
Can’t visit us in person? Connect with Historic Foresville from the comfort of your own home!
Forestville’s first settler-colonists arrived in 1853 from New England, the Upper Midwest, and Canada, as well as from England, Ireland, Germany, and Holland. Wheat farms flourished nearby, and businesses sprang up in town. By 1860, the town had more than 150 residents and boasted 20 houses, a school, two sawmills, a gristmill, a blacksmith shop, a store, two hotels, a distillery, and a cabinetry shop. Farmers went to Forestville to market their wheat, purchase goods and services, and school their children.
By 1870, two years after the railroad bypassed Forestville, the town’s population dropped to 68 people. By 1880, the only businesses still in Forestville were the general store, cabinet shop, and sawmill. By 1910, the town of Forestville was no more when the general store closed up shop.
Explore what’s left of the town of Forestville, including the Meighen General Store, with a self-guided, room-by-room virtual tour from your desktop or mobile device.