John and Duncan Stewart arrived in Esquesing Township around 1819. It's often thought they were the first settlers in the township. The settlement was first known as Esquesing, though its name was later changed to honour the Stewart brothers.

Located along Trafalgar Road and ideally situated close to Georgetown, the settlement received a lot of traffic. This helped support early businesses and industries. In 1840, the local post office moved from Ashgrove to Stewarttown. Although the village's name changed around 1846 to Stewarttown, the post office continued to use the Esquesing name.

Receipt showing John Devereaux's account with Fred C. Bonathan, General Blacksmith, in Stewarttown, 1921. MG3 A187 1.01, Esquesing Historical Society. Click on the image for more details.

At one time, there were many mills, a tannery, saddle and harness maker, black smith, cabinet maker, tailor and a hotel. Stewarttown was a busy place.

Stewarttown and Georgetown rivalled each other in importance during these early years. They were in competition to be the capital of Esquesing Township. Stewarttown unofficially claimed the title, going so far as building a town hall in the village for meetings and offices. But Georgetown eventually won the official claim. The situation wasn’t helped when the Grand Trunk Railway was built through Georgetown in 1856. It completely bypassed Stewarttown and the village lost important traffic.

Esquesing Township Hall, c.1900. EHS00465, Esquesing Historical Society. Click on the image for more details.

The Devereaux family began farming in Stewarttown around 1831. In the 1860s, the family built a home on their property, adding on to it in the 1880s. The home remains there today as an example of a 19th century High Victorian farmhouse. Devereaux House remained in the family through many generations until 1972. It is now owned by the Town of Halton Hills and maintained by the Friends of Devereaux.