Merrickville, originally part of an Indigenous portage route along the Rideau River, underwent significant development starting in 1793 with the arrival of United Empire Loyalists Roger Stevens and William Merrick. These entrepreneurs were granted land by the British government and set their sights on harnessing the river's rapids to power mills. However, Roger Stevens passed away prematurely, leaving William Merrick as the primary settler responsible for completing Stevens' mill and expanding with his own ventures.

From 1793 through the 1830s, Merrickville thrived as an industrial hub, facilitating the shipment of goods and materials by road to Ottawa, Brockville, and the United States. The completion of the Rideau Canal in 1832 marked a turning point, catalyzing Merrickville's economic boom. The canal allowed for faster and more efficient transport of goods by water, effectively halving travel times and boosting commerce in the region.

Merrickville emerged as a bustling center of trade, attracting more entrepreneurs and settlers to capitalize on its newfound prosperity. However, the arrival of the first railroads in nearby Smiths Falls in the 1870s began to diminish Merrickville's prominence. The decline was exacerbated as merchants increasingly favored rail transport over the slower canal shipments.

Despite these challenges, Merrickville retained significance as a local commercial hub, albeit with reduced profits compared to its peak during the canal's heyday. The town's history remains intertwined with its early industrial and transportation developments, reflecting a legacy of entrepreneurial spirit and adaptation to changing economic landscapes.

Wolford Township was one of five townships making up Grenville County. The Rideau River in the northern part of the township drains Smith’s Creek and Barber’s Creek, both named for early settlers. The southern part of the township is drained through Cranberry Creek and the north branch of Kemptville Creek.

The Township of Wolford is named for the estate of Devonshire, England of John Graves Simcoe, first lieutenant- Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1791. On September 27, 1966 the John Graves Simcoe Memorial Foundation under the auspices of the Government of Ontario formally assumed the care and preservation of Wolford Chapel, the family chapel and burial place of John Graves Simcoe in Devonshire, England.

The Township of Wolford was first surveyed in 1795. By 1797, there were several families settled in both the Upper and Lower Rideau Settlements on Concessions A, B I and II. Thomas Lake, Robert Beekom, William Leahay, Joel Smades, John Lakens, Joseph Easton, Sr., Thomas Parmley, Joseph Knaff, Israel Olmstead, John Butterfield and their families were among the early settlers. As early as 1797, these men began to establish the first farms along the Rideau and has cleared four to twenty-four acres of land in the area.

Until 1850, the four Townships of Wolford, Oxford-on-Rideau, Montague and Marlborough made up one municipality. In 1850, Wolford became a separate municipality along with South Merrickville. When Merrickville became independent in 1860, Wolford built its own town hall in the village of Eastons Corners.

Wolford Township was very much a rural area. Included in the township were the village of Eastons Corners and part of the village of Jasper. This hamlet straddles the line between Kitley and Merrickville-Wolford and was originally known as Olmstead’s Mills and Irish Creek.

The current municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1998, by amalgamating the former Village of Merrickville with the former Township of Wolford.

The municipality boasts the benefits of the more urban feel of Merrickville Ward, with many local shops and businesses for residents and visitors to enjoy. Wolford Ward is the home of vast farmland and rural landscape, with deep roots in generational farming and appreciation for rural living. With a blend of both rural lifestyle and Village living, our Municipality holds the best of both worlds and loves to celebrate its history and culture and heartily invites everyone to join in. It is a community where you can enjoy its heritage, natural attractions, delightful restaurants and shops, its small-town hospitality and its all round, year-round enchantment.