I wasn’t planning to visit yet another historic community in Halton Hills, but like everything, even the best-laid plans are often hampered by Mother Nature. A major storm that whipped through southern Ontario at the start of September flooded out my original plans for the day. I needed to go somewhere else, so after a bit of hunting around my original spot and not liking the locations based on my camera choice, I stuck to something a little more local: Acton. If you grew up in the Halton region, you’ll know that there’s a bit of a feud between the communities in Halton, with Acton specifically. When I was arranging the first UER meetup that I ever hosted (in Milton), someone even commented: “Is there nothing good in Acton?” Even Georgetown historically aligned (according to local myth) the pair of 105mm howitzers at their cenotaphs with Acton. And I’ll admit, Acton is weird, and I can count the number of times I’ve been to Acton specifically for photography, on one hand. But I wanted something close that I could easily drive to and from without long drives. So, on the trip to Acton, I took three cameras: my D750 with the 24mm f/2.8 lens, the Maxxum 5 with the 35-70 f/4 loaded with a roll of FilmFerrania P33, and the Ricoh XR10 with the 35mm f/2.8 loaded with a roll of Ilford HP5+. I developed both rolls of film in Ilford Microphen.
The earliest humans to settle in the region were the Wendat, who lived high on the Niagara Escarpment; by the 1650s, the Haudenosaunee had displaced them as they pushed north for new hunting grounds, driven by population decline and pressure from their European Allies. By the 1700s, even the Anishinaabe had displaced the Haudenosaunee, driving them south again. In the post-war efforts to expand Upper Canada, the British Crown purchased the territory under Treaty 19 in 1818, and a year later, Charles Kennedy and Richard Bristol surveyed the area. Early settlement through the township was sparse; in 1825, the four Adams brothers settled in the area, establishing farms, a gristmill and a sawmill. The arrival of the York-Guelph Road in 1828 allowed more settlement, and a small hamlet grew up along the road, first called Dansville, but by 1836 it had taken the name Adamsville. As the hamlet expanded, additional businesses arrived: carriage works, blacksmiths, commercial stores, taverns, hotels, and churches. But in 1842, Abraham Nellis opened the first tannery and changed the economic landscape. The name Acton was given in 1844, when the postal service arrived and the railroad opened the town to new markets. The Beardmores purchased the Nellis tannery in 1865 and began a rapid expansion; Acton was incorporated as a village in 1874, and a village hall was completed in 1883. By 1886, the Beardmore tannery had expanded to become the largest in Canada. Hides arrived by rail, were stored in a warehouse by the Grand Trunk Line, then shipped to the tannery, prepared, and returned to the warehouse to be sent out by rail. The vast number of leather and leather-related industries earned Acton the nickname Leathertown. Acton would continue to thrive through the rest of the 19th Century and into the 20th. The Beardmore Tannery changed hands to Canada Packers in 1944, and Acton was incorporated as a town in 1950. Rail service to Acton would be discontinued in the 1960s. The 1970s brought changes, with amalgamation forming the town of Halton Hills. The Beardmore Tannery shut down in 1986 (and was demolished in 1998), though its legacy continued through the Old Hide House, which operated out of the old railway warehouse until 2024. Interestingly enough, milling continues to thrive in Acton, where one of the Adams brothers first established his mill in 1835. The modern mill dates to 1972, with a 2009 expansion, and P&H Milling operates it.
As communities go, Acton is weird. Of course, my perception of Acton is biased; growing up in Milton, I always heard ads for the Old Hyde House saying it was worth the drive to Acton. And honestly, I did spend some time in Acton. I went to a VBS (Vacation Bible School) in Acton and have some fond memories of those events. I also did some swimming things in Acton for school. I can’t remember if it was during elementary or middle school. Also,, two of the original hosts of CCR lived in Acton,, and we often recorded there and, a couple of times, did photo walks before the recordings downtown. It was there that I first discovered that photographically, Acton had something to offer. With a sense of the layout, I plotted out my goals and plans before heading into town. I originally planned to park near the GO station, but seeing a lot of construction, I tucked myself away in a parking lot on the other side of the tracks. I then walked through historic downtown (Mill Street), crossed Highway 25 (Main Street), and continued past the mill. I got to see the original mill race that Ezra built to divert Black Creek, forming Fairy Lake. Then it was crisscrossing through the side streets, mostly along Church and Bower. It was early in the day, and the sun stayed in the same position, which made some images hard to compose. And I sadly missed some on the one side of Mill Street because of that. But with a bit of work, I did make it to my car and even walked past the former Hide House location. I even caught sight of a spot where, if my memory is right, I saw a live band once, and a friend had a crush on one of the members and needed some wingmen one night. It’s vague and fuzzy, and I don’t think I stuck around long. Either way, I ended up spending a good hour walking about, which was longer than I expected.
My view of Acton is a bit biased growing up in Milton. Acton was always seen as a weird town, even by the other historic communities in Halton Hill, notably Georgetown. Plus there was always the catch phrase from the Old Hide House being “It’s Worth the Drive to Acton.” Honestly, I never saw the draw of Acton. I mean I attended VBS at a church (which still exists although their awesome mid-century A-Frame building is gone) and even did some swimming there for school. You know, I actually got some great images from my trip here this time around. But I still don’t think it’s worth the drive. Despite having three cameras with me, you can find all the photos over on my Random Halton Hills album on Flickr.