Field Trip No. 1 June 29, 1995— Report
To the Black Historical Cemetery, Conc. 4, Lot 16, West Peel Township,
Wellington County.
Present- Mary McLean, Researcher, Guelph Civic Museum.
Melba Jewell, Volunteer & Photographer.
Yatton Contact Mr. Delton Martin, R.R. #2, Wallenstein, Ontario.
Con. 3, Lot 19 South 1/2.
- Yatton General Store (Ellen Martin), referred us to:
- Delton Martin, known as the “Mayor of Yatton”. He took us to
- Con. 4, Lot 16, originally Rev. Samuel Brown’s site of African Methodist Church and
cemetery. Church is gone. Gravestones gathered into a row; plot surrounded by
several trees and some peonies. Some names on grave markers are Lawson, Dunn, Stewart, Douglass.
- To Lawson Farm, Con. 5, lot 15 visible from cemetery.
- Another cemetery at Con. 5, Lot
- To Elmira to photocopy papers and some arrticles from Delton Martin. Mr. Martin
is a retired Mennonite farmer, age approx. 82. - Mary, Melba – picnic lunch at Gore Park, Elmira (lovely warm summer’s day).
- Returned to Yatton and returned papers, newspaper articles to Mr. Martin.
- To Glen Allan and visited Anglican Church cemetery.
- To Wallenstein and visited cemetery for Irish settlers.
- Returned to Yatton to the Martin Sisters Bakery and bought some baked goods.
There used to be a school next door to the bakery but nothing remains – only 3 large
trees and a well. Delton Martin attended this school. Yatton was formerly called Little Buffalo. It is in the heart of Mennonite country. Many houses had no telephone or hydro. The people wear traditional clothing and travel around by horse and buggy.
Submitted by: Mary McLean and Melba Jewell.
