Atherley Junction Railway station in Atherley, 1910 The former townships of
Rama and
Mara were first named in 1820. The origins of the names are unclear, as both may be either Spanish words (
rama for "branch" and
mara for "sea") or
Biblical references, both meaning "bitter" (
rama for
Ramah, the biblical town of
Benjamin in ancient
Israel, and
mara for
Marah, named in the biblical
Book of Exodus as the place where
Moses sweetened the bitter waters for the Israelites). As both styles of place naming were popular in Ontario at the time, it is not clear which one is correct. The townships were originally part of
York County but were transferred to
Ontario County when they were first incorporated as an amalgamated municipality in 1852. They were later reincorporated as separate municipalities in 1869. A portion of Rama Township was allocated to form what became the
Mnjikaning First Nation 32 Indian reserve of the
Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation. Many Indigenous people were living on the narrow strip of land that separates lakes
Simcoe and
Couchiching between Atherley and
Orillia. These lands were surrendered by
treaty in 1836. Later, the local Indian Agent began purchasing lands in Rama Township and the Indigenous people were resettled there. The main settlement on the reserve is also known as Rama and is the site of
Casino Rama. North of Rama, the community of Longford Mills was established in 1868. In 1867, the American lumberman
Henry W. Sage had purchased blocks of land in Rama Township after buying timber berths in Oakley Township in
Muskoka District. Sage had considered relocating his mill from Bell Ewart to a point between the Black River and Lake Couchiching or possibly at Wasdell Falls. The area lacked
rail transport and so the sawn lumber would have to be
barged to the
Northern Railway at Bell Ewart. Instead, Sage came up with the idea of a
canal to float logs from the Black River to supply the mills of Lake Simcoe. The
Rama Timber Transport Company was formed in 1868. That allowed the logs of Muskoka and
Victoria to reach the mills of Lake Simcoe, and it also helped to establish the community of Longford Mills. Ontario County was dissolved upon the formation of the
Regional Municipality of Durham in 1974, and both townships were transferred to Simcoe County. As part of the municipal restructuring of Simcoe County, Mara and Rama Townships were reamalgamated to form Ramara in 1994. == Demographics ==