Community Spotlight

Photo Credit: Museum of Dufferin. This photo was taken in 1849.

“William Ghant and his wife Mary are believed to be emancipated slaves, who moved north to New York State and then came to Melancthon Township, via Toronto around 1849 with their two sons. William owned over 300 acres of farmland and with his sons, chopped and cleared a large acreage and became influential farmers in Melancthon Township; raising abundant crops of oats, peas and barley. During the maple syrup and sugar season, the Ghants usually tapped an average of 250 trees. William Ghant was a tall, powerful man and did his entire farm work with a yoke of oxen – sometimes he had two teams of oxen – and did much logging for both himself and his neighbours. He would often tell tales of those “Slavery Days” in the Sunny South before the emancipation by Lincoln, painting a vibrant picture for the listener. The Ghant family would grow to include four sons, three daughters and one granddaughter before they moved to Bruce County, near Lion’s Head, after 1876 and established several more family farms.”

Please visit the Museum of Dufferin to learn more about the William and Mary Ghant exhibit.