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Concept
Blenheim, Ontario
Summary
Blenheim is a community in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada.
The Chatham-Kent region was initially settled as a British colony following Alexander McKee's acquisition of land under Treaty #2 (McKee's Purchase) in 1790. Treaty #2 negotiations took place in Detroit and involved Pottowatomie, Wendat, Ojibwe, and Odtawa leaders.
Land in Harwich Township (surrounding present-day Blenheim) was first surveyed in 1791 by British settlers Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe and Thomas Talbot. Early settlers built roads that aimed to connect the area with nearby Detroit.
Settlement of the area increased after the War of 1812. Blenheim was established roughly between 1825-1850. Blenheim initially sat amidst of dense forest. At some point, land near Blenheim was purchased by Albert Robertson. Later, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were recorded as the first three lot-tenants who built homes in Blenheim.
The are where Blenheim was established was a dense Carolinian forest with wild elk, bear, wolves, and eagles. However, the region became a "patchwork quilt of farms" when the forests were cut down. Historically, the area was used to grow sugar beets, tomatoes, tobacco, and corn.
Historians Dr. Fred Landon and Alvin Armstrong state that the town got its name after resident Mungo Samson recited "The Battle of Blenheim" poem at the Samuel Brundage Inn. Blenheim had a general store by 1845. The town was incorporated in 1885. In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie.
By 1874, Blenheim was home to dentists and carpenters. A town hall was built in 1866. Blenheim became an official town in 1885.
In 1888, a Methodist church was built. Bell introduced the telephone in 1885. Electricity came in 1888. A fire department was created in 1891. The railway arrived in 1894 and traveled through Blenheim to Windsor.
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