An American Family History

Athens, Ontario is about fifteen miles north of Brockville on the St. Lawrence River. It was called Farmersville. It was renamed to Athens in 1888 by Arza Parish. It was apart of Yonge township before becoming Rear of Yonge and Escott.

Benoni Wiltse and his brothers settled in the area in 1792. The southeast section of Athens was called Wiltsetown.

from History of Leeds Grenville

The Society of Friends (Quakers) erected one of the first churches_in the Township at Farmersville, the building, a wooden one, still standing at the eastern end of the_ village Previous .to the build ing of the church, the Society met for service in the cooper shop of Gersham Wing.

The following list contains the names of the majority of the original members of the Society:
Lyman Abel,
James Robeson,
Samuel Olds,
Turner Lillie,
Joseph Bullard,
Philip Wing,
Otis Smith,
Thomas Robeson,
Abraham Palmer,
Jedediah Wing,
Harvey Derbyshire,
William Church,
Gersham Wing.