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Books, Maps & Other Resources Lanark County, Ontario Genealogy & History More Canadian Resources | More Ontario Resources More Lanark County Resources BOOK - Almonte By Frank Cosentino 
In a region where the early settlers' Irish, English and Scottish origins are prominent in the names of the communities they founded -- Lanark, Corkery, Glen Isle, Scotch Corners, Tatlock and the like -- it seems more than a little odd that Almonte should be named for a now-forgotten Mexican general. This book is the story of that Mexican General, and of the naming of the town. Almonte went through a number of name changes in the early days, from Shepherd's Falls to Shipman's Mills, Ramsayville, and by about 1855, Waterford; but the federal post office pointed out there was already a Waterford in the west of the province, and told townsfolk the name would have to change yet again. At the time relations between Canada and the United States were at a low ebb, especially in Ontario. The province's first major wave of settlers, had been United Empire Loyalists, Americans whose sympathies for England prompted them to flee northward during and after the Revolution; and the suspicion lingered in many Canadian minds that the US still intended a settling of accounts. American invasions of Canada around 1812 didn't help matters, nor did US military incursions into Mexico during the 1840s. Which is where General Juan Almonte enters the picture. The border skirmishes between Mexcio and America during this time were seen by Mexcians as a naked and unprovoked land-grab, and by worried Canadians as a cautionary tale -- proof positive that the American republic was ready, willing and able to use military force against its neighbours to achieve its territorial aims. General Almonte was primarily a diplomat, and was in fact Mexico's ambassador to the United States at the time that open warfare erupted between the two countries. He was hastily recalled to Mexico, and served with some distinction in the field against the invading US forces. He was taken prisoner, later released, and died in 1869, lauded by the English press at the time as "a kindly and accomplished gentleman." So in the political climate of the day, the loyal British citizens of Almonte apparently felt General Almonte was an admirable public figure, and agreed upon the new name of Almonte -- which locals pronounce "AL-mont" rather than the Spanish "al-MON-tay." And thus it remains more than 140 years later. Contents include:
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