History of Dryden, Ontario, Canada

From Leisure Showcase magazine

The Dryden area was part of the Ojibway nation, which covered a large area from Lake Huron to Lake of the Woods and beyond. The Ojibway were a nomadic culture, with groups from family to village size moving over the land with the seasons and the availability of game or the necessities of life. It is believed that the Bending Lake/Turtle River area was a meeting place for trade and cultural exchanges of aboriginal people from much of central Canada and as far away as the southern USA. Today there is still evidence of ancient occupancy in the form of pictographs, artifacts, and burial grounds. Bending Lake is in the triangle formed by Dryden, Ignace and Atikokan.

The Town of Dryden incorporated in 1910. It expanded its boundaries several times before amalgamating with the neighbouring Township of Barclay, to form the new City of Dryden on January 1, 1998. Dryden is centrally located in the southern half of the Patricia Region, for which it serves as a hub. Being easily accessible on the Trans-Canada Highway and the CPR rail line, Dryden also has an excellent airport with a 6,000-foot runway. Located at the end of Highway 502 from Fort Frances, a direct link to the USA (Minnesota), the city is the dividing point between traffic going up Highway 105 to Ear Falls and Red Lake and traffic traveling up Highway 72 to Sioux Lookout and beyond. The steady increase in traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway along with Dryden's position midway between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay has resulted in a very large commercial sector serving local citizens and visitors. Tourism is now a large and stable industry, adding dimension to Dryden's quality of life.