KING INFLUENCED BUXTON SOCIETY

King encouraged early disputes in the Elgin Settlement to be amicably settled without court.  A prime example of this was the dispute between Rowe and Harris:

• Local neighbour John Rowe (white) who had settled 100 acres on Col. Talbot Road, denied Mr. Harris (black) access to his land; Rowe was told he could purchase land adjoining his farm from the land office, but he received no deed for the back 100 acre
• Mr. Harris waited for King to return from a trip to Toronto to settle the dispute
  • King met with Mr. Rowe and Mr. Harris, produced the deed for Mr. Harris' property
  • King gave Mr. Rowe permission to keep the lumber he'd cut from Mr.
    Harris' land and warned Mr. Rowe that to cut further lumber now that he knew it was Mr. Harris' land would be trespassing

King realized that the settlement couldn't afford to be cut-off from the world, he wanted to open a post office in the mission.  He initiated the required applications to open a post office, he soon received authorization to do so and the post office was named Buxton in honour of Sir Thomas Howell Buxton.  King was the first post master of Buxton.

An Englishman opened a grocery store on Talbot Road and attempted to introduce liquour into the settlement.  King called a public meeting of the settlers, due to his concern that liquour would demoralize the settlers faster than he could elevate them.  The black community boycotted the store until liquour was no longer sold.

By 1853, industry was establishing in the settlement as a means to be self-sufficient and provide ready cash for 'luxury' or unessential items.

1. sawmill
2. pearl ash factory, to make black salts for fertilizer from ashes
3. brick yard