Ontario, The Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Chatham
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The Forks of the Thames are formed by the joining of the Thames River and McGregor Creek creating a peninsula that is present day Tecumseh Park in Chatham, Ontario. The strategic importance of the site was recognized by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe when he visited the region in 1793.
The first settlement at the Forks occurred in 1794 when Simcoe commissioned Captain William Baker to establish a shipyard. Baker constructed a log blockhouse, a 72 foot-long frame workshop, forges, saw pits, and buildings to accommodate him and his workmen. The logistics of establishing a shipyard in the wilderness, however, put the construction of the vessels behind schedule and substantially over budget. Baker was recalled and the shipyard was abandoned after four gunboats had been completed. It is possible that two of these were the gunboats in Procter's flotilla. By 1813, all that remained on this site was a log cabin (probably Baker's residence).
(Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812 • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 13 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
The Forks of the Thames are formed by the joining of the Thames River and McGregor Creek creating a peninsula that is present day Tecumseh Park in Chatham, Ontario. The strategic importance of the site was recognized by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe when he visited the region in 1793.The first settlement at the Forks occurred in 1794 when Simcoe commissioned Captain William Baker to establish a shipyard. Baker constructed a log blockhouse, a 72 foot-long frame workshop, forges, saw pits, and buildings to accommodate him and his workmen. The logistics of establishing a shipyard in the wilderness, however, put the construction of the vessels behind schedule and substantially over budget. Baker was recalled and the shipyard was abandoned after four gunboats had been completed. It is possible that two of these were the gunboats in Procter's flotilla. By 1813, all that remained on this site was a log cabin (probably Baker's residence).
(Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812 • Waterways & Vessels) Includes location, directions, 13 photos, GPS coordinates, map.