OBHS Bus Trips

Negro Creek Road was my first OBHS Trip on Saturday, June 15, 1996. At that time, there was controversy sounding the name of the road.

The road itself is in Holland Township, an agricultural community located 25 kilometres south of Owen Sound and about 140 northwest of Toronto. It intersects Highway 6 south of Williamsford. Two large provincial road signs on either side of Highway 6 indicated the name of the road to be Negro Creek Road. Yet, at the other end of this dusty road, a smaller road sign - read 'Moggie Road'.

Available information shows that in August 1995, the Holland Township Council decided to rename Negro Creek Road as 'Moggie Road' in honour of George Moggie, a 19th century White settler in the Township. This move, apparently part of a bylaw passed in preparation for the civic numbering system required for the 911 emergency service in Grey County, had generated such a controversy that some even saw it as a deliberate attempt on the part of Holland Township Council to wipe out Black history in the Township and rewrite the history of the area.

The area around Negro Creek Road, as the name of the road implies, was first settled by negro pioneers and their descendants who farmed the fertile lands in and around Holland Township probably after the war of 1812 until European settlers moved into the area.

Those of you who didn't go on the bus trip to Detroit don't know what you missed. For two nights and nearly three days (October 25-27, 1996) we toured sites of Black Historical importance in Chatham, Dresden, North Buxton and Amherstburg.

We were at the Raleigh Township Centennial Museum in North Buxton in the morning of October 26, 1996. The museum was located at the original site of the Elgin Settlement - one of the communities in Canada black fugitives headed to after escaping slavery in the United States.

There were many interesting things to see at this museum. One of the prominent exhibits on display was the bedroom suite belonging William King, an original pioneer and leader in the settlement. Other items such as collars and shackles used on captured fugitives, farm implements and tools of the times, and some personal belongings of the original settlers were also on display. It was at this museum where I learned about the significance of gourds during slavery days and how they were used as signals to welcome fugitives at some Underground Railroad stations and safehouses.

I got excited about our next destination - Uncle Tom's Cabin. The site is located on the original property purchased by Josiah Henson whose name became synonymous with the central character "Uncle Tom" in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel - Uncle Tom's Cabin. I didn't know what to expect since all I knew about the expression "Uncle Tom" was that it was a derogatory remark usually used to describe a Black person accused of selling out to the caucasian race. However, we learned the truth.

We were welcomed in the lobby and after buying some souvenirs and artifacts, proceeded to watch audio-slide presentation about this historical site and the man the museum is attributed to: Josiah Henson. Later on in a nearby graveyard, I had the opportunity to read Henson's epitaph on his tombstone.

The North American Black History Museum at Amherstburg was our last official stopover before returning to Toronto. We were ushered upstairs into a large room exhibiting the profiles of Black inventors on the wall. I recognized Elijah McCoy and Lewis Latimer, among others, and recall overhearing one woman pointing out that there was not a single Black woman on display on the wall. She was right.

We watched a video film about 25 minutes long called 'The Voice of the Fugitive'. It was about the ordeal of a Black family running away from slavery in the United States and the difficulty they had crossing into Canada. After the video, we trooped downstairs to look at the exhibition.

Of all the exhibits, I liked the 'Blacks in the Military section. I saw a record of the pay list of Captain Calwells Coloured volunteers in Amherstburg who were on military duty from October 29, 1837 to January 25, 1838. Don't ask me who Captain Calwells was because I don't know. What I can tell you though, is that, I was intrigued to see the 150 years old document.

There was a big photograph of the Negro Volunteer company formed in Victoria, British Columbia in 1860 to protect the British colony. I even saw a bayonet from the time of the American Civil War and a flint lock pistol made in France ca 1850. According to the tour guide, the marking 'C.S.A.' on the pistol indicates that it belonged to a member of the American Southern army. This pistol is said to have been acquired from a Black family in Amherstburg in 1965.

I will never forget the comradery among members on the bus throughout our journey: the smiling faces; the willingness of members to share stories and the general congenial atmosphere surrounding us where member showed interest in wanting to know each other better. It was great. We were all united and interested in a common cause. In fact, the last time I felt the same way was when we went to Negro Creek Road in June of 1996.

It was August 5, 2000, Caribana Saturday in Toronto. I decided to join the OBHS bus trip to Owen Sound and Collingwood to celebrate the 138th Emancipation Day with them.

We arrived at Harrison Park in Owen Sound later than scheduled. The weather was good and the picnic was relatively simple. Many people sat at tables set up under a canopy, while others sat on the grass and picnicked there. The atmosphere was friendly as everyone smiled freely. Before I had the chance to bring out my lunch, I had already been convinced to try out someone's cake. It was nice. I ended up sharing lunch with Dr. Edith Lorimar and her husband.

The beautiful Harrison Park has an excellent bird sanctuary with many exotic birds. What a sight to see. A small river running through the park sets a very romantic scene. People were in paddle boats and other boats conveniently there for water lovers. There were many things for the children to do.

The Owen Sound Black population has been socializing at Harrison Park for approximately 138 years. This year (2000) the Deputy Major was present and brought greetings from the City of Owen Sound. Mrs. Jackson made a presentation on behalf of her husband MP Ovid Jackson. An Ontario Black History Society presentation was made by Sally Houston to the Owen Sound Community for their continuous celebration of Emancipation Day.

We were unable to stay for much of their celebration because we were scheduled to visit the Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum in Collingwood. Sheffield Park exhibits an interesting collection of the history of the Early Black Pioneers to the Collingwood area. It was my second time there.