The Elgin Settlement, also known as Buxton, was one of four organized Black settlements developed in Southwestern Ontario in the mid-1800s. It was established in 1849 by Reverend William King, a Presbyterian minister who arrived with 15 formerly enslaved people to create a settlement on 2,832 hectares (7,000 acres) in Raleigh Township. In addition to farming, freedom seekers and free Blacks established roads, a sawmill, grist mill, brickyard, potash and pearl-ash factories, as well as a hotel, general store and post office. Most notable was the Mission School, which was integrated and provided a classical education. Graduates went on to become teachers, doctors, lawyers and politicians. At its peak, Buxton numbered over 1,000 inhabitants, and descendants of some of the original settlers continue to live in North Buxton today.
The Elgin Settlement was one of the last stops on the Underground Railroad. Today, the settlement is a national historic site within the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. It was named in honour of Lord Elgin, governor general of Upper Canada. The name “Buxton” paid tribute to Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, a slave trade abolitionist. While the community was officially known as the Elgin Settlement, at its heart was the Buxton Mission. The Elgin Settlement was the largest of the four Black settlements and considered the most successful.
"There are signs of industry and thrift and comfort, everywhere; signs of intemperance, of idleness, of want, nowhere. There is no tavern and no groggery; but there is a chapel and a schoolhouse. Most interesting of all are the inhabitants. Twenty years ago, most of them were slaves who owned nothing, not even their children. Now they own themselves; they own homes and farms, and they have their wives and children about them. They are enfranchised citizens of a government which protects their rights. They have the great essentials of human happiness, "something to love, something to do, and something to hope for" and if they are not happy it is their own fault."
Written about the Elgin Settlement by Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876) who was appointed by Edwin Stanton of Abraham Lincoln's administration to report on the Freedmen's Inquiry Report. His report became part of the Congressional debate on the Fourteenth Amendment.
To claim this find you must send the answers to the following 4 questions which can be found through out the grounds. Provide a photo of yourself (you do not have to show your face) or with your caching name written on a piece of paper at the coordinates with the carved statue in the background, otherwise your log will be deleted.
1. By the school house there are 3 plaques. The Elgin Association was incorporated by what? Finish the sentence.
2. Who were the first and last owners of the log cabin? Give all 4 names.
3. At the Museum, who gifted this bell? Where is the original bell hanging now?
4. On the side of the museum is some art work. What was the year on the drawing in black and white, and what was used as a beacon?
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.