Gilberts: Dawn Mills important early settlement on Sydenham River |
This week, we're talking about Dawn Mills.
Last week, we started looking at Victor Lauriston’s paper, Early Settlement on the Sydenham, which is Chapter 7 of the book Kentiana. I told you then that Lauriston discusses two places: Wallaceburg and Dawn Mills; clearly I forgot all about Dresden. This week, we’ll talk about Dawn Mills.
Lauriston really doesn’t say very much about this settlement. He begins by saying: “Settlement on the upper reaches of the Sydenham in Kent began about the year 1820, through a curious circumstance.” Several families who thought they had land grants along “Old Street,” a part of Talbot Road in Harwich Township, discovered their land belonged to absentee landlords. They were instead offered generous grants on the Sydenham, and these folks – Tiffins, Boyles and Boultons – became the pioneers of Dawn Township.
Lauriston also says Dawn Mills was the most important settlement on the Sydenham in the early years. The rivalry between this community and Dresden eventually was won by Dresden, but that’s next week’s story.
That as much as Lauriston shares with us in this short article. But........