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George and James Petty, two brothers from
Yorkshire, England (locale of the original Hensall), are credited with founding Hensall in the
1870s.
With incredible foresight, the Petty brothers gave property (then valued
at $10/acre!) to the railroad, on the
condition that the proposed rail line run through their Village. By 1876, the
London-Huron-Bruce Rail Line was active and the Village of Hensall quickly grew
around that busy transportation venue. After only one year, the
settlement's population already numbered between 300 and 400!
 Rail access was instrumental in
attracting the popular
businesses of the day: various mills used the London-Huron-Bruce Line to
ship large
quantities of barley and other crops. The line acquired the
moniker of 'The Bread and Butter Express' because farm wives
transported produce to London's Covent Garden Market each morning on the
8:22 a.m. train.
Hensall became a Police Village in 1884, and by 1888, the village was
booming. Hensall's market was known as the best west of Toronto.
Numerous businesses became established to accommodate the
growing population; by the late 1890s, Hensall
boasted six grocery stores! In 1896, Hensall was incorporated as a Village
and the early 1900s brought another distinction to this thriving
hub: Hensall's Jenny Smillie became Canada's first
female surgeon. Dr. Smillie conducted a practise in Toronto most of her life,
living to celebrate her 100th birthday.
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