On County Road 648 (Loop Road), the original settlement was South Wilberforce on the shores of what is now known as Wilbermere Lake. After the development of the railway, many settlers migrated the four kilometres north to Pusey, a station on the IB&O Railway that was later named Wilberforce. Industry for Wilberforce at the time was much like Tory Hill, mining and logging. The Wilberforce Lumber Company built a sawmill where the railway lay along the southern shore of Pusey Lake, which is now called Dark Lake. In the early days Wilberforce featured a church, school, post office and store. The small town and its new inhabitants grew steadily to work in both the mines and logging camps. In 1922 the Red Cross Outpost opened in Wilberforce. It was the first Red Cross Hospital in Ontario and the first hospital of any kind in Haliburton County. In the 1950s mining and logging were both strong industries and the community continued to grow steadily.

Today, Wilberforce is a vibrant community. It is home to a community centre, arena, municipal office, fire station, curling rink, pharmacy, grocery stores, LCBO, restaurant, school, library, churches, post office, the Red Cross Outpost Museum, Royal Canadian Legion, realtor offices, storage units, a convenience store, a general store and other unique shopping opportunities.