Learn about the Littles’ journey to Canada, and how they became two of the most well-known farmers of the Queen’s Bush Settlement. John Little was bought and sold by many slaveholders in his early life, each one claiming that he was “too strong to break”.
He escaped enslavement many times over but was eventually caught and brought to Jackson, Tennessee, where he met and married a woman named Eliza. Mr. and Mrs. John Little escaped enslavement together in 1841 and began their journey towards Canada. They made their way across the Ohio River, where Mrs. Little sat in a log with their few possessions, and Mr. Little swam alongside her. They found their way into Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but there was little work or opportunity for them here.
Mr. and Mrs. John Little began their journey towards Ontario after hearing about Queen’s Bush and the possibility of owning their own land. After arriving in Queen’s Bush (now known as Wellington County and Waterloo Region), Mr. and Mrs. John Little bought land and began farming. To this day, they are two of the best-known farmers among the early settlers of Queen’s Bush, Ontario.
