The Breakaway - Cedar Creek, Northumberland County Brighton, ON - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Marker located at the entrance to a long-abandoned roadside park off Highway 30 north of Brighton and Highway 401.

The marker recounts the history of the flood of April, 1852 that killed 2 mill workers and wiped out several mills and roads.

Marker text reads:

"The Breakaway

In the early nineteenth century lumber was the backbone of the local economy and by 1851 there were 19 sawmills operating in Brighton Township, most of them small, family-run affairs taking advantage of a natural watercourse on a farm or settlement.

On April 21, 1852, following several days of heavy rain combined with late-spring snow melt, the waters of a small glacial lake located 1.5km west of this spot broke through ancient gravel banks and cascaded down the valley following the path of a creek, tearing trees out by the roots and destroying everything in its path. East of here the Shearer saw mill was in operation and two men were swept to their deaths and the mill destroyed. Further east the Simpson mill was damaged but thankfully there was no loss of life.

Major damage was done to the main road (the Old Percy Road) severely limiting the transportation of lumber and other goods. A new road had been under consideration for some time and the Breakaway incident provided the final incentive to proceed. In the spring of 1853 work was begun at Harbour Street in the Village of Brighton and by 1856 the ew Brighton and Seymour Gravel Road was completed to Mallory's Corners, north of Codrington. This road provided a much-need north-south direct route through Brighton Township which was important to later economic development, it survives today as Nortumberland Road 30, which brought you here toy.

Group that erected the marker: Brighton Heritage Advisory Committee URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Hwy 30 Cedar Creek, ON CA

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