Page 77 - John Anderson

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were left there which were most likely used for boiling Indigo."
Through measuring Douglas' distance of "about" six miles south from
the point of Mount Oswald at the confluence of the Tomoka and
Halifax Rivers, the location of "Swamp Settlement" can be pin-pointed
to have been in the area precisely where Henry Yonge was granted
850 acres in 1803.
There had indeed been a previous settlement on Yonge's grant, and it
had been a major Eighteenth Century sugar mill complex! A recent
field examination of the nearly intact chimneys and the remains of
the brick "vats" shows that these chimneys were undoubtedly built as
part of a sugar refinery, the brick "vats" being the framing which
would have held the iron kettles in which the sugar was boiled.
Early Ormond author, Edith P. Stanton wrote in 1949 that “this was
definitely a sugar mill, as some of the machinery has only recently
been removed. One chimney was used for sugar refining; the other
two, it is said, were used for rum." Local author, Mrs. Alice Strickland,
was correct in her opinion that the Ormond Chimneys were from a
previous settlement. But, could a date be found for their
construction? John Douglas, Oswald's last manager, indicated in
1782 that the plantation had produced sugar for 3 or 4 years
previously which would place the early construction to about 1778-
1779.
Various sized sugar
kettles were used in
the production of
sugar in early “Sugar
Trains.” While there
were different sizes of
kettles for use
depending on the
stage and type of
operation; they were
all primarily the same shape. The sugar kettle was born out of
necessity and found at sugar plantations throughout the region.
These kettles were also used for cooking on the plantations, as meals
were prepared for large numbers of people. Made of cast iron, the
kettles were very durable and versatile.

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