PAPERS OF WILLIAM SWORD FROST
These papers contain miscellaneous items collected by Mr. Frost during his lifetime. There are a very few additions added after that time and only for purposes of clarification.
In the Frost files in the Orillia Public Library is correspondence with a number of persons and authorities during the time he was mayor of Orillia.
The Frost family came to Orillia on July 1st, 1867 by the steamer "Emily May" from Bell Ewart in Lake Simcoe.
Orillia, at the time of the settlement, and indeed for many years afterwards was known as "The Narrows Village". The Village itself was not located on the Narrows as we know the same but at the present site of Orillia localized from the waterfront up as far as the Church of England.
The origin of the name Orillia is unknown. It is said to have come from Wellington's veterans of the Peninsular War. The names Rama, Mara, Thora, Mariposa, Orillia and Ora are probably of Spanish origin. This could only be termed a reasonable conjecture.
On some of the early maps, Orillia is shown as Port Borland. This came from Capt. Borland who was a fur trader connected with the firm of Robinson, Borland, and Rowe of Newmarket.
Borland's name is perpetuated in Borland Street.