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Lanark, Ontario, Canada

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In September of 1820, Peter McLaren and his family were among the original settlers of Lanark. Named for the county in Scotland from which many of the emigrants came, the "settlement" consisted of a sign on a tree that read "This is Lanark." There were probably a few well chosen words as they entered The First Year.

In early August of 1821 Peter's older brother, John McLaren, arrived with his family in a second group of settlers and managed to secure an adjacent plot of land. This group had more time to prepare for winter, and had the council of the settlers already in place, but there was still the small matter of Clearing the Trees.

The land settled by Peter and John McLaren was just over a mile east of what would become Lanark Village (incorporated in 1862). This area was obviously suited for agriculture because, as their families grew, they expanded into a Family of Farms.

As the families grew, the opportunities for each child to establish a homestead diminished. The original Peter's son, John, had nine children. John's oldest son, Peter, married Elizabeth Walker in 1863, quickly sired three children, and apparently wanted a home of his own. It was Time To Move On.