Acton was first settled in was settled in 1825, and amalgamated with the Town of Georgetown and most of the Township of Esquesing to form the Town of Halton Hills in 1974. At the northern end of Halton Region, it is on the outer edge of the Greater Toronto Area and is one of two of the primary population centres of the Town; the other is Georgetown, Ontario. From 1842 until about 1986, the town was a major centre for the tanning and leather goods industry; in the early years, it was often referred to as "Leathertown".