Milnesville is a historic community of Markham, Ontario

Markham, Ontario

Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...

 on the 8th Line (Hwy. 48

Ontario Highway 48

King's Highway 48, also known as Highway 48, is a provincially-maintained highway in southern Ontario that extends from Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, through Whitchurch-Stouffville, to Highway 12 south-east of Beaverton, Ontario. Prior to 1998, Highway 48 extended from Highway 401 in Toronto to...

), between Elgin Mills Road and Major Mackenze Drive, and the Little Rouge Creek

Rouge River (Ontario)

The Rouge River is a two river system. Little Rouge and Rouge River are in the east and the northeast parts of Toronto and begin in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville...

.

History

Milnesville was founded in 1851 by Peter Milne, who acquired lot 26, concession 7. In the 1830s, Peter Milne had been a strong supporter of the reformer William Lyon Mackenzie

William Lyon Mackenzie

William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...

 and Mackenzie's Upper Canada Rebellion

Upper Canada Rebellion

The Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...

. Because of his involvement in the uprising, Milne was arrested on March 21, 1838 and taken to Fort Henry

Fort Henry, Ontario

Fort Henry is located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Point Henry, a strategic point located near the mouth of the Cataraqui River where it flows into the St. Lawrence River, at the upper end of the Thousand Islands...

 in Kingston

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

. He was eventually pardoned.

In 1852, Milnesville was granted a post office which was run out of the general store operated by John Harrington. The store was located just south of where the Little Rouge Creek crosses Hwy. 48 on the east side. By the end of the 19th century, the community had a mill, a blacksmith shop and a cobbbler shop.

The Wideman Mennonite Church and Mennonite Cemetery predate the hamlet and are located on the west side of Hwy. 48, just north of the crossing of the Little Rouge. The original log church was already built before 1819 and was likely the earliest church structure built in Markham Township. The present church was constructed in 1928.

In 2008, the Town of Markham recommended the Samuel Wideman House at 10541 Highway 48 in Milnesville be preserved as a significant heritage resource for the community of Milnesville and the Town of Markham.