The Ashery Lot
In August 1852, George Morton, an enterprising young businessman from Brockville negotiated the purchase of the government road allowance along the front of Lot 3, Concession VIII, Leeds Township. On this narrow strip of land which lies along the southern edge of the Sunny Acres property Morton set up an ashery where wood ashes were processed to produce potash.
Potash, a mixture of potassium rich compounds, was widely used in the 19th century in the production of soap, ceramics and glass. The most available source of potash was hardwood ashes of which there was an abundant supply as settlers cleared their land and burned the trees.
Wood ashes were leached with water to produce liquid lye that was then boiled in a large cast iron kettle until all the water was removed leaving a dark salt-like deposit known as black salts. Every settler had a potash kettle that was used to produce the black salts which were then sold to the ashery where they were heated to a high temperature to remove organic impurities producing pearl ash that was packed in barrels and shipped to market.
The ashery, under the management of Daniel Berney, expanded beyond the limit of the road allowance to include the property adjacent to the small bay; the waters leading to the main steamboat channel were cleared of stumps and sunken logs to provide access to the ashery wharf for the Reciprocity, George Morton’s steamboat.
This early enterprise played an important role in the development of the village as a port on the Rideau Canal.
The ashery continued operation into the 1870s when the supply of wood ashes dwindled; the last owner was James Moore. The ashery lot and wharf passed through several owners including John Randall and Adam Foster, a coal dealer from Smiths Falls. In 1941 the lot was purchased by Horace and Alice Wilkinson who established Sunny Acres resort with cabins to accommodate summer tourists.
Keith Sly
August 2021
