Exploring Beeton now with its Historic Folk

"Second street leads back to the Arena on the north side and on to Prospect Street and the entrance to the Beeton Fairgrounds. Gleaning history from the inscriptions on the six stone gate posts that create an unusual entrance way to the fairgrounds, Beeton held its first agricultural fair in 1856, and celebrated its centennial fair in 1956. At this entrance the fallen sons of Beeton and Tecumseth memoralized name for name are those who gave the supreme sacrifice for their country in both World War I and II. In the pine surrounded fairgrounds stands the brick exhibits building with its skirting extension and here in the shade of the maples are erected historic plaques to Kate Scott Aitken and David Allanson Jones…. "

Excerpt from the news article profiling Beeton through the eyes of a vistor.

Published in the Barrie Examiner on May 23, 1989...... read the full article


All About Beeton

The region was first settled sometime before 1836 by a small group of pioneers led by William Hammill who arrived in 1827. Hammill was one of the two Home District councillors for Tecumseth in 1842. In 1852 Robert Clark, a blacksmith, purchased a large portion of the land and opened a blacksmith and gunsmith shop. His practice of selling building lots to new settlers was largely responsible for the land being cleared to make way for the eponymous village Clarksville. Clarksville was later renamed Tecumseth when the Tecumseth post office was moved into the village. The name was changed again in 1878 when a second post office in Essex County also took the name Tecumseth. The rather odd choice of Beeton was adopted because the then-postmaster, D.A. Jones, practiced the bee trade in the region. In fact, Beeton's annual Honey and Garden Festival can probably be traced back to Jones.