Amherstburg is a town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In 1796, Fort Malden was established here, stimulating growth in the settlement. The fort has been designated as a National Historic Site.

The town is approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan, facing Wyandotte, Grosse Ile Township, Brownstown Charter Township, Trenton, and Gibraltar, Michigan. It is part of the Windsor census metropolitan area.

In addition to the primary urban area of Amherstburg, the town also includes the smaller communities of Amherst Pointe, Anderdon, Auld, Bar Point, Boblo, Edgewater Beach, Glen Eden, Holiday Beach, Lakewood Beach, Lake Erie Country Club, Lukerville, Malden Centre, McGregor, North Malden, River Canard, Sunset Beach, Kingsbridge South, Kingsbridge North, Point West, Willow Beach and Willowood.

History

French colonists had settled along what became the Canadian side of the Detroit River during the colonial era, establishing small farms. The Petite Côte settlement was founded along the river to the north.

In 1796, after losing the Thirteen Colonies following the American Revolutionary War, the British established Fort Malden as a military fort overlooking the river's mouth at Lake Erie. It was occupied as a garrison. This stimulated development in the area, as did the Crown granting land in Upper Canada to Loyalists (now known as United Empire Loyalists) in compensation for losses in the Thirteen Colonies, or as payment for service in the military during the war.

The Crown also wanted to increase population and development in Upper Canada. The new settlers built many of their houses in the French style of a century before, giving the new town a historic character. French-speaking colonists also settled here, some of whom were descendants of soldiers and traders associated with Fort Detroit, or other early colonists. They were known as Fort Detroit French, in contrast to later migrants of the 19th century from Quebec, who became known as Canadian French.^[5] St. Jean was their Catholic church.

During the days of the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War, refugee African-American slaves often crossed the Detroit river to escape to freedom in Canada, after the Crown abolished slavery. Although Michigan was a free state, slavecatchers went to Detroit trying to capture slaves and take them to owners for bounty. Detroit abolitionists William Lambert and especially George DeBaptiste were key to helping the slaves escape. DeBaptiste owned a lake steamboat that he used to offload refugees in town while docked ostensibly to load lumber.^[6] They used Fort Malden as one of several entry points to Canada. The town is mentioned in Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the entry point of George and Eliza, after escaping from slavery in the United States.^[7]

By 1869, the town of Amherstburg in the Township of Malden, County of Essex had a population of 2,500. When the fort was no longer needed for military purposes, the government adapted it for use as a provincial "lunatic asylum". Its main building was later used as a Port of Entry, Money Order office, Post Office & savings bank.^[8]

Amherstburg was incorporated as a town in 1878. The town is named after Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, commander of the British forces and first British Governor General of the Province of Quebec (1760).^[9]

In 1998, The Town of Amherstburg absorbed the neighbouring Township of Anderdon (to its northeast) and Township of Malden (to its southeast) to form a larger Town of Amherstburg.

At 20:01 Eastern Daylight Time on April 19, 2018, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake (with a depth of 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi)) occurred in Amherstburg, between the main portion of town and McGregor. No damage was reported, but the 30-second shaking was felt in Windsor, Downtown Detroit, and the Downriver communities across the river, such as Grosse Ile, Michigan. Some minor shaking was felt as far away as Toledo, Ohio along Lake Erie and Ann Arbor in the interior of Michigan.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Amherstburg Police Force showing Chief Addison and Chief Detective Renaud, [ca. 1912]

The Amherstburg Police Service was dissolved at the end of 2018, with its officers and responsibilities transferred to a detachment of the Windsor Police Service.^[16]

Tourist attractions

Amherstburg is home to several tourist attractions, including Fort Malden and the North American Black Historical Museum. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected in Amherstburg by the province to commemorate Bellevue House's role in Ontario's heritage. Bellevue House (c. 1816-19) was the home of Catherine Reynold, a landscape painter and her brother Robert Reynolds. Additional tourist activities include the Park House Museum and the charming Navy Yard Park, both of which are located in the heart of old Amherstburg.

An art and history fan would appreciate the charming Gibson Gallery. The Gallery building is a former Michigan Central Railroad Station (c. 1896) which has been fully restored to its original beauty. The gallery operates year-round, featuring exhibits by local artists, the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Windsor, traveling exhibits from Ontario museums and galleries and student art/photography exhibits. A restored Essex Terminal railway caboose is now a railway museum that represents the nostalgia of Amherstburg's railroad history.

The restored Gordon House is another appreciated attraction of Amherstburg. It was built in 1798 overlooking the Detroit River, and houses a Marine exhibit.

For the outdoors enthusiast, Holiday Beach Conservation Area is one of the best fall birding sites in North America. The 546-acre (2.21 km²) nature reserve contains over 2,000 feet (610 m) of beaches, picnic areas, a 2-kilometre (6,600 ft) trail along the edge of Big Creek Marsh. Holiday Beach is considered North America's premiere spot to view the fall migration of raptors (birds of prey). A 'Festival of Hawks' event takes place in September.