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= THE FKEE PRESS, LONDON, ONTARIO. SATURDAY. JUNE 11, 1949^ =NINTH SECTION--PAGE SEVENTEEN Ridgetown, Merlin, Dresden U.E.L Farmer Left Nova Scotia To Take Up Ridgetown Land DESPITE EARLY SETTLEMENT -- in 1823 -- over half a century passed before Ridgetown even began the development which justified its being called Ridgetown. Just what delayed growth of the community is not certain, but it was probably due to the fact that the main artery of trade through Howard Township -- Talbot stre*et -- was several miles away at Morpeth. This opinion is borne out by the immediate expansion which followed building of- the Canada Southern Railway in 1872. , The first person to settle on the ridge which runs through the township was William Marsh, a Loyalist who moved to Ontario from Nova Scotia. Other farmers followed, taking up land along the ridge. But as late as 1837 there was no store at the settlement, and it was 1851 before a church was built. The first industry arrived in 1855, when George Moody built a flour and woolen mill. Four years after the railway went th-ough, Ridgetown was large enough to be incorporated a village. By 1881, the popula- tion was over 2,000 and Ridgetown became in fact a town. An account of the rapid growth written at the time says that "under the potent influences attendant upon railway construction, the village strode rapidly forward to a more important Blenheim Was Known As 10-Mile Bush Area BLENHEIM, heart of Harwich Township, has come a long way since the days when it was known as the "Ten Mile Bush." Today it is important enough in Canadian economy to have a definite place in world markets. For many years development of the district was retarded by absentee ownership. Despite this, Richard Chute settled near the present town as early as 1834. It was not until 1840, however, that Colonel James Little laid out the village, and the first stream of settlers moved into the area. For another decade the village grew slowly. A tailor, a tavern keeper and a storekeeper made up the bulk of the business firms. A post office in 1849 marked the beginning of better times, and Blenheim--the post office was then called Rond Eau --started to grow. There was good reason for the growth. The embryo town was far enough from Chatham to draw trade from the surrounding farmland, and lay in the heart of a rich timber stand. As the timber disappeared, more and more farms appeared. By 1875 the community was large enough to be incorporated * village. By 1890 there were several industries, including wood factories, saw and grist mills, and a foundry and implement factory. For many years the prosperity of Blenheim was dampened by lack of railway facilities. The nearest line was the old Canada Southern Railway, now the Michigan Central Railway. However, with the building of two Pere Marquette lines, the village expanded rapidly. One line paral- leled the Canada Southern to a point just east of Blenheim, when it turned south through the village, and continued along the shore towards Windsor. The other line ran from Erieau through Blenb--'m to Chatham and Dresden. Marshes Drained After the turn of the century Blenheim continued to grow. Specialized farm products brought prosperity to the district, and after World War I the marshes to the south were drained, and intensive onion growing began. ' Two heavy setbacks--flooding from the lake, and from inland rainwater--slowed the onion growers, but today onions, and all other farming and industrial products, are reaping the reward of years of effort--prosperity. With the growth of specialized farming came export markets. These markets have been at times uncertain, for currency and other restrictions can change much quicker than farmers can get crops from the ground. But the export markets have been a source of much wealth for the RlonKeim area. White beans from the district helped feed the Canadian Army and Europe's millions; seed corn has gone to several European countries; and onions have gone to the British West Indies and Central America. The hundred years since Blenheim got its first post office have, despite heavy setbacks at times, been a story of steady growth. Whether or not world trade becomes more normal in years to come, the town looks forward to its next hundred years of prosperity. place in the list of western centres, capital was attracted, factories were established, new and handsome residences built, offices opened and business blocks erected, and, as though by magical influence, Ridgetown bloomed into a busy and enterprising village." Light Industries Just prior to incorporation as a town, Ridgetown had several light industries, including flour, saw and woolen mills, a foundry, carriage factories, etc. In the 60 years that have followed Ridgetown, unlike many other smaller communities, has continued its growth. During these years it has drawn to itself much of the business which formerly 6perated in the smaller centres of the township. Today Ridgetown boasts of diversified light industry, an active business section, and a large shopping centre. Dresden Had Later Start THROUGH the early years of the last century, hundreds of escaped slaves, guided by American and Canadian friends, reached the safety of the little clearing in the woods now known as Dresden. Dresden proudly remembers that one of the earliest of the escaped Negroes was Rev. Josiah Henson, the "Uncle Tom" of Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Near Dresden today is the tombstone erected over his grave, and annually hundreds of American tourists visit the scene. Dawn Mills Dresden was not settled as a community for several decades after many surrounding centres. The earliest settlements