, it has been a diverse, dynamic and welcoming community.

French connection

French soldiers from Fort Pontchartrain or Fort Detroit began settling on the Canadian side of the Detroit River about 1747, laying down arms to become farmers, craftsmen, merchants or fur traders.

Indigenous communities were already present, with the Wyandot and Huron people near present-day Amherstburg and the Ottawa people near present-day Windsor. There is still a large and active Francophone community in Essex County.

War of 1812

We were a pivotal location in the War of 1812. The conflict's first fatality occurred when a British soldier was killed in River Canard.

Sir Isaac Brock and Chief Tecumseh met at Fort Malden in what is now Amherstburg to plan the siege of Detroit. The barracks that housed red-coated soldiers and the defensive grass trenches through which they traveled remain a popular tourist attraction on the banks of the Detroit River.

Underground Railroad

Tens of thousands of refugee slaves fled bondage in America via the Underground Railroad and thousands of them found freedom on our welcoming shores. Their contributions and spirit helped shaped Essex County and, indeed, the country.

Their legacy is proudly celebrated with monuments and museums including the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum in Lakeshore.

Early settlement history

Learn more about the early settlement history of Essex County and explore our Historical Documents Archive

Symbols of the County of Essex

Essex County logo and current flag

Our warm, sunny climate, fertile fields and stunning waterways are represented in this logo, approved by Council in June of 2014.

Contact the Communications Department for guidelines on usage and to obtain an electronic copy.

Previous Essex County logo and flag

The water that surrounds us on three sides and our agricultural foundation are featured prominently in an earlier version of the County of Essex flag.

Essex County tartan

You can purchase this fabric pattern by contacting the County of Essex

Edythe Bakes of Leamington designed the tartan in 1983. It is registered with the Canadian government and the Museum of Tartans in Scotland.

The colours represent:

Yellow: Sunshine and the golden harvest, including grains, corn, soy beans and wheat
Green: Fertile fields
Red: Tomatoes and other Essex County fruits, like apples
Blue: Our wide open skies and spectacular waterways
Black: The automotive industry
White: Salt mines and fish

Bakes was born in 1902 and spent her early years in Orillia. She designed and made her own clothing.

She moved to Essex County with her husband, Arthur Bakes, a branch manager for H.J. Heinz Co. in Leamington.

Warden's chair

The ceremonial chair was used by the County Warden until 1947. It is now located in the Warden's office at the Essex County Civic Centre.

The chair, which resembles a throne, was carved out of black walnut in the late 19^th century. It is covered with red fabric. Its back is over eight feet.

The chair was moved after 1947 to Fort Malden and then, in 1974, it was moved to the Hiram Walker Historical Museum.

It was returned to the County of Essex in 2003 when Windsor Mayor Michael Hurst presented it to Warden Patrick O'Neil at the Warden's Banquet.

Warden's chain of office

The warden's chain of office was designed following restructuring in 1999.

It features a large medallion with the County of Essex crest, a gold Canadian maple leaf, two Ontario trilliums and the crest of each of the seven local municipalities.

It is engraved with the names of Essex County wardens since 2000.

Wardens of Essex County

There have been more than 130 Wardens of Essex County since John Sloan was sworn in as the first Warden in 1853. Wardens used to serve one-year terms but now serve four-year terms.

