The Township of Bonnechere Valley is quite young as an area unto itself.  It consists of the previous Townships of South Algona, Sebastopol, Grattan, and the Village of Eganville.

This amalgamation took place on January 1 2001.

However...
The history of this area is perhaps one of the oldest stories in Canada

The Village of Eganville

The Village of Eganville started out as a grist mill community in the early 1840s. By 1852 there were enough settlers to warrant a post-office.

The village was very prosperous, with dozens of businesses springing up in the local area. Eganville had every thing from a shoemaker to a boarding house, several lumber mills and the grist mill.

In 1891 Eganville officially became a village, named after the lumber baron John Egan.

The Opeongo Line

The Opeongo Line goes right through the township.

This famous settlement road was originally thought of as a military defense route back in the early 1800s. It became a route for settlers who didn't mind having to clear some truly rugged land to build a homestead.

That is why the area is lined with old stone fences where settlers piled the rocks they had to clear.

The Bonnechere Museum

The history of this entire area is linked with the four original municipalities, as well as the the adjoining townships of North Algona and Wilberforce (now North Algona-Wilberforce).

This richly historical area is tied together by family connections, old settler's routes, ghost towns, and fond memories.

The Bonnechere Museum tells the story of settlement and development in all the townships and communities along the Bonnechere River.

Bonnechere Caves

One other major historical attraction is far older than any of the others. The Bonnechere Caves were opened up in 1953, but their evolution has taken millions of years.