Dresden in Chatham-Kent, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Sawmill
Scierie
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 12, 2014
1. Sawmill Marker
Captions (English / French): Three young Black men working in lumber mill at Hampton Institute, Hampton Virginia, 1899. / Trois jeunes hommes noirs travaillant dans une scierie, au Hampton Institute, Hampton, Virginie, 1899.; African American guiding log from water onto sawmill ramp, Newport News, Virginia, 1900. / Un Afro-américain guidant des billes le long de la rampe d’une scierie, Newport News, Virginie, 1900.
Inscription.
This area was once covered in a thick, growth of trees including black walnut, maple, beech, elm and white oak. To make use of these natural resources, Josiah Henson and his sons used donations from benefactors in Boston to build a sawmill along the Sydenham River in Dawn for the British American Institute (B.A.I.). Trees were removed from the land as it was cleared for farming and other purposes and taken to the sawmill to be sawn into boards. The lumber was used for construction purposes and sold to markets in Detroit, Boston and other urban centres to raise funds for the B.A.I. Black walnut lumber was one of the settlement’s major exports. The B.A.I. also operated other industries near the sawmill including a gristmill, blacksmith shop, rope factory, and brickyard., In 1851, on the first of Josiah Henson’s trips to England, he transported and displayed four 7" by 4" polished black walnut boards at the World’s Fair in London. He hoped to develop a British market for lumber produced at the Dawn settlement. Henson was awarded a bronze metel for the exhibit., Jack Thomson, former owner of Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site, assembled the sawmill displayed here to represent the B.A.I. mill in Dawn that was similar to the one at the Hampton Institute depicted in these photographs., French ,
This area was once covered in a thick, growth of trees including black walnut, maple, beech, elm and white oak. To make use of these natural resources, Josiah Henson and his sons used donations from benefactors in Boston to build a sawmill along the Sydenham River in Dawn for the British American Institute (B.A.I.). Trees were removed from the land as it was cleared for farming and other purposes and taken to the sawmill to be sawn into boards. The lumber was used for construction purposes and sold to markets in Detroit, Boston and other urban centres to raise funds for the B.A.I. Black walnut lumber was one of the settlement’s major exports. The B.A.I. also operated other industries near the sawmill including a gristmill, blacksmith shop, rope factory, and brickyard.
In 1851, on the first of Josiah Henson’s trips to England, he transported and displayed four 7" by 4" polished black walnut boards at the World’s Fair in London. He hoped to develop a British market for lumber produced at the Dawn settlement. Henson was awarded a bronze metel for the exhibit.
Jack Thomson, former owner of Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site, assembled the sawmill displayed here to represent the B.A.I. mill in Dawn that was similar to the one at the Hampton Institute depicted in these photographs.
French
Cette région était jadis recouverte d’une épaisse forêt composée de noyers noirs, d’érables, d’ormes et des chênes blanc. Pour pouvoir utiliser ces ressources naturelles, Josiah Henson et ses fils utilisèrent des dons de bienfaiteurs de Boston pour construire une scierie long de rivière Sydenham, à Dawn, pour le British American Institute (B.A.I.) Lors du déboisement des terres qui devaient servir à l’agriculture et à d’autres fins, les arbres étaient emmenés à la scierie pour être transformés en planches. Le bois était utilisé pour la construction de vendu à des marches de Détroit, Boston et d’autres centres urbains afin de recueillir des fonds pour le B.A.I. Le bois de noyer noir était une des principales exportations de l’établissement. Le B.A.I. exploitait également d’autres industries près de la scierie, y compris un moulin à broyer le grain, un atelier de forgeron, une usine de fabrication de cordes et un briqueterie.
En 1851, lors du premier voyage de Josiah Henson en Angleterre, il amena avec lui et exposa quatre planches en noyer noir de 9 po par 4 po lors de l’exposition mondiale de Londres. Il espérait développer un marché britannique pour le bois produit dans l’établissement de Dawn. Henson gagna la médaille de bronze pour ses produits.
Jack Thomson, ancien propriétaire du Site historique de la Case de l’oncle Tom, a monte la scierie exposée ici pour representer la scierie du B.A.I. de Dawn qui était semblable à la scierie du Hampton Institute illustrée dans ces photographies.
Location. 42° 35.114′ N, 82° 11.746′ W. Marker is in Dresden, Ontario, in Chatham-Kent. It can be reached from Uncle Tom's Road (County Route 40) close to Park Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 29251 Uncle Tom's Road, Dresden ON N0P 1M0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southwest Ontario Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Spirituality and Community (a few steps from this marker); Harris House (within shouting distance of
More about this marker. This maker is located on the grounds of the Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 27, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 677 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 30, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