Wardens of Essex County

Warden	Year(s)
John Sloan	1853
John Sloan	1854
S.S. MacDonnell	1855
S.S. MacDonnell	1856
Theodore Mallot	1857
Joseph Mercer	1858
Joseph Mercer	1859
John O'Connor	1860
Solomon Wigle	1861
John O'Connor	1862
Solomon Wigle	1861
John O'Connor	1862
John O'Connor	1863
Solomon Wigle	1864
Solomon Wigle	1865
Solomon Wigle	1866
George Shipley	1867
Gore Atkin	1868
William McGregor	1869
William McGregor	1870
Gore Atkin	1871
William McGregor	1872
William McGregor	1873
Theodore Wigle	1874
Luke Montreuil	1875
Thomas B. White	1876
James McKee	1877
J. C. Patterson	1878
John C. Iler	1879
William McCain, Gosfield South	1880
George Russel, Essex	1881
Thomas Plant, Maidstone	1882
George A. Morse, Leamington	1883
Charles G. Fox, Gosfield South	1884
Henry Morand, Sandwich East	1885
N.A. Coste, Malden	1886
Israel Dejardins, Tilbury West	1887
Peter Wright, Gosfield South	1888
George A. Wintemute, Maidstone	1889
John A. Auld, Amherstburg	1890
F.P. Bouteiller, Belle River	1891
James S. Laird, Essex	1892
Elisha McKee, Sandwich	1893
Alfred Hairsine, Mersea	1894
Marwood Barrette, Colchester North	1895
Abraham Cole, Sandwich South	1896
N.A. Coste, Malden	1897
Joseph Durocher, Sandwich West	1898
John Alex Buchanan, Tilbury West	1899
J.D. Arthur Deziel, Belle River	1900
John F. Millen, Gosfield North	1901
William Price, Maidstone	1902
William T. Wilkinson, Amherstburg	1903
Richard R. Brett, Essex	1904
Albert L. Lafferty, Sandwich West	1905
James Selkirk, Mersea	1906
James E. Brown, Kingsville	1907
E.J. O'Neil, Sandwich South	1908
James A. Coulter, Colchester North	1909
James Hedrick, Rochester	1910
Enos McCausland, Essex	1911
Charles J. Montreuil, Walkerville	1912
Robert Atkin, Malden	1913
A.G. Tisdelle, Tilbury North	1914
W.A. McCormick, Colchester South	1915
Thomas Plant, Maidstone	1916
Charles B. Whelan, Anderdon	1917
Alexander McKee, Sandwich	1918
Judson Scratch, Gosfield South	1919
Edward Tellier, Rochester	1920
E.S. Scratch, Gosfield North	1921
Robert A. Halford, Sandwich South	1922
Edward Crimmins, Amherstburg	1923
William Woollatt, Ojibway	1924
W.H. Ferris, Colchester South	1925
D.M. Eagle, Sandwich	1926
W.B. Clifford, Gosfield South	1927
A.A. Marentette, Sandwich West	1928
George A. Pearson, Tilbury West	1929
James Gow, Leamington	1930
Clarence A. Dewhirst, Rochester	1931
Charles G. Baker, Mersea	1932
R.F. Benoit, Tilbury North	1933
A.B. Lukes, Amherstburg	1934
Edward P. Morand, Tecumseh	1935
George A. Hall, Colchester North	1936
Albert Wallace, Maidstone	1937
J.K. McLean, Harrow	1938
H.A. Drouillard, Riverside	1939
G.W. Doyle, Essex	1940
J.H. Hennin, Sandwich South	1941
Warden McCormick, Colchester South	1942
Philias Grondin, Tilbury North	1943
R.J. Voakes, Kingsville	1944
Leo Sylvestre, Belle River	1945
James Armstrong, Mersea	1946
John O. Cahill, Sandwich West	1947
George Bennett, Malden	1948
Walter McMurren, Maidstone	1949
Ferman Sinasac, Amherstburg	1950
Barry Atkinson, Sandwich East	1951
Morley Sanford, Kingsville	1952
C.C. Morris, Tilbury West	1953
Howard Bruner, Gosfield South	1954
Percy McKee, Sandwich South	1955
Thomas Dufour, Malden	1956
Willard Morris, Tilbury North	1957
Lawrence Brunet, Sandwich West	1957
Eadie Watson, Mersea	1958
W.T. Buchanan, Tilbury West	1959
Douglas Layman, Kingsville	1960
Robert McDonald, Sandwich West	1961
Eugene Whelan, Anderdon	1962
Phillip A. Morand, Ojibway	1963
Ellison Bell, Mersea	1964
Fred Cada, St. Clair Beach	1965
Joe W. Newman, Gosfield North	1966
John George, Belle River	1967
Ray Hunter, Colchester North	1968
Fred Bistany, Tecumseh	1969
Anthony Dufour, Amherstburg	1970
Robert Pulleybank, Sandwich South	1971
Dick R. Thompson, Gosfield South	1972
Jean Paul Gagnier, Tilbury North	1973
Delmer Bridgen, Gosfield North	1974
Charles Mitchell, Rochester	1975
Clinton Tofflemire, Mersea	1976
Percy Trepanier, Tilbury West	1977
Hugh Rogers, Gosfield South	1978
Omer Oriet, Tilbury North	1979
Terrence Wright, Colchester South	1980
John Menard, Sandwich West	1981
John Martel, Malden	1982
Jack Morris, Tilbury West	1983
John Miner, Gosfield South	1984
Shannon Olson, Rochester	1985
Carl Davison, Colchester North	1986
Raymond Robinet, Sandwich South	1987
Carl Gibb, Malden	1988
Carl Gibb, Malden	1989
Gregory Stewart, Anderdon	1990
Patrick O'Neil, Kingsville	1991
Edward Renaud, Tecumseh	1992
Tom Bain, Lakeshore	1993
William Varga, LaSalle	1994
Lyle Miller, Gosfield North	1995
Allan Parr, Sandwich South	1996
Patrick O'Neil, Kingsville	1998
Patrick O'Neil, Kingsville	1999
Patrick O'Neil, Kingsville	2000
Patrick O'Neil, Kingsville	2001-2003
Michael S. Raymond, LaSalle	2004-2006
Nelson Santos, Kingsville	2007-2010
Tom Bain, Lakeshore	2011-2014
Tom Bain, Lakeshore	2014-2018
Gary McNamara, Tecumseh	2018-2022
Hilda MacDonald, Leamington	2022-

County of Essex
360 Fairview Ave W, Essex ON N8M 1Y6

Telephone: 519-776-6441
TTY: 1-877-624-4832
Fax: 519-776-4455
coeinfo@countyofessex.ca

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