William, an African American teamster, and Susannah lived in Niagara from 1834 to 1847. Their home was part of Niagara's "coloured village", a vibrant community of former Canadian slaves, Black Loyalists and African American refuges. Later, they divided their lot for sale to Robert Baxter, a local Black resident.
In 1837 William was one of many local Blacks who signed a petition asking Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head to refuse to extradite Kentucky fugitive Solomon Moseby. Moseby was rescued from the Niagara jail by more than 200 African Canadians.
In 1847, William and Susannah moved to Galt (now Cambridge) where William and Susannah lived for the rest of their lives.
Their modest cottage is an excellent example of local vernacular architecture. It serves as a compelling memorial to these hardworking people who contributed to the building of Niagara-on-the-Lake and to protecting Black American refugees in the region.
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An easy field puzzle. No need to go onto the property as you can read the plaque from the street. You may even choose to solve it by doing some internet research. (As the plaque is a 'virtual' location, at a private residence, it might be preferable to use the internet method if you are completing the puzzle at night.)
From the plaque, add the number of ‘local Blacks’ who signed the Moseby petition to both the N and W coordinates below to calculate the final location.
N 43° 15.283’ W 79° 5.269’
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
