According to archaeologists, the earliest human activity in the area surrounding Edwardsburgh/Cardinal can be traced back to approximately 11,000 years ago, after the retreat of a glacier first made the land inhabitable; this era is known as the Paleo-Indian period.

[12] The drawing of lots in Edwardsburgh was unusual in that every loyalist head-of-household drew from a hat, giving one and all an equal chance at receiving the most desirable piece of land, close to the river at the front of the settlement.

[27] In 2011 according to the National Household Survey, of 5,060 adults (persons over 25 years of age) in the township, 53.8% had obtained some form of post-secondary education; 13.8% having a university degree, and an additional 27.4% having a college diploma, and 12.5% having a trades certificate.

[30] By the mid-19th century Cardinal began to develop further, as the Galop Canal had been fully constructed to allow easy passage through the rapids and a Grand Trunk Railway line was laid through the community, connecting it with Toronto.

[32] Several businesses opened mid-century, including three more general stores, a blacksmith, a tailor, a gunsmith, two shoemakers, a cloth factory, a library, a carpentry shop and two inns.

Looters and "wreck-stripping" has apparently caused significant damage to the site, and a blade from Conestoga's 14 ft (4.3 m) propeller was broken off by a dynamite blast during a salvage attempt gone wrong.

Eventually the boat was moved to the lock at Galop Canal in the 1960s, where it was purchased along with its sister ship by a local welder who had the intention of disassembling them both and selling the metal as scrap.

[44][45] Brouseville was settled many years later than neighbouring settlements of similar size; until the mid-1800s, the community consisted of solely homesteads or farms established by a handful of families.

Early into the settlement, a small burying ground was established on a local farm; few details are known about its use and the grave markers were removed over half a century ago.[when?

[44] Once the forest was cleared, the area was left with shallow, sandy soil and rocky ridges, creating terrible farm land; the early settlers quickly became dependent on buckwheat which proved to be the most productive crop or sought income in fields unrelated to agriculture.

In 1873, land was purchased to extend the school's grounds and shortly after the log building was destroyed by fire; a new stone schoolhouse was erected through volunteer labour immediately following.

The community was home to a post office and in 1885, local men leased land just northeast of the hamlet near the settlement of Campbell's Corners with the agreement they would establish a cheese factory there immediately.

Shortly after the tower was erected, locals began to climb the wooden structure for the view, however after it was left unmaintained for over a decade, it became both an eyesore and a safety hazard.

After Gainfort's death in 1854, his three spinster sisters inherited all of his land; it is around this time the railroad and highway were beginning to develop and the settlement began showing growth potential.

[59] In the beginning of the 1800s, before formal schooling was introduced to the area, it was recorded that some of the wealthy settlers of New Wexford paid a woman named Ann Drummond, to tutor their children.

The club was exclusive to residents of the Island; a password was required for entry into meetings and members were expected to pay a fee twice a year to maintain membership.

[44] Present day, The Island, although recognized by contemporary maps, consists solely of a few family homes; almost all of the farms have ceased operations and there are no businesses currently located within the community.

[44] Early into the 19th century, the settlement began to grow around the Adams’ mill as more settlers, mostly Loyalists and Scottish or Irish immigrants, established homesteads on the surrounding land.

[44] By the 1840s, the sons of Gideon and Joel Adams inherited the land of what was to be the village of Ventnor; the settlement had by this time a blacksmith, a carriage shop, a general store and a hotel.

[44] By the mid-to-late 19th century, Ventnor had established more businesses and industries alongside the pre-existing ones, including two more general stores, a cabinet maker, milliner, tailor and a carpet manufacturer.

[44] By the 20th century, the community continued to prosper, with the addition of a fourth general store, a second gristmill, a cement works and brickyard, a cheese and butter factory, a barber shop, three churches, a Good Templar's Hall (a temperance association), a public school as well as an ice cream parlour which was supplied by its own cow.

[44] Newport, Rooney's Corners, The Front, The Second, Garryowen, Clover Hill, Spencerville West, Domville Station, Kelly's Settlement and Prescott Junction (also called Junctionville) were communities that were once located within the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal boundaries but are either no longer labelled on maps, or have no remaining structures.

[44] In 1797, the newly surveyed land was first granted to prominent Loyalist men including Gideon Adams and Captain Hugh Munro, both of whom later established other communities in the township.

[30] Despite having no established businesses, residents living here felt the need to distinguish their community as the low, swampy land made the rest of the township inaccessible by road for many months of the year.

[30] The most noticeable piece of architecture left over from the town was a wooden footbridge which crossed over the former Bytown and Prescott Railway line, referred to by locals as Hangman's Bridge.

In addition to the river, residents sustained themselves through various agricultural means; the area consisted of many farms and orchards which sold dairy, produce or other goods to local markets.

[44] The farmers of The Second mostly established mixed-farming operations; field crops such as wheat, oats, hay, peas and potatoes were popular and common livestock included dairy cattle, swine, sheep and horses.

[44] In 1855, the Grand Trunk Railway was established nearby in Cardinal which allowed the community farmers to conveniently distribute their goods to larger markets in cities like Montreal.

In the 1930s, a small general store was open for a brief period to serve the community of Spencerville West which sold dry goods and groceries as well as animal feed.

[72] The Kane Cemetery was located in Groveton on property originally owned by Isaac Wilson, and was the burying place of three of his relatives; including his mother, and two of his adult children who died as a result of a fever epidemic in 1850.