Document Archives | Bedrock of Beachville: The History of Our Limestone Quarries

Dynamite Crates

In Ontario’s historic industrial landscape, dynamite crates played a crucial role in transportation, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These crates, crafted with sturdy wood […]

“No Strike Settlement in View After 3 Weeks”

This newspaper image was published in the Woodstock Sentinel Review in an article titled “No Strike Settlement in View After 3 Weeks,” written by Chris Nixon. The image […]

Early Draw Kilns at the Downing-Bremner Quarries

Set kilns were replaced by larger draw kilns. Draw kilns were made of steel and lined with brick. They measured 25 feet high and 12 feet across. Draw […]

Features of the Limestone Valley Trail: Signage

A didactic explaining the history of the rotary kiln components along the trail. The signage reads, “Kilns are used to convert limestone to quicklime by burning stone at […]

Earning a Living

Here, you can also note that employees made different wages based on their tasks at the quarries. Note in the first image that the wage paid is $1.94 […]

A Collective Agreement

These pages were taken from Dave Daniel’s copy of a “Collective Agreement” pocketbook from 1966 that shows hourly wages organized into 8 groups at Domtar’s quarry.

North American Cyanamid News

North American Cyanamid specialized in producing the compound calcium cyanamide – which is rich in nitrogen and could be used as a fertilizer to feed growing plants. The […]

Option Agreement and Contract Extension

The option agreement and contract extension are documents that both Cyrus Caldwell Poyntz and representatives of North American Cyanamid signed. The option agreement outlines that if the quarry […]

Reporting the Losses

In these news articles, Bill Eluchok brings the quarry workers’ flood experiences to the forefront of the natural disaster. He offers first-hand accounts of the tragic losses that […]

Quarrying West of the Village: 1860 Onwards

At the centre of this map is the Village of Beachville. Above the Canadian National Railroad tracks (marked C.N.R.) are lots numbered 18 to 22. Lot 18 is […]

Early Lime Sites to the East

When looking at this diagram, note the river zigzagging at a diagonal and the location of the railroad (marked by a black and white band) running above the […]

A Receipt from Standard White Lime

This receipt was issued to W. Pook on August 6, 1909, while he was building his home in Beachville. In October of that year, Mr. Pook paid $0.20 […]