Landscape Archives | Page 2 of 4 | Bedrock of Beachville: The History of Our Limestone Quarries

Features of the Limestone Valley Trail: Kiln Tyre

A recycled kiln tyre as a garden border along the Thames Valley Trail. Kiln tyres are significant components used in rotary kilns. It’s typically made of steel and […]

Vertical Shaft Kilns

This image depicts four tall black cylindrical structures attached by a tramway expelling smoke. By 1960, this Gypsum site became a division of Dominion Tar & Chemical Co. […]

Diverting the River

The most severe flood recorded along the Thames River occurred in April of 1937. In response to this devastation, Beachville opted to alter the course of the Thames […]

The Aftermath of the Flood

Looking south down the flooded sideroad, this image shows the damage caused to the office and the company homes. John Downing’s family home (later the Beachville Museum) is […]

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 […]

The River Flats in Beachville

The flats around the Thames River were the perfect place to mine limestone. In this image, notice how shallow the soil is atop a major sheet of rock. […]

On Route to the Kilns

In this image, the draw kilns are visible on the left side. The gentleman manually pulls the cart up the ramp to the kilns along a cable.

The Crusher on the Edge of the Pit

This image depicts the tramway, a ramp with a track running up it. Stones were carted up from the quarry pit to a building on the pit’s edge. […]

Smoke Clouds

Beachville residents were concerned with rising dust levels and its relation to air quality. The image below depicts smoke clouds obscuring buildings and conveyor belts at the Beachville […]

Drill Markings on the Wall

This image shows a worker near piles of stone that have been blasted off the pit’s walls. Notice the light, vertical lines at regular intervals on the face […]

Blasting in the 21st Century

Video Clip: (00:25): The limestone industry has long been active in the Thames River Valley. Early on, to loosen the rock, blasting was done with black powder and […]

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 […]