Vienna, Ontario
Elgin County, est. 736 residents
Vienna, Ontario is often referred to as a “blink of a town.” This tiny village nestled in the heart of Southwestern Ontario seems like every other, but digging deeper and this small town has its own past that’s just as unique and rich as the rest of our country.
The Village of Vienna was established in 1829 with a request from Jesse Smith and Captain Samuel Edison. The lots were divided up, and the area was named Shrewsbury, after John Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury. The name of the town was later changed to Vienna by Captain Edison, who was a local hero that fought in the War of 1812 for the 1st Middlesex Militia — as a way to honour his ancestors in Austria.
Over the next 40 years, Vienna would experience a major boom period, becoming Bayham’s largest centre and one of Upper Canada’s most prosperous areas. The lumber trade grew in size and transformed into the primary industry supporting the village, bringing around 1,200 to 3,000 inhabitants during its peak. The Otter Creek was very important during this growth, as the wide creek was ideal to ship the large amount of pine, maple and oak trees downstream to Lake Erie.
The reduction of the lumber trade, severe fires and flooding put an end to Vienna’s expansion. During this booming period, Vienna had multiple hotels, general stores, mills, shoe shops, churches, an elementary school and a high school, a library, a lodge, and much more available to the townspeople.
The Edison Connection
The famous inventor Thomas Edison is also connected to the area. His grandfather lived along Otter Creek and Thomas would visit him during the summers. Built in 1816, the original Edison homestead is long gone from its place along Otter Creek. Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, was a very close friend to Thomas Edison. After Edison’s death in 1931, he purchased the original family homestead and moved it from Vienna to Greenfield Village, Michigan, the site of the Henry Ford Museum.
This process involved disassembling the house, shipping it to Michigan and reassembling it on its new plot of land. Ford also had the bushes and some of the ground from around the homestead shipped to the building’s new location. Allegedly, he even came to Vienna in 1933 to do an inspection on the property before it was taken apart and stayed at the Vienna Hotel. On September 17, 1961, a historical plaque was unveiled to commemorate the Edison homestead.
Vienna’s Community
The United Empire Loyalist’s Burial Ground, now known as the Edison Pioneer Cemetery, is where several members of the Edison family are buried. Captain Samuel Edison donated the land used for the Edison Pioneer Cemetery and it was restored by the Municipality of Bayham in 1965.
The Bayham Historical Society operates the Edison, Vienna and Area Museum. The original Edison Museum opened in the late 1980s inside the house donated by the Howard family, which was built in 1853. The site of the museum sat upon land that was once owned by the Edison family. Nora Edison Coombe, a first cousin of Thomas Edison’s and the last remaining descendent with the Edison name to live in Vienna, donated most of the museum’s pieces.
William Gheysen and the Vienna Lions recently re-purchased the Vienna Community Centre after a lengthy battle with the municipality, which planned on selling the community centre. The Vienna Community Centre was built in 1964 by the Vienna Lions.
Currently, the Vienna Home Center, Valley Variety, and the Vienna Laundromat are amongst the only remaining businesses left in the area. My grandmother lives in Vienna and I have fond memories of her and my grandfather letting us stop at Valley Variety to pick out a treat after a long day at the beach in Port Burwell.
I have many fond memories spending time with my grandparents and family in Vienna. It’s always been a special place in my heart and it isn’t just a stop for gas before heading off to Port Burwell to go to the beach. Each small town has their own unique history, which I’m hoping to continue to highlight with Small Town Canada. Next stop… Newfoundland!
Special thank you to my father for providing me with a few books on the history of Vienna, my grandmother and great uncle for providing me with documents from their personal collections, and the Bayham Historical Society for providing me with additional documents and photos of Vienna and the Edison family.
12 Comments
Kim Morden
That was a very informative video. Thanks for sharing
smalltowncanada
Glad you liked it Kim! More small town history to come.
JOHN TSCHIRHART
Great video! Thanks for the history and updates. After living in Vienna for over 20 years now. We have seen it hit bottom and it is great to see it now growing and coming back to life! Hopeful for its future!
smalltowncanada
Hi John, thanks for checking out my video! I visit the area almost every week to see my grandmother and it’s good to see the town has a spring back in its step. The future is looking bright!
Sara
Omg! Had no idea about the Edison/Ford connection!! That is SO COOL!! This was such a fun read, can’t wait to see what you write about in Newfoundland!!!
smalltowncanada
Yes, very cool to come from such a small community! Glad I could highlight a town that means so much to me. Thank you so much for reading!!
Fred Edison
Hi Shandi,
I am a distant relative of Sam & Thomas Alva. Our great-great-great grandfather was Moses. He walked, rode horseback & teamstered by wagon to the land office in Ionia, Michigan several times in the 1830s. Our Great Grandfather, Frank, was adamant about pronouncing our surname, (EEEdison – with a long E). They homesteaded in Walker, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. I am doing more family research & would be interested in visiting Vienna, Ontario. Can you offer any more information on Vienna and/or our family’s history.
Fred Edison
Kalamazoo, Michigan
smalltowncanada
Hi Fred, thanks so much for your comment! What a wonderful family history you have tied to Vienna, Ontario! I’m not an expert on the area, just have visited there my entire life, but the Bayham Historical Society who operates out of Vienna will definitely be able to help you out. You can reach them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BayhamHistoricalSociety). Also, for more information about the area, you can always talk to the Elgin County Archives (https://www.elgincounty.ca/archives/). They helped me with some of my research on Vienna and might be able to assist you with finding birth/death certificates, property your family owned, etc. I hope this helps and happy searching!
Diane Soper
Well done!!! So nice to see the young people taking an interest in our local colourful history!!! Thank you Shandi!!!
smalltowncanada
Hi Diane, thank you so much for checking out my article! I loved learning more about Vienna and my own family’s history.
Richard F. Fellrath
Very interesting! I am a docent at the Henry Ford (Greenfield Village and the Museum) I have been asked to guide visitors at the Edison home. Do you have any information on the 1837 rebellion? I understant the Captain Edison’s son participated and this is the reason the family relocated to Ohio and then Port Huron, MI
smalltowncanada
Hi Richard, thanks for your comment! I recommend reaching out to the Bayham Historical Society (https://www.facebook.com/BayhamHistoricalSociety) for more information about the Edison family and their homestead in Vienna, Ontario. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the 1837 Rebellion, but I’m sure there is plenty of information online about it or you can always try reaching out to other historical societies or museums in those areas to see if they might know anything more. I hope that helps!