Crown. Upon its initial settlement, the Loyalists called the settlement Charlesville, the origin of this name is unknown. Shortly after, the village became referred to as Aultsville after Samuel Ault, a relative of one of the first five men to settle here and a prominent political figure. The Ault family dammed the creek upon their arrival and established a saw mill on their property; the village essentially grew around this mill. The first store and tavern were present in the village in the 1700s, established in 1787 by a Loyalist settler named Richard Loucks. The tavern was referred to as Loucks tavern, and was a large wooden building. The tavern doubled as a courthouse and village jail, with a pillory located inside for locking up criminals. By the end of the 18th century, Aultsville had already established its own post office with the first post master listed as one John Bockus. The post office remained in operation until 1957, when it closed for the flooding of the Seaway. 19th century – World War I By 1840, the population of Aultsville had risen to 120 individuals, and many more pioneer businesses and tradespeople were established in the area. The area continued to prosper on its own into the 1850s, however when the Grand Trunk Railway was established here in 1856 the village saw a boom in population; the village grew to a population of 400 residents by 1870. Many businesses operated in Aultsville in the mid-1800s, according to both histories and business directories from the era. The clay soil in the village allowed for brickyards and pottery works to be established. Many pioneer trades such as a blacksmith shop, shoemaker, carriage shop and tannery were also active in the village. Two more saw mills were also eventually erected in the village. The community was also home to an Oddfellows lodge, community hall and Masonic lodge. During the mid-19th century, a small ferry operated in Aultsville in the St. Lawrence River called the Aultsville Ferry. The ferry was a small, primitive wooden ferry which operated between Aultsville and Louisville Landing, New York during the summer months. Many disputes arose between the American and Canadian sides regarding the ferry, as it was in direct competition with the American ferry. Around 1860, Aultsville became home to its own school, referred to as the Aultsville Common School. This school served the elementary grades of the