OAS 2018 Symposium Sunday Bus Tour

Join us in the afternoon of November 11, 2018 as we venture by bus through Chatham-Kent to visit two historic stops on the Underground Railroad. The bus will depart from the conference centre at 11:45 am and arrive back there around 5:30 pm. Please bring a packed lunch and warm clothing. Participants wishing to attend the venues in their own vehicles are asked to pay $5 cash at each venue ($10 total) to help cover off-season staffing costs.
We ask anyone traveling on their own to coordinate with the schedule below.

First Stop (12 pm – 1:45 pm)

Our adventure will begin with the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum at 21975 A.D. Shadd Road, North Buxton. Home of the Elgin Settlement founded in 1849, Buxton offered a new home to African-American refugees and became a thriving 19^th century hub of Black education, culture, social and political life. Descendent families continue to live and worship in the community today and support one of the most visited Underground Railroad attractions in Ontario. The visit will include an overview of Museum exhibits and tour of the cemetery, school and church. Dress warmly as part of this tour will be outdoors.

Second Stop (2:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

The second stop is the Uncle Tom's Cabin National Historic Site at 29251 Uncle Tom's Cabin Road, Dresden.  The site forms part of the 200 acres of land that was purchased for the creation of the Dawn Settlement, a haven for African-American refugees in the early-19^th century. The site is associated with Josiah Henson and his wife Nancy, among the founders of the Dawn Settlement. Josiah was thought to be the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influential novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The visit will include an overview of the Museum exhibits, Henson family and British American Institute cemeteries and grounds of the Uncle Tom’s Cabin site. Dena Doroszenko of the Ontario Heritage Trust will be available to answer questions about the archaeological and geophysical activities that have occurred on the site.