The first settlement of Peterborough County began 11,000 years ago with the arrival of the Palaeo-Indians, a group of hunters equipped with flint tools who followed the retreat of the glaciers. Their descendants, the Archaic peoples also hunted, but consumed fish and wild plants which included wild rice, their most coveted crop. Today, descendants of the Mississagas, who have inhabited the area since the 1400�s, continue to provide a link with the rich aboriginal history of this region.
Samuel de Champlain is considered the first European to visit the Kawartha region. In 1632, he mapped the Rice Lake area and wrote: "This river is very beautiful, and passes through a number of beautiful lakes and river-meadows with which it is bordered; many islands of varying dimensions, abounding in deer and other wild animals, many good fishing spots full of excellent fish".
The European settlement of Peterborough County occurred over many decades. The southern townships were being surveyed in preparation for settlers as early as 1817. But the rugged and relatively hard-to-reach timber lands in the north were not surveyed until the construction of the Burleigh colonization road in the 1860's.
The pioneers in Peterborough County came mostly from England, Ireland and Scotland. There were half-pay British officers and their families, Scottish crofters who had been driven from their land in the Highlands and Irish victims of the potato famine. Many came in government-assisted group immigrations. All left behind family and friends in hope of finding a better life in a new country.
Peterborough County has developed into a thriving region rich with attractions for visitors of all ages and all walks of life. If you're planning a visit, the following sites can help plan a perfect getaway:
Tourism Sites:
North Shores of Rice Lake Region
www.otonabeesouthmonaghan.ca
Peterborough and the Kawartha's Tourism
www.thekawarthas.net
Kick It Up in the Kawarthas
www.kickitupinthekawarthas.com
Quid Novis
www.quidnovis.com
Rice Lake Tourist Association
www.ricelakecanada.com
Rice Lake Vacation Guide
www.ricelakeinfo.com
Attractions:
Art Gallery of Peterborough
www.agp.on.ca
Canadian Canoe Museum
www.canoemuseum.net
Curve Lake First Nation
www.curvelakefn.com
4th Line Theatre
www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca
Horseless Carriage Museum
www.horselesscarriage.net
Hutchison House
www.nexicom.net/~history
Keene Pumpkin Festival
www.thekeenepumpkinfestival.com
Milltown Mini Golf
www.milltownminigolf.ca
Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives
www.pcma.ca
Peterborough Children's Water Festival
www.pcwf.net
Peterborough Festival of Trees
www.pfot.org
Petroglyphs Provincial Park
www.ontarioparks.com/english/petr.html
Serpent Mounds Park National Historic Site
www.serpentmoundspark.com
Summer Festival of Lights
www.festivaloflights.ca
Trent-Severn Waterway & The Peterborough
Liftlock National Historic Site
www.pc.gc.ca
Warsaw Caves Conservation Area & Campground
www.warsawcaves.com
Our Sponsors:
100.5 KRUZ FM
www.kruzfm.ca
107.9 The Breeze
1079thebreeze.com
CHEX TV
www.chextv.com
Community Futures Development Corporation
of Peterborough
www.cdc.on.ca
Country 105 FM
www.country105.fm
Energy 99.7
www.energy997.ca
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada
www.jltcanada.com
Rowe Farms
www.rowefarms.ca
Star 93.3
www.star933.com
The Wolf 101.5 FM
www.thewolf.ca
