Elgin Settlement at Buxton

In 1848 in Ontario, Canada, Reverend William King established a 4300 acre settlement to help fugitive slaves who had escaped their masters in America. This part of the story is not fiction. The first residents were fifteen freed slaves who had been "owned" by Reverend King and his wife. A well-organized community, Buxton grew over time, as more and more runaway slaves learned about the settlement and its promise of safety. The settlement had rules regarding how they would treat the properties and work together. For example, every house was required to have garden space in the back, a picket fence in front, and at least four rooms. Most of the fugitives had lived in small shacks in the southern part of the US before they came to Buxton.

The residents eventually established a school that was so good, it was attended by white students, as...