I am just now completing my 12th book, Boards & Bricks, which will feature a chapter on the history of Chatham’s many hotels.

One of the more noted of these enterprises was the North American Hotel which was located on the north side of Thames Street, opposite the northwest foot of Fifth Street Bridge.

This would be at the point where Thames Street turns from a west to east direction to a south to north route.

I am not sure of the exact age of the hotel but it pre-dated the great flood of mid-March, 1868 when the surging downflow of water on the Thames River swept away a number of town structures including the swing bridge at Fifth Street.

I believe the hotel dated from the 1850s and was built to accommodate the farm trade, coming to Chatham to sell their commodities on the Chatham Market Square; the best day of the week, for sellers, was Saturday.

Were the farm seller not to get to the Market Square before Saturday morning, the chances were likely that he........

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