French voyageurs and missionaries visited this area in the 17th century, but the first settler, Alex Wilkinson, did not arrive until the mid-19th century. The new settlement had three different names—Wilkinson Corners, Gainsborough and, finally, Leamington, for prominent townsman William Gaines' hometown in England. Although Gaines shaped the town's early fortunes, the H.J. Heinz Co. left a greater impression when it built a factory in 1907. Learn More...