Originally called Dereham Forge, in 1836 the village which is situated on the Big Otter creek, was renamed Tillsonburg in honour of its founder, George Tillson. It was also in this year that the main street, Broadway, was laid out to its full 100-foot (30 m) width. Because the village was predominantly a logging and wood product center, the street was to accommodate the turning of three-team logging wagons. This width is now unique to Ontario and has become a benefit toward handling the pressures of modern day traffic by providing angled parking. The extension of Broadway is called Plank Line and is also known as Highway 19.