The Township of North Himsworth - (recently renamed - Municipality
of Callander) was surveyed by Charles F. Chapman in 1876. the Township was named after
William A Himsworth who was Assistant Deputy to the Department of Inland Revenue. In 1890
the Township was divided into two parts at the 19th Concession, called North Himsworth and
south Himsworth. a settlement opened up in the late 1870's on the South East Shore of Lake
Nipissing.
The village was still called South East
Shore for many years until the new name of Callander caught on. J.R.Booth built a lumber
mill at the Wisa Wasa in 1892.
Around the turn of the century there were seven mills operation at the same time. Lumber
was the main industry of the area right up until 1967. J.R. Booth is a common historical
name in Ontario and Quebec as he was a lumber baron that worked his way through the Red
and White Pine of most of South Eastern and mid Ontario. He was a true entrepreneur and
where he built mills he built railways too which served to oein up t
he great expenses of our province.
Like the rest of the world, the 1930's brought an economic slowdown to
the village of Callander and would have continued as such but for one incredulous event
the Dionne Quintuplets.