Before it was a town, before it was a village, before the Canada Southern Railway became the defining landmark of a small settlement called Essex Centre, there was a primitive road following a high ridge through the middle of Essex County. The Rising Village begins on that high ridge. It chronicles the arrival of the first settler families of Talbot Road West in the early 19th century, traces the rapid development of a small metropolis, and introduces a colourful cast of influential and extraordinary individuals.
The history of Essex, Ontario- the settlement at the "hub" of Essex County- is a story of perseverance in the face of adversity. Defined in the 20th Century by two catastrophic events - the 1907 railcar explosion and the 1980 natural gas disaster - Essex was forged in the 19th century by it's spectacular condemnation of a toll road, two landmark legal cases related to liquor licensing and the industrial powerhouse established by the town's first mayor, John Milne.
