Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories, and photos of Innisfil and the area, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
The village was originally named Victoria in honour of the Queen but in 1875, in order to avoid the confusion with the plethora of places named after her, the postal authorities decided to give the area a more distinctive name.
Stroud was chosen to honour William C. Little, MP after his hometown in Gloucestershire, England. Mr. Little was the Conservative member for the area until his death in 1881.
The area grew slowly.
The first house was built in 1840, the first church in 1852 and the first store was started in 1850. The first sidewalks were installed in 1907.
The Stroud Telephone Company located at the corner of Victoria St and Highway 11 began in 1911.
The original SS No 10 school house was built 1860 for $380 and was replaced in 1923 by a two- storey brick building. When the new Sunnybrae School was built in 1959 the old school was closed down.
By 1962, Stroud had a population of about 700 and had three churches, a post office, restaurant and motel, a variety of small businesses as well the Township Municipal Office, fire hall and police station.
The current population is approximately 2,345.
The mural created by Sonja Rathke (2010) is located on the Stroud Community Centre and uses images of the hamlet from 1926. It shows Highway 11 going north at the crossroad of Victoria St and it is easy to spot buildings that still exist today.
From Innisfil Historical Reviews
