Brant Street honours the legacy of Mohawk chiefs Joseph and John Brant

Brant Street appeared on the Stratford map of 1922, but was laid out much earlier by part of the George Forman survey of 1870. Brant Street is named for Brant County, which, in turn, was named for the Mohawk chief, Joseph Brant, whose Indigenous name was Thayendanaga (one of several spellings).

Joseph Brant, principal chief of the Six Nations of The Grand River, was born on the banks of the Ohio River in 1742. He fought on the British side in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). After the war, he led the Mohawk people to the valley of the Grand River in southern Ontario.

Both the County of Brant and the City of Brantford are named after Brant. The leader of the Six Nations of The Grand River and his followers routinely crossed the Grand River in the vicinity of Brantford; hence, the name taken from “Brant’s ford.” Though Joseph Brant has no direct connections with Stratford, his son, John Brant, was a close........

© Sarnia Observer