The more than 200 images for personal and private collections, some
published here for the first time, serve to present a stunning and
fascinating commemorative pictorial album of Chatham's rich history.
At the end of the nineteenth century, in the newly created city of
Chatham, the possibilities seemed endless and almost utopian. Gone were
the ramshackle wooden shacks that dominated its early days, and in their
place were stately homes made of brick and stone. Taverns, mills,
mercantile stores, mechanics' shops, shipbuilders, and iron foundries
blossomed and flourished. Tall and small ships crowded the banks of the
bustling Thames River, which had become Chatham's lifeline to the world.
Such is the Chatham presented in this volume, which contains nearly two
hundred striking images gleaned from personal and public collections.
Many of these items, some published here for the first time, serve to
present a stunning and fascinating commemorative pictorial album of
Chatham's rich history. They will encourage readers to take a stroll on
Tecumseh Park's lovers' lane, to board a grand steamer for an exciting
river excursion, to prowl a King Street teeming with bicycles, horses,
and carts, and to take a ride on those strange new horseless carriages.