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

Quarry Drillers

The image on the left depicts two anonymous men surrounded by stones, wearing overalls, gloves and hats and holding large electric drills. The image on the right depicts […]

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: […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Pierce Arrow Truck

Above is an image of an old Pierce Arrow pickup truck with an open cab. Made between 1911 and 1938, Pierce Arrow trucks had capacities of anywhere between […]

Early Transport Truck

This is one of Byron Downing’s first trucks. It was used at the quarries in the early 1930s. These Mack, B.L. Model trucks were built between 1929 and […]