Verona Ontario History

Verona Ontario - A Brief History
By Deborah Lovegrove

Records show that this area was settled as early as 1821, but Verona was not officially recognised and given a post office until 1858.

The settlers had a difficult time getting to the village because of the deplorable road conditions. The travellers would have to cross the Cameron Bog, a 5,000 acre swamp that almost divides Portland township into two separate areas. Today, we have a modern two lane highway stretching from Kingston in the south to Sharbot Lake in the north. The town settled along the highway from Hardwood Creek to Desert Lake Road, a distance of about 1 mile. There was some lateral settling, but the railroad was on one side and the lake was on the other. Verona was once known as Buzztown, because of the many saw and grist mills.

Verona became the center of commerce, as it was the only crossing place over the Cameron Bog. There were many hotels, but today they are used as private homes. Some of the older homes in Verona are from the turn of the twentieth century and are still in use today. The first church in town was the Methodist church in 1878, which later became the United church. The community now supports four churches of various denominations. The village has always had a doctor, a general store and many other industries. There are a few books on the history of Verona and one is in the process of being written.

If you have any information or pictures you would like to share, please contact Deborah Lovegrove. deblovegrove@sympatico.ca