History of Windsor

 

Now the "Automotive Capital of Canada," Windsor is one of the oldest communities in North America, rich with artifacts of the past.  It is a meeting place for First Nations peoples, francophones and anglophones and border crossers of the contemporary nation-states of the US and Canada.

 

Windsor’s colourful history includes first skirmishes in the War of 1812, acting as the final terminus of the Underground Railroad, and rum-running during Prohibition with frequent visits by Al Capone and his “Purple Gang” .

 

Olde Sandwich Towne, now part of Windsor, was established in 1796 and is recognized as the “oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Ontario.  Windsor has a rich history, that has continued to be explored by historians as the city helps define the 21st Century.