Ayr Ontario in Photos: Saving Our History One Photo at a Time

Ayr, Ontario is the subject of Book 21 in the Cruising Ontario series of books of photographs of towns and cities in Ontario. The photos show the architecture and design of old buildings, many that are over 100 years old, with some descriptions of the buildings and background information, but mostly it is a visual experience to enjoy. Ayr, located south of Kitchener, west of Cambridge, and south of Highway 401, began in 1824 when Abel Mudge built a saw mill and flour mill at the junction of Cedar Creek and the Nith River. This was the first of three settlements, Jedburgh in the east (Main Street), Nithvale in the west (Piper Street) and Mudge's Mill in the centre (Stanley/Northumberland Streets) in what is today the Village of Ayr. The John Watson Manufacturing Company was started in 1847 making cast iron pots and then expanded into agricultural equipment.