Lambton County, Ontario Canada Names and Places -W-

Walpole
The name given to the large island separated from Lambton County by the Snycarte River. It has an area of 40,480 acres, and its population of 738 is composed of 568 Chippewa and 170 Pottawattamie.

It would appear that the scattered Indian of the Chippewa tribe, at the close of the war of 1912-14 were placed on this island. The Pottawattamie coming from the United States about 1841, and by permission of the Government, allowed to settle on this island. It is difficult to arrive at the naming of the Island, but the best deduction is that it was named after Lt. Arthur Walpole, or Lt. John Walpole, or probably both. These two men having been engaged in surveying this part of Canada for some time.

The island itself is still to a large extent, wooded, though some farming is carried on. On a map of Upper Canada West, compiled in 1838 the present Walpole Island bears the name of St. Mary's Island.

Walnut
A post office on Lot 15, Con. 9, Township of Brooke, opened in 1877, with Isaac Ayers as first postmaster and so called from the growth of Walnut timber in that locality.

Wanstead
A small village on the C. N. R. some seventeen miles east of Sarnia. This village was surveyed by E. R. Jones, Land Surveyor, in 1858 and filed in the Registry Office by Henry C. R. Beecher, the then owner of the land ,in 1859. It remains a station on the C. N. R., has one store, church, and a population of about one hundred.

Wanstead, in all probability, was named after a suburban village of London, England. This village dates back to the time of the Saxons and means "Woden's Place."

Warwick
One of the eastern tier of townships of Lambton County, named after one of the inland counties of England. Both branches of the Sydenham River take their rise in this township. The surface of the township is in great part almost entirely level, though much of it approaches the gently undulating, varying as in other townships of the county to the comparatively level flat lands in the vicinity of the water courses.

Its soil is very fertile and well adapted for agricultural pursuits. The survey of the township took place in 1832. Peter Carl being the engineer who accomplished it, and the earliest settlement within its limits was effected during the same year. It is comprised of about seventy thousand acres.

Its first school, and the first church in the township was built in Warwick Village, the former in 1840, and the latter, the Episcopal church, (still standing), in 1843.

Today, this township presents a scene pleasing to the eye. A scene of fine farms and homesteads which show the industry and thrift of its people. Taken as a whole township, it ranks with the first in the Province. In 1921 its population was two thousand, three hundred and seventy-six.

Warwick Village
A village in the Township of Warwick. At one time it was quite a center of the farming community, but not being on the railroad, it has rather diminished in population. It is prettily located on the Egremont road, some 24 miles from Sarnia.

Watford
A thriving village in the Township of Warwick, on the C. N. R., 30 miles distant from Sarnia, surrounded by a splendid farming district.

In 1853 one Richard Brown opened a store where Watford now stands. It was known as Brown's corners. The next year, 1854, he was appointed postmaster of the post office now being opened, and Brown's Corners was named Watford after a place in England. Its homes, places of business and public buildings would be a credit to larger centers than Watford.

Watson
A station on the Pere Marquette, some sixteen miles from Sarnia, named after W. H. Watson, the then Deputy Reeve of Sombra, who had taken a prominent part in securing the bonus given to the Erie & Huron Railroad Co. This Company being the original owners of the present Pere Marquette.

Waubuno
A post office opened on Lot 13, Con. 2, Moore Township with Thomas Moore as first postmaster. Later postmasters at this point were Thomas Capes, B. D. Varnum, Mirza Overton and John Young. Though the post office passed out with rural mail delivery, the church, school and community is known as Waubuno. The word itself is of Indian origin, meaning "the dawn of day."

Wawanosh
Until the putting through of the Cull drain, a large acreage in the northwest part of Sarnia Township was in whole or in part, covered with water. This was known as Lake Wawanosh. The draining of this section has given a large and fertile area over for market gardening.

The. word "Wawanosh" is from the Indian tongue meaning "one who sails carefully."

Weidman
At one time a post office and station on the Canada Southern Railway, east of Oil City. One Paul Weidman opened a stave mill there in the days of lumbering. It was named after Mr. Weidman.

Wheeler
A post office opened at Lot 4, Con. 3, Enniskillen Township. Named after the Wheeler family who were probably the first settlers in this part of the township.

Widder
This was the name given to Pine Hill post office in 1856, after Mr. Widder who owned the property there. The postmaster was Utrick Chester.

Widder Station
This was the first name of the post office where Thedford now stands. The post office was opened in 1862, with Robert Rae as postmaster. The post offices of Widder and Widder Station were some miles apart.

Wilkesport
A village in Sombra Township on the Sydenham river, some fourteen miles above Wallaceburg.. In the earlier days it was a great lumbering center named after a Mr. John Wilkes, who operated in the timber trade at that time. It still retains the business places of a small village.

Wilsoncroft
A post office opened on Lot 26, Con. 9, Enniskillen, called after a Mr. Wilson at whose house it was held. It ceased to operate with the coming of rural mail delivery.

Wisbeach
A post office situate on Lot 28, Con. 1, S. E. R., Warwick. It was opened in 1854. First located on Lot 30, Con. 1, S. E. R. Mr. Bowes was first postmaster and on his death Mrs. Bowes received the appointment and held the position until the closing of the office. It was named after a place called Wisbeach in England.

Woodtick Island
Name formerly borne by Fawn Island, and so called from insect life that infested the island at one time.

Wyoming
A village, which by the 1921 census shows a population of 482; situate on the C. N. R. some 14 miles east of Sarnia and north east from Petrolia 6 miles. The word itself is derived from the Indian tongue and means "The Large Plains." In the State of Pennsylvania lies a town and valley named Wyoming, rendered famous from Campbell's beautiful poem, "Gertrude of Wyoming," and as the early oil prospectors who came to Oil Springs "treked" their equipment from the site of the present Wyoming the most reasonable conclusion is they gave this point the name of their home town.

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