In 1832, settlement began in an area called Little Thames in what would become Stratford, Ontario. By the 1840s, Stratford had around 200 inhabitants and various mills, stores, and other businesses. The town slowly grew until the 1850s when the railway arrived, bringing furniture manufacturing and locomotive repair that became major industries by the 20th century. In 1933, a major strike in the furniture industry was led by communist organizers. While some of the documents discuss outlandish claims about Adolf Hitler living in Stratford after being kidnapped as a child, Stratford is best known as the home of the renowned Shakespearean Stratford Festival held from May to October each year.