British-American Institute

The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History (French: Musée Josiah Henson l'histoire des Afro-Canadiens) is an open-air museum in Dresden, Ontario, Canada, that documents the life of Josiah Henson, the history of slavery, and the Underground Railroad. The historic site is situated on the grounds of the former Dawn settlement established by Henson; a runaway slave, abolitionist, and minister. Through his autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself, he served as the inspiration for the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The 2-hectare (5-acre) historic site contains an interpretive centre, several historic buildings from the Dawn settlement, and two cemeteries; one of which holds Henson's gravesite. Informal tours of Henson's family home began in 1948, although the larger property was not converted into a museum until 1964, after several other related historical structures were moved onto the historic site. The museum, initially known as Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, was privately owned until 1988, when it was sold to Kent County. Ownership of the property was later transferred to St. Clair Parkway Commission in 1995, before it was transferred to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 2005.

Dresden is an agricultural community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Located on the Sydenham River, it is named after Dresden, Germany. The main field crops in the area are grain corn, soybean, and winter wheat, and the principal horticultural crops are tomatoes, sweet corn, and carrots. Dresden was the home of Josiah Henson, an African-Canadian former slave, abolitionist, and minister, whose life-story was an inspiration for the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Henson homestead is a historic building near Dresden. From 1948 to 1956, Dresden was the focus of a campaign by the National Unity Association, led by Hugh Burnett, for racial equality and social justice. The resultant passage of Ontario's Fair Employment Practices Act (1951) and Fair Accommodation Practices Act (1954) paved the way for the enactment of human rights legislation across Canada. § Human rights: the Dresden story An H chondrite-type meteorite fell near Dresden in 1939.

The Sydenham River is a river in Chatham-Kent, Lambton County and Middlesex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, flowing southwest from its source west of London, Ontario and emptying into Lake Saint Clair. The length of the river is 165 kilometres (103 mi) and it drains a watershed of approximately 2,700 square kilometres (1,000 mi2), making it one of the largest river flowing into the St.Clair on the Canadian side. The river flows through the towns of Strathroy and Wallaceburg. It was named after Lord Sydenham, governor of Canada from 1839 to 1841. Unusual concretions, composed of calcite, can be found near this river. These are known as "kettles" because they resemble the bottom of a large kettle. The river has been identified as a key biodiversity area.

Dawn Mills is a small, unincorporated community in southwestern Ontario, Canada, part of the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It is in the north-central portion of the municipality, located a short distance from the town of Dresden. In 1837, William Taylor and James Smith erected a saw, grist and wool mill on the banks of the Sydenham River in Camden Township of Kent County, Ontario near Dresden, Ontario. The mills were welcomed by residents at Dawn Mills who previously had to transport their produce for milling to Detroit by canoe. An early road was built here near the Sydenham River which connected the mill settlements. The town grew to six streets, three hotels, church and a store. The population was around 100. In the 1860s a railway system was constructed in southern Ontario. Stations were built, and tracks were laid at the bigger (and also purpose-established) towns. As had many other communities the region, Dawn Mills lost industries to competition from larger milling enterprises elsewhere. By the early 1900s Dawn Mills became a ghost town. The post office closed in 1918. The church in Dawn Mills still stands, purchased by a Mennonite congregation in the 1990s. The building was built as a Methodist church. It became a United Church and part of the Dawn Mills Pastoral Charge (comprising Dawn Mills, Wabash and Lindsay Road United Churches) in 1925, after church union. The charge was discontinued in 1968, and the building was sold to Dawn Mills community members for $1. The Dawn Mills Good Will Workers held regular meetings and social events there for a number of years. The hall was also rented out for family birthday parties, community wedding showers, etc. The Old Colony Mennonite Church first rented, and later purchased the church building. The original stained glass windows, donated by the Elgie and the Holmes families, were removed. The general store and post office is now a home, as well as the church manse. The community is mainly farm-related now, and several residents including the Elgie family have tried to maintain the history of the Dawn Mills community.

Tupperville is a community on the Sydenham River in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada and has a population of approx. 300 people. Tupperville was named after Canada's sixth Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper. Tupperville is located in close proximity to 2 larger towns - Wallaceburg (pop. 11,000) and Dresden (pop. 4,000). Thirty minutes south of Tupperville is the City of Chatham-Kent (pop. 42,000) and forty minutes north is the City of Sarnia (pop. 70,500).

Western District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District which were later detached in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Hesse District (named after Hesse in Germany) until 1792, it was abolished in 1849.

Kent Bridge is a community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is located between Chatham and Thamesville.

The Lambton Kent District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 10 prior to 1999) is the school board responsible for public education in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. Lambton and Kent Counties are made up of numerous small towns and communities situated in Southwestern Ontario, a geographic area surrounded by the Great Lakes. The board serves over 21,000 elementary and high school students. Surrounding towns and communities include Alvinston, Blenheim, Bothwell, Brigden, Chatham, Corunna, Dresden, Forest, Grand Bend, Merlin, Mooretown, Petrolia, Point Edward, Ridgetown, Sarnia, Thamesville, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, Watford, Wheatley, and Wyoming.

Chatham-Kent Secondary School is located in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. With a student population of about 1200, it is the largest public secondary school in Chatham-Kent operating at 85% capacity. The school is currently undergoing multi-million dollar renovations. The student population is projected to increase with further school consolidations, and the potential closure of John McGregor Secondary School.

CKGW-FM is a Christian music radio station broadcasting at 89.3 FM in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. The station is owned by United Christian Broadcasters Canada (UCB). It was originally a rebroadcaster of CKJJ-FM from Belleville, but became an independent station in April 2007.

CKSY-FM (94.3 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Owned by Blackburn Radio, it broadcasts an adult contemporary format for Southwestern Ontario. CKSY is co-owned with classic rock station CKUE-FM and country station CFCO-AM-FM. CKSY-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts. Its transmitter is on Fairview Line at Harwich Road in the Harwich section of Chatham.

CKUE-FM is a radio station located in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Owned by Blackburn Radio, the station broadcasts a classic hits format under the name 95.1/100.7 Cool FM. The station broadcasts on 95.1 MHz, and operates a rebroadcaster serving the nearby Windsor market, CKUE-FM-1, on 100.7 MHz. CKUE's main signal is broadcast from a transmitter tower a few kilometres west of the community of Chatham, Ontario, with an effective radiated power of 42,000 watts.