This photograph shows Stittsville’s railway complex around 1895, with what is now Stittsville Main Street crossing the tracks in the foreground.

Stittsville was founded in 1818 by Jackson Stitt one of the veterans of the 1812 war. He ignored gifts of land in Carleton County and decided to go off by himself. The Stitts were United Empire Loyalists and Jackson decided to set up a commercial house that was almost half way to Ottawa so the farmers from Carleton Place and Almonte would have a place to drop in on their way to market in Ottawa. Anytime you pass the Stittsville sign on Highway 15 think about the inn that Jackson Stitt built at that very place called Stitts Corner.

The original village was a mile north of the current location which would be at the present intersection of Carp Road and Hazeldean Road. It was a small crossroads, consisting of a few houses, a small inn, and a general store and post office, which was owned by Jackson Stitt.

When the disastrous fire of Carleton County in 1870 burned so many buildings killing 12 people, and when the first train passed a mile south from the village the village was moved to its current location. The inn however survived the fire–so what happened to the Stitts?

There was Jackson Stitt’s son John who resided on lot 29 in Goulbourn Township in 1879 and James lived there with his sister Etta until they were both killed in a car accident in 1927. Two other Stitts moved to Manitoba, one of them being iconic MP Barney Stitt and Jim Stitt who built a bridge across the Red River and was also a composer for the Peace Tower Carillon.

Artwork by Ralph Wallace Burton, Old Farm, Stittsville, Ontario, Made of oil–MutualArt

In 1963 there was only one family in the Ottawa Telephone Directory that had any relationship with the original Stitts family. Now the small town that once basically the headquarters for the giant flea market has expanded into Kanata in the recent years and I am wondering how many Stitts are left in the area.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.