Wellesley, Ontario that much of the land had been "Queen's Rush, crown land, where fifty acre lots were given away to actual settlers". The Population of the entire township in 1841, was only 254. The area now the village of Wellesley on the Nith River was first settled in 1847, by John Smith and was originally called "Schmidtsville". The post office opened in 1851 and the village was renamed "Wellesley" after Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, the eldest brother of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The community quickly grew to be the largest economic centre in rural Waterloo County, with a
Wellesley High School girls ice hockey team won the state championship. In 2006, the Wellesley High School boys lacrosse team won the Division I All State Championships Varsity Sports in Wellesley for the 2014–2015 academic school year are as follows: Wellesley High School is widely known for their performing arts department, which has reached state and national levels on a consistent basis. Some of the most notable works by the Wellesley High School performing arts department include the Keynote and Rice Street singers (Conducted by Dr. Kevin McDonald) involvements with the Boston Pops, as well as the band and orchestra programs (Conducted by