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- Before European settlement, the area was inhabited by nomadic aboriginals, descendants of the Ojibway nation
- Settlement began as part of British military plan to divert emigration to Canada rather than the United States
- The Morphy & Moore families were the first to arrive
- The area was originally dubbed Morphy’s Falls on September 19, 1819
- Edmond Morphy saw the potential in a 30-foot drop on the Mississippi River, and established a grist mill
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Other industries followed – William Moore’s blacksmith shop and Robert Barnett’s barrel shop
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In 1824, fighting erupted between Protestant settlers and Irish Catholic immigrants, and it was known as the Ballygiblin Riots
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In 1829, the area became known as 'Carleton Place', named after a famous square in Glasgow, Scotland
- The Brockville and Ottawa railway reached Carleton Place in 1870
- After both railways were bought by the Canadian Pacific Railway, locomotive repair shops continued to operate
- Numerous lumber mills opened and competition was so fierce that one dispute over river rights in 1884 ended in the Supreme Court and the Privy Council in London, England!
- The Mississippi was the major artery for the lumber industry
- Log drives down the Mississippi ended at the turn of the century – old mills have since been converted to condos and high-tech firms
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From the 1860s to 1920s, the River was used by steamboat operations for industrial towing and pleasure cruising – these activities spawned more festivities such  as regattas, picnics and entertainment by the town band -
Throughout its history, the Mississippi River has made Carleton Place an attractive place to settle, and it continues to draw people here today for its beauty, commerce & way of life.
- Carleton Place made its international mark with iron foundries – in the 1840s, Samuel Fuller established the first foundry, then David Findlay began the Findlay Stove Company in 1862
- Robert Bell, a prominent Carleton Place citizen, was elected to Parliament in 1854 and played a major role in local and district community improvement initiatives
- Prolific writer Leslie McFarlane was born in Carleton Place in 1902 – he authored many original Hardy Boys books under the pen name of Franklin W. Dixon
- Carleton Place was the home of Captain Arthur Roy Brown – World War One flying ace
- Carleton Place became a village in 1870 and a town in 1890
- Carleton Place is home to remarkable heritage architecture such as the Richardson Romanesque structure, now the Town Hall
- The Town is home to the country’s oldest, continually operating canoe club – conceived in 1893 as the Ottawa Valley Canoe Association – Carleton Place Canoe Club is the only surviving charter member of the association, and the oldest existing sprint racing club in Canada!
- Today, the town of Carleton Place has a population of nearly 10,000!
- It continues to grow and prosper with a strong community, commerce and history – it is a true gem of the Ottawa Valley!
Come explore the town where the “Canadian Mississippi” still mixes old-time splendour with modern style.
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