in the district' were at Eawn Mills, a few miles further up the Syden-ham River. The earliest arrivals at Dawn Mills came about 1830, but it was not until after 1846 that William Van Allen and his son, Henry, cleared a farm there. A brother, D. R. Van Allen, saw the possibilities of the spot, and laid out a village between what is now Main street and the river, Even so, the village grew slowly at first, and it was 1854 before a post office was placed there. By the beginning of the American Civil War the population was still under 400. Things moved rapidly after the war started, however. In 1864 a bridge was built across the river, ships were built along the shore of the Sydenham, and regular sailings from Dresden to Wallaceburg and Detroit were scheduled. By 1871 the population had risen to over 1,000, the village was incorporated, and Dresden was on its way. Dresden during the balance of THE BRITISH AMERICAN OIL CO. LIMITED extends to THE LONDON FREE PRESS ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY Gasolines and lubricants supplied by the British American Oil Company are used extensively by this great enterprise. B-A is proud to be associated with this outstanding record of The London Free Press, Looking Up the Thames Near Chatham the century Is best described by a contemporary account, which states that the village "owes much of its progress and present importance to its manufactures chief among which have been saw mills and other woodworking establishments . . . and the numerous other mechanical institutions incident to a town of this size and similar location. The business blocks of the town are of a _ good order, many of them exhibiting a degree of elegance not often seen in rural towns . . . Its business is continually expanding . . ." After the turn of the century, Dresden developed steadily, specialized farming becoming more common in the surrounding districts. The increasing prosperity of the surrounding farms in Camden and Dawn townships had an immediate effect on Dreg* den, and is still the economic backbone of the community. .Muirkirk Serves Rural Districts MUIRKIRK IS ONE of several small villages serving the rural community of Orford Township in the County of Kent. The district was not settled as early as many other sections of the province, and it was not until the 1840's that the first families took up land there. Among the earliest men to clear farms were John and Duncan Gillis, Thomas Simpson, David Ford, Thomas English and William Curtis. The village first sprang up with the building of the Canada Southern Railway and now lies between the two American railway lines cutting through Western Ontario from Buffalo to Detroit. Village of Merlin Community in 1877 SETTLEMENT of Raleigh Township in Kent County started as far back as 1792, but it was well past the middle of the nineteenth century before the village of Merlin was first settled. There were farm settlements in the Merlin, area as early as 1820, and in 1848 Rev. William King settled about three miles, from Merlin at Buxton with 15 freed slaves and formed the nucleus of a small Negro settlement. It was not until 1877 with the growth of White population that Merlin became a community. The village grew slowly, and by 1890 the population was still under 200. In 1898 a Methodist church was built at a cost of nearly $5,000. RARE 6RAPES Growing grapes which will never be eaten ... a fantastic thought. But no more fantastic than the cost ... a half-million dollars plus fifteen years of never-ceasing labor. This is the story of the great vineyard research program which Bright's Wines Limited began fifteen years ago - - an experiment in growing rare grape varieties never attempted on a commercial scale before in Canada. Today, the venture is a proven success and is continuing on an even broader scale. What it means to the future of the Ontario grape grower - - who produces over 90 per cent of all grapes grown in Canada - - is a story of interest to all. 1. A STRANGER FROM FRANCE. Here Is one of the hundred and more imported gropes now under test in Bright's experimental vineyards •--• this, a French hybrid. But in addition there are a score of proven grope varieties being grown on a commercial scale. As these new types are established, Bright's begin additional propagation of hardy vines for eventual distribution to the independent growers. Already Bright's have distributed thousands of hardy two-year-old vines of new varieties at a fraction of the cost it took to produce them. In this manner, Bright't assist growers in establishing their own vineyards of new varieties at the lowest possible cost and without having to take risks on grapes of unknown and unproven qualities, 2. A FAMOUS DISTRICT. There are two mj* localities in the Niagara Valley -- the St. David's and the Virgil districts -- which are becoming as important to Canada as are the famous grape-growing districts of France and Germany. It is in these localities, in Bright's vineyards, where you find more special grapes growing than in all of the rest of Canada combined. f 3. RESEARCH THE TEACHER. Fifteen years of intensive research by skilled men working with well-equipped laboratories hove solved many of the problems of grape growing. HELPING GROWERS. All the knowledge and information Bright's have gathered ore available to any grower who asks for help - - and without charge. 's Wines HOW THE COMPANY'S DOLLAR OF INCOME WAS SPENT NIAGARA fAUS U/MITED LONDON i. SHARING BRIGHT'S INCOME. (From Bright'* 1948 An-nual Report). Only 2c out of every $1 of income went to stockholders. But 19 times that amount was paid in taxes to help support the country's economy. 16c went to Ontario grape growers and another 15c in wages and employee benefits.