This is a post from my friend Katherine Highgate! Read about her home town...it sounds fantastic!Maybe one day you will visit Chatham-Kent.
Enjoy, Taylor
I was once told that "The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you're doing, someone else does."
I still smile when I read this quote, even after hearing it at least a hundred times and I can proudly say that I'm a "small town girl" through and through.
Having lived in the same town all my life, I truly understand what it means to be part of close-knit community, and looking back, I think that it's helped to shape me into the person that I am today.
My name is Katherine Highgate, and later this month I will have the great privilege of representing Chatham-Kent in the Miss Teen Canada-World pageant!
My time spent as Miss Teen Chatham-Kent has been incredible thus far, and while I'm eagerly anticipating spending pageant week in the big city of Toronto, I'm determined to show my fellow contestants what makes Chatham-Kent one of the greatest places to live, and exactly why I'm so passionate about the place that I come from.
The unique thing about my hometown is that it contains an immense amount of history.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, located on the outskirts of Dresden, is a tribute to the life of Reverend Josiah Henson.
Josiah Henson was born in Maryland and worked as a slave for forty-one years. He escaped to Upper Canada via the Underground Railroad in 1830, and in 1841, he moved to Dresden to establish the Dawn Settlement, a place where former slaves could find refuge.
In 2006, I had the opportunity to work as a tour guide at Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, and I was delighted to discover the fascinating history of the town that I'd lived in all my life.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, the acclaimed book by author Harriet Beecher Stowe, was based on the life of Josiah Henson, and in 1999, the Government of Canada erected a plaque at Uncle Tom's Cabin to designate Josiah Henson as a Canadian of National Historical Significance.
Chatham-Kent is not only rich in history, it has a fantastic array of arts and entertainment to offer.
The Chatham Capitol Theatre opened in 1930, and was one of the largest and most spectacular movie houses in Western Ontario. The Capitol is undergoing a remarkable transformation into a state-of-the-art, 1200 seat performing arts and entertainment centre, and when completed, the Capitol will host a variety of national and international theatre performances, concerts, and special events.
The theatre was saved from demolition in 1995 and is a cultural landmark in Chatham-Kent.
Chatham-Kent is also known as being a rich agricultural community, and my town of Dresden, specifically, is a producer of soybeans, corn and tomatoes.
The strong work ethic that goes hand in hand with farming is what I've grown up on, and I feel thankful to have been raised in place that nurtures strong values such as hard work and determination. The town is well known for its agriculture, and once a year, showcases this by hosting the Dresden Exhibition.
The fair has been going strong for 134 years, and has been one of my favourite local events for as 
long as I can remember!
Well, that concludes my tour of Dresden, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading about the town that I'm so very proud of. I assure you that the " small town feeling" is like no other, and I hope that you will visit soon in order to truly understand what sets Dresden apart from every other town in Southwestern Ontario!
See you Soon! Love Katherine :)
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