to show itself about a mile and a half further north, called Froome- 

 field, I suppose in hcnor of Squire Froome Talfourd, a very clever 

 man in his day, whose residence for many years was here. A very 

 primitive water mill was erected about seventy years ago on the 

 creek, quite dose to what is now the cemetery. A great earthwork 

 served to raise the water, and by this power some sawing was 

 done. Many years later the late Mr. James Major built a good saw 

 mill on the river, and for years a fair business was done in sawing 

 and selling lumber. A very large and imposing wind mill waa 

 built here by the late Mirza Proctor, the father of a numerous fam- 

 ily, who reside in Sarnia and Moore. It had good machinery for 

 those far-off times — fine French Burr mill stones — and whee the 

 wind blew hard enough it made fairly good flour, when good wheat 

 was forthcoming. Earlier yet than the appearance of Froomfield, 

 there came from the land of Burns a clever gentleman named 

 Sutherland, who purchased a valuable tract of land on the river, 

 just north of what is now theVillage cf Cooirtright, and directly 

 opposite the City of St. Clair. His ambition was to establish a vil- 

 lage, and indeed it did at that time look well adapted for the enter- 

 prise. He built several good houses, extended a splendid wharf 

 far cut to the deep waters of the river, built a fine large warehouse 

 thereon and got some goods, made ready for customers; but alas ! 

 there were none available, and being well advanced in life, this 

 eagerly well meant, enterprise fell through. 



When surveyed the whole township was covered with a splendid 

 growth of timber, of cak, hickcry, ash, elm, and other varieties. 

 On the east half of :ot ten in tho tenth concession there wer-.> some 

 splendid p.ne aod towards the south west and north easterly were 

 c'onsiderable groves of tamarac and along some of our creeks notably 

 Bear Creek or the north branch cf the Sydenham some fine walnuts. 

 Pretty much all these valued forest productions had to go for what 

 they woulJ bring. C.nml wainu- \o^s w^re split int i fence rails, 

 etc.. Pin ' trees thrc- feet ai ihe stuni.T and forty to fifty feet 

 without I 'imb so'd ff- 'hree do'.lars or four inMirs; lar;? oak trees 

 as low as fifty cenls, ain! elm larl other trees voted a hiiisanciv Of 

 course people had to live and if the^ intended to farm the trees 

 must be removed. 



There were few evidences of Indian occupation discovered In 

 this township. This may be explained by the dense growtih of timb- 

 er and in many places the lowness of the ground, and beyond a flint 

 arrow head and an earth work or enclosure of earth on lot 25, elev- 

 enth concession, the red man left few marks that he ever trod those 

 wilds. At certain seasons the deer where plentiful and a short 

 ramblf in the forest was sure to start one or more of those beautiful 

 swift footed animals and often were seen large flocks of turkeys 



