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

Wildwood Conservation in the Autumn

This image depicts a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous in the autumn at Wildwood Conservation area in St. Mary’s. This conservation area boasts 3,500 acres of recreation: […]

North American Cyanamid Workers

A group of workers pose together outside of North American Cyanamid in the early 1950s.

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 […]

Drilling Rig at Beachville White Lime

This image shows a cable forage rig at the Beachville White Lime Quarry in 1928. The hauler holds the end of the forage rod as it rises to […]

Ingersoll Rural Cemetary

The Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, located 5.6 kilometres from the Beachville District Museum, is the largest cemetery in the Ingersoll area. In 1864, 168 local shareholders purchased 17 acres […]

Beachville Region Farm

The regions near Beachville contain numerous farms that have been around for centuries. As more land was purchased, concerns arose about safeguarding the agricultural areas within the limestone […]

“The Old Stage Road” Historical Plaque

This plaque was installed on the grounds of Sweaburg Central School on County Road 14, southeast of Woodstock by Ontario Heritage Trust’s for their Provincial Plaque Program. This […]

Beachville White Lime

This image compares to the photograph of the early quarry pit mined by Cole & Hacker. Notice how much deeper the pits were dug in 1923 at Beachville […]

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 […]

Later Rotary Kilns

During the 1950s, the vertical drums of the shaft kilns were turned on their sides and inclined; the rotary kiln was introduced. By 1960, rotary kilns were installed […]

Loading Trucks at Gypsum Lime and Alabastine

When other forms of power were applied to “steam shovels” through the advents of gasoline and electricity, they became known as “power shovels.”

Features of the Limestone Valley Trail: Kiln Shell

The kiln shell from the former site of Standard White Lime marks the trailhead of the Limestone Valley Trail. Kilns are machines used to transform limestone into quicklime […]