DUTTON

-	originally cleared & settled in by 2 Scotchmen, James McGillivray and Neil Patterson. The land was uncleared and was therefore cheap. Patterson built a sawmill and McGillivray single-handedly cleared the land SE of Patterson and built a log cabin in 1844, working occasionally as an assistant to Patterson at the mill.

-	in 1872 the Cdn Southern Railway revealed plans to lay its tracks through the area. This brought interest in the land and settlers began buying up lots. Laying the tracks was especially difficult due to the swampy nature of the terrain. Log planks had to be laid first and these were covered with gravel on top of which the tracks were laid. When a few houses and 3 stores had been built and railway stn was built. It was called "Dutton Station" until 1893 when the name was dropped as there was another Dutton Station. The original stn was replaced by a larger one in 1897. Many businesses and residents of other settlements of the area uprooted and moved to the new village.

-	Dutton flour Mill was opened by Archibald McEachern in 1874. It was upgraded over the years and supplied McCormick's of London and Weston Bakers with their flour. It was closed on July 20, 1967 and fell victim to fire on July 16, 1969.

-	Dutton was the first community in Ontario to have its hydro power lines through the existing phone lines as it was too costly to run lines from St. Thomas.

-	Duncan Black built the the village's 1st hotel, Dutton Hotel. The Brittiania House was built across the street from the Dutton Hotel. On April 15, 1886 the Brittainia House caught fire and sparks from there set the Dutton Hotel on fire.

-	Dutton's first newspaper, The Enterprise, was started by W.F.Phelps in 1881. Another paper, The Advance was started by J.D.Blue in 1889.

-	By 1885 There were 3 churches, a woollen mill, a gristmill, 2 sawmills, a shingle mill, 4 dry goods stores, 2 tailors shope, 4 dressmakers, 2 shoestores, a book shop, a turning mill, 2 harness shops, 3 banks, 4 hotels, a roller rink, a jewelers, a photographic business, 3 blacksmiths shops, 2 carriage shops, a foundry, a livery, and a lockup in Dutton with a population on 900. Fire on October 15, 1885 destroyed much of the business area however. It started at 11:30 pm and started on the west side of Main Street. Dismantling buildings, which in those days when water wasn't as plentiful, helped to halt the spread of the fire. After this great fire all new buildings were built using brick instead of wood.

-	On February 7, 1886 fire destroyed many stores on the east side of Main Street.

-	In 1890 the Methodist church was burned by an arsonist.

-	On September 5, 1893 the Dutton Planning Mill (next to the Baptist church) was destroyed by fire.

-	In another fire in 1893 the Leitch Block was destroyed.

-	Dr.Hazen was the first physician in Dutton however he was not licenced and stayed only a few short years. Dr. Reilly replaced him but later moved to Port Burwell. Several other doctors took on practices in the area over the years.

-	1st school of Dutton was a frame building built in 1870. The first teacher was Donald Graham.

-	On October 28, 1897 A.M.McIntyre's private bank was broken into and robbed. This was the first bank robbery of Dutton. It was reported that the theives had broken into Peter Sillar's blacksmith shop to get the tools to pull off the bank robbery. Once in the bank they blew up the safe to gain access to the loot.

-	Dutton's most famous War Hero was Lance Sergeant Ellis Wellwood Sifton, whose remains lie in the Lichfield Crater in Belgium. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valiant act which resulted in his death in the Battle of Vimy Ridge where he charged a German machine gun and single-handedly killed the crew and held the enemy at bay on April 9, 1917. Two plaques were erected in his memory in the town.

DUTTON (West Clayton, Lisgar, Bennettville, "Monkey Run")

DUTTON
(West Clayton, Lisgar, Bennettville, "Monkey Run")