The Wilkes brothers of Brantford came to Sombra Township in 1850. They took advantage of the swampy forests of Lambton, purchasing 2,000 acres of land and then harvesting the virgin oak and hardwood for lumber. A wave of settlers came to the new town of Wilkesport. By the 1860’s, the Wilkes brothers had exhausted the potential for lumber on their land and left the county. However, the other community members remained there, farming the open land that had once been thickly forested.
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Page 9: Wilkesport
Length: 8 minutes