In 1847, William Fletcher chose the future site of Alliston on Boyne River as an ideal location for a milling operation. His success enticed other entrepreneurs to establish businesses in proximity to the mill where they offered goods and services to settlers in the area.

In 1877, the arrival of the first train on the newly built Hamilton & North Western rail line, lastly known as Canadian National Railway, changed the community forever. The population burgeoned from under 300 residents in 1871 to 2,000 residents by 1891.

The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway line in 1906 expanded Alliston's reach into Western Canada and beyond. More industries and businesses opened and institutions were built to better serve the growing population of the town and surrounding farming community.

Through extensive research, interviews, anecdotes and historic photographs, Alliston on the Boyne, The Legacy of a Mill Town chronicles the story of Alliston's rise from its earliest days as a mill site to a flourishing municipality